A bunch of reckless Angels.

A bunch of reckless Angels.

At the feet of Jesus were always some Angels, not only glorifying Him, but together with Him gazing to the world. He was also listening in to the prayers, but they often only listened half, for they could not imagine the sorrows of a not perfect world like Heaven was.
And while He had not only time to help those, who needed Him most, He also had time to welcome the souls, that came back home.
That little bunch of Angels did not feel spoiled by being in His presents, no, it was the most normal to be so in Heaven, and what is normal, seldom is appreciated.
So one of the Angels got fascinated by the glitter and glance of the big city’s, the casino’s, the dancing girls and sighed: “Oh, I would like to experience a life like that!”
Another of them was fascinated by the work, a woman did by helping those, that had the most urgent prayers, but did not like the solitude of a convent. So she sighed: “Oh, how I would like to experience a life like that, it would feel like Heaven for me.”
A third of the bunch said: “No, I do see on the other side of this world a lot of pristine land, with plenty of room to roam free, work with the nature, I would be more happy there!”
Yet another and another did see places, their heart yearned to be on thatr places, and Jesus, in His wisdom said: “Did I not teach you, that each and all have its destined place in My plans? That some people have to learn from an experience. That other people do need many life’s to come to the wisdom, that their soul has been given by My Fathers Creation of the universe?”
The bunch of Angels, always sticking together and chatting, when Jesus was busy with something else, nodded yes, but the words did not fall in rich soil, so half of the meaning was lost.
The next time they spoke words like this, Jesus sais: “My lovely praising Angels, My Father did create you to sing His glory in Heaven, be satisfied with what He gave you. And remind yourself to be sure what you do ask for. You even can get it, and when it is not, what you thought it was, you stuck with it.”
The Angels again nodded yes, but had no idea, what Jesus was talking about, while looking at the outside was something different from seeing the inside of a humans mind and soul.
And they were not created as guardian Angels, so they did not got the wisdom. That does fit that job.
The third time Jesus said: “I did warn you, my lovely ones. There is only one cure to heal your yearning: I will send you to live a life on Earth. But nobody of you will meet each other, before you do recognize a kindred soul in the other. All of you will experience the troubles, you did overlook between all the beauty life also gives. Your life’s will be rough and hard ones. The troubles, you did overlook, when we together did look ate the world, you also will experience. All of you will keep the spark of recollection, how Heaven is, and have the urge to make life on Earth just like that.
I keep you Savior and hold my eyes on you, but you will have free will, like all humankind, so I cannot predict, when we are together here again. Do you still wish to go to Earth?”
Only one Angel did see, that the Creator placed her in the right place, the other ones were to curious and all said, they wanted to go.
So each of them got a different place of birth, a different fait to live through, according to their desires in Heaven. But each also was given a task to fulfill before their life should end and the lessons were learned.
Some, who did have the desire to help humankind, without being in a convent, got very hard lives, for they did need a sturdy base in their soul, from where they could do the job, they were yearning for.
For them the memory of Heaven was the only thing, that sometimes could help them through very hard times, and often the were on their knees, asking the Lord: “Why does this all happen to me Lord?”
They had to remember to be faithful, see how their experience could help others, before there was peace able in their hearts. Others had different, but equal hard life’s, sometimes by their own eagerness to live in glitter and glory going through the opposite: from the outside glorious, from the inside empty and hard.
They had to learn, that love is found in your own heart and multiplies by giving.
And there also were those, that did not loose their faith, they kept searching for the others to give them the love, they had still in their soul. Now a few of them have met, they only do not realize….
Lets keep in touch until our time to sit on His feet again!
© Nan van Daalen.

The Cyclamen

THE CYCLAMEN

------------
In the garden of the Lord he planted some bulbs too.
All had to go into the dark earth, to be able to get to leave and flower later.

Than Spring came, and some small, quick ones came into bloom, praising the fresh air and the room they had, thinking it was all there was created.

Next came the later bulbs, and they did see, there were leaves on the trees, and the later ones still did see the blooms in there too.

And still, there were some bulbs, laying dormant, wanting to bloom too, although not their time yet. They did struggle with the darkness, the ongoing season and their own still being in the dark.

Until summer came, and all others did loose their freshness, the leaves already discolored and out came the Cyclamen, who had waited until autumn, to give the world her beauty before the dark days of winter, just as The Lord had made it.

And only now the Cyclamen did understand her struggle and waiting time.
And she also understood, she had her own beauty and place in His eyes.

