Not a man of many words, the barn owner mumbled something about the blacksmith having to decide, and pointed young Thom the direction to go. When young Thom arrived at the blacksmith’s house, a bit of smoke rose up as a hot glowing horse shoe was put in place. Two men with their hands in their pockets were quietly observing the blacksmith hammering in a first nail. As young Thom approached, the two bystanders looked up for a brief moment and quickly returned to watch the work.
Young Thom took of his hat, greeted the men and explained he had a question. The blacksmith still bent forward, snarled back to have some patience. While waiting, young Thom took the opportunity to look around the street. He could see the bakery where quite a few people were standing whispering to each other. It appeared they had noticed young Thom watching them and so they quickly dispersed. Also the baker who’d been standing in his doorway took one last look and turned back inside the house. Young Thom was aware that he would be considered a stranger for still quite some time.
Suddenly the blacksmith impatiently asked what was at hand and as young Thom turned around, all three men where now facing him. The blacksmith laughed quite loud when he saw young Thom upfront and remarked that the boy was his father’s spitting image. It appeared the blacksmith had learned the trade from young Thom’s father. As this was the first friendly remark he’d heard from a villager, young Thom felt encouraged to ask the question about the Inn. The blacksmith saw no problem but consulted the two other men, as he hadn’t lived in the village long enough to know the full story about the Inn. Both men looked at each other but remained silent. Impatient again, the blacksmith asked if there was any problem and since none of the men could come up with something, young Thom’s proposal was therefore granted.
Next : The blacksmith's Son
Friday, March 28, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Teacher
Suddenly young Thom saw someone standing in the hall. He blinked but this person did not fade away. And then a voice spoke out and a young woman in a blue dress entered. With slight embarrassment, young Thom quickly took a firm pose. As she came closer, young Thom observed the pale skin of her long neck, her silver earrings, her purple dress with bronze buttons – not a woman from the village for sure. She courteously introduced herself as the school teacher and – as an excuse for her sudden appearance – explained that from the classroom she had seen him enter the Inn. While saying all of this, young Thom noticed there was a little smile on her cherry red lips and all he could think of was how long she had been standing there watching him.
Not giving him a chance to ponder on it, she invited young Thom to walk the building together and while doing so, she explained that the Inn had been abandoned after a tragic fight with the innkeeper’s son. More she did not know, but it had been reason enough to drastically change the atmosphere in the whole village – it had not been the same since. Although the Inn had been given back to the village, no one had dared to claim it. The teacher stressed that it was thus free to take for anyone. Anyone.
At the gate of the Inn, the schoolteacher said goodbye and went of to a nearby village for the afternoon class. As if she knew what young Thom was about to ask, she shouted she’d be back in two days.
As she went out of sight, young Thom turned around and walked towards the barn where he’d slept the night before. He had decided that from now on he would stay in the old Inn.
Next : The Blacksmith
Not giving him a chance to ponder on it, she invited young Thom to walk the building together and while doing so, she explained that the Inn had been abandoned after a tragic fight with the innkeeper’s son. More she did not know, but it had been reason enough to drastically change the atmosphere in the whole village – it had not been the same since. Although the Inn had been given back to the village, no one had dared to claim it. The teacher stressed that it was thus free to take for anyone. Anyone.
At the gate of the Inn, the schoolteacher said goodbye and went of to a nearby village for the afternoon class. As if she knew what young Thom was about to ask, she shouted she’d be back in two days.
As she went out of sight, young Thom turned around and walked towards the barn where he’d slept the night before. He had decided that from now on he would stay in the old Inn.
Next : The Blacksmith
Friday, March 14, 2008
The Whistle Inn
Young Thom saw the little school where he’d spent quite some mornings so many years ago, and thus he knew he only had to turn around the corner to see the only fenced building of the village – The Whistle Inn.
Indeed the fence was there, all covered with ivy thereby obscuring the view of the Inn itself - if it was indeed still there. As young Thom approached he could vaguely make out the shape of the building, but it was only when walking through the gate that he saw the condition it was in. Once majestic, now an abandoned ruin where only an old sign too rusty to wave in the wind, hung as a testimony of a glorious past.
The door was open but young Thom hesitated to enter as it would be the very first time. Although he only knew the place from the outside, he had good memories of it. He remembered the owners of the inn and the staff and guest as the friendliest people ever. Every time they walked by the villagers, the mutual greetings were accompanied by deep bows. As a young boy he used to exaggerate those bows, much to the embarresment of his mother. For this reason he had never understood why he was always warned never to enter the Inn - at least not via the front gate. In the mornings the backdoor had always been the busiest place, where villagers and staff were unloading milk and butter and exchanging clean and dirty linen. It was here that the young boy tried to be as often as he could, not just to get a glimpse of it all, but mainly because he was hoping to receive some sweets or other tasty treats from the big man with the funny white hat.
