CHAPTER 1
It's four o'clock dawn with its bone-chilling wind. Still dark and pitch black. Faint sound of a song emanating from an old house. Two rusty bicycles with their flat front tires under the porch of the weathered-worn wooden house. Sleeping soundly right in front of the door is a big white dog. On the left side of the house is a coop with about 50 chickens in deep slumber. With stars sprinkling across the sky, the early morning feels so peaceful and calm.
Inside the house is a small fireplace barely enough to keep a body or the room warm. The odour of humid air. In the middle of the room is a round table and four wooden chairs. There is also a dish rack and a stove for cooking. All neatly arranged. In another corner is a big pail and some worn-out clothing on a single hanger.
Two simple beds in this house are separated by a thin curtain. A pale, tall, thin woman is lying on the bigger but very old bed. Under a thin piece of cloth to cover her, she huddled with her heavy, even breathing. The other bed is very small. On it a neat row of clothing. Just a few pieces, which you can count with your fingers. However, a most amazing sight is the piles of books lying not far from the pile of clothing. Although looking battered and worn out, this huge number of books arranged neatly seems so out of place.
Lying under the small bed is Mikael. He is about nine, a thin but good-looking boy. He sleeps wearing old and faded unknown-colour socks that are too big for him. Sleeping beside him with a thin piece of cloth as blanket is a little girl, Lulu. Chubby with irresistible rosy cheeks. She's about two years old.
Lighting inside the house comes from two simple lamps hanging in the middle of the room—giving the house a soft yellow glow like twilight. Another lamp is perched on a table at the foot between the two beds. On this table is a neatly arranged assortment of items: a small clock ticking softly, a half-filled glass of water, and again - stacks of old books.
Mikael turns his body to the left, blinks and slowly opens his eyes fully. Then a quick glance at the small clock on the table. He stretches his hands upwards and plays with his small lips for a few seconds before he finally cups his face in his thin hands and smiles. Slowly and gently, he kisses his sister, Lulu, on her forehead. She's still sound asleep beside him. He arranges the thin blanket to cover her whole body. Then he gets up, and turns off the alarm. He approaches the sleeping woman's bed, kisses her on her forehead, and arranges her blanket before going to the stove to boil water.
While waiting for the water to boil, he drinks water from an old kettle. Quite a lot actually. He returns the kettle with the boiled water to the back of the house. Then he heads for the bathroom and happily takes his shower.
Wrapped in a thick worn-out coat, Mikael opens the front noisy-creaking door. As he rubs his dog's head, she awakens immediately. Then she starts trailing her boss. In the yard Mikael raises his hands. Facing the pitch-black sky filled with stars, his pair of eyes gazes at the sky above.
Then in a muffled utter: "Thank you, God, for this beautiful morning! Thank you for the gift of life in a healthy body. I believe in You to heal my Mama! I'm ready for today!" Mikael said as he cupped his face with both his hands. A few seconds later Mikael has Happy following him to the back of the house. With two empty pails in his hands, dancing with small dances and singing happily as he heads to the coop. He greets his chickens one by one and by their name. Feeling very thankful, he begins to collect the eggs and puts them - one at a time - into the pails. Then he moves both pails filled with eggs to the side of the coop near an almost broken-down door. He begins cleaning the coop - watering, sweeping and making sure that no chicken manure remains. All the while Happy is patiently keeping her boss company.
Mikael walks out of the coop, carrying two pails now heavy with the weight of the eggs. Happy continues to keep him company. The sky is still dark. But Mikael is not afraid. He continues to singing, smiling and teasing Happy as he walks to the morning market. It's a distance of about eight kilometres from his house. On the way to the market, a station wagon approaches him from the back. I'm sure it's Oom Rafael. He stops his car or to be more specific his wagon a few steps away in front of Mikael and gestures to hop in. Mikael sits beside the driver while Happy immediately jumps into the back already half-filled with vegetables.
Oom Rafael is a large middle-aged guy with a bulging stomach, and always in a hat. He has a friendly face and is always smiling. He never drives slowly and fills up the small cab by playing his music collection of old songs so loudly. "Do you have a lot of eggs today? A good harvest? He always has a smile and a hearty laugh as he talks to Mikael.
"Yes, better than yesterday. I'm so happy, Oom!" answered Mikael enthusiastically.
Oom Rafael smoothens Mikael's hair. "How's your Mama? Is she getting better?
