Chapter 2 – The Dinner Surprise
The first-day of my fourteenth year was only a few weeks away, but today is Papa’s first-day! Today we celebrate his 82nd year and he promised me another clue about what he’s been making for my first-day. I know it’s a mind carving because that’s what Papa’s family has traditionally given each child of promise, on their affirmation. What a wonder, a mind carving, for me! And soon to be affirmed as a man and ready to start my apprenticeship.
Papa says a mind carving takes years to complete and he started it just a few days after my third year. Following tradition he asked the tree for permission. He shaped it to be a helper for my psychic skills (a sort of amplifier) and to be a reminder of my Papa.
To make a mind carving, no tools are put to the wood, but a persistent psychic pushing to guide the wood to move and grow into a certain shape. Over the years it takes to complete this, a considerable amount of mental energy has been pushed into the carving. So much so that the carving itself retains a considerable amount of that mental power and of the personality of the psychic. Papa told me that, deep down, I have expressed the same image many times over the years. But, no matter how hard I tried, I just could not summon that image.
On the evening of Papa’s first-day, I was helping Momma in the kitchen when she asked me to fetch Papa from the Town Hall. I walked out the front door and through the gate onto Tveeton Walk, turned right and walked right into Edburga. What a colossal idiot I was, not looking where I was going. I quickly picked myself up, began apologizing and offered a hand up to Edburga. She started to reach for it then retracted her hand and popped up into a stance as if to fight me. Without a thought, I too assumed the stance. For a moment, we stood like two silly toy soldiers. Then we both burst out laughing, so much so that Momma heard us and shouted out a reminder that I should be quick and bring Papa. I gave Edburga a quick but gentle press of my lips to her left cheek and ran by her toward the Town Hall.
Her fading words to me were “See you on the ‘morrow and thank you very much!”
I was sure she was the one for me, but I still had to ask her far and mor and mine for permission. Hers might never say yes, until they had considered my profession. Nothing but the best for their only daughter. I hoped that I would meet their expectations.
It was a short jaunt to see Papa. I could throw a rock farther than that. I came through the double doors and walked to the big table where Papa was still working by the light of several candles with mirror reflectors. I stood where he could see me but waited quietly for him to acknowledge me. Waiting is always the hard part. Papa was very… customary. But then so are most adults. Just then Papa said “Good even Gwynn, have you come to walk me home?”
“Yes, Papa, and happy first-day!”
Papa in a false gruff tone said “Have a care. I need not be reminded so often, how time worn I should feel.” Papa closed the ledger and packed up the parchment receipts and placed them in the little iron vault. Then he picked up his lunch pail saying “All right young man let’s see your Momma about dinner, shall we?”
Papa walks slowly. He asked me a few math questions to see if I remember yesterday’s lessons. But I kept thinking, walk faster Papa, let’s get home, or I may faint if I don’t hear about the mind carving soon! Just as we reached our gate, my older brother Alvis’ voice boomed behind us saying “Good even Papa, Gwynn.”
I saw Papa jump a little and pause for an unsteady moment. Then in an uneven tone he replied “Good even Alvis… Very punctual, good, good. How was your workday?”
Alvis replied “I’m glad to say it was as blessed as any day, Papa.”
Momma beckoned us to table with a happy smile from the door. The aromas of fresh bread, seasoned fish, and jolly-berry pie entranced all of us. Momma had spent a whole Yeupar for two little pails of berries. She tried to keep Papa from making a fuss about the expense by quickly starting the conversation. “Papa,” she said “how is the counting coming along?”
He answered “The count goes well, another day or two and I’ll be able to post the report for all to see. That is if the parade of chatty people in and out of the Hall will slow. I’m sure they just think it’s such easy labor, for all the sitting I do. Ha! Can’t put anything to ink if I’m always interrupted. By Imbrie, I have work to do!”
It seemed that Papa would ramble on and on. Then Momma snuck in while Papa took a breath and asked Alvis how he’s getting along with Tunkall at the stables. While Alvis spoke, I was getting anxious and I squirmed in my seat. Momma noticed and gave me a knowing wink.
I was going to explode like an aerial rocket, at any moment. Momma guided the conversation a bit longer then got Papa to realize that he had not yet revealed the promised clue. His face went blank for a moment, did he forget about the mind carving?
I popped, “Papa! What is it?”
At a measured pace, as he eased himself back from his plate of food, Papa said “Well, young man, today while on my midday walk it seems that I’d come to a point where I’ve just done with it, NO MORE! So you’ll get no more clues from me.”
I was crushed, “No more clues? Did something go wrong?”
Everyone else in the room could see it was working on me. He continued at the same pace “My son, nothing went wrong… and you need not worry… I just realized… that it’s finished!” and out of his shirt, on a lanyard, came the most beautiful object. It looked so intricate and fragile. In a dark-gray wood, shaped like a longsword wrapped around something missing. I know! A fighting staff. Indeed this was familiar.
“But where is the staff? I don’t understand, it’s incomplete.”
With a grin on his face and one raised eyebrow, he said “Well, my son?”
With that Papa brought me back, I’d been struck silent by it’s beauty and the incompleteness. “Oh Papa, thank you. May I wear it now?”
Papa and Momma exchanged knowing glances and Papa said, “Yes, of course. But, you must not let anyone else know about it, not even Edburga, agreed? You know how dangerous such an emblem is for us?”
As I put it on, I asked “Yes Papa, no one else will know. But Papa, where is the missing part of the carving? Does that come later?”
Papa’s face had a troubled look. “Missing? What’s missing?”
“It seemed to me that there was a mage’s staff or a fighting staff that the sword wrapped around. Didn’t you lift that from me?”
“Mmmm. Now that you say it, I do recall a staff, in the beginning.” Now with more affirmation in his voice “I believe it was there at the beginning. Yes, I think it was actually completed first. But over the years I’d quite forgotten about it. That seems quite the mystery. Where is the staff now?”
I barely heard him talking after that. I fingered the little masterpiece around my neck. I felt on top of mount Klarott. The rest of that evening and more than a week of days afterward, just seemed lost to me.