chapter 12: the head and the neck.

Chapter 12: The head and the neck.

The three day’s, the Lady spoke of, where gone in a flurry of excitement.
Only: the men did not notice, for outside the ladies gatherings, in the kitchen of the houses, and shops where only women came, there was not spoken about our plans.

Slowly I did see grannies with wooden carts, laden with picnic baskets, blankets to sit on and a few things more out of sight, go in the direction of a field besides a cliff.

The men did not notice they did not return all.
Some of the grannies stayed there with the youngest, other, with children between 7 and 12 came back to repeat the picnic-act again, and another cart full of survival stuff and food went up.

The third day, after the last load of elderly and children were gone, while pulling the heaviest loads, because there were no babies or toddlers among them, the other women and girls went with their own back-pack to the place, they promised to gather.

Cindy and me did a, what we now called: “mirror-hop” to the mill, to fetch the gear, we left behind and that could be useful and completed it with what we could find around us.
We also were ready.
Every women just fitted in the great room we were before, ready to go.
There was a secret doorway behind a wardrobe.

Cindy asked: “Is that not to obvious to stay un-noticed? That would be the first spot ‘I’ would look for something missing!”

But Amany answered: “Our men never look in cupboards, unless there is food in it, or their own clothes. Most of them expect us to keep those full.”

“Oh”, I said, “and what do they do, to get those filled, when they are not adventuring, or grabbing all they like from others, like in Homeland or my world?”

“They do rest themselves, for adventuring and robbing others, is a hard-working job, they think.
Besides that, they have to drink, to boost, and to enjoy themselves mostly.” Said one of the other women.

I kept asking, while being used to a totally other world, if there where at least some men, who did do a honest job, and did more things beside that job.
“Are there no exceptions on this rule?”

The Lady answered: “Yes, there are. And to those men we are going now. They also have waited for this time.
They do live in a secret valley, not far from here, do jobs like the Otherlanders or the people of your, Lea’s, world do. Them we do need.

But no more asking, let’s go.
Today we are going to show, that what my mother, and grandmother used to say, is true: The man thinks, he is the head of the family.
Let him think so.
The woman is the neck of the family. And if the neck does not turn, the head only can see one way…

This time we are going to show, which way WE want this land to go, which way the heads have to look!
And when all is set right again, the head and the neck can work together again, like it is meant to be in daily life,”

So off we went in silence, the last woman did put all the clothes on the rack so nobody would expect the doorway.
After that we did put some sturdy beams against it, and went to save this country from a nasty way of living.
The women have had enough.

© Nan van Daalen All rights reserved.

Chapter 15

Chapter 15: A lucky or an unlucky event?

Like a lot of others groups, Cindy, Amany, Bobby, Big Bob, Colet and I, came to sleep in Big Bobs house.
His wife had baked bread, and there was a pot of stew simmering above a slow fire.
Sleeping places were easily made in the fresh hay of summer, with the blankets we all had with us, so no fuss was made.

The talk that went on, was a lot of small proposes.
And small suggestions, and in our case, while our group was the only one, who had recent experience in the world I was coming from, questions and visitors.

Sometimes a face from another group peeped round the door: “Psst, do you sleep?” and waited, to try again.
We were to excited by all the things happening lately, it took a long time to get asleep, so mostly a short conversation was had.
The other people wanted to know how normal people traveled, or if I, Lea did know about…

But often I had to say: “Ho, stop a bit, I am just a kid. We grow faster than in your world.
We have been taught other things, as you have learned. I have to say, I do not know, on a lot of your questions.”

So my thoughts kept going to tomorrow: there would be a lot of questions, and the more I did think about that, the more I did hope, Cindy used her time alone on my world well.
I had to trust my friend did so. For that was essential…
Further my thoughts did not come: there was sleep, deep sleep.

Breakfast did bring us all together in the big barn, some even had their bread still in one hand, and a drink of milk in the other.
But long there was no uncertainty: The lady took over again. She asked for silence and before her words were spoken out, it was silent.

She started: “Morning all, I do want to divide you in groups in a certain way.
Done so, I’ll explain, but time is of the essence now so please: will every grown woman, who ever was in the other world, stand on that side please?”

Cindy and me looked to each other with a question in our eyes, but silent, while it seemed the Lady wanted it that way.
Most of the women had been in my world, it seemed.

The Lady went on: “Will every grown woman, who still has a friend in the other world, stand to the left side, please?”
Only 3 woman stepped to the left, the others stayed where they were.

“And now the same with the girls, please, over there!” and she pointed the direction. Cindy went to that side and only Amany went that way, while I did not know what to do.
But my friends tugged me on both arms with them.

“And now the question, that does ask the most honest answer: who of the boys has ever been on the other world?” the lady asked, and her gaze went slowly over all 13 boys.

Only Bobby and a very young boy, whose name was Jehan, and who could not have been older than 8 years, went to that side.

The lady pointed out Jehan and asked: “How did you come in that other world, Jehan?”
His head bowed and he confessed: “I woke up one night from a nightmare, went to my mother to get comforted and did see what she did.
I just could fetch a slip of her skirt.
I have promised never to tell, I do know how she traveled.
We went to take care of her friend, who was very ill, and asked for Mom.
The people in that other world did think she was halliccc”

“Hallucinating” his mother, in the other group helped him.

Jehan went on: “We only stayed there in the sick-room.
I did play with her picture-books so I was out of the way, and Mom helped and comforted her.
On the way back I did wear the scarf, just like now. Did I do wrong, Lady?”

The Lady smiled: “You will not be the first on nor the last one who did such an unexpected travel. You did well not to tell about it before.”

Jehan looked very indignant: “I did promise, did not I? And while I had that nightmare, I even was not sure it was no part of that dream.”

Than the finger went to Bobby. “And you? I could have expected that. But tell us please?”