Almost immediately his cheerfulness fades. "Don't know, Oom," says Mikael wistfully, but then he immediately becomes cheerful. "She'll get better, Oom. Because the Almighty God is good!" Oom Rafael merely smiles and shakes his head slowly. Then begins to sing along with the song. Mikael looks at him and laughs happily.
The market is already crowded. You can hear enthusiastic shouts of the vendors selling meat, vegetables and fruits. They are competing to give the lowest prices and assuring the quality of their goods.
Mikael thanks Oom Rafael for the ride. Hurriedly, he gets down. Happy follows suit. He walks as quickly as he can and confidently towards the chicken vendor. After serving his customers, the vendor counts the eggs from Mikael's two pails. However, he has to interrupt his counting to serve his customers. Mikael glances at the vendor's watch. He begins to worry. It's already 6 a.m. He tries to wait patiently until the last customer is served.
The vendor recounts the eggs. This time all the eggs are counted. He hands Mikael some money. After counting the money, Mikael politely thanks him but hurries to leave. For a while he almost breaks into a run through the crowded the market. Panting, Happy faithfully follows him. Mikael stops in front of a porridge seller. He buys a serving of chicken porridge and hands over a coin. Hot steam is released as the vendor quickly opens the cover. After collecting his take-away porridge, Mikael goes to the bread seller and asks for their prices. Then he compares the different types of bread. Finally, he chooses the cheapest and without filling. He asks for two pieces to be wrapped.
Again, at a very fast pace and without stopping, he runs home with his faithful dog accompanying. The fresh morning breeze hits him. Very cold. But Mikael doesn't care. His cheeks are a blushing pink, his face shining with happiness. On reaching home, he heads straight for the kitchen, lights up the stove, boils water, and pours the porridge into a bowl. Then he opens the package and places the bread on a small plate. Meanwhile, Happy remains outside, drinking from a puddle of last night's rain. Mikael adds to the boiled water, ginger slices that he has prepared, two spoons of honey and lime juice. He heads for his mama's bedroom. Shaking her gently, he whispers.
"Mama, wake up Ma!" Mama, whose name is Magda, opens her eyes slowly, and then closes them again. But Mikael doesn't give up. Again, he shakes his mama's body. "Come on, Ma! Get up! Let's say our prayer first. I have already prepared the chicken porridge and a warm drink for you!" A few seconds later, Magda finally wakes up. Mikael helps her sit up on the edge of the bed. Moving quickly, Mikael puts his hands on his mama's hands, closes his eyes and prays. "God, thank you for a beautiful morning! Dear God. You have healed my Mama! Thank you, Lord! Mama will have her porridge now! Bless us for this special breakfast for my Mama!"
Mikael begins to feed his mama with chicken porridge, gives her warm water, and encourages her to finish her breakfast. Actually, Mikael is very sad that the Mama whom he loves so much is in this state. However, he tries not to show any sadness in front of his mama. He's always smiling, waiting for his mama to open her mouth and let him feed her. Her face is dull with an empty look as she slowly chews each mouthful of food Mikael has given her. When the last mouthful is finished, Mikael smiles with satisfaction. He goes to the kitchen to clean the kitchen utensils. After making sure that the bowl and glass are cleaned, Mikael wakes Lulu up. He caresses her soft hair. Slowly he pulls away the thin blanket, and then folds it neatly. Lovingly he kisses her forehead. Lulu moves, blinks her eyes and softly asks with a lisp.
"What time now, Tatat? Already morning? Lulu calls her brother Tatat instead of Kakak, as she has problems with the "k" and "s" sounds.
Mikael smiles happily. "Yes, my sister! It's already morning. Here! Come on, wake up! Take your bath! Kakak got you your bread!" Mikael helps his sister with her bath, puts on her clothes and seats her in a chair at the dining table. He gives her a piece of the bread and the other for himself. "Come on, Lulu. Get ready for your prayer! Close your eyes and Brother leads the prayer, OK?' Dear God! Thank you for the lovely bread made from selected ingredients to give us energy and good health."
"Come on, Lulu. Let's eat." Lulu beings to chew her bread slowly.
"Tatat, this got filling?" Mikael shakes his head and makes an effort to be cheerful. Lulu starts to eat. Mikael encourages his sister with cheerful chats. "Tatat, got milk?"
