Themes

I sluggishly walk into the foyer and dump my purse loudly on the small table that sits next to the door. Within seconds, my momma comes gliding down the hallway with her arms stretched out, delighted to see me.

"Sawyer, my dear. I have already begun setting up in the kitchen. I have Ms. Celia making us some fresh lemonade and we can get to work," she says sweetly. It's like I have invited a whole new pleasant side of my mother out to play. She's smiling brightly and she doesn't even make a nasty remark about me being in the same clothing I was in when I left the house yesterday.

"Let me change and then the teeth pulling can begin," I reply and her classic scowl returns.

"Don't ruin this for me, darling," she says flatly before spinning on her heel and striding back down the hallway and into the kitchen. I start up the stairs and I am just about at the top of the banister when my phone rings. I see it's Arthur returning my call so I quickly answer, "Hello."

"Why hello there, Sawyer. This is Arthur Huxley returning your phone call," he says in his shaky old man voice. I continue into my room as I reply, "Yes, hi, thank you. I was just calling because Mrs. Breeland told me to continue with planning the reopening party. She said to get in touch with you to discuss the budget and to get the payment info from you."

I'm using my obnoxious, higher-octave voice that I only use when speaking with fancy folk. Mama would be proud.

"Yes, Poppy and I had previously agreed upon a budget of three thousand dollars. Now, the society doesn't have much to spare after all the restoration expenses, so anything over three thousand will have to come from your own funds, you understand dear?" He says and both Lucy and Poppy warned me he was a strict accountant.

"I will do everything I can to stay on budget. Now, what is the best way to access the society's funds?" I ask and he quickly replies, "You can go ahead and run everything through me. I can write out any necessary checks."

I frown knowing what a pain that will be. I won't be able to buy or reserve anything until I get the money from Arthur. I roll my eyes as I ask, "Isn't there a way to just access the funds through a debit or credit card or you can give me a few of the checks?"

He clicks his tongue before saying, "I'd rather you run everything through me, Ms. Sweeney. Now, don't take this the wrong way, but it's easier to stay on budget if I am cutting the checks than to send you off to gallivant around town with blank checks provided by the society you see?"

He clearly doesn't trust me with blank checks or a credit card. This is rather annoying seeing that I am clearly in a position to not take advantage of the Historical Society. He can't think I am going to scam the fundraiser funds.

"Okay, well then I guess I will start calling around and once I have things in place, I will call you for the go-ahead. Thanks for calling me back Mr. Huxley," I say politely, my voice still slightly shrill.

"We'll talk soon then. Good day, Ms. Sweeney." I hear the phone click off and roll my eyes. I have a feeling I will have to twist that man's arm anytime I want access to the society's bank account.

I shower quickly and find my mother sprawling papers around the wooden kitchen table. Her long white cardigan flows behind her as she moves around the table and when she spots me, she asks, "Now first things first, what is your budget?"

I slide out a chair and as I drop into it, I reply, "Arthur just told me three thousand dollars." My mother looks like I just told her Wade's Bakery burned down. Her hand flies up to her chest in horror as she replies, "We are planning a sophisticated grand reopening, not a hootenanny!"

I shrug.

"Will that not be enough?" I ask her and she immediately shakes her head.

"I usually allot that for the catering budget alone!"

"Well, that's what Poppy and Arthur agreed upon so I am simply honoring her decisions. It doesn't feel like it's my place to argue," I tell her and her wide blue eyes finally shrink back down to normal size. She clicks her tongue but her hands remain fiddling with the cross necklace she has dangling around her neck. She's silent for a few moments and then says, "Well it will just have to be light bites and a cash bar then. Although a cash bar is as tacky as wearing sweatpants to church."

I roll my eyes at my mother's dramatics and reply, "Or we do wine only?"

"Darlin', you drink that amount in wine alone."

I frown before adding, "We also need to figure out how many people we are inviting to this thing anyway."

My mother points to a stack of papers at the top right of the table and says, "I have a preliminary list of Hollis guests right there. We will have to decide if we are inviting anyone from Oxford or Sommerville."

I nod.

"I think anyone who was a donor at the fundraiser should be invited. Unfortunately, Poppy was in charge of that party, so I don't know if she kept a copy of the guest list or the donor amounts."

"Well ask Mr. Huxley about the donors. I'm sure Poppy sent out thank you's and kept a record of who donated to the society. He should have a list if he's the accountant."

Great, another thing to run by Arthur. I glance to the other papers Momma scattered around the table and I see lists of caterers, furniture rentals, party supplies and preliminary guest names. I already feel overwhelmed and the planning has hardly started. I look to Momma as she neatly lines the stacks across the table and say, "Maybe I should call Scarlett or Betty. They have much more experience planning parties and would be way better than I would be."

She slowly turns her narrowed blue eyes toward me and plants her hand on the table to steady herself.

"Scarlett and Betty are donors to the society. They are not members, Sawyer. Now, you will fulfill your duties as a party planner or so help me, you will never attend a party again." She catches my smirk and adds, "You may think that's not much of a threat, but parties include the wine festival you love so much and the Spring Fling in April. I will make it my life's work to ensure you never attend a gathering in Hollis for as long as I remain on God's green earth."

At this I frown, she knows the wine festival and the Spring Fling are the only two things I ever mark on the calendar. Free wine and food from all over Mississippi are brought in for both events and my mother knows how much I enjoy endless flights of wine.

"Fine. So, we know the budget, I will ask about the donors so we can create a proper guest list, what comes next?" I ask my momma. She puts her hands on her hips and her eyes dart between her piles and me. Finally, she says, "What's the theme?" I look to her blankly. After a long maddening pause, she adds, "Color scheme? Anything I can work with Sawyer?"

I shrug again.

"I don't know. I didn't know I had to come up with all that."

My mother throws her hands in the air as she says, "Poppy had to order specific colors for the fundraiser did she not? Any event we have gone to has had a color scheme or theme, my dear. LulaBelle's brunch was pinks and golds, Poppy's fundraiser was black and gold, the Samuel's botanical garden opening was silver and mint."

She's listing off parties and colors like an idea will strike me like a bolt of lightning, but I continue to stare at her in silence. I've never thought about color schemes and party themes. I've just enjoyed the atmosphere of the parties I've gone to. I had no idea so much thought goes into the theme.

"How about red, white and blue? It is a Civil War monument we are restoring," I suggest but Momma looks to me flatly.

"That's hardly original but I guess it's a start," she says and I throw my head back in annoyance. I look to her and snap, "Oh and a Great Gatsby theme was hardly an original idea for the fundraiser but I didn't see you complaining."

She releases an annoyed sigh.

"Let's start with the basics. Will this be a night or day affair?"

I always have more fun at evening parties but the garden area is a main attraction. I look to her and reply, "How about four-ish? That way people can see the garden in the sunlight but still enjoy the house into the evening."

Momma nods as she jots my ideas down then asks, "How casual or how formal?"

I know all of these Hollis women love dress shopping for these kinds of occasions so I reply, "Semi-formal. Nice sundresses and men can wear slacks and ties."

Momma nods again and I am thankful she didn't argue with me. Next, she asks, "A semi-formal evening affair. Any themes or colors comin' to mind now?"

I bite my lip as I try and envision the Wellington House in all of its glory. I look to my mother and reply, "It will be mid-October so how about an Autumn theme? Reds, oranges, golds and browns?"

I catch the corner of her lips turn up and she says, "Now you're getting it darlin'."