“I also went with my mother,” and his mother nodded.
“My father was injured and needed help.
I do not know how my mother knew, but she woke me up, bounded my eyes, and took me the same way we went now.
It was a great mess in the town we went to.
I had no idea what had happened, but it was as if all houses were broken down and we had to take Dad out under the rubble.
The people of the other world could not see him.”

Bobby’s mother took over: “His friend died in the earth-quake, he also would have, had I not seen him in, OH!” she held her hand over her mouth with a dark red face, as if she nearly said something wrong.

“But on the way back, both my boys were with scarf, although it was difficult enough to reach a place with a doorway, that was big enough.
Later some women went back, and helped in silence.
They did bring people under the rubble water and some soft food, made them more comfortable.
More we could not do, while we could not move heavy things, and had to stay out of the way of the other helping people, for they could not see us.
I am still very proud of Bobby, because he worked so hard and never told.”

The lady gave Bobby a big rewarding smile, and said: “Now I do know, how it came, you started doubting. One such an experience is enough.
It must have been hard, was it not?”

Bobby only could nod, glad the Lady was not angry on him or mom.
He was not supposed to have such an adventure yet.
Than Cindy, Amany and me got our question-turn.

“How Cindy fled the Otherlanders we all know now, except some boys.
Lea is from the other world and gets later a lot of questions, she may or may be not able to answer.
But you, Amany, are still to young to go adventuring?”

Amany blushed a bit, but decided to tell the truth, although difficult.
“My Daddy had a bet in the other world, he likes to go, and gamble in a city with a lot of lights.” She looked at me.

“Las Vegas perhaps?” I tried to help.
“I never have been there, but I did see about it on television.”

Amany nodded and went on: “The man, who he owed money, wanted a security, he said.
But Daddy had of course none, for our money is just paper there.
Dad told me, he could not take some gold or silver with him, from great-grand-fathers treasure, for than he could never go there again, without being robbed himself or worse. So he took me with him.
Am I allowed to tell how we travelled, Lady?”

I was very curious, most women also looked very interested.

The lady told: “May be if we know, how the most man travel to that world, we can use that in our plans. But first you have to tell that to the Elder.”

7 Elder women stepped besides.
They formed a circle around Amany, who softly told them what they wanted to know.
The women looked at each other and a laugh was heard.
Then the Lady said: “Go, and tell everybody. The most man still travel the old fashioned way of our grandfathers.”

So Amany told: “Most man have a secret drawing, they inherited of their father or an uncle. Mostly it is a drawing on paper, or linen.
They just step through, and at the last moment they take an edge so it is reversed on the other world.
To go back, the do it just the other way around.
My father owned that man a lot of money, ánd he needed a new gateway to escape.
Firstly: he lost a lots of bets and had to pay, and secondly: on the place of his gateway, now was another building.
So he could not use his image go come back.
He needed a new image to go through to that world.”

The lady looked to the other women and girls: ”Is there a reason, you never traveled to another world? Will you tell us please?”

She smiled encouraging to them, so a small girl of about 8 told: “I never found my own gateway yet.
My grandma tells, it is because my destined friend is not yet on the place, were we are supposed to meet the first time.”

Other girls, and women nodded, letting know this way, for them it was the same.

“In that case there is a first travel together necessary.
That way everybody has a gateway, we all can use in case of emergency.
Let’s take the big one near the lake, on the other side of the mountain, in that part that is not Homeland, nor Otherland.
We have to make some preparations there, so whatever happens, some of us will be there.

We are lucky to know, how much experience there is in our group already.
What most women believe is an unlucky event, the early going to the world of Lea by some kids, seems to have worked in our favor now.
Let’s travel to the lake and go on from there.” Everybody agreed.


© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.

Chapter 13 +14

Chapter 13: Hush, first we walk in silence!

I never had thought, there were so many hidden roads in a town.
There were back roads behind gardens, small roads between houses, I would not have seen behind the bushes, if not someone carefully had pushed away the leaves.
There also were roads that partly went through the houses: if you did not know where the entrance was, you could not see it.

Cindy must have seen my wondering face and asked: “Lea, what is the matter? You look as if you see water burning, as Grandma says when something strange goes on.”

I answered: “Just something like that. If you do not know how to go, you do not even séé this roads!”

“That is just the purpose,” one of the other girls said.
“These are óúr roads, to go quick to a neighbor, to a shop, to the midwife, or anything what females do between each other.
I do think the boys and men use the ‘big open roads’ more, while than the colorful clothes they like, keep cleaner.
They can walk besides each other there, to brag and so on” she smiled.

“We tend nót to see each spot on their clothes, otherwise we were busy tending them like babies all day long, if they had it their own way!”

I could not keep my mouth shot, so with a wink to Cindy I said: “My Mom sees my Dad coming, to be pampered like a baby!
Oh no, she, and all the other people I do know, have learned, to take care of our own things from a very young age.
So mostly my Mom does the washing in the machine, but my Dad does so as well.

But on the other hand, it is my Dad who likes to do the repairing of things around the house, but Mom does know how to do most things as well.
We, my brother and me, are thought both cooking and cleaning, and my brother also knows how to mend a button.”

The girl besides me looked to Cindy, not believing her ears.
Cindy nodded and said: “That’s true, I did see that myself. But in Homeland it is mostly the same. Only,” and there her voice sounded a tiny bit jealous, “we do not have those nice machines they have.”

This way started a softly spoken conversation between the girls, that made the long road they had to walk not boring.
Before we knew, the city lay behind us, and in the woods were broader pathways, that asked for cozy conversations, while the legs did their job.
With that, the soft tones became normal conversations.

After about an hour or two, the Lady said: “Well, we are far away from the city now. Now I am going to ask all the boys over the age of 7 to wear their scarf over their eyes, for what now comes, is a the great secret of us women.”