And we?
We do enjoy this flower of autumn, delicate, although late in season.
We are thankfull for her beauty...

Christmas Angels

Little Christmas Angels.

A skirt of gauze above cart-board,
what gleaming glitter here and there,
awkward little finger tinker
with cotton wool, glue and scissors.

A little head becomes a thread to hang,
angel’s hair flies all around.
A tip of a tongue sneaks out of a mouth,
and glitter all about.

Scissors cut the little wings of lace,
one also gets a bit torn,
the silver paint spats all around,
the head becomes some color.

A second Angel is included:
a small trumpet at her mouth.
Rickety, oblique and instable
made by a child’s hands.

Finally Christmas-day is there:
they all hang in the tree,
a series of little angels, rickety, oblique
a children’s Christmas dream.

Nan, original 1993, translation 2011.

Chapter 19 and 20

Chapter 19: the first try-outs.

Sooner as expected, there was a chance to try out the plan, the Elders and the Lady had in mind. One of the new friends in our world did win a contest, and was invited to a show on television.
There she could make a wish in a children’s program.

She could name the story, about what a whole new series should be made of, or give a subject, that would be in it.
There for there was an extra mini Pow Wow with Wise Feather, the Lady, Mother Goose, Cindy, me and Wendy, the girl, that was the new Homelander friend.

Wendy could not fully understand what a television was, so we decided to mirror-hop to my house, stay there about a quarter of an hour in our normal time, and show her the small television in my room with the noise out.

We did explain that we had to be very careful, not to wake up anybody or put on the noise, so nobody else should hear us.
And what she probably would see was a program for adult people, or about nature instead a children’s program, while all children were in bed.

When we had shown how a television worked, she could peek in with somebody else, to see on the other side of the world what a children’s program was.
And that was, what we did.

Luckily we had to stay in my home only a few minutes, for Wendy was a quick learner, so there was more time for me left to help during the rest of the night in our normal world.

In Homeland we together did make up a story, in which the lucky girl was rescued from a new group of children, who had seen about gangs, and wanted to try out for themselves.
They did think about it as a big adventure for a couple of days, without seeing, in what kind of trouble they would come, or how difficult it would be, to stop playing that game, or that it could come to be serious instead of a game.

Than there was a big surprise: in the studio’s of the television company, an older lady came to the people who wrote the story, and asked: “Did you know there are other people, trying to do the same thing? Would it not be better to talk to them first?
Or are you going to start something new just by yourselves?”

Wendy and the writers looked surprised.
This never had reached one of them.
So curiously they asked: “How do you mean other groups?”

The older lady told: “I am the grandmother of a boy, who used to be a gang member too. Two of his friends were shot in a gang war, so far this so called adventure went. They did not know a play from reality any more, so they acted, like they did see in the war-games, they liked to play on their play-station.
They did not see the difference between game and reality any more.

It was to late for some to stop, when there were wounded, casualties.
So the mothers in the neighborhood, together with the grannies, now do everything, to prevent the young boys to become a member of such a gang.
Would it not be nice, when this was in the story-line as well?”

Wendy did look at her new friend, still invisible from the writers-group.
He nodded a firm yes.
And also made a gesture, as if he had to go to the toilet very much.

Wendy understood. “Is it possible to use the loo for a moment, please?”

There she and her friend mirror-hopped back, to inform the Lady of this all.
The Elder, and Cindy, and me became even be more alert for actions like this, to warn the new Homelander and good Otherlander friends, to look if more things like this were going on.
Than Wendy and her friend mirror-hopped back.

In the normal world, there was not more time gone, as necessary to do the toilet business, so nobody of the television was aware of what they did.
Wendy got a small part in the series, the writers of the children’s television wrote about this all.

They called the series: ‘The anti-gang-bunch’ and it became a huge success.
There came a ‘fan of the Anti-gang-bunch” club, and even some schools did show this program in school time, to discuss, how things like this could come to be.
But telling about that, is another story.


Chapter 20: Time to go home.

There were things going on all over the world, Lea and Cindy were not aware about.

A new Homelander-friend, a lady of middle age, found a teacher, who did something, that could be of help too.
That, while it was so difficult for us kids to understand, was only mentioned in the Pow-wow, therefor everybody could be alert.
The rest they did was overseen by the adults.

The new friend did find out, there were a lot of people, who tried to give girls more education, even when there was not much money, because until than it were the boys, who could go to school to get an higher education.

Those people found, that Mom’s, who had learned more, could be a better help for the future of their kids. They were better able to prevent their kids to become gang-members too.