"Oh, after this then your milk. We go milk the cows together later. But finish your bread first." Mikael heaves with a long sigh. He tries to enjoy the beautiful morning with his sister while his mama continues to remain in the room, and as usual deep in her own thoughts. It hurts him to see his small family in this condition. Magda is really like a zombie, without any expression of interest reflected from her.
"Lulu, look, this is how you wipe the table so that it's clean again!" said Mikael as he concentrated on wiping the table. He tries to ignore the sadness within him. He doesn't want this feeling to continue. "Come on, Lulu, let's go!" said Mikael while holding his sister's hand. Before approaching the door, Mikael goes to his mama who has been sitting with an empty look ever since she woke up. He holds her right hand. "Here, Ma, this is from the sale of the eggs this morning. You keep the money!" Gently, he kisses her cheeks. Magda remains still, not moving. Mikael breathes slowly and looks at his mama and rubs her hand. He gazes at her, hoping earnestly that she is able to have a normal conversation with him.
However, his attention is diverted when Lulu touches his right arm. "What is it, Lulu?" asked Mikael.
Clear big eyeballs stare back at him. "Tatat, Mama still sick?"
Mikael plays with Lulu's hair. "Come on, Lulu. Kiss Mama and say good morning to her! Lulu moves forward, hugs her mama and kisses her left cheek. "Mama, come on. Play with Lulu, Ma!" Her mama remains still. Water drips from the corner of her eye, but without sound. Mikael then grabs Lulu and they walk out of the house. At the front door, Mikael has a chance to watch his mama, full of hope for the woman to join them. However, his wishes remain unanswered. She remains seated like a statue, looking out with blank stares. Mikael closes the door. Then heads to the very simple cow shed.
The shed has no roof. A few stacks of hays are piled up on the left. Rosy the cow is big, looking straight at Mikael and Lulu. Happy sniffs around. Mikael takes a clean bucket from a corner near the door of the shed. Then he squats and Lulu follows suit. They begin to milk Rosy. From their laughter, the siblings seem very happy. They do not know that they are being watched by their Mama. She is standing silently inside the house. She is watching - with teary eyes and her right fingers on her chest - her two kids from behind the shabby window.
When the bucket is full, Mikael pours a little milk into a bowl for Happy. She laps it up hungrily. Lulu teases the dog by playing with her tail. Mikael laughs as he watches Happy being bothered by Lulu holding the tail. A few times she makes a move as though to bite Lulu who, however, is very agile in avoiding it. Still laughing, Mikael asks Lulu into the house. He boils a little milk for Lulu and himself. He pours the remaining milk from the bucket into a bottle. Lulu really enjoys the fresh warm milk. Some of the milk smears her lips. Mikael smiles seeing the laughter from his sister.
"Lulu, want to come with me to Nana Maria's house? Sell this milk?" Lulu nodded her head excitedly.
"If so, come on!" Mikael exclaimed.
Their mother is still in the same position - standing still like a statue looking out from the window. Mikael holds his mama's right hand, kisses it and hugs her lovingly. Then he sees Lulu watching him. Quickly he grabs Lulu's hand. "Go kiss her hand and hug Mama, honey! Say goodbye first!" Mikael says. Lulu does as her brother has asked. Taking her time, she kisses her mama's hand, holds her tight. Mikael is forced to pull her away while trying to hold back his tears.
CHAPTER 2
Two years ago, their lives weren't like that. They were very happy. With seven big very well taken care of cows in the shed. Hundreds of chickens, five sheep on the right side of the chicken coop, and three very loyal dogs to accompany them wherever they went. Although they had a small house, it was beautiful. A lovely garden on the right of the porch. A small table, a rocking chair and a swing provided the furnishing touches to the porch. Although small, the front door was sturdy. There wasn't much crockery but the pieces were of a very classic design. The beds were clean with a pile of blankets at the right corner, and a well-kept fireplace.
There was always the aroma of food being cooked in the kitchen. Attracted by the inviting smell, one would be tempted to taste it. A tall, slim, pretty woman with gentle-looking eyes was so good in preparing the seasoning mix and creating everything into delicious dishes. The house was always tidy, the clothes had the freshly washed smell, and the floor was always shining clean. It was truly amazing that this pretty woman did all that. This lady was always reading to Mikael while nursing Lulu, her baby girl. Not long after, the door would open. Her husband brought firewood for the stove and fireplace. Mikael would run to greet his father, who would promptly lift that boy high up. He would then kiss his wife affectionately on the forehead, and play with Lulu's small irresistible cheeks before sitting down to enjoy their dinner together.
