George Thule's Garden Party

George Thule’s Garden Party

Bruno Roggen

A dream came true for George Thule: after his retirement, he bought a piece of nature of almost two acres in Splintbrook. It was far away from the inhabited world at Flies End, with a beautiful fishpond that took up a little over two thirds of the property. The pond was very rich in fish. There were a few carp of more than twenty pounds, and a family of barbary ducks. There was also an old and very dilapidated country house, in the middle of lush green, protected from the curious glances of possible passers-by. George Thule was overjoyed, that was the least one could say. He had never thought in his active life as a county clerk that he would be able to afford such a beautiful country house after his retirement. He had always dreamed of it when he was still a clerk in the musty offices of the County Government on Doctor Williamson Street in Hazelstead. George felt euphoric all the time when he was in his dream domain doing much-needed repairs to the country house, mowing the lawn, fishing a bit, or even just sitting there enjoying himself on one of the ancient wooden chairs he had taken from the country house.

He wanted to share that feeling of happiness with others, because he was a gentle, socially conscious man. Together with his daughters Angela and Verona, he discussed what he was planning. With the two young women, George wanted to prepare an unusual party at the idyllic country estate of the Thule family. This was a family that was known in the region for their eccentricities, especially of the women, but also for their generosity.

“We are going to make it a Roman party,” said Verona. “The guests must dress in togas, put laurel branches behind their ears and lie on their elbows in the grass while drinking goblets of wine.”

“Is that really a good idea?” her father asked cautiously, for he knew all too well his daughter's irascible temperament when she was contradicted. "Who knows how cold it will be that night?"

"Cold? They won't feel it if they've had enough wine," Verina argued. "And certainly not if after a while they participate in a bacchanale, a real orgy the likes of which no one in Splintbrook has ever experienced."

"Verona is right," Angela intervened. "Only those robes... I don't like the idea. An orgy is supposed to happen naked. People have to undress, jump into the pond, and then make love to each other on the grass. That way, that party under the full moon is guaranteed to be a success that has never been seen before in the region."

“Oh no,” said George Thule, “and then a number of girls get pregnant against their will, and I get the blame… And the parish priest, he’s going to damn me and threaten me with hellfire! Who knows, he might succeed in convincing his parishioners to tar and feather me and chase me out of Splintbrook while they kick me in the ass?”

Angela and Verona could understand that reasoning. That’s why they left the organization of the garden party under the full moon to their anxious father…

What George Thule had discussed with his daughters became an open secret. The plans that the eccentric women had unrolled, especially the orgy and the naked swimming in the pond followed by a kind of group sex, made a great impression on the rural population. The leak probably came from one of Verona’s lovers, a Gerry Duchar from Stoneford. Verona herself had once said:

“If you want everyone to know a secret of yours, you have to tell Gerry and impress upon him that he must keep quiet about it. In no time at all, everyone will know. It is as if Gerry has trumpeted it somewhere on a village square in front of everyone.”

In any case, whatever the cause of the leak, the entire community in Splintbrook and even the surrounding villages and hamlets were in an uproar about the event and were looking forward to a night full of mystery and revelations of naked bodies. Frank Petterson, a young man with bright eyes and daring dreams and who liked a pint of lager, received his invitation with a mixture of surprise and enthusiasm.

“This garden party could be the beginning of a new life,” he thought as he put on clean underwear and his best suit in front of the mirror. His reflection looked at him expectantly. “Maybe I’ll put on some eau de toilette from Sandra’s beauty shop in Kerremp,” he said to himself, “but I mustn’t overdo it.”

Nellie Lawrence, a girl with a strong will and a fiery heart, on the other hand, saw the invitation as an opportunity to reveal the secrets that were rumored to be hidden in the darkest corners of the manor on Flies End. As she took her bath and prepared herself for what was to come by shaving her armpits and legs, she swore:

"Tonight no mystery will remain unsolved. And whatever happens, I will participate fully."

The party began at nightfall, with the great silver moon watching from above. People from all the villages in the area, and even from the city of Hazelstead, freshly washed and dressed in their finest clothes, gathered in the torchlit garden around the pond, where laughter and music created an enchanting atmosphere. Frank and Nellie, both guided by their own impulses, hardly took part in the party. People let themselves go, swimming in the pond, drinking, singing and dancing… Later in the night, there were even sounds of lovemaking in the bushes.

"Do you believe in the legends about the full moon?" Frank asked an old man from Boarmarsh who was looking up at the night sky.

“Every full moon brings a profound change, an opportunity for those brave enough to seek it out,” the old man replied, his gaze lost in the dark sky. “It’s just a matter of believing and daring…”

Meanwhile, Nellie explored every nook and cranny of the mansion. Her steps led her to a hidden door behind a bookshelf in the library. With a pounding heart, she turned the rusted key she had found on the floor in the seemingly well oiled lock. What she found behind that door surpassed all the stories that had been told: a study full of old maps, magical books and objects with unimaginable powers.

Frank, driven by the old man's words, stood at the edge of the pond under the full moon when he suddenly felt a presence behind him. When he turned around, he saw an older woman, but her eyes were full of life.

"You are looking for change," she said, "and it is closer than you think."

The woman gave Frank a metal disk that looked like a medallion. Even in the cold of the night, it was an object that felt warm. The woman assured Frank that its true value would be revealed before sunrise.

Meanwhile, in the secret study, Nellie found an old diary of an ancestor from the time of Henry VIII. This revealed the true nature of the party: it was to be a meeting of spirits and souls willing to discover and change themselves.

As the night progressed, Frank and Nellie's paths crossed, guided by the clues and advice of the ancient book, the full moon, and their mysterious encounters with nature on the estate. In the blink of an eye their souls made contact, their connection was unmistakable. They shared their experiences and discoveries and realized that together they could make the changes they longed for.

As the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon, the party came to an end. Most people left for home. All around the pond, a number of guests were still asleep, most of them as a result of their drunken stupor.

But for Frank and Nellie, the nightly garden party thrown by George Thule was only the beginning of a new life. With the medallion as a guide and the old book as a map, they began an adventure that would take them to forgotten corners of the world, in search of wisdom, strength and love. George Thule’s party at his country estate on the night of the full moon not only changed the lives of Nellie and Frank, but it also aroused hope and mystery in the hearts of many residents of Splintbrook, Boarmarsh, Kerremp, Curange, and even Hazelstead.

At sunrise, several conscious people discovered that they had new goals in their lives and dreams to realize. George Thule was not a true master of the occult. He had no idea what went on in the deep shadows of the old mansion. Euphoric as he was, he could only laugh at the success of the nightly party that he had offered to the people with a generous heart. Without his knowledge, that party had woven the fate of many with threads of magic and possibilities.

Years later, when they had been together for almost twenty years, Frank and Nellie returned to the country estate at Flies End. This time, they were not out to discover things or to search for the unknown, but only as guardians of the secrets they had once revealed. They were ready to guide the next generation under the light of a future full moon. The old country house was now an oasis of magic and renewal. With every full moon it flourished and testified to the power that lies in searching, discovering and especially that of loving.

© Bruno Roggen, Anhée, 2025