Chapter 2
A day of learning
Tommy was awake the next morning very early. His first thoughts were whether he had been dreaming or not. No it was quite true he thought, as he put both feet on the floor. He was keen to get back to see Esmeralda again; she was uppermost in his mind. It didn’t take him long to get dressed now that he had the full use of his legs and he was quickly down the stairs. His gran was already up and about. There was a roaring fire in the grate and a pot of porridge cooking ready for their breakfast as usual.
“Hi, Gran,” he called, chirpily.
“Oh! You did make me jump, my lad, I’m not used to you moving about so quick. Go get yourself washed, young man, we’ve a lot to talk about,” she said pointing to the Outhouse, “and don’t forget to use the soap behind the ears.”
She smiled to herself as he made for the door, nearly falling over in his haste to get ready. Now then, she thought, some good has certainly come of meeting up with Esmeralda; after all I’ve never seen him take to soap and water without so much of a tantrum.
Before long he was back again. “Well blow me down… that was quick,” she said to Tommy as he returned and sat down beside the fire. “I’ve never known you to be that quick before, anyway I’ve just been thinking about what you told me yesterday,” she said passing him a bowl of porridge and sitting herself down to eat with him. “I would never have believed your story young man if it wasn’t for the fact that you can now walk without your leg Irons, I find it hard to believe after all these years. Let’s hear some more about this ‘Esmeralda’ you met yesterday.”
Tommy told his gran once again about the wonderful old lady who lives on the far edge of the forest, describing the house and Saber the cat as he continued to eat his breakfast.
“The cottage is a bit like ours, Gran, but no upstairs rooms. The garden is overgrown, the thatched roof needs repair and the windows need a touch of paint as well. It’s a bit untidy inside though with stuff everywhere. I’m sure you wouldn’t put up with that here, and you know what Gran,” he said, “she’s 150 years old.”
“Well I never,” his gran replied. “I didn’t think that people could live to be that old,” she said taking the empty dish away from him and placing it in the sink with her own.
“They say that, old man, Green, at the village shop is eighty five and he’s as deaf as a door post. Takes ages to serve you, he does, hobbling about. A hundred and fifty years you say? My God, what’s the world coming to”
“Anyway she certainly knows more than us ordinary folks know, and I can’t see any harm in you seeing her again. She seems a kind old lady from what you tell me, can’t see why folks would be scared of her.”
“I know,“ he replied, “but people are though, from what she tells me, and she does look a bit strange,Gran, dressing like she does and living with just a cat.”
“Nothing wrong with that, Tommy, I’m fortunate that I have you or I’d be on my own. I hope folks wouldn’t think that about me, they can be very hurtful at times.”
Tommy buttoned his coat up and couldn’t wait to get off.
“Take these sandwiches;” his gran said after straightening his collar, “you’ll need something to get you through the day, and don’t be late back for your tea young man.”
“Thanks Gran,” Tommy said, making his way to the front gate. “I’ll tell you all about it when I get back this evening.”
Tommy’s gran smiled as she closed the door and made her way back to the warmth of the fire. She wanted to continue knitting a jumper for Tommy’s birthday. In a couple of week’s time he would be thirteen years old.
Although it was springtime, being close to the forest meant it was always cold in the morning until the sun broke through the clouds. Tommy made his way along the path through the wood, which still had the morning mist covering the ground. The noisy rooks and crows could be heard squabbling in the tree tops above as he walked along. He kept thinking about what Esmeralda had said the day before, about the wonderful secrets of the forest. He couldn’t wait to find out what she meant.
His thoughts turned to school as he made his way along. What sort of reaction would he receive when they find out that he can now walk, and do the things other kids can do.
After all, he will no longer have to sit on the sidelines and watch others ‘kick the ball in’ when it came to games. How many times had he wished it was him who was taking the penalty, or saving a shot at goal?
Then there was the school bully, Frank Bailey, always taking the micky out of him. Hello, Tommy Stilts, he would shout out whenever he passed Tommy, making him cringe.
Don’t take any notice of him, his gran would say. He’s ignorant and one day will meet his match, believe me.
Having just started a four week school break, there would be plenty of time for him and his gran to come up with something, he thought. He wasn’t one to run away from trouble but was always aware of his handicap being against him.
I think it’s time for Frank Bailey to learn a lesson for a change; he smiled to himself as he turned it over in his mind.
Tommy felt a lot better and it put a skip in his step as he continued on his way through the forest.
Well, I shall soon find out what Esmeralda means by ‘secrets of the forest’, I’m very nearly there now, he thought, suddenly catching a familiar whiff of smoke from a household fire.