As usual after their dinner, the proud Papa would take his son out and carry him on his right shoulder. With hands stretched upwards to the sky, Mikael laughed with joy. He felt he was almost flying in the air. Everyday Papa would teach Mikael how to milk the cow, clean the coop and many other chores men do. With his tall, upright body, Papa was good-looking and was a role model for the family. Sometimes that beautiful woman would continue to gaze at the backs of her idols until they disappeared from her sight. That woman loved and adored her husband so much. Every night after her kids were sound asleep in dreamland, this husband and wife would hold each other's bodies tightly, dance slowly to the soft music from old songs. The husband would whisper loving words into his beautiful wife's ear, and she in turn would laugh softly.
The couple would continue dancing towards the porch, or hugging and enjoying the beautiful sight of stars sprinkled across the sky, and then sitting on the rocking chair. All the while the three dogs sleeping outside the porch were idly watching them. The husband never stopped caressing the back of his wife's hands, her hair, or lovingly kissing her cheeks. They would spend hours chatting, flirting and looking adoringly into each other's eyes. This ritual would stop if Lulu cried for her milk. They would then go in while hugging each other. While the wife is breastfeeding, the husband would massage lovingly his wife's legs.
Papa was very close to his son. He would always ask Mikael to sit on a large rock near the cow shed. While enjoying the sight of nature, the father would teach Mikael "the exercise of being grateful." With hands stretched upwards, eyes looking upwards at the blue sky, taking deep breaths, and with all their energy stomping and shouting: "Thank you, God! Thank you, Mother Nature!" They repeated that many times until Mikael was perspiring. Papa said to little Mikael that the magical force of nature will help Mikael overcome all odds in life. "You must be able to protect Magda and your sister, Lulu. Love them. Be the man, my son!" Papa said while stroking Mikael's hair. On hearing this, Mikael laughed heartily while hugging his papa's neck.
From his father, Mikael learned about the market. Such as to whom he should offer his goods. Or how to negotiate. He then began to get to know about his father's good friend, Oom Rafael. The three were always together. Mikael would also observe his father and Oom Rafael - how they joked while they were talking, or and when they were quiet but serious about something. From his mama, Mikael learned how to use the stove, wash clothes, cook rice, wash the dishes and do other household chores. From her, he grew up to become a child who loved books and reading. Ever since he was a baby, Magda had always read stories of all kinds to Mikael. She continued with this habit to Lulu, his baby sister. In-between helping his papa and mama, he had time for some quiet and peace, which he always used for reading stories to Lulu.
Two years ago, Mikael attended primary school, which was ten minutes away from home. His papa usually walked him to school. Mikael enjoyed school so much. He met many of his peers. However, he learned about life lessons from home. Mama had lots of books about nature, mathematics and other topics. For him, school was a means to meet friends of his age. Immediately after school, Mikael would go home happily while holding tightly his papa's hands. He would be chattering with his papa on what he saw, felt and thought about while at school. His friends left in their cars because they lived far away. Therefore, it was not possible for them to walk to and from school.
On Sundays or holidays, this small family would make a one-hour car ride to the city centre. The roads are winding with cliffs on the left and ravines on the right. In the city, Papa usually sold his best quality wood, lamb and eggs. Papa said that the profits made were higher in the city when compared to selling in the market near their house. After accompanying his papa on his sales rounds, Mikael looked forward to what he was waiting for: riding on the carousel and trying all the games in the city with his papa. Meanwhile, Magda sat calmly reading, holding Lulu in her arms. Occasionally, Magda laughed looking at the antics of her two male idols.
Life in this small family was so perfect. Far from busy neighbours. Because they were a small family, they were very close. They had no other family members, as Papa was an orphan - without parents or siblings. So, Papa was always dreaming of having four children. Everything was so perfect, so beautiful until one foggy day. Heavy rain with lightning struck. It was a most frightening afternoon. A tragic day!