Of course, specially the older boys from around 10 and 11 wanted to know more, but got a strong “NO” on their request.
“If you do not obey, you can walk another 2 hours,” was the only answer they got.
“Do you like that?”

Bobby, always being the cock of the walk, even did see the seriousness in the Ladies eyes and could not bring out more than a soft: “Mpf.”

I looked wonderingly to Cindy and my new friend Colet and asked: “Do the boys…?”
More was not necessary.

Colet said: “The boys, but also the grown man, do respect the Lady.
Nobody can explain why. Some say while she is the image of the strong-minded family-eldest, like we used to have in olden days.
Again others say, she is that old and respected, nobody knows better or different.”

I could not ask the next question, that still played through my head: ‘than why?’ while at that moment my friends waved me silent.

The lady went on: “We do have how many boys? Eighteen I counted in my memory. Are they all here?”
They were.

“All boys with their mother, are bonded to that mother with the ribbons of their apron, face to their mother.
Mothers who have more sons do seek another adult woman who want to do that for their younger sons. Than they are blind-folded.”

All was done in 5 minutes.
I had to keep my laughing: it was a very funny sight, those proud boys, nearly old enough to become a man, and make the choice between a life in the valley, or a life of adventuring, like their fathers lived, bounded like small children.

But somewhere also was the thought: this Lady does know precisely what she is doing, so I kept silent.

Now the big surprise for me came: Every woman did bring out her hand-mirror. Some were mirrors like I did know from my world, others were from a highly polished metal I could not identify, but it worked.

The Lady took out her basket a roll, that un-rolled had the image of a peaceful valley on it.
Suddenly I did know: Thát was why the lady had asked, if we were traveling by mirror.
She had to know, if she could be able to include us.

On a nod of the Lady, the first double pair mother/son stood before the image, the mother held the mirror between the image, and then those two and stepped through, followed orderly by all others. Including us, after we had seen, how they used this image.

Only after the mirrors were put away safe, as was the roll of the lady, the scarf of the boys were taken of.

There was some babbling and wondering among the boys, some silent questions, ignored by women, and only Bobby dared to say: “So now we have experienced a part of the Ladies secrets. How wonderful! I wonder if we ever will know that too?”

But that was answered with a chorus of all woman, saying: “NO!” so loudly and steadfast, he probably never dared asking again.
The loudly spoken chorus had another effect: all the people, who did live in this valley and had not noticed us before, had done so now.
So they came to see what was going on.

The people did not come our way, but went to a big barn at the end of the valley, more like a big roof between the mountains, and that is were we went too, to meet them.

The women had been here before, that was obvious, for they all laid down their back-packs or baskets on one side, took something to sit on and placed it in front of a big chair, where the Lady sat down, as was it her right to do so.

Everybody thirsty took a drink from the bucket besides the well, and soon the great planning could begin.
For the moment, all Cindy and me could do, was sitting on one side and watch things develop.

Here would be planned some things, we in our recklessness, could not have planned our self.
But now, seeing this organized group determined people, with the elder women in majority, we realized: this could not have done hálf as good by us.
We were lucky, to be part of this.


Chapter 14: the big meeting.

The Lady was welcomed by some man, who acted like I had seen at home on television: such a bow made the folk of a country to their Queen.
I looked around, and now all stood up, and did the same. But the lady waved it away.

She said: “We have more important things to do now.
The time of the double-prophecy is upon us.
I still have my red-curly-hair, but a young red-curly-girl, together with a friend from the other world came to us, while the things foretold are now going on.
Cindy, please tell all people, what you did tell us, when you arrived.”

Cindy went to stand beside the Lady, and told all, what she had told before, and how we planned this travel. Therefore everybody knew, what they had to know.

Than the lady said: “This is Lea. She is from the other world, were our man since long times go adventuring. Will you please tell, what we were talking about, when we had breakfast, the first day you were here?”

I hardly had the courage, but I had promised.
Cindy whispered in my ear: “Act, like it is a ‘speaking-turn’ for history at school, and you will manage for sure!”

Her confidence made me laugh and all the nerves were gone at once.
I started with the moment, that made Cindy appear, leaving out the mirror part.
I told too, about what Cindy and me learned together, but that you also know, so I will not repeat it here.

But than I went on: “I myself do live in a happy neighborhood, like Homeland is, where Cindy lives. We have a nice, peaceful surrounding.
But I am not allowed to watch all, that is on television, or to go to a place outside my normal neighborhood.
That is, while my parents do say, it is not safe for me to do so.

Outside there do happen strange, and dangerous things. Cindy and me have talked about that, and later the Lady and us to.
We two call, what is going on, ‘the other side of friendship’.
The Lady and a lot of people in your world call it ‘gangs’.“

A murmur went round, and I looked at the Lady and Cindy with my brows up and softly asked: “Can I tell more?”

The Lady waved for silence again, so I could go on.
“These ‘gangs’ do things we do not like in our world.
Cindy told me, that most of them were started with Otherlanders, who could not find their normal places to have adventures, like in the olden days.
Our world is to full now, to have old fashioned pirates.
They only exist in films nowadays.”

With the word television there was a buzzing started, now it went louder.
So I did think of what my teacher told, when I had my “speaking-turn’ about the windmills in Europe.
When my classmates did not understand, they went buzzing and murmuring like here, so I had to explain better.

“Television is a little box in almost each house, with a glass in front. When you turn it on, you all can see the same image.
About what is going on in the world or a story-play to amuse people.
Here you do not have that at home.
We also go to something big like this,” and I waved around the barn to give my words a seize, “we do call a cinema, and there an adventure is played out on a big screen, so you can watch with a lot of people together.
We call that a film. Better I cannot tell.”

Cindy confirmed by nodding and she said: “I have seen that, but luckily we do not have this. People look more to that, than to each other.
They believe more, what they see there, than what is true, and told by their elders.”