The Homelander friends, who found this, also formed a special group, Cindy and me had not much to do with this: it was adult business.

We still were kids, so the kid-stuff was our terrain.
We had to leave the adult stuff to the adults, how impatient we were to learn more of that.

It became rather complicated, to follow all what was going on, so on the other hand we were glad we did not have to be part of all that happened too.

One night, when we sat together, the Lady, Cindy, Amany, Wendy and me, I gave a deep sigh:“I do not know, if I can follow all, that is going on now.
Please Lady, tell me, is coming over here in Homeland or Otherland always that complicated?”

Cindy and the others laughed, and Amany said: “Of course not, but did not you, and Cindy, come over here to right a wrong? To help Cindy escape from that wrong?”

Wendy told me: “My new friend has difficulties like that, although she never was here.
She has to do everything what we do together, just by believing, what I am telling. That is even more complicated, in the same time I cannot be so much of a help as Cindy is, while I did not have had that much time to discover how your world works until now.”

I frowned, making deep wrinkles in my forehead.
To tell the truth, it had been a wonderful adventure, but now there were a lot of things going on, I had no idea of.

The Lady did warn me: “Lea, when you go home, and that will be very soon now, you cannot be more grown up in one night, than you are now.
You already did learn more in the time you were here, as otherwise in half a year in your world!”

I had to nod yes, although I myself did not notice this all, except it sometimes became a bit confusing, although less and less so.
In my mind there were weeks gone instead of one night.
But Cindy had promised me one thing, she reminded me of now.

“I will be your friend for always, remember?
So if you are telling something, you normally should not know something about, I will give you a hint.
And together we will go to the library, and we shall, as by accident, find something about all this, so you can make a script about this for your next school speaking turn, while it does got your attention.

That way, you can go on, helping us, coming to us for some nights when we need you.
Is that ok with you?
But what I really do like, is having a fun adventure next time.”

I totally did agree, being just a kid that loved fairy tales, was something totally different from being a person in one.
And certainly such a complicated one!

So I did answer: “Can we make that a promise? Can we go to another part of Homeland, just to meet the Puss in Boots, or Captain Hook, or Goldilocks?”
In my eyes came something of a desire for new adventures, less complicated ones perhaps.

With this the Lady nodded, hugged me and told: “high time to go home for you.
It is nearly morning in your world, and we made a promise to you, to be home before sunrise!”

She did hug me, as if I was her own great niece, and likewise did Mother Goose, Cindy’s grandmother.

It took some time to say good by to my friends, but I was certain, a lot of them I would meet again on another adventure, here in Homeland.

Than I would find out, if Homeland and Otherland were one land again.
I also could learn more of all there was to discover.

With that thought, I did wake up, while Daddy did shake my shoulder, saying: “Morning, lazybones, breakfast time is long due, wake and shine!....”
In the corner of the room stood Cindy, giving me a wink to hurry up, while normal life was going on again.

End of this adventure.
When Cindy and I will go there again, I will tell you about it, but that is another story.

© Nan van Daalen, All rights reserved.

Chapter 18: Unexpected solutions and more.

Chapter 18: Unexpected solutions and more.

The Lady, the Elder, Wise Feather and most of the women did gather around the fire.
Not all women were there.
The ones, that were to old, to get a new friend in our world, had chosen to be the people, that stayed at the home-base.
They did keep the cooking fires going, were the ones that organized the tents and temporary sleeping places, and were, while they were the oldest, mostly also the most experienced in organizing this kind of things.

The people from Homeland, that could be of any help, were asked to come over too, so it looked like a small city of tents did arise.

Than the Lady did unveil to Cindy and me a enormous secret: there was for her, and for other red-curly-haired people in her family, a way, in which they could find a human, that had the possibility to see, and become a friend of one of the Homelanders.

Cindy said: “Grandma told me so, but also to keep my mouth shut about this to everybody.”

“Those people are very necessary for the plans, that were made”, the Lady told.
But, while I was a very new friend, and from the other world, and besides that, had not proven I could keep my mouth shut, I was not shown how.

May be Cindy would tell me later, when we were long time friends, but not now.
I only heard, it had to do with the secret box, and the key and chain, we took out of the secret rooms, where no man ever had been, behind the great chair.

What I had to do, was helping to find out, in what part of our world those persons lived.
It looked like a boring job, to write down a name and a place, search for it on a big book of maps from our world, and than write down what age that person was, and was it a girl, boy, man or woman.