Magda was preparing a chicken soup and roasted meat for dinner. With smiles on her face, she imagined her husband and son enjoying their favourite dish. Mikael was with his sister on the bed and reading a story to her. He read with intonation and with facial expressions that matched the words he uttered. It was very entertaining. Meanwhile, the aroma of food filled the whole room. Magda kept looking at the small old clock while cooking. She was wondering why her husband was not back home as it was already so late into the night. Her husband said his goodbye at noon and was driving to the city with his two dogs and lots of firewood that filled up the back of the station wagon, or usually referred to as a car. A car is the preferred local lingo for any vehicle with four-wheels! Doesn't matter if it is a sedan, a hatchback, an MPV, a mini van, or a station wagon. She recalled how excited her husband was. He kissed her cheeks, promised to bring home plenty of money, and whispered affectionately that he would dance with her in her pretty clothes later at night.
"Mama, is dinner ready?" asked Mikael, who suddenly appeared beside her holding her right hand. Jogged from her preoccupation, she checked on her cooking then turned off the stove.
"It's ready, dear! Very hungry?" she asked cheerfully, leaning over towards Mikael's face and pinching his nose.
"Yes, Ma. I'm starving. But why is Papa not back yet? Are we waiting for him or may I eat first?" Magda smiled, brought the dishes to the dining table, arranged them on the small round table, and nodded her permission.
"Yes, of course, my son. Maybe Papa is taking shelter because of the heavy rain in the city. See? The wind is blowing away everything. Our lamp hanging outside almost snapped. Come on, wash your hands first, Son!"
Mikael skipped, washed his hands, and then politely sat down and started to pray. "Dear God, may this food be a blessing for our body, and bring my Papa home safely!"
Magda smiled when she overhead Mikael's prayer. Then she held a sleepy Lulu and sat beside Mikael. He ate with gusto but still politely. He thoroughly enjoyed his meal. Finally, Magda ate together with him. Both were joking while eating. However, deep in her heart Magda was anxious. She tried to hide her feelings from Mikael. She was worried as it was already night and her husband had not yet returned. She was often lost in her own thoughts. At a glance, you could see her blank look. Silence. However, that didn't last long.
"Rat-tat-tat!" Distracted. Stunned. She immediately put the sleeping Lulu on the couch. She rushed to open the door. The cold wind and the heavy rain immediately hit her on her face and cheeks. Outside it was very foggy and dark, scary. The lamp hanging in the porch was swaying. The woman's reflex was to cover her body with her clothes. In front of her were two men. One was short, fat with a bulging stomach and middle-aged. The other one looked younger, tall and thin - the complete opposite of the first. They were formally dressed but were wet from the rain water. They had a serious look. They were actually the local police. The woman felt sick to the stomach. On her face was panic, shock and a million questions running through her mind,
"Are you the wife of Mr. Gabriel?" asked the young policeman to break the tension. He was almost shouting because of the rainstorm and had to hold onto his hat, which was almost blown away by the strong wind.
"Yes, that's right!" said the woman.
Both policemen looked at each other with a meaningful nod. Then it was the older policeman's turn to speak. "May we come in, Ma'am?" he said. Magda nodded with a quiet acceptance and with a face 'ready with questions' expression. She invited the two policemen to sit. Water droplets from their soaked clothing wet the floor under the chair where they were sitting.
Impatient, Magda asked directly. "What's wrong, Sir? Is it about my husband?"
"Excuse me, Ma'am, would you please sit down first?" said the older policeman. Magda sat down although she was upset, annoyed and she tried to control her breathing. "Madam, we want to inform you that your husband's car hit a steep cliff just now. It was a coincidence that we were patrolling the area." The senior policeman deliberately stopped from saying more. He was unable to continue when he saw the woman in front of him - her facial expression, turning pale, and with mouth opened. And, she began to cry hysterically and then screaming.
"Then how is my husband?" she shouted. Mikael was hiding behind the curtain, trying to listen to the conversation. The older policeman then raised his head, took off his hat and spoke slowly.
"I'm sorry. Your husband couldn't be saved. The impact at high speed caused his car to hit a sharp bend. With his two dogs, too. They plunged into the ravine." Magda stared blankly at the older policeman. Her tears flowing and wetting her whole face. Not long after she fell unconscious.
CHAPTER 3
Mikael knocked on the wooden door of a small house in the middle of a wide, strong old tree. Yes, that was a unique house. It was built on top of a huge tree. The oval-shaped door was very small. From inside the house, a very small-sized hunched old grandma with a walking stick in her right hand, came out. Her hair was all white, shoulder length. She wore a colourful hair band. Her clothing was unique. With floral print. She wore a matching floral apron. Her face was still pretty despite the wrinkles. Her fingernails and toenails were polished red. Her old-fashioned shoes matched the colour of her hair band. Her body was thin, her skin fair. Her tiny lips widened into a smile when she saw Mikael and Lulu standing in front of her.