I took over: “I have seen a few things about gangs: they act just like the pirates in the fairy-tale books: this is my world and everybody has to do what I want, otherwise…
And they seem to have guns, and kill people and…”
That became to much for me, so I started crying.

“I do not want to live in such a world.
I do like the safe world of Mother Goose and other fairy tale tellers.
I do know, time does not stop there.
I do know we have nice modern things too, like my computer and auto’s, what for you are cars that drive without a horse or donkey before it.

But I also want to live in a safe world, where guns do not make the rules.
I do like a world where we share what we have, where people all have food and…”

I could not go on, so my friend Cindy took over, after the Lady nodded her to do so.

She went further: “after I fled my own Homeland for the gang of Otherlanders, who did hear I was a red-curly-haired-girl, I landed at Lea’s place.”

She looked at the boys and went on:“You do know how. Luckily Lea is one who does not only see us, but is honest and adventurer enough, to want to help us.
Not in the way the gangs are adventuring, or the pirates were, more an honest struggle to set things right.

So now you do know all, we ourselves know. We have to fight on different places, and on different worlds, for both are linked and the wrongs are linked too.”

That sentence triggered something in my mind. As of older habit, I did bit my thumb-nail, thinking more concentrated.
That action did make me feel as in a boll of a fish, silent, but able to see what was out side. But not distracted, until my thinking was done.
The others seemed to see, there were important things going on in my mind: nobody disturbed me.

The moment my thumb came out again, also a: “I’ve got it, may be” came out of my mouth. “Is there only this world, where the Homelanders and the Otherlanders do connect with? Or are there other worlds they go to, too?”

I did look full expectation to the Lady, and the others. Everybody looked around.
Here were not the people, who could answer this question, we thought. But we were wrong.

It was Bobby again, the cock of the walk, who had been sneaking around the men, where he was not allowed, too.
Before they had seen him, and shooed away with the remark, that he was not 12 yet, and had to wait, he had heard of a new world.

He told everybody: “They were speaking of a world, where they could go to with one of those new contraptions: a rocket. Then they discovered me and I was send away. Is that what you are looking for?”

I answered, before even realizing, it was impolite to speak first: “But as far as I do know, we only did send rockets to the moon, and planets without oxygen. Can Homelanders or Otherlanders live on a world without air to breathe?”

An enormous laughing went around.
Everybody had realized something I did not.

I was in the land, where everything paper lived. Paper does not have to breathe to live. For me, everybody looked like all real life persons in my own world. But this was another world.
In this world was so much more possible. And that they did tell me.

Colet wiped the tears out of her eyes and finally found her voice back: “Remember, Lea, we are in the land, were all the simple, true things come from, and are saved for eternity.
So over here, it is not impossible to imagine, the men did hide in that rocket, in some snippets of paper, to find another world to adventure.
There only once has to have been one person, to find a gateway for us.

If that man was clever enough to take a “man’s” gateway with him, he could come back home. What do you know about “man’s” gate-ways?”she boldly asked.

The Lady looked well, listened well and nodded: “Bobby, do you remember who were in that meeting? Are you sure, you do not want to go adventuring yourself, when you are 12 years old? And I do mean, very, very sure?”

Bobby bowed his head.
“I was not sure until shortly. But last week one of the men came back from adventuring, and he was in a mess.
In bandages, a hole in his hand, and very much in pain.
Even Grandmother could not ease that pain, and was very angry with him.
Then I thought, I was not sure, that adventuring was worth so much pain, and misery.
I also thought, why did the other men never tell about that, when the boys are around?

Why they do hide that from us. It did make me think again.
I like some adventuring in a way, nobody has harm from.
Like the stories from earlier days, where we had to find a dragon, or go and free a princes, and the worst you got was a gash with a sword or a knife, that mostly healed well.

But I cannot tell who was at that meeting, I did promise!
But I can promise here something else: if there is a way, we can bring back the old, harmless way of adventuring, I will stay with that.”

He did blush, like it was very hard to tell this. And it probably was.
One of the men, who did live in the valley, came toward him.

“Bobby, you will not remember me, I am you uncle Bob, the one your father named you after. That was while we were twins, Rob, your dad, and Bob, me.
But we went with Daddy to play adventures in the southern desert of America, with wild horses, and Indians.

And he did believe those soldiers, who said that Indians were not real people, while I found a medicines-man, Wise Feather, who told me their stories, and their traditions.

He also told me, what he learned from their olden times, the respect for nature.
We became good friends.
He did teach me their ways, so full of nature and goodness.

Therefore we came to stand against each other, brother against brother, Rob and me.
I went to the Lady, while our grandmother said to me, she was the wisest.
The Lady did bring me here, and showed me my gate, so I could go on visiting my friend, when I want to. Now I do live here in peace.

And sometimes I do visit Wise Feather, my old friend, who is very old now.
That is another possibility for you.
But not if you stay in the city, and things in that world are not solved.
Than this might be an option.
Please, think well about what side you will choose.” After that he stepped back.

The Lady stood up and said: “so let us do a couple of things: each one needs a sleeping place, but that is not so much a problem.
We have to make some decisions, about what we are going to do about the men, who stayed behind.
Not all of them are bad.
We are able to bring some of them back to normal adventures like Bob and Bobby describe. They are good and full of wisdom.

And last, but not least, we have to decide, what to do about the ones that bring havoc to another world, the world of Lea.

That world we visit so long already, we do feel a responsibility for, too.
To do that, we have need of more people like Lea, or like in earlier days, writers like the Grimm Brothers, or Mister Anderson.
Fairy tales are always told, and when I do hear Lea tell, they nowadays use televi..”

“Television, my Lady” I helped.