When we finished this list, for me something strange did happen: all the people, who were gathered in the base, let their hand go over the list, one by one.
And with each of them it did stuck above a name, mostly of somebody who was of the same age.

I did ask Cindy: “here we go again.. how come,” and we both simultaneously started laughing, “everybody chooses by that? Does that always go like that? And…?”

Cindy fiercely shook her head: “Stop, stop, now you want to know every secret, things not even the most Homelanders know about.
Have some patience, and whenever it is time you need to know, you do learn the how, and why!”

It made me feel a bit disappointed, but I had to admit; was I not a privileged kid already?
I should not ask for the whole world in my hands.
I just had been pulled with both feet down to earth, as Mom used to say, when my thoughts went their own way.

“But, are you,” and I did make that extra clear, “certain, that each one has the right person?” I did ask again, while my eyes looked at her in disbelieve.

“Well, you do forget again where you are now!
You are in Homeland, where other rules are, and where the simple secrets of life are kept safe for eternity!
In your world it works different.
Keep your trust in the Lady, and in the fact that over here things are possible, that are not at home in your world, and all will be ok,” Cindy said again.

After much deliberation of the Counsel, the name we gave to the group formed by the Lady, the Elders, some very trustworthy Homelanders, man like Wise Feather, and to my surprise also Cindy, there came a scheme, in which a number of people each day in Homeland went to try to contact there chosen friends.

While Cindy had some special tasks, given by the Lady, she sometimes shared them with me. She did know much more of what was expected of her, while I was a newbie in this country.

One of that tasks was marking down, which friendship was promising.
Special marked were the ones with writers of books, of film, or television shows.
Special there, Cindy and me had to help the people ‘coming home from new friends’.

They really did not have enough understanding of our world, to explain about what we thought was going on, so every evening by the fire, we gathered those people, and had what Wise Feather called: a mini Pow Wow.
A telling of stories, to learn of what was usually going on in my world.

Sometimes, when the most were young people, it were Cindy and me, who could tell all about it.
Other times, when there were more adult things necessary, Wise Feather, Old Bob, or some other good Homelanders, with friends in our world, stepped in to help.

I even met Cindy’s grandmother, on our world called Mother Goose, but about television and film she did not know much, while her friend was dead for some years now.But it was nice to meet her.

One night, when the stories we did hear about what was going on with the gangs, did make me very upset, she came to me and said:“Lea, you look disturbed. Are you sure, this is not a too big task for you?”

I did answer honestly: “I really do not know.
I try to keep all in my head, but some things I really do not understand yet.
But I try, and it makes it hard to sleep.
Sometimes all seems to turn, and turn without stopping, before I do fall asleep.”

She did laugh: “At least you are honest and tell.
I do know your first adventure here had not to be a very eventful one, but alas, this is how things went.
Tonight, I will tell you a story, just for you and Cindy and nobody else.”

With that thought in my mind, the realization of a long held dream, I could go on with the task, Cindy and me started, without realizing how difficult or special it would be.

When I did look back to our enthusiasm by the start of all, what seems just a few days ago, and the hard work and responsibility it did bring, it looked like I was growing up very fast.
And all this in one night in my own world.

Only: in the land of paper it seemed like a month already, that much had happened this time.
So Cindy’s Grandmother told us a great girls story, full of princes on white horses, feasts and beautiful dresses, like Cinderella had worn on her ball where she did meet her prince.

I only tell you this: ‘that was just for me and Cindy. May be ever, when I myself will try to be a writer, I will tell you what mother Goose told me that night!’

That night we did sleep very well, and had wonderful dreams about… well, you can guess!
And in that dreams not a boring moment too, just fun and colors and, well, that comes later.

© Nan van Daalen, All rights reserved.

Chapter 17: Tthe first great hop together

Chapter 17: The first great hop together.


The next morning the great hop together was planned.
We should go with Great Bob to the reservation of Wise Feather. Great Bob would go first to make sure the place was safe.

Soon he came back, together with Wise Feather in full regalia: there was a Pow-wow going on in the reservation he lived in.
So a few more or less people would not be noticed, when they did not looked to different.
Groups of people had been invited to celebrate the Moon-ceremony with dances and food and story-sessions, and a lot of people were around.