Young Thom wet his lips as he entered the hall of the Inn. He looked at the sand covered tiles, the beautifully painted but now water stained ceiling, the broken ornaments on the walls and then he saw a long dusty desk.
Young Thom looked again and this time the desk was shiny, with a clerk behind it greeting some guest that had just arrived. Then young Thom could hear some music coming from a room next to the hall - a large lusciously decorated dining room. Young Thom passed by a waiter as the man cleared a table from tea cups and cake crumbles. Then he followed some guest as they went to take a look through the panoramic window at the far end of the dining room. And indeed the view was to be marvelled at. In a corner of the dining room was a small stage, raised a feet up from a square dance floor. As a pianist commenced a Waltz, young Thom was invited by a woman in a long white dress. Even though he did not know how to dance, young Thom tried a few steps, aided by two fine hands in pink lace gloves.
But young Thom felt dizzy after a few turns and decided it was enough. So he made a last swing around the room while fading it all away.
Young Thom looked again. The panoramic view was for real, as he could see through some broken windows. But all what remained of the dining room was a limped piano chair leaning in a corner, overlooking a few dusty tables spread out across a broken up floor.
Next: The Teacher
Indeed the fence was there, all covered with ivy thereby obscuring the view of the Inn itself - if it was indeed still there. As young Thom approached he could vaguely make out the shape of the building, but it was only when walking through the gate that he saw the condition it was in. Once majestic, now an abandoned ruin where only an old sign too rusty to wave in the wind, hung as a testimony of a glorious past.
The door was open but young Thom hesitated to enter as it would be the very first time. Although he only knew the place from the outside, he had good memories of it. He remembered the owners of the inn and the staff and guest as the friendliest people ever. Every time they walked by the villagers, the mutual greetings were accompanied by deep bows. As a young boy he used to exaggerate those bows, much to the embarresment of his mother. For this reason he had never understood why he was always warned never to enter the Inn - at least not via the front gate. In the mornings the backdoor had always been the busiest place, where villagers and staff were unloading milk and butter and exchanging clean and dirty linen. It was here that the young boy tried to be as often as he could, not just to get a glimpse of it all, but mainly because he was hoping to receive some sweets or other tasty treats from the big man with the funny white hat.
Young Thom wet his lips as he entered the hall of the Inn. He looked at the sand covered tiles, the beautifully painted but now water stained ceiling, the broken ornaments on the walls and then he saw a long dusty desk.
Young Thom looked again and this time the desk was shiny, with a clerk behind it greeting some guest that had just arrived. Then young Thom could hear some music coming from a room next to the hall - a large lusciously decorated dining room. Young Thom passed by a waiter as the man cleared a table from tea cups and cake crumbles. Then he followed some guest as they went to take a look through the panoramic window at the far end of the dining room. And indeed the view was to be marvelled at. In a corner of the dining room was a small stage, raised a feet up from a square dance floor. As a pianist commenced a Waltz, young Thom was invited by a woman in a long white dress. Even though he did not know how to dance, young Thom tried a few steps, aided by two fine hands in pink lace gloves.
But young Thom felt dizzy after a few turns and decided it was enough. So he made a last swing around the room while fading it all away.
Young Thom looked again. The panoramic view was for real, as he could see through some broken windows. But all what remained of the dining room was a limped piano chair leaning in a corner, overlooking a few dusty tables spread out across a broken up floor.
Next: The Teacher
Friday, March 7, 2008
The Butcher's Daughter
A young woman carrying a heavy bucket of water crossed his way. Her white apron was all covered with dark red smears and spatters of blood. Although the young woman looked quite strong with broad shoulders, she did walk rather graciously: leaning towards one side with one arm stretched out to counter the bucket’s weight. When she looked up, young Thom was reminded of the strong face, as if carved out of wood, that the butcher’s wife used to have. But he also remembered that the wife had died shortly after giving birth to a daughter. As a child this daughter always wanted to play along with the boys of the village. She had been a persistent one and had even shown to be stronger than some of the boys of her own age. She was two years younger than Thom and he mainly remembered her as a childish pest.
Apart from her apparent strength, not much of this young woman reminded him of that little girl. When they passed each other, she lowered her head and with a swift move she raised her arm and swung here braided pony from back to chest while briefly looking up from under here eyebrows. Once again young Thom tried to smile, but the woman quickly focused forward, giving him no chance. But she did blink twice, as Young Thom could see and he continued down the road with a smile on his face.
Next : The Whistle Inn
Apart from her apparent strength, not much of this young woman reminded him of that little girl. When they passed each other, she lowered her head and with a swift move she raised her arm and swung here braided pony from back to chest while briefly looking up from under here eyebrows. Once again young Thom tried to smile, but the woman quickly focused forward, giving him no chance. But she did blink twice, as Young Thom could see and he continued down the road with a smile on his face.
Next : The Whistle Inn
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