She smiled and went on: “Than we do search for writers, who do write for television or the other things, so slowly people do learn their norms again.
But now we need rest. We did a lot, tomorrow we go on.”

So we all did look for a place and there were formed groups, which each had other sleeping places. But that we would find out tomorrow, after a good night sleep.

© Nan van Daalen, All rights reserved.

Chapter 10 + 11

Chapter 10: The women gathering

First we were escorted to an old lady, who did look surprisingly like Cindy: a woman with red-curly-hear! There only was a small amount of grey shining through.
That was the biggest surprise I could imagine in this whole adventure.
My looking went from Cindy to the old lady and back.

You nearly could hear me scream loudly in my mind: “RED CURLY HAIR? HERE?”
A surprisingly young laugh bubbled up from the old lady; she really had read the thoughts of my face, I believed.

“You wonder, do you not, young lady? Did not Cindy tell you before?” the old lady asked.

I did bow my head; this lady had around herself a feeling of distinguishness. I could not describe it any other way.

So I said: “My Lady, Cindy and me, we only did meet about 10 days ago. In those 10 days we had to become friends. In those days I also had to go to school, do the normal daily things, so there was not all the time in the world, for Cindy telling about all, and everything she knew.
I am surprised every day, may be every hour, with new things.
What I do know for certain is this: she told me about the prediction of the 'Red-Curly-Haired-Queen'.
By the looks of you, it even could be possible, the prediction is about you!”

The Lady told: “May, may, Cindy! You did well, choosing this girl to be your life long friend. She has a quick mind, does speak clearly what she thinks, but also had the right up-bringing and manners, we do like. Well done.”

Cindy made a bow and said: “Thank you, my Lady. I did hope you would agree with my choice. Only one thing: can you please explain to her how time works in our world? The longer we are here, the more there grows a little wrinkle above Lea's brows. That tells me, she is worried.
And this is the only thing I can think of, that she could be worrying about.
It is possible, I did not explain it the right way.”

The lady said: ”Yes, I can imagine that to be true. You," and she pointed to me, "do come from a world where time flows only in one direction: minute after minute, that becomes hour after hour.
In our world it looks, like time passes the same way.
But while this is another world, our time is not synchronized with the time in your world. I do suppose, you used a mirror as a gate-way?”

Cindy nodded. “The moment you go through that mirror, time counts, as it is normal in our world: Homeland. That is nearly timeless in your world.”

The Lady did give me some time to think tings over, before she went on: “This way we are able to tell our friends the stories, you like to name: fairy-tales.
Those have the time-less wisdom that sets them apart from normal stories.

So during the time Cindy did grow up till your age in this world, there was more time for her, to gather this wisdom, while time went slower here.
I imagine your worry is this: you have slept over here several times, but Cindy did promise you to be home again the morning after you went from home.
Is that correct?”

All I could do, was give a deep sigh of relieve.
“Yes my Lady, that was my worry. I did promise to help her, and will as good as I can. But I also do love my parents, and brother.
I would not, for what ever in the world, have them to worry about me, being disappeared! So I like to be home by that time, too.”

To my surprise all the ladies and girls started giggling, like I was telling the best joke they ever heard anybody tell.

“Hush, this is a serious consideration for someone, who visits our world for the first time!” the Lady stopped that with a smile.

“Now first, where are the chairs for them to sit on?
And where is the food and drink you normally come in with so much hurry when we have visitors? Shoo, shoo, go, and do as friendship demands, while we three talk things over,” she did wave them away.

The girls did run, the grown-up women walked a bit more dignified, but everybody went on with their own tasks.

The comfi chairs where good after all the dancing during the day, and the running around after that, so we sat like on a cloud.
After the food and drink were put down on a small table besides us, and the lady gave a good example by taking something, we fell upon it, like we had not eaten for a day, which was true.

The lady only laughed and watched amused.
When we were finished by licking the last tasty crumbs of our fingers, we finally had interest for our surroundings again.
Slowly the questions became words, now our bellies and fear no longer dictated what we did.

Cindy started our conversation again with: “My lady, do you want the follow-up of our events, so you can have your own judgment, and we have an equal start, when we plan what to do next?”

The lady said: “That is a wise way to go on”

Therefore we told her all what happened since Cindy appeared in my room. I also found out that everybody called the Lady: “Lady”, while she was considered to be the wisest of all women in this country.
When all was said and done, we yawned and were very, very tired.

This time, I did not have any trouble with going to bed, knowing now, that it was at home still the same night, when I did step through the mirror.
So I had nothing to worry about that.
The only thought playing in my mind was: How did the lady know we used mirrors? But seconds after we were shown our sleeping place, we did sleep.



Chapter 11: The women make plans

Next morning was not a long sleeping one.
Not that we would not have liked to: no, the matters were to urgent.
Our mission to do something about the Otherlanders got even more urgency, now we knew, that the Otherlander women agreed with us, against their own boozing and adventuring men.

What we wanted to know was this: how it could have grown that way?
So the Lady, Cindy, I, Amany, and a few younger and older ladies, sat around a table, and had besides breakfast a long discussion about their history.

It is a too long story to tell here, so may be I will come back later when this adventure is over and tell about that.

But for now it came to this: In earlier days, for us the days of the conquistadores, of which they explained that it were the Spanish and other great countries, who did discover the other parts of the world, like America, India and China, there had been some males from this lands, that were very impressed with the adventures that these conquistadores, and the pirates had.

So when they came home again, this males more and more, became a separate group in Homeland. They did brag off it, boosted about it much, and than still more, so others went over there too, to see for themselves.
They even did find their own piece of land, to live in Homeland the same way, they did in your world too, in the Caribean!

That I did find very amazing, and I did want to know more.

“So there is more going on between our two worlds, than I ever could imagine?” I asked, to be sure, to be very certain, I did understand this difficult story, that had 2 different worlds involved.
“The traveling goes back a long time?”

