Soggy flowers swayed in the grass with broken stems or leaves scattered here and there. Only the flowers from the royal florist still kept their stems proudly straight and tried to withstand the excess water. Although the downpours provided flowers and plants with plenty of water, it was all a bit too much at once. A skinny mutt crawled into a portal, whimpering, shielding itself from the rain. Gutters could no longer handle the water and turned the roads into one big lake. Cellars were flooded and the city seemed like one big impenetrable puddle, wet, dirty and cold.'What weather, what horrible, nasty rotten weather! Yths is so different from Quinsbury! You would almost think we did something wrong,' Lilian Emelot complained as she hurriedly closed the curtains. Robert Veracker looked up from his game of chess for a moment and then looked back at his bishop, which was stuck between two pawns."I rather think that the extreme summer drought is now starting to take its toll," his chess partner Edgard muttered in an unsolicited answer. Lilian smiled and looked at her geranium with satisfaction that had survived the warm weather effortlessly due to her good care.
"Anyone want some tea ?" she asked to break the silence. Robert nodded briefly and heaved a deep sigh, while Edgard rubbed his hands triumphantly.
'Checkmate, Veracker! For the umpteenth time, this simple butler wins over the handyman of the Courtly Functional Bourgeoisie!'
"Behave, Edgard, or next time I will send you into this dog weather with my own hands, instead of poor Eugène," the housewife reprimanded her servants as she placed a large pot of tea on the side table.
'Are you cleaning up the chess game, Edgard? Then we can have a nice chat. Robert, my dear, how are you doing as a busy man?'Robert looked with his most disinterested expression at the plump woman who had taken the seat opposite him. She had an enthusiastic blush on her chubby cheeks and twinkles in her eyes. Lilian was a woman who said every word as if she were participating in a world-famous theater play. With grand gestures and exaggerated facial expressions, she fluttered busily around the room, joining in every conversation and over-enthusiastically telling the latest gossip she had just heard at the hairdresser.
'Irresponsibly busy, Robert? I would really be surprised if that wasn't the case. Is your house still under construction?' Robert almost had to smile, she described so beautifully the old, dilapidated farm where Robert lived together with three other members of the Courtly Functional Bourgeoisie. A whole list of jobs had to be carried out to make it something presentable, but both the time and the money were lacking. Robert's thoughts wandered to the attic space where he had placed his bed right in the middle so that if he lay on the far left side of it, he could see the blue sky through the roof tiles. He realized that that side of the mattress would probably be completely soaked after this storm. In the meantime, Lilian continued chatting about which plants should best be placed in their garden. She was a member of the Courtly Functional Citizenship and was responsible for selecting the right flowers and plants for each garden or park in Azucar, as well as choosing flowers for each festive occasion. She liked to combine this job with sharing all the stories and gossip she heard on her daily trips through the parks. Only once had Lilian Emelot remained silent for a week after the death of her beloved husband Will Emelot, a talkative person like her. He suffered from a debilitating illness and died very young. Will had always seen the zest for life, the good in every person, even in Lilian Emelot, who was regarded by many only as an annoying chatterbox. But Will told her about the world, showed her the cacti in the desert and dreamed away among the mountain heather on the hills of Oostengard while he held her in his arms. He took her to warm places and distant lands to teach her about every species of plant and laughed when she interrupted him with one of her snarky remarks. When he was near the end, thin, pale and desperately ill, he still told stories in a voice that gave you hope. Even on his deathbed, the last thing he said had an effect on everyone.
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'Lilian, darling, I would have liked to say so much to you, but I didn't have the time. So, darling, talk, speak, shout, shout and sing all your life. Make your voice heard so that when you reach the end of your road, you have said what you wanted to say."Then he passed away, Will Emelot, a man with a big heart. And Lilian was silent, unable to find words. There seemed to be a big lump stuck in her throat. She didn't cry dramatically then, but let the restrained tears flow softly down her cheeks. Since then, everyone knows that the chattering Lilian Emelot talks because she is happy. When she stays silent, you know something is wrong, something seriously wrong.Robert sighed and looked desperately at the housewife's hideous white tablecloth, set with an overly busy cherry print. At that moment there were two loud knocks on the front door.
"Oh dear, excuse me Robert."She jumped up from her pillow and rushed to the front door. She turned the key twice, pulled open the large mahogany door and looked straight into the face of a soaked, numb Eugène who was struggling to keep his balance under five heavy shopping bags.
'Oh, Eugène, darling, what do you look like, what a horrible storm. Maybe I should have waited ten minutes and let you go in the pick-up carriage. But oh well... Edgard!' she shouted at her servant, who pretended to be dusting the china cupboard, but as always was just eavesdropping on the conversations.
"Go get some towels and check out the merchandise, would you?"Then she turned and trotted back into the living room.
'Another cup of tea?'"No, thank you," Robert replied, looking sideways at the wall clock."But it's not the weather to chase a dog through.""I know, but my horse is here under the lean-to, and the way home isn't that long." Robert stood up."But Eugène has just brought cake," his hostess tried.'Probably the tastiest in all of Yths, but unfortunately I will have to refuse it,' was the answer. He smiled apologetically.Lilian nodded.
'I understand. I think it would be useful to check whether all the tiles are still on your roof. Eugène, bring the gentleman his coat.'
"Eugène is making herself presentable, madam," came the voice from the hall."Then you bring the coat.
"Edgard came hopping over with a crate of oranges that he placed next to Madame's beloved geranium and ran to the coat rack. Lilian picked up a huge basket containing an oversized orange flower arrangement and thrust it into Robert's arms.
'I'm sorry again that I forgot the stage piece, but I'm glad you came to get it on time. You are a hero!'Edgard came running and gave Robert his coat, while Lilian led him to the door."It was very pleasant," Robert muttered and put on his coat, wondering how he would be able to carry the flower arrangement to the farm on his horse in this stormy weather
.'Of course it was! See you tomorrow, darling.'Lilian Emelot pressed another air kiss on his cheek and opened the front door.
"Tell Eugène to clear the dining table when he's done," she called over her shoulder to Edgard.Robert Veracker walked down the marble stairs holding his scarf protectively over the flower arrangement. He hoisted the basket onto the saddle and squeezed himself just behind it. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Lilian waving enthusiastically at him under a pink palm tree. His horse walked at a gentle trot through the ever-growing puddles on the driveway.