chapter 7+8

Chapter 7: Fleeing

Cindy and me did safe land in the store-room behind the Store of Auntie Lieve.
So no-body could wonder how that happened, while it normally had no gate-way, we thought. At least: I did not see a mirror.

I asked Cindy: “Are there other ways to recognize a gate-way?”

She nodded no.But also said: “Almost everybody has his or her own way of traveling. Remember, I did tell you about Peter Pan, and his friends?
I could ask Auntie Lieve, when she is here. But that is rather personal, so not everybody will answer a question about that.
This way, the Otherlanders cannot force the location or way to travel from somebody else. You did handle that well with Jake.”
I said, after a bit thinking over: “That must have been my intuition, for I did feel inside, I had to ask that. Do you think that strange?”

“Of course not, we believe that hunches mostly lead the way to solutions.”
With that remark she smiled that ‘knowing smile’ I had seen before on her face.
That same smile, that did me wonder before, why she did know so much more than me, while we looked the same age.

Oh yes, I did remember: they had learned other things than me in their schools. May be some day, when we had finished this adventure, I could have a look over there, too. But suddenly I became alert: there was someone coming in.

“Hello, auntie Lieve, sorry we busted in like this, but Jake did warn us about the Otherlanders at our place. Is your place safe?”
And then Cindy hugged her auntie as a special loved one.

“And this is Lea. She is from the other world, the one were Grandmother stayed till she was grey-haired. She will be my friend, and we go along very nice already.”

I also got a hug, after auntie Lieve looked at me, like she would do to her own folk, that she did not see for a while.

“Luckily you two did not land behind that bale of saw-dust. As you know, there is not much asking for that, so it can stay on that place forever.
By that way it does cover my gate-way. Although I do not use it very often anymore.
My friend is getting old, and mostly does forget who I am. She usually does remember me, being the small kid, she was playing with.
It is hard for me to explain each time, that it is I, only older. In times like that I do not like that we grow so much older.”

Was that so? That would explain a lot. But it was something I had to ponder over later, now there where more important things.
So auntie Lieve thought too, for she continued: “What are your plans, if I may ask, and what preparations you have made?”

Cindy and me looked in each others eyes.
Now we could not talk to her grandmother, and she trusted auntie Lieve like she was that Grandmother, this was a good alternative.

“Are we safe in here, or is there a more comfortable place to talk?” Cindy asked.
“There is a door to my back room. The curtains are closed, and we will not be disturbed by our own folk.
Therefore it will be Otherlanders who come when the doors get knocked on."

We told auntie what we did bring along, and showed the contents of our back packs.

That was ok by her, she only told us: “Go and look in the store, when nobody is in. May be you can find some summer shoes, and some thinner socks.
These winter-boots must be very uncomfortable in this heat.
I do have some linen bread-covers, this boots just will fit in, so they can be strapped on your back packs so you can take them.
Further, if I was you, I would fill my pockets with some more medicines, and bandages, when you go over the mountains. You never will know what you come by.”

We both looked to each other. Had our own way of traveling be our own secret too?
The only way to find out was asking, so I did: “Auntie Lieve, if I may call you so also,” while she nodded yes, “what do you think, can we talk about how we travel through our gate-ways?”

“I never did, until now. Nobody ever did know where my most important one was!
So better safe than sorry, do not tell me.
I am old, and do not know, how brave I am when the Otherlanders get mad on me, or want to force me to tell, if, and what I do know.
So please, do not try not to land behind that bale of saw-dust, and everything will be all right.
Now there was enough talk: I have some good eating on the stove,you will be hungry!”

Auntie Lieve did sound as not accepting a 'no' and strolled in the direction of her kitchen, like nothing could bring her balance in danger.
So eating we did, and lovely it tasted.



Chapter 8: And on we had to go!

We just had found some nice, airy sandals and socks, when the sound of hard galloping horses reached our ears. The three of us did look to each other.
What a good fortune, we had been fore-sighted enough only to sit down and eat, when all was packed, ready to go on!

With speedy hands we did put on the sandals, the back packs on, run though the hall-way to the store room, making sure we did close the door behind us.
Just before closing that. We did see auntie Lieve washing up our plates, leaving her own one on the table: what a clever woman, I thought. Had she done so before?
Whispering, what would be the best place to go to, my booklet opened as by accident on the page with the mill.