Wise Feather looked at the dresses of the most women, and said: “Bob, that is a big surprise, you did not tell me about. All these women are dressed, like the ladies were in olden times, when the first settlers came in.
What we can do, to make such a large group more acceptable, is acting out the first Halloween. Remember the story? Where the Indians rescued the settlers, who did not know how to live from, and with the strange lands?
How they did learn them to catch the turkeys, and find food, also in winter time? “

As well Bob as the Lady nodded, and I could not hold in a small: “Hurray, that’s fun!” for our teacher and our family always told this story on Thanksgiving, but I never was on Tribal territory before, and had wished to do so whole heartedly.

Wise Feather also did bring, on demand of Old Bob, with him an some enormous posters of the festival, and together they decided, that the one who showed the dancing-place from half-way up the mountain would be the safest one.

Most people would be on, or around the dancing floor, so the mirror-hop would not been seen.
When Wise Feather came down with this group of ladies, people would think, they came from a ‘dressing space’ somewhere up there.

But alas for me, I only could mirror-hop with them, and had to hop back immediately, for otherwise there would be gone to much time in my own world.
That would make, I could not be home on the promised Sunday-morning.

But at least, I had seen where they went to, and could store in my memory the picture of the place, and all the lovely, original costumes.
So when all the others should come back, I would know, what they were talking about.

I got another duty to do: go with the first women, together with Cindy.
She would stay there, knowing the most about the things, going on in my world, and I would leave a picture with Cindy of this gateway, for those who never had used one before.

I quickly did draw it on the backside of one of the posters, so it would be big enough, even if they would use the ‘men’s travel way’ in case of emergency.

The mirror-hop was easy, at least for us. We had done it so often lately, it became a kind of habit. I should remember when this adventure was over, to use the bike or bus again!

The others told later, they had a successful performance, for they just had to be themselves, only doing, as if they did not know how to survive.

Me in the meantime, did help prepare the girls who had been adventuring with the men, on what the whole purpose of this all was.
So me and one of the Elder, Geerta, told them what all the others did hear before.

Most of the girls agreed, only one, with the nickname of Rotty was stubborn, and wanted to go back to the men to tell on us.
I did ask her: “Why do you want that? Is the gang you do belong to, such a good gang? Are they doing such nice things?”

She did look me in the eyes with a gaze of; what do I care what you think, and said; “I am the second in command in my gang.
There is only one man above me, and while he loves me above all, I can get whatever I want. Why should I give that up for you?”

Geerta, who did not know that much about gangs, did not know, what to say.
And me, only hearing of them from television, wondered, so I asked: “What did you have to do, to become number two in your gang?
And besides that, explain what you have to do, to stay number two, or become number one?”

At the last question Rotty’s eyes panicked a little, and she looked around, if nobody she feared was around.
“I did earn my place, by doing what the men did too: first stealing and robbing, although girls do not have to rob a bank mostly, when they are nice to the boys.”
She blushed, while she told that.

So I was more interested: “what are you driving at, saying it that way?”
Rotty looked at me and said: “That you do not understand yet, you are still a girl!”

Geerta took over: “And she will be a girl, as long as she can, and enjoy that, so close your mouth. There is only one thing left for us to do: prevent you from going back to the gang, you belong to.

So all the girls, who have chosen to help us, to go back to the good olden ways, where adventuring did not do harm, nor bring havoc to another world, now have the chance to prove that.
Strip her from everything, except her underwear.”

Although not every girl did help with all the enthusiasm of the world, thinking they could be asked to do the same.
Rotty made it easy by doing so herself, thinking, we should overlook she had very thick, curly hair, bound together with a scarf.

That willingness made me suspicious, so I was the one, who took of that scarf, unveiling a big, folded ‘mans’s gate drawing’, hidden in the folds of that scarf.

It was the picture of the city in the jungle, and by better looking at it, I did see, it had to be somewhere near Rio de Janeiro, while I did recognize the large, white statue on the top of the mountain, I had seen on television.

Geerta asked: “Are there some other girls, who do have a ‘man’s gate drawing’ with them?
You better share them with us, so we can do our job’s better.
Later, when you have proven to be reliable, we will teach this girls the woman’s way to travel.”

A total of seven other pictures appeared.
Most were of busy street-corners, but also some in a back-yard of a house that did not look to well kept. Most girls looked relieved, when they gave up the pictures.

I heard mumble: “to be honest, I am glad, I do not have to go back there.”
That was answered with a lot of nods of agreement.

After that we sat around a small fire, and I did make use of the experience of the camping with Cindy, remembering it made things easier to tell, when you did feel warm, safe and cozy with a hot drink.

So I was the one who started: “You do know I am from that other world, and this is my first visit here?”
Most nodded, some just said “Yes” so I went on.

“There is a big difference between you all, and me.”