“Yes,” the Lady confirmed.
“There always have been travelers to your world, from olden days, when story-tellers went around the world.
Yes, even before that, when the people still lived in caves, and were hunter gatherers.”

That I could not remember from history-lessons, but it would have to wait till later. Like many things I did learn lately, and not fully had understand yet.

Cindy told her part of the history, like she had learned from her grand mother: “Granny always tells, there once was a group of very, very adventures man, we in Homeland could not learn, to behave like us again, when they came back from visiting your world.
This men wanted to have nothing to do with the rules, we all learn, anymore.
So they went over the mountains and they founded “Otherland,” like they called it.

So we do too, now. You could say: Homeland is split in two parts by this men. And to be true, we do not like this a bit!”
All women around the table agreed.

Amany had her saying: “We women have had enough of all this. As long as the boys are young, they do behave normal.
But the men found following: the younger they take the boys to train them in fighting, the more fierce they become.
So they take them with them on their twelfth birthday. That makes them even more brag about how good their sons are. And it goes on and on and on.
It seems there comes no end to this!

The girls are no longer respected by these men, unless they do behave like them too. Some girls do think it nice in the beginning, but find soon, they cannot go back to their former girl-friends.”

I asked: “Why is that? I thought you should be happy when a friends comes back to normal?”
All the women did shake their heads.

The Lady told: “If it was that simple, all had been solved already.
But it is not.
Going on such adventure, definitely changes a person.
It changes a character totally.
So, still if they come back, those girls, they stay more adventures persons.
They always feel the lure, of going a bit further, trying some more than is wise.

So: unless the girl has the luck to have a loving, patient family, and marry an understanding husband, they often go back to those adventuring men.”

Cindy, being my special friend, went on: “remember that night camping? That night we talked about the differences you could not see from the outside?”

I did nod: “Yes, I do, and you told more then, about changes, now so much people do live on our world.”

The Lady looked at Cindy: “So that you also have found out, just like us. How do you call that?”

Cindy said: “The other side of friendship, of belonging to a group.”

“Yes,” the Lady said, “that is a correct description. We have another name for such a group. We call it a ‘gang’, just like they call it on Lea’s world.

Now there are only a few more places left for the adventures in your world, they call piracy, it seems that this is their new favorite game.
This we like even less.
So now we do know for sure, that the Homelanders, and obvious the people of your world” and with that she pointed to me, “do not like it either, what are we going to do about this?”

Cindy said: “That is precise, why Lea and me prepared our trip to this place.
That is why we did search for the only two women, I did know over here: The Lady, of whom my grandmother told, and Amany, I met before.”

The Lady said: “ to do something sensitive, more preparation is necessary.
My suggestion is, every woman is told following:

In 3 days there is a meeting, whereby every women in this part of the land is here, except the elderly, who take care of the kids under the age of 7.
These women and kids go to the secret safe place in the mountain, the man do not know about. They take enough clothes and food and drink with them.

The larger girls and women that go not there, come in little groups here, by the secret roads.
Each will be carrying a blanket, warm clothes and food and drink as much as her carrying power allows her to carry for at least four hours.

And also some medicines and bandages, for we do not know, what is coming upon us. Can we agree on one special agreement?”

Most women nodded, trusting the Lady would not ask anything unreasonable.
Others asked: “What agreement?”

“A very important one: no boys above the age of 11 will know about this, while their fathers do think, that is the right age for starting to adventure.
This way we can be sure of them not telling anything.

The same is true for each girl, that ever went with the man for an adventure on Lea’s world. They also are a risk, for what we probably must do. So anyone any questions?”

There was some buzzing going on, but no questions came.
Everybody went, as if they had spoken of something like this before.
Only Cindy and me stayed behind with the lady.

I did ask: “That went easy. Like… like you have spoken about this kind of things before!”

Cindy said: “So Grandma was right, she told me the help would come from the women, long ago already.”
On her face was wondering and thoughtfulness.

The Lady only laughed: “A lot of man do think, only they rule the world. Now is the time they answer for themselves the question: Is that really true?"

© Nan van Daalen, All rights reserved.

Chapter 9: An unexpected trap, or not?

Chapter 9: An unexpected trap, or not?

The following morning we decided, what to wear, so we did not look to be so obvious ‘a stranger’ in Otherland.
The trousers were the best options with a bit torn apart t-shirt, some shawls, we had found in the mill and taken with us, were used as colorful decoration.
We laughed a bit, but the shawls did hide the booklets and mirror-boxes too, although also hidden under our swimming-suit for security.

It was Summer here too so that swimming suit could be handy, who would know?.
After a quick breakfast of the last normal eating things we had, we decided to leave the most heavy winter clothes in the chest in the mill, so we should not stand out in the crowd.

Therefore we did an extra hop back and than Cindy asked: “Can we go now?”

“Are you sure, we can leave all here?” I asked Cindy.

“Of course, this is the house of a friend. And who does look in an old chest in the farthest corner of the attic?” she said.

“I would, but I am curious,” I laughed.

“To be sure, I did do one thing, I not told you till now. That was while I did not know anything about Homeland or the Otherlanders.
And in the beginning not about you, too” I told honestly, but blushing. Cindy looked surprised.

In the underside of my back-pack was a zip, I did not show her before.
I opened it, and out came two old fashioned chains, with a pendant on them. Clasped in that pendant, that could be opened, was on one side a miniature of my bedroom, and on the other side a miniature mirror, I had taken of a carnival costume.
“Look what I did as a surprise.” I showed her what I had.

Cindy wás surprised: “When did you do that?”

“You were looking for the iodine I could not find. These were in my box of Grandma’s treasures too. Besides, you do not know, my computer can miniaturize a drawing too.
The small mirrors where on a costume, and I took them off to put in here. But if the Otherlanders want all that they see, we better can put it on, but on a very unsuspected place.”