She invited them in. Mikael removed his socks and also Lulu's. He quickly put the bottles of fresh milk on Nana's kitchen table. Lulu was quiet and held Nana's hand. Everything about the interior of the small house was small. Tables, chairs - all small. The furniture inside was also small but very beautifully and neatly arranged. Nana had very good taste. Simple but classy. Below the tree house were a few neatly arranged tables with chairs that were also small. On the table top were eating utensils and tissues. Mikael sat on one of the carpets near the window. He looked at the neat book rack. Plenty of books. He persuaded Lulu to sit near him. Meanwhile Nana Maria was boiling water and then took out the tray of warm cookies from her oven.
Mikael began to read about the world of fairies to Lulu and made it interesting by using awesome facial expressions and intonations. Nana Maria walked towards them while carrying a tray with warm tea and cookies. She was also listening to Mikael's story-telling. Mikael picked one of the cookies, thanked Nana and then handed one to Lulu. While chewing on his cookies, Mikael asked, "Nana, are there fairies? Do they protect people?" Nana nodded enthusiastically.
"Why is it that I can't see them? Why aren't they around us? What does a fairy really do, Nana?"
Nana only smiled knowingly. "You will know later, Young Man!" she said while waving her forefinger towards Mikael's chest. "My dear lovely Lulu, you must always listen to your brother. OK?" said Nana, then stroked her hair. Lulu merely watched with her big eyeballs at Nana, while chewing her cookies. On her cheeks were crumbs from her cookies. Mikael turned towards Nana with a look that said he had a lot of questions. He didn't understand what Nana meant. He looked as though he was about to ask for more explanation. From the corner of her eyes, Nana knew Mikael was watching her but pretended that she didn't care. She heaved a long sigh and smiled at both of them. Mikael kept watching. The moment he wanted to ask, Nana gestured to him to be quiet. He obeyed but looked annoyed. He turned to look at his sister, who was still busy chewing her cookies.
Nana walked to the front and opened the door of her small house. She placed an "Open" sign. On seeing it, Mikael quickly got a broom and swept the leaves scattered on the ground around the yard. Meanwhile still chewing her cookies, Lulu walked slowly. Suddenly, a small, fat and very black Angora cat appeared. Lulu hugged it and gave it some of her cookie crumbs. Not long after, two men arrived. They sat on the chairs. Mikael handed them the menu. He had already forgotten about his questions for Nana. He focussed on serving the customers, helping Nana with her business. With a quick glance at the menu, both men decided to order hot coffee and fresh warm milk. Mikael brought the order list to the back. His walk was alert, brisk, and firm, and he had a great smile. "Nana, two hot coffees and two glasses of warm milk," Mikael said with a not too loud shout.
Nana smiled and immediately began to prepare the order. Mikael watched how Nana deftly, quickly prepared everything. Nana looked lovingly at Mikael. "It's ready, dear. Please serve it. Careful, please!" Nana said. Mikael nodded, collected the order and walked very carefully.
"How's school, Son? Why are you here at this time? You should be in school," one of the men asked. Mikael smiled and shook his head.
"I don't need to go to school yet, Sir. I think my knowledge is more than enough for a kid of my age. Now my priority is Mama and my sister," Mikael said. One of the men laughed. Then, to test him they asked about things related to general education for his age. Not long after that, he chuckled in amazement and admitted that Mikael's academic skills were beyond that of kids his age.
Mikael was there for about two hours. Helping Nana with everything. Clearing the tables, sweeping the leaves that kept falling down, taking food orders, cleaning the eating utensils used by the customers, receiving money and returning the change to customers. He was really busy and didn't stop to rest.
In-between were quiet moments when he made time to play with Lulu and the fat black kitty. Lulu was calm while waiting for her brother, who was working. She sat near a big tree. On her left was a small tray of cookies and on her right was the cat. Happy was sleeping soundly. Once in a while a squirrel appeared from behind a tree. Nana was busy in the kitchen then. She didn't stop working either. Her small body was so good at making sure that the kitchen was always clean. When it was quiet, Nana called Mikael. She handed over some money. He received it gratefully. A huge grin on his face. Feeling very thankful, he hugged Nana.