I did see the attention grow, all eyes on me so I went on: “and that is, I always live there, in MY world, except when Cindy invites me here.
For me this visit takes only one night on earth, so when I go back, everything for the rest of the world will be as good, or as bad, as it was before I came here.

For you that is different, while on this world time is different.
When you are hurt, you go back through your gate.
For the other members of the gang it is just, as if you stayed home, or out of sight for a couple of days, to heal your wounds, or only to rest.

What they do not know is that you stay here, until you want more adventuring.
You have a kind of holiday, before you go on doing bad things.
The rest of the gang is not able to do so.

You did misuse the trust of people, who could see you.
You did mistrust the olden bond between our worlds, in which you were the guardians of all that was worth-wile, and instead played your own game.

You had the duty to tell about the good things, to people worthy to see you, and do good with that for their world.

I wonder, how many of the man, or even you, did use the fact that most people could not see you in our world, when you did not want so?”

Some of the girls did bow their head in shame.
The color of their cheeks did tell I was right.

Geerta asked: “Are there many men, who do use this trick?”
She looked around the circle. Again there were hesitative nods.

Rotty, now revealed she was one, who knew much more than we did, did see we were right.
She said: “Most men do not like to be blamed, for when things went wrong.
So they have pointed out the people, who can see them, and in olden days would have been their steadfast friends, to their ‘second in command’.

This way, they themselves got out unharmed mostly, although sometimes hurt, while there was some unexpected shooting or so.
By going home they seem to be invincible, and therefore great leaders.”

Geerta went on: “Just as Bobby told, when his father had to be rescued from the earth quake.
He would not have survived, while the normal people of that world do not see us.”

One of the other girls tried to defend herself: “But the people on earth do also want adventures, they tell so themselves. And they like to be part of a gang, to belong to us!”

“SSSSSOOOOOOO!!!!” I could not hold in a big, big yell: this answer made my world shake!
“Now I really do know what Cindy meant with: a gang is the other side of friendship!”

All the girls looked at me with eyes that asked for an explanation.
So I told them what Cindy and me found out about friendship, and belonging to a gang. What that had in common, but also, what was the difference.

“The biggest difference is: real friendship is equal from both sides.
You both give and take, you both give trust and get trust.
You both do things for each other, without wanting something back, while the other is your friend.

When you do not look well, it looks in a gang the same at the first glance.
But what is NOT there, is the equality:
The boss of the gang is more boss than others think, while he can do what he wants.
He also demands to be obeyed, otherwise there are sanctions, not trust or talking about things.

They did change the rules of friendship, to the rules of dictatorship, like my teacher in school told about the Aztecs!
Their Kings had the same sort of rules.
And the people had to obey or die. And the ones who kept those rules where mostly the priests-soldiers. They acted just like that!”

I remembered the movie my teacher had showed at school, and still could get angry, when I did think about that. That I tried to show this girls.

Round us an applause went up. In my zeal to help the girls learn, what Cindy and the others taught me, in what looked days now, I had not noticed the other people coming back and listening in.

In the tradition of the land of paper, where everything had its own place, there wás place for all.

Wise Feather said: “That was not a bad comparison. That was a highly developed culture, until the nasty things did crawl in, may be even the same way it did now.

That culture did not survive. Luckily much good parts of our native culture does still survive.
But the world now has many different cultures.
That fact also has both sides: good and bad.

But how do we turn the nasty things around, so this world we live in, does not end the same way, as the Aztecs, but still keep the lovely diversity it has all around?”

I did wonder: diversity of cultures?
Another thing to investigate, for now so many people entered the conversation, there was not so much time for asking about that.
That also had to wait till a later time, for now I wanted to hear from the others first.

My head was flowing over with thoughts.
I do think, that Cindy and me never could have imagined, what all was involved.
We simply had not learned enough about how things worked.
Now it was time to listen first, so we could see, how things worked out when adults did so.


© Nan van Daalen, All rights reserved.

Chapter 16: the first secrets revealed.

Chapter 16: The first secrets revealed.

Some of the younger girls, not used to wait for the patient pace, the Lady and her advisors used, came to her, and sat around her on the floor, or stood against her chair, like they would do, when they were waiting for a story, their Grandma should tell.

Each had a quick question: “Lady, what do we first?”
Or: “is it hard in the other world? Do we have to be extra careful?”

I nudged Cindy and said: “That just looks like one of the pictures in my picture-book of Mother Goose, your Granny!”