“Oh, how nice. What a splendid surprise. We could braid it in the plaits in our hair, with the pendants under our hair behind the ears,” Cindy said.

“Now we are safe to go back to your home twice. But never, ever tell anybody of this, for it would give away the other drawing’s purpose.
I did not tell you that most of the Otherlanders can not read, while they do not like school.
So if they ask something about it, it is a book to tell stories, we do tell to get our meals. That is a normal way to pay for them in Otherland.”

I asked: “Are you sure, there are no more surprises or forgotten stories to tell? No? Than lets go and see, what will come of it.”

Much lighter we traveled, only the linen bag under our swimming suit, and the pendant under our plaits, that was the safest place.
The gate-way was smooth and we found the Docks silent in the hot sun.

“When it gets darker, we are more sure to find my friend. She does dance at the place where the most eating-houses are. Between so much people will two girls not been seen,” Cindy supposed.

Alas was the opposite the truth: every Otherlander male did point to us, yelling: “look, we finally have new dancers. In which eating-house you will dance?”

Cindy pointed, forced by this not expected circumstance, to the nicest looking one, hoping it was the one, where we could find her friend.
We could have known: in a land, where everybody grabs what he likes, the one that looked the nicest, housed the nastiest persons.
But thát we found out later that day, after we danced.

The Otherlanders did not know dances from our world, and Cindy and I have had lots of fun trying them out together at home one evening.
But the onlookers never had known, what we were dancing, even if we only had danced the monkey dance. The most female kept their silence, aware that was the best strategy.
The most male were drunk, for they wanted much to drink and behaved as if they never had learned: enough is enough.

At the end of the evening, when they fling coins at us, it often was painful, as was it a sport to hit us that hard, while they paid for the fun we brought.

The owner of the eating house had two very strong man ready to keep us inside, and they put us in a room without a window, only a small piece of candle and a few match sticks.
Then the door became double-locked.

We were trapped in… they thought.
Only, we could out, with the coins, but without the friend we were looking for. What to do now?

“I do think, this is one of those circumstances, my father would not agree with, let’s escape as long as we can” I said.

“You are right, Lea,” Cindy answered.
“Where to? The docks again?”

I quickly thought, we had not many choices, not knowing much Otherlanders.
“Over here we do not know much people, that is our only way to go.
Let’s do it, before worse happens”

As quick as possible we used the mirrors and the books, just when we stepped through the mirrors, we did hear the keys turning in the lock. Just in time…

Back in that dark spot we relieved a sigh, but the situation was not much better than before. Only difference: we had some money now, but were still hungry.

“Pssssst.” I heard.

Again: “Psssssst.” I tapped Cindy on her shoulder and pointed.

We looked the same side and heard the: “Psssst” again but also did see a woman winking. Well, a woman might be less dangerous, but we looked each other careful in the eyes, before we went that way.
Hidden behind a very thick pole that up health the decks above us, we walked carefully through the wet sands.

“Cindy, is it me your looking for?” a soft voice asked.
Swiftly Cindy went to the girl: “Amany, is it you?”
“Come quick, you both, I do not know how long the other women can keep the secret door open, the man are not allowed to find”

So as quick as we could we followed through a dark door, behind which a few more women stood. All were dressed in colorful but shabby clothes.

One hopeful face looked at Cindy and later to me: “You came back, can it be thru?”

I had a wrinkle between my eyes, had to think about the difference between the way the man did act in this strange country and how the women did.
I only could find out by asking so I did introduce myself: “Hello, I am Lea, a friend from Cindy and new here. What in heavens name is going on in this place?"

“Come, we have to be quick,” one of the women told, taking me by the hand, while she started a kind of half-run, quick, but not tiring.
In the maze of small, dark streets, half covered by overhanging roofs, we hurried on.
Finally we came to something that looked very shabby from the outside, but inside was reasonable cool, clean and full of only women and girls.

And all stood still and looked at us, the moment Cindy and me came in, as if this was the most important thing ever could happen.
All I could do was waiting, fully confused what this could predict.
Was it good or bad? Time would tell….

© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved

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.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Through the mirror.

After we had done the drawings, daily life took over first.
I did show Mom and Dad my home-work booklet for school, with out the last 3 drawings of course, and they were very proud of me.

At supper there was a lot of fun, and while Saturday, I could stay awake a bit longer. Only this time, it was not what I looked out for, while Cindy and me had other plans. But the games we played were fun, Mom had some crisps for us to eat during the games, and the lemonade tasted fab: hmmm, strawberry.

But finally it was bed time, without a bedtime story, while it was late already.
So Dad did tuck me in this time, and put out the light with the words: “sleep well, Lea, and tomorrow you can sleep in a bit!”

When he was gone, I did feel the now familiar figure of Cindy, laying besides me, so we together started waiting, till the house was silent.
We had laid apart, out of sight of course, some of those of things, from which we thought, they could be useful in different circumstances.
Cindy did have the most saying about it, but me too had some practical things to say.

Like: “How do we get clothes, when we are going to another part of Homeland? A place where we do not know, how the weather is going to be?
And how do we take enough, without us traveling to heavy?”

Cindy answered: “I never thought of that, but you are right! Let's look in your wardrobe” And that we did.

We decided on making a combination in wearing things, that could come handy everywhere. We also could take each a child’s back-pack, I had from the time, I went to school while I did not need so much books. Now mine was much larger.
They were sturdy, but not to big, and on our back not a hindrance.

The most important things, we would hide under the clothing, we were going to be dressed in: the linen bag with the copied books of drawings, and the mirrors in make-up boxes I found between my treasures in my special box.
They had belonged to my Grandmother and were empty now, except for the mirror. That was handy: this way they had place for some aspirin, some plasters and a small tube of iodine.