Cindy nodded: “Yes, there do mostly live people I do know and trust as well. Let’s go!”
Each time we traveled this way, it seems to go more easy.

Either I got used to it, or I was not afraid of the experience anymore. Behind the mill, just between some bushes, and out of sight we landed.
The only ‘give away’ was the crack of some branches, we landed on.

Aware of the fact, that from now on danger could lure around every corner, we thoroughly searched the surroundings with our eyes, before we dared to say something, even whisper a word.

“OK?” was all I softly said.
Cindy did look again and sneaked around the bush, to have a better look.

“Come. But be careful. The miller is only here, when he wants to grind the corn. That was not harvested, when I went to your world last week. So keep low, until we are sure,” she warned.

This time our careful approach was not necessary: no one was around.
In the corner of the loft Cindy went to a big chest and opened it. In there were ponchos from a water resistant material, and two very thin looking blankets, she took out.

“These belongs to the miller’s son, and me. We take this with us, when we do some camping in the woods. We love to go camping!
Our teacher told us: that is a fine way to learn, how to survive outside. So we have done that often. Look, here is something, Jan, my friend, did invent himself! We both made one!”

She showed me something, that looked like a thick kind of stick, but with a lid on both ends.
She took of the lids, and: oops, with one flick of her wrist, a long fishing-gear came out. She gave each piece a small tug, and it did feel very safe after that.
The line was in a small container, that was fastened on one of the lids, as were some hooks. What a wonderful small, but easy tool to survive! That could be handy when the food was short and a river nearby!

“And that you made yourself?” I asked.
“Oh yes, Lea. Our teacher found it very useful, so he asked us to.
So Jan had the time of his life, helping us, telling how this idea came in his mind!
I do think it is not to heavy to take with us too.”

There just was place enough: a small pocket on the side of our pack was like made for this.
We found some apples and dried apricots to take with us, too. And of we went again, direction mountains.

That night, when we had made a kind of tent from our poncho’s, a bed from leaves, besides a very small, but not smoking fire, we finally had some time to talk a bit longer.

“Lea, you will ask, why we go the slow way, I guess?”Cindy said.
Nodding was all I could do, while I was tired from walking.

“Well, I want you to realize how dangerous the Otherlanders are, and above all, how different.”

“Different?” I asked.
“How different? Do they look different, or do you intent an óther way of different?”

“You guessed it right. Just like in your world, in our world, live people with different color of skin, that comes from the place, where they live.
From that, you cannot see who is an Outlander. They usually dress different, often more like the pirates in your books at home, or like the children on the Halloween pictures, I did notice.
So most man will have a beard, but I do know some very friendly Homelanders, who do the same. So what you have to learn, except surviving in the outdoors, is to look how they behave: friendliness is no guarantee, for what is in their heart, when you are over the mountains.
They some times use that, to lure you in their homes, where you are in their power.”

“But I usually can see, if friendliness is true, I think,” I said.
“Is that guaranteed so?” Cindy asked in all honesty.
“Are you never disappointed in a friend, by what he or she did to you?
Think good before you answer!”
When I had done so, I had to admit, she was right. Sometimes I did not look well enough.
And in hindsight I mostly could say, too: there had been something, that did not feel right. Something I did ignore, while it was like the question: ”Hey, Lea, do you want to do some thing, your parents are not very content with, but seems good fun?”

I told Cindy, what was going through my thoughts, and she answered: “Just what I hoped you would discover yourself.
But HERE,” she accentuated 'here' special, “are no parents to warn you, only the memory of what they did teach you.
Here it is YOU and I, who do have to decide.

So from now on, we are even more aware of the dangers. Thanks to that we need not to take the long, slow road tomorrow. We travel by mirror to the docks, you have drawn.
There lives an Otherlander girl, who is not as bad as most.
Her I do trust some more, while I did help her out once, but we have to keep our eyes open. From there, we see how we go on. But for now: good night!”

“Night,” I answered but stayed awake, to think things over.
Just until I understood all Cindy had told. It became more and more curious and adventures. But having her as friend was lovely!
Then my eyes became heavy and my dreaming took over.

© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.