Chapter 4
Preparing for the journey
Esmeralda was sitting reading a large leather bound red book. It was very heavy and discolored with age. She blew the dust off the pages as she turned them, whilst Saber the cat sat in the window taking in everything that went on outside. “It’s some time since I read ‘The Good Red Book’,” she half muttered to herself. She cast her mind back to the time when she used to sit as a child, whilst Damatrisa read to her. “Here in this book,” she would say, “is the answer to any problems or questions that you may have need of in the future.”
She had told her that the book had been handed down from generation to generation, and was hundreds of years old. “You must only use the book for doing good things,” she had told Esmeralda; “never anything that is bad.” This was the book that contained the instructions for making the ointment, which enabled Tommy to walk again.
Saber drew Esmeralda’s attention with a strange cat noise as it looked out of the window.
“That must be Tommy,” she said, carefully putting down the book and making her way to the front door; she opened it and peered into the misty morning light.
“Hello,” said Tommy, half running up the path and out of breath. “I hope I’m not too early?” he stammered.
“No, no, nooo, not at all come inside, Saber and I have been up since the crack of dawn as usual,” she said proudly.
Tommy couldn’t help noticing the large red book on the table, how unusually large it was for a book, but thought it better not to ask about it. It was most likely private and none of his business.
Esmeralda beckoned to Tommy to sit down. “I have to get one or two things that we will need before we go into the forest,.” she said.
She made her way to the kitchen, stopping to pick up the ‘Red Book’ from the table as she did so.
Tommy placed the sandwiches which his gran had given him on the table, noticing that it was now clear of the things that were there yesterday and a lot tidier. He sat down again and began to stroke Saber, as she settled down by his feet.
“Oh, she likes to be stroked,” said Esmeralda returning from the kitchen, “although she doesn’t usually take to strangers, In fact she’s a very particular cat when it comes to folk, I sense that she trusts you more than she would anyone else,” she continued.
“Well I think she’s a nice cat,” Tommy replied, continuing to stroke Saber, “and I’m sure she knows what I’m saying sometimes,” he said.
Esmeralda put a large black bag she had brought back in with her down on the table.
“Yes you are quite right about that; she knows what you’re saying alright,” she chuckled, “there’s more than meets the eye so to speak with Saber, isn’t there old girl?” she said giving Saber a pat on the head.
“You must have had her for some time, I’ll bet, she’s a very big cat and she knows you so well,” he said.
“Oh yes, we’ve been together for many years now, long before you were born, young man,” she replied, with a twinkle in her eye.
“But that’s enough about that for now,” she said picking the bag up off the table, “we must make our way now into the forest, where you will discover many things today, if I’m not mistaken.”
Tommy was still trying to figure out the cat’s age as they made ready to leave.
Could it really be that old, he wondered…Nah, can’t be right…or could it?
Preparing for the journey
Esmeralda was sitting reading a large leather bound red book. It was very heavy and discolored with age. She blew the dust off the pages as she turned them, whilst Saber the cat sat in the window taking in everything that went on outside. “It’s some time since I read ‘The Good Red Book’,” she half muttered to herself. She cast her mind back to the time when she used to sit as a child, whilst Damatrisa read to her. “Here in this book,” she would say, “is the answer to any problems or questions that you may have need of in the future.”
She had told her that the book had been handed down from generation to generation, and was hundreds of years old. “You must only use the book for doing good things,” she had told Esmeralda; “never anything that is bad.” This was the book that contained the instructions for making the ointment, which enabled Tommy to walk again.
Saber drew Esmeralda’s attention with a strange cat noise as it looked out of the window.
“That must be Tommy,” she said, carefully putting down the book and making her way to the front door; she opened it and peered into the misty morning light.
“Hello,” said Tommy, half running up the path and out of breath. “I hope I’m not too early?” he stammered.
“No, no, nooo, not at all come inside, Saber and I have been up since the crack of dawn as usual,” she said proudly.
Tommy couldn’t help noticing the large red book on the table, how unusually large it was for a book, but thought it better not to ask about it. It was most likely private and none of his business.
Esmeralda beckoned to Tommy to sit down. “I have to get one or two things that we will need before we go into the forest,.” she said.
She made her way to the kitchen, stopping to pick up the ‘Red Book’ from the table as she did so.
Tommy placed the sandwiches which his gran had given him on the table, noticing that it was now clear of the things that were there yesterday and a lot tidier. He sat down again and began to stroke Saber, as she settled down by his feet.
“Oh, she likes to be stroked,” said Esmeralda returning from the kitchen, “although she doesn’t usually take to strangers, In fact she’s a very particular cat when it comes to folk, I sense that she trusts you more than she would anyone else,” she continued.
“Well I think she’s a nice cat,” Tommy replied, continuing to stroke Saber, “and I’m sure she knows what I’m saying sometimes,” he said.
Esmeralda put a large black bag she had brought back in with her down on the table.
“Yes you are quite right about that; she knows what you’re saying alright,” she chuckled, “there’s more than meets the eye so to speak with Saber, isn’t there old girl?” she said giving Saber a pat on the head.
“You must have had her for some time, I’ll bet, she’s a very big cat and she knows you so well,” he said.
“Oh yes, we’ve been together for many years now, long before you were born, young man,” she replied, with a twinkle in her eye.
“But that’s enough about that for now,” she said picking the bag up off the table, “we must make our way now into the forest, where you will discover many things today, if I’m not mistaken.”
Tommy was still trying to figure out the cat’s age as they made ready to leave.
Could it really be that old, he wondered…Nah, can’t be right…or could it?