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Chapter 1

The Lane Where It Always Rains

Chapter 1 revision #3 by Graheme Wilson 1294 words

Michael Ellsdon turned off the TV late one Friday night. He was sat up in bed reading a book when he heard a cat cry out. He thought nothing of it until he heard the cat flap close and what sounded like a cat climbing the stairs. This was unusual. Vicky the cat would normally make for her basket. Michael slipped on his dressing gown and went to see her. Vicky was huddled in a corner with her fur raised and her ears back, it was clear that she had been frightened. There isn’t much that could scare his cat so Michael checked her for injuries. She seemed to be OK. He gave her some rescue remedy and she calmed down. Michael went back to bed.

On the Saturday morning Vicky was poorly so Michael decided to take her to the vet, he placed the docile animal into its carrying basket. While waiting at the bus stop an old man stopped.

’May I ask, where are you taking this cat?’ ’To the vet’ ’That would be a waste of your time and money, this cat’s only hope is Mrs Luxy, if you can find her in time. Take the bus to Belvington and ask at the village shop.

There was something about this man, a self belief, some authority that Michael trusted.

In the small corner shop at Belvington there was a portly man serving a short old woman. Michael waited until the old lady had wheeled her shopping bag over the threshold and down the two steps.

The man nodded curtly towards Michael.

’And what will you be wanting young man?’ ’I would like a bottle of water and a bag of wine gums please’ The man produced the goods from the shelves behind him. ’Anything else?’

’Yes, there is, could you give me directions to Mrs Luxy’s house please’ Michael paid for the water and sweets and watched as the man’s face crumpled into a frown, as if he had been set a complicated maths puzzle. Michael looked up towards the higher shelves where a spider was weaving a web, over packets of tea.

’Who told you about her?’

Michael told him about the man he had met at the bus stop.

’This man, what did he look like?’ ’Tall, very thin, dressed in brown, the brown of autumn. He wore cord trousers, a jacket with a matching waistcoat and a cravat with squirrels on it. he face was lined, like the veins on an old leaf’.

The man pointed to the basket at his customers feet. ’That cat, is it sick?’

’It is although I don’t know what is wrong with her, I was going to take her to the vet until I was told to find Mrs Luxy.

’If anybody will know she will. Listen then, and I will give you directions for the first part of your journey.’

Outside Michael lifted the basket to have a look at Vicky. Her eyes were half open and she stared out of the cage as though she had been woken up too soon. ’It is going to be all right Vicky, hang on.’

Michael walked down the lane past a 14th century church on the left and an empty field on the right. He arrived at a farmhouse walked up the path made from flat grass edged stones. He knocked the door and waited, listening for any sound inside. There was none.

’Can I help you sirs, if its fine produce you want you have come to the right place.’ Michael jumped and twisted around. A stout woman, was sucking on a cigarette like a vacuum cleaner on full power. She wiped her muddy hands on her apron and picked some potatoes from her basket. ’There are ideal for baking...’

’Maybe later, you see my cat is ill and I want to find Mrs Luxy.’

The woman bent down to look at the cat and Michael lifted it up to meet her halfway.

’Who told you about her?’

Michael told her about about the old man at the bus stop and give his description.

’You will need an umbrella. The woman went round the back of her house and returned with a black and white check umbrella which she thrust into his hand. Leave it in this porch on your way back.’

’Are you sure I need this? The forecast said it would be sunny today.’

’Believe me young man, if you make it to where you want to go it will be raining.’

’How far is it then?’

’Listen carefully to my directions. You keep going until you come to the crossroads, turn left, go up the hill and walk between the twin rainbows, not either side, right down the middle, understand?’

Michael nodded. He offered her the bag of wine gums and she took two, one red and one yellow.

’You will find two farm hands sitting on the fence, one in red and one in yellow. If there is no one else there you must ask them for directions, but be careful, they like to play tricks on strangers.’

Michael, followed the directions wondering where he was going to find one rainbow, never mind two on this warm summers day. He reached the top of the hill and he saw them, two deep, rich rainbows as though they had been drawn with wax crayons in a children’s colouring book. He walked between them and there were two men sitting on a gate.

He spoke to the one on my left, he was dressed in red.

’Excuse me do you know the way to Mrs Luxy’s?’

’Who might that be?’ said the man in yellow.

’He was asking me’, said the man in red.

’Perhaps I should ask you both’, said Michael.

’It is only polite to wait for an