120 Shared
Nana enjoyed watching her grandchild outside of the dark Pumphouse, skipping and running, following the previously laid white stones left to mark their past path. Taking joy in her surroundings by watching and chasing butterflies, looking at the mushrooms growing at the bottom of a tree and chatting to the fairies within their mushroom houses. Such innocence and love of the moment without worry of past or future. It was a shame that one lost that as an adult Nana mused.
She kept her eyes peeled and as the fence and water trough came into view, Nana and the Little Red Haired Girl gave it a wide berth.
The dead cows in the field had gone, much to their relief, and the child skipped past the field quickly looking forward with determination and hope for what lay ahead. Such blind faith Nana mused, to leave the past behind and continue without knowing or worrying of disaster to come. When as an adult did that leave a person? At what point did fear or worry invade the body and prevent or spoil whatever may be in the future? Nana decided she could not answer the question, only have some regret for, in her earthly life, what she didn’t do because of fear or worry, what she hadn’t been brave enough to attempt, or say, or be curious about. No point in regret Nana decided, it was like trying to carry a heavy suitcase without a handle. It was burdensome, awkward and hard to keep a grip of. Best to travel light she decided.
“We need to find more white rocks Nana, there are no more to follow.”
“Ok Fluff, but do not stray too far from the path remember?”
“I do” and off she went through the ferns to find some to mark their onwards journey.
Nana looked ahead, the fence to the left continued along their path but no farmhouses or signs of life, No signs of people could be seen. To the right of the path was forest, Eucalyptus and Pine, as she watched the child’s head of red hair bobbing up and down among the ferns.
“Look what I have found Nana, look at these berries” she said with excitement. “Would Body like these to eat?”
“You haven’t eaten them have you? Let me see.”
“No I didn’t coz I didn’t know what they were.”
“Very wise, let me see.”
The child emptied her grubby dress pockets and put its contents in Nana outstretched hand. Nana recognised them immediately. “Oh they are Olives, black olives, but you can’t eat them straight from the tree, they need to be softened and soaked in brine.”
“What’s brine?”
“A salt water and when they are soft enough they go in a jar of oil. They are too bitter and hard for Body to eat off the tree but show me, where did you get them from?”
“Through here Nana follow me” and Nana did her best to keep up with her grandchild.
The forest opened out to reveal a field. A field of Olive trees in neat rows. A crop. A crop meant a farmer as Nanas eyes searched for any tools, for houses, for people anywhere near the field. They even walked the whole perimeter of the field which took a while and made Nana tired as her weighted feet struggled to cope with the uneven ground.
There was no one to be seen. The trees stood in their rows and silently kept their vigil and secret about who tended them. It was disappointing, but Nana and the Little Red Haired Girl decided they would visit the field again on the off chance of seeing the farmer, as the olives were starting to drop to the floor where the child had picked them up. They would be ready to harvest soon. The farmer would be back to harvest them.
“We need to go back child I am extremely tired” Nana spoke softly, she knew the child would not want to go back to the Pumphouse, but she dutifully started to walk back with Nana to the path that would take them back there.
“Why is the Pumphouse our home?” the child asked.
“I’m not sure child, but it’s only temporary I feel. We will soon get you out of there.”
“Who’s we? Who’s going to get us out?”
“That is up to Body, Brain, Heart, Spirit and Soul.”
“What do you mean?
“It’s up to all of them to set you and themselves free?”
“How?”
“When you are all happy with who you are, it will set you free to live well and without harming others.”
“By being a good girl?”
“Yes. That’s part of it. Doing the best you can, being kind and caring to your family and friends, and people you don’t know too.”
“But Heart gets broken and it hurts.”
“Yes it can do but that does not stop us trying.”
“I don’t want to try if it makes Heart hurt.”
“I understand child, but do you remember when you ate from that little spoon and dish when Mummy told you not to? because you wouldn’t like the taste of the yellow sauce it held?”
“Yes I do. It was hot and nasty and made me cry.”
“Mustard would. It’s not meant for little ones, nor to be eaten that way, but would it stop you trying other dishes of food that you may well like and enjoy?”
“No coz otherwise I would not have tried yummy custard or nice ice cream, or a runny dippy egg.”
“Exactly, you never know until you try it and sometimes it is worth the risk and good to keep an open mind.”
“What do you mean Nana? What’s an open mind?”
“If mustard is nasty and hot does it mean all yellow food is? Does it mean bananas and custard are nasty and hot? or apple sauce? just because it’s yellow? No it doesn’t, but you have to be prepared to try it. Listen to what Mummy tells you of course, but keep the idea and hope that it can be good for you and you may enjoy it if you try it, and that others may do the same if you offer it to them too. It’s a risk worth taking because the rewards can be yummy and good for you and for your friend sitting next to you at the table.
“It can be shared.”
“Yes child, it can be shared” Nana answered as she reached the Pumphouse window and they entered the dark Imprisonment again.
© 2025 Jennifer Harris. Free And Alive 555
