The cupboard was the time machine. Seven year old Ethan knew it. His older brother Evan had told him yesterday, just before he’d left for boarding school. Ethan had wandered the huge empty house, hoping to find a kindred soul. But nobody talked to him. The upstairs maid continued to polish the silver.. The cook had not even given him jam tarts. Tom, the gardener had just swatted the air. Maybe, he would go back in time to when he used to visit his grandparents in the village. His mother had not left then. It was later that she’d gone to live somewhere else. Maybe she’d moved with Gammie and Pappy at the farm.
Father got irritated if he asked. He was a very important man. Ethan knew that. Sometimes he wished he wasn’t.
He got into the cupboard. Once there, he realized he didn’t know how it worked.
“Take me to Gammie and Grandpa.”
He supposed he should say their names.
“Take me to Yoseph and Ingrid, a few years back.”
The cupboard started wobbling, and the darkness swirled with a mixture of light. Ethan closed his eyes. When the feeling stopped, he opened them. Smartly, he stepped out of the cupboard.
It was beautiful. Lush green grass seemingly met a turquoise sky and sheep gambolled across the pasture. The light was shining brightly and happily. There were light clouds floating across like wisps of cotton candy.
Ethan knew he wouldn’t go back.
In the distance stood Gammie and Grandpa. They looked younger, but he remembered them from photos. They were at a fair. There were rides and yummy food. He saw them enjoying and talking to each other. Is this where they had met?
Then in the distance, he saw his mother. She also looked younger. He waved at her and she turned back, there were tears streaming from her eyes.
“Ethan! Why did you die?” she cried.