"We're leaving, Nana. See you tomorrow." Nana nodded cheerfully. She kissed Mikael and Lulu's cheeks. Before leaving, she rewarded Happy with a delicious chunk of meat. She was barking and sniffing Nana when she hung that package of meat on the dog's neck. Gently she stroked the fur on Happy's head. She again barked happily. She looked so cute with that meat package swinging on her neck with each step she took. Surprisingly, Happy obediently walked without being tempted to eat that meat. Nana watched as the three walked away from her house. She put her hand on her chest. She glanced towards the sky as though asking the sky to give strength to the small family in facing their future. Tears dropped onto her cheeks. She was trying to control her tears all the while. She knew that it was not easy for Mikael. It needed great spirit and determination to take care of Magda, his sister, the dog, the house and those animals, at such a young age.
Nana clasped her hands to pray. She closed both her eyes. Actually, she could feel what was about to happen to them. But she didn't have the heart to tell Mikael. Let Mikael find out as he directly experienced them. When Nana finished saying her prayer, a strong breeze was blowing and the leaves near her were flying all over. Again, she looked up at the sky, feeling really scared because she felt something big was going to happen soon.
On arriving home, Mikael promptly put the meat package on the plate for Happy. He refilled water on another plate. Then he entered the house. He saw Magda sitting and sewing at the dining table. He gently kissed her cheeks. Reaching into his pocket, he took out the money he received from Nana Maria. He handed over all the money to her. Magda shook her head.
"You keep it!" Magda said slowly. Mikael shook his head while smiling, and then hugged his mama. Then he boiled water, and patiently gave Lulu her bath. After that he made sure Lulu was playing calmly on her bed. Singing merrily, he also had his shower. He then imagined what the three of them would have for their dinner.
All that had happened - since more than two weeks ago. Magda, indeed, was in poor health. He always had to be quick in getting everything ready. After his shower, Mikael entered the main room with his hair wet. His body smelled of soap. However, he stopped suddenly. He was surprised when he saw the dining table. On the table was bread, boiled eggs and warm tea. He looked at his mama standing beside the stove, then ran and squeezed her waist.
"Thank you, Mama!" Tears dripped from the corner of Magda's eyes. She tried to stop them from falling. Mikael was clasping her tightly. Mikael was very thankful that his mama prepared that. Impatient to tell Lulu the good news, he called out his sister. He brought her to the small dining table. Lulu was surprised to see food on the table. Mikael shook his head. "No, dear Lulu. Mama cooked this for us!" Lulu looked at her mama quietly sitting across the table. She ran towards Magda and tiptoed to kiss her soft cheeks. Mikael then asked Magda and Lulu to pray.
"Oh, God. Your power is awesome. Today is the happiest day for me. My Mama is healthy. Yes, its extraordinary, God. I pray that this dinner will be a blessing for us. Amen!" For the first time in the last two years, Mikael felt a warmth flowing through him. Magda looked more cheerful when compared to the past few weeks. Lulu was quietly eating and laughing with him. Mikael had a good appetite for his dinner. He tried to encourage Magda to talk. But she remained silent. Occasionally, she put some food into her mouth. Mikael didn't care. He continued to talk about what had happened to them that day with Lulu sometimes chiming in with her chatter. Happy was also barking and circling from one chair to another as though feeling and rejoicing in the happiness of his small boss. After dinner, Mikael offered to clean the dishes.
But Magda shook her head. "You'd better go to bed!" Magda said slowly.
Mikael looked at his mama affectionately. "Thanks, Mama. My most beloved Mom!" He embraced her tightly. But she ignored his hug. Her sad face, her eyes fighting back her tears, could clearly be seen. It was very late into the night. Mikael was restless and couldn't sleep. He was tossing and turning. He looked at Lulu sleeping peacefully beside him. The room was dark. Fidgeting, he turned his body to the side. Suddenly he felt the cold wind on his face. Before recovering from the shock, a ray of light beamed in front of him. Slowly but surely, the light became very bright. Mikael frowned and half-closed his eyes. Between the bright rays of lights was a figure in white, flying. Her small body and beautiful face radiated a sense of peace. Mikael widened his eyes. There was no fear at all. He was calm and at peace.
The small lady flying in front of him was holding a golden stick. She was smiling to him. "Get ready, My child!" Then the lady disappeared almost instantly, and with her also the bright light. The room became dark again. Mikael was impressed. He didn't have the chance to think about what had just happened to him. Then he finally fell asleep