A day of learning
Tommy was awake the next morning very early. His first thoughts were whether he had been dreaming or not. No it was quite true he thought, as he put both feet on the floor. He was keen to get back to see Esmeralda again; she was uppermost in his mind. It didn’t take him long to get dressed now that he had the full use of his legs and he was quickly down the stairs. His gran was already up and about. There was a roaring fire in the grate and a pot of porridge cooking ready for their breakfast as usual.
“Hi, Gran,” he called, chirpily.
“Oh! You did make me jump, my lad, I’m not used to you moving about so quick. Go get yourself washed, young man, we’ve a lot to talk about,” she said pointing to the Outhouse, “and don’t forget to use the soap behind the ears.”
She smiled to herself as he made for the door, nearly falling over in his haste to get ready. Now then, she thought, some good has certainly come of meeting up with Esmeralda; after all I’ve never seen him take to soap and water without so much of a tantrum.
Before long he was back again. “Well blow me down… that was quick,” she said to Tommy as he returned and sat down beside the fire. “I’ve never known you to be that quick before, anyway I’ve just been thinking about what you told me yesterday,” she said passing him a bowl of porridge and sitting herself down to eat with him. “I would never have believed your story young man if it wasn’t for the fact that you can now walk without your leg Irons, I find it hard to believe after all these years. Let’s hear some more about this ‘Esmeralda’ you met yesterday.”
Tommy told his gran once again about the wonderful old lady who lives on the far edge of the forest, describing the house and Saber the cat as he continued to eat his breakfast.
“The cottage is a bit like ours, Gran, but no upstairs rooms. The garden is overgrown, the thatched roof needs repair and the windows need a touch of paint as well. It’s a bit untidy inside though with stuff everywhere. I’m sure you wouldn’t put up with that here, and you know what Gran,” he said, “she’s 150 years old.”
“Well I never,” his gran replied. “I didn’t think that people could live to be that old,” she said taking the empty dish away from him and placing it in the sink with her own.
“They say that, old man, Green, at the village shop is eighty five and he’s as deaf as a door post. Takes ages to serve you, he does, hobbling about. A hundred and fifty years you say? My God, what’s the world coming to”
“Anyway she certainly knows more than us ordinary folks know, and I can’t see any harm in you seeing her again. She seems a kind old lady from what you tell me, can’t see why folks would be scared of her.”
“I know,“ he replied, “but people are though, from what she tells me, and she does look a bit strange,Gran, dressing like she does and living with just a cat.”
“Nothing wrong with that, Tommy, I’m fortunate that I have you or I’d be on my own. I hope folks wouldn’t think that about me, they can be very hurtful at times.”
Tommy buttoned his coat up and couldn’t wait to get off.
“Take these sandwiches;” his gran said after straightening his collar, “you’ll need something to get you through the day, and don’t be late back for your tea young man.”
“Thanks Gran,” Tommy said, making his way to the front gate. “I’ll tell you all about it when I get back this evening.”
Tommy’s gran smiled as she closed the door and made her way back to the warmth of the fire. She wanted to continue knitting a jumper for Tommy’s birthday. In a couple of week’s time he would be thirteen years old.
Although it was springtime, being close to the forest meant it was always cold in the morning until the sun broke through the clouds. Tommy made his way along the path through the wood, which still had the morning mist covering the ground. The noisy rooks and crows could be heard squabbling in the tree tops above as he walked along. He kept thinking about what Esmeralda had said the day before, about the wonderful secrets of the forest. He couldn’t wait to find out what she meant.
His thoughts turned to school as he made his way along. What sort of reaction would he receive when they find out that he can now walk, and do the things other kids can do.
After all, he will no longer have to sit on the sidelines and watch others ‘kick the ball in’ when it came to games. How many times had he wished it was him who was taking the penalty, or saving a shot at goal?
Then there was the school bully, Frank Bailey, always taking the micky out of him. Hello, Tommy Stilts, he would shout out whenever he passed Tommy, making him cringe.
Don’t take any notice of him, his gran would say. He’s ignorant and one day will meet his match, believe me.
Having just started a four week school break, there would be plenty of time for him and his gran to come up with something, he thought. He wasn’t one to run away from trouble but was always aware of his handicap being against him.
I think it’s time for Frank Bailey to learn a lesson for a change; he smiled to himself as he turned it over in his mind.
Tommy felt a lot better and it put a skip in his step as he continued on his way through the forest.
Well, I shall soon find out what Esmeralda means by ‘secrets of the forest’, I’m very nearly there now, he thought, suddenly catching a familiar whiff of smoke from a household fire.