We also did decide to take some high-energy-sweets and a bottle of drink with a lid, you could easy drink from, but just as easy close tight again. And warm winter clothes of course.

Finally everything in the house was quiet. Nobody awake, not even Mom and Dad.
So at last we could start, what we planned so carefully for.
We dressed first in underwear, than a swimming-suit, after that the short pants with a t-shirt.
It became a lot, and made it not easy, but we had to.
We ended with a woolen sweater and water-tight winter pants, some thick socks and sturdy boots. A bonnet, thick gloves, and a scarf made it complete.

The linen bag was under the coat, the back-packs with the drinks, and as last minute extra item, some foods, and a first aid kit on our back.
I had some small things in hidden places too, but there also had to be surprises coming from me.

I did not have the feeling, Cindy told all already, that was important, too.
We stood before the mirror, hand in hand: the booklet with the drawings in the other hand, so we just could see the reflection in the light of the moon.

Cindy asked: “Are you sure, you are ready? And are you sure you do want this adventure by your own free will, and not while I do ask you to come with me?”

“Whatever happens: we are together in it. And when I can see the reflection of my room in the mirror, I can step through?” I asked to be totally sure.

“ Yes, so let’s count to three and do it.” We held our hands fest, with the reflection of were we wanted to go in front.
And so we did: we stepped trough the mirror like it was the top layer of a pool.
It looked like it rippled the same way, and behind us the mirror became calm and flat again, if nobody ever went through.

From this side, we did see my room, but when we had put our precious booklets in their bags, nothing was there to see anymore.
After that the mirrors also were put safely in their bags.

That moment I realized: it IS summer over here. Hot summer, harvest time.
I did see Cindy do, what I planned the moment, I did feel the heat: putting of the too hot clothes. She folded them as small as possible, and did them in the back-pack. It just fitted. So I did the same.
Then we had a very good look around: a few steps out of the forest was a dirt-road, leading to a little farm.

I looked asking to Cindy: “Your home?”
She answered: “Yes, of course, we had to try a for your safety a nice, safe place first.
Now, we are sure, you will be forever my friend. Otherwise you never could have stepped through the mirror to my Homeland!
Let’s go and see my folks, and make plans how we are going to do things.”

My last question, before we started walking was: “Will that not take too much time? Can we be back home before the sun-up tomorrow morning?”

So Cindy said: “In this world time works different, remember. I had told you so. So now, lets really go on our way! Trust me, in your world you are back tomorrow-morning, more than right in time for breakfast!"

And so we went.
Together we walked the dirt road.
I looked around to get the feel of the land.
How strange: less than an hour ago I was in my own home, with outside the snow making the world white and cold.
We now were glad to wear the shorts and t-shirts, and carry the hot clothes in our back-packs.

Only the heavy boots where a bit strange, but what ever, was not this whole adventure strange?
Like the friends, we became lately, we could talk about what happened, but we choose to feel free and say not very much. Just enjoyed the surroundings and the warm sun.
Cindy had a glow on her face, like she was glad to be in her Homeland again.

Only one question I would like to have answered now:
“Will your grandmother be home too? Or will she be with her friend on our world now.
I do like her stories so much, and I like to tell her so myself.
And maybe she can tell me a story, just one for me alone. One that is not written in a book?”

Cindy said: “Lea, you still are a bit impatient. I am not sure. I do expect so, for her friend in your world is not longer there.
Besides that, none of her children, or grandchildren was able to see Grandma, or to hear her. So probably she is home.
But everybody loves and respects her, so often people do ask for her advice. Let’s wait and see!”

Half an hour later a boy with a dog came running our way: Cindy’s brother.
The dog ran faster, and was jumping like mad against Cindy, after having sniffled out who I was, like he had to protect her. But a cares between his ears after letting him sniff my hands solved all.

Jake was almost out of breath, and jelled from afar: “Stop, and hide in the bushes along side the road, you where not seen yet. You do look so different from normal, I really do hope they have not recognized you.”

Cindy looked alert immediately: “WHO?” and started to run toward the bushes, without waiting for an answer. I could not do anything else but doing the same.
Jack ran just behind us. Out of breath.

“The Otherlanders are back! Last time Gran could mislead them, but they heard stories every where around.
You are the only curly-red-hear-girl in this part of the land, so this time they did hide them-selves around the farm, in the barn, and a bit further away, along the roads surrounding our living space. There is even one in the hen-house!

While I had to look for a cow that run of, I could get away, and luckily I saw you two coming. I was not sure it wás you, but I had to come, and look to be sure, so luckily I am in time.”
He wiped his sweated face in relieve.

I looked scared, but stood firm: “Than we use the booklet to go to a safer place. Can we take Jack with us? Or will that endanger your Grandma?”

Cindy confirmed my solution with: “You think fast, like I hoped. Jack cannot come, that would be to suspicious.
But he can tell Grandma, let her try to come to the place we go to now, if possible.

Jake,” she asked him, “do you know this? Is Auntie Lieve’s shop safe or not?”

Jake said: “As far as I do know, all is well over there. But how will you travel there?”

I said, with some firmness, I did not really feel: “It is better to close your eyes, keep the dog by his collar, so he cannot follow. What you do not know, you cannot tell too.”

Cindy nodded, and found that the best solution, so Jake promised to go home, to tell grandma, the moment it would be possible, without the Otherlanders getting suspicious.
After that he held his arm before his eyes, and with the other hand held the dog by his collar.

Therefore the two of us made the second mirror-travel within an hour.
It was a bit harder to do: it needed more imagination to convince ourselves, we could step through that much smaller mirror.

Besides the more difficult convincing, it did not work instantly.
When we kept our hands together, either she or me was not totally in the mirror.
So we did do it separately, used our own book and mirror.
But we ended both in the store-room of the shop of Auntie Lieve, and we did see nobody there.

© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.