Cindy nodded and told softly: “The one who made those pictures, was our guest for a time.
That is, why so many of our landscape does look so familiar to you, and to each new friend, who comes here the first time. But let’s listen to the others.”

One of the mothers wanted to ask something else first: “Lady, I did not see my little boy for 3 days now.
His granny is great, but will we stay away long?”

Some giggling from the other mothers told me, she made a mistake, like I had done before, and to confirm that thought, I first looked at the Lady, who smiled, and than to Cindy.
So I also giggled. Thus the lady pointed to me, asking: ”Why do you laugh, Lea?”

I told: “I do think, that woman is making the same mistake I did, is it not? Only by coming from my world, I do not know the secret about it…” I ended with the hands open, like in a question. “Am I right?”

The mother slammed her hands to her mouth: “how could I forget. Of course!”
That did not make the riddle for me easier, but while the Lady nodded consent, Cindy whispered: “In the cave with the grandmothers and kids, time goes slower.
So for them, only a lovely day out has passed, when our mothers come to fetch their babies.
The larger kids do learn this way about time difference, like between our, and your world, while they did sleep at home, in between the 2 or 3 rides, they made to help.
This is one of the ways we have been told about how things work different in your world.
In our world are the same time-secrets. May be you later find out more.
But now: hush, the Lady goes on.”

It was not the Lady, but the group Elders, who divided the tasks.
This way, all the woman where busy, when the Lady asked Cindy and me to do something special.
“Do you think, you two are able to go back in town and find out what the man are doing?
You two have more escape possibilities, while here in Otherland, most woman only have one or two gates. More are not given to Otherlanders, a safety-measure from olden times.
I do know, in Homeland there are more, and other possibilities, while I did live there for a time.”

She gave Cindy a wink, before she went on: “I, as a curly-red-hair from a long line of women with that kind of hair, was after the prediction not save, too.
I first lived a time with my twin-sister in Homeland, before I myself found an friend in Ireland. There, it is not hard to find a friend, while fairies and dwarfs still roam around.
I had a wonderful time there.”

My mouth fell open, I did feel like an uneducated child, before I finally guessed: “Then You and Cindy are family? I should have known!”

Both laughed a bit conspiracy, for them it was normal, but I did feel a bit naïve, not seeing this before: not only the same hair, but also the same boldly action, even the same way of looking at possibilities.

“You now do know, the most others just guess, so no word!
Do you think you two manage to go to my home, and bring the secret box?
You do know where it is hided, do you Cindy?”

Cindy said: “Yes, and to tell you the truth, I was counting on something like that. Grandma did tell me well: every night, there also was a story about what was expected from one of us.
So when I did ask Lea, to draw our travel-book, there also is a drawing of the room behind the Great Chair, where no man ever has been.”

While I tried to deal in my thoughts with all those extra surprises, the two redheads had some special fun, that only people, who are so closely related could have.

After that, we both took our booklets out, this moment it was safe enough. All the others were busy and we were standing in a separate corner.

The Lady said: “Ah, I do see, that one. Amany was right, when she told the time was now, because she did dream of you.
That was, why we were there when you came through the gate under the docks.
She will be a valuable helper when you are older, Cindy.

Until now, you did choose well, my child.
Now, go and take the secret box.
Try not to been seen, but it also would be nice to know, how the men do react, now the women are away.
Do you remember the plan of the secret path-ways in and round the house, and where you can hear, what the man tell?”

Cindy did shake yes with her head, looked if I had the right picture in front too, and there we went: mirror-hopping again.
The room behind the Big Chair was dark, but Cindy knew where the candle and the match-sticks were.

I looked around, but this room looked so very innocent.
Nothing special to see, just some planks with books, a table with some candles, and a chair, a curtain that did hide the entrance to a bed-room, with a for me old fashioned four-poster-bed: with pillars and red curtains, held together with a cord.
Cindy and me conferred first.

She started: “What do we do first, the box, which might be heavy, or are we first finding out what the men do?”

I answered: “We do have all the possibilities, why do we not use them?
Your great-aunt wanted both things evenly much: the box and the information.
I do not like to walk around with a heavy box, and mirror-hop unexpectedly with full hands.
We did not try that before. So how about this action?
You fetch the box, we do bring it to safety to the Lady, mirror-hop back.
Than we go investigate about the men. This way we do all, ánd we try something new, while bringing the box.”

Cindy looked thoughtful, nodded and said: “That is likely the best way to act.
Only… we do not have a drawing of the Lady or the place the others are going to.”

My answer was: “Do you think a reasonable likeness with the words ‘the Lady’ under the drawing, will be enough to find her, where ever she is?
There are still a few empty pages in our book, and in the small pocket of my pants,” and I pointed to it, “is a pencil to draw. Easy as what.”

That I did in both books.
The lady did not look like she was drawn by a famous painter, but for who knew her, it had enough likeness.

Cindy reminded me: “Remember, it works over here when YOU do believe!”

She climbed on the bed and sat down with her knees on the pillows. Then she pulled away the red curtain against the wall behind the bed.
When you looked well, there was a hidden door in the planks, behind which the box was.
A key lay there too, which she put on a chain around her neck.
There after she closed all again, laid the bed as if nobody had been on it, and we mirror-hopped back to the Lady.

Lady did look surprised, but did see the cleverness of our action.
So not much time was spilled: the box, the chain, and the key were handed over, and there we went, to the Great Chair room again.

There I tried to find a way to the hidden path-ways, the Lady mentioned.
Cindy smiled and let me search. I never would find them, she thought.
What she did forget: I am the biggest fairy-tale reader, and listener in the world, so I remembered a tale where an innocent candle was the clue.

There I went, pointed to it and asked: “This one?”
“How do you know?” was her amazed answer.
“From the tale of the Puss in boots, he used the ‘pull the candle to you’ trick too. In the Castle of the Marquis de Carabas,” I said, a bit proud I did remember this.

We pulled the candle, the whole wall with planks, books and so on turned.
The pathway was dark, and like in all fairy-tales, there were torches, but the small pockets in my special trousers had more surprises: a very small flash-light on led-light, so it used very little of the power battery, and could be regulated in strength of light.

And for me more important: it did not smell, so we should not sneeze.
Now we could blow out, and leave the candle for those, that later use this pathways too. They certainly would need it.

We careful closed the door by pulling a handle before going on.
Cindy lead the way.
Through the first whole in the wall, we only observed an empty eating room, full of dirty pots and dishes, but no men.

The second whole in the wall did not tell much more, only a snoring man lay with his head down on the table, between the rubble.
He could not tell much either.

The third one was more promising: an eating house.
Lots of men were around the table, and the poor few girls, that were left behind, walked their feet of, to feed those man, screaming for more beer and things to eat.

Cindy whispered: “We have to talk to the Lady about this, a few days of this will have cured the girls of going adventuring with the man again, I do hope.”

We listened carefully, and discovered, most of the men had plans to escape to my world, where they planned to go to an island in the Caribean, like most of their grandfathers had done.
Then we went further.

On other places we heard the same story, and at the end there were three places named the most: the isle, an old temple in the jungle of Brazil and the city of Las Vegas, about which Amany had told before.
We knew enough and mirror-hopped back to the Lady, who now was in the new base on the other end of the mountain.

This looked like a proper base to work from now.
There were more tents, some cooking fires and much activity was going on.
We landed just besides the tent of the Lady.
Cindy pointed: “Do you see that? There is a square, made from the ribbon of the Ladies dress, and we just landed in there!”

The answer came quick by the Lady: “Amany told, you would land there, so we kept it free. Come in and tell, there is food ready.”

That’s why it came to be, that we were sitting in the Ladies tent, eating a nice meal and told, while doing that, all we found out.

“There is one thing I did forget to tell Cindy, but may be it is important enough to go back for,” I said.

“I did see laying around some of those ‘men’s gateways’, I suppose it were.
At the moment I saw, I did not think much of it.
But should it help to keep the men where they are?

I do not like to steal something, for I do know it is wrong, but when we go at night, can we fetch them, and thus keep them where they are?

But besides, I also would like to take some of the girls we left behind, and take them back too.
They run the soles of their shoes and still could not work hard enough for those men. Do you think, they learned enough now?”

“Let’s sleep about it, that is sometimes the wisest way. One more night will drum in the lesson even more,” the Lady said.

And after us was showed a sleeping place, no time went before we fell asleep.
But half-way the night, Amany did shake us awake, so we went to fetch as much ‘men’s-gateway’s’ we could grab, feeling as sneaky as the men must feel, while doing so.

Only because it was for such a good course, we could go on with it. And it was not such a hard job, while most men had it laying ready to go out the next day, when they had slept of their partying of the last night.

The girls, we did bring with us, were totally relieved.
They learned now, there was something very good in ‘the old fashioned domestic way of living’.

They were brought to a special tent to find clean clothes, and all the things the other women had with them too.

© Nan van Daalen All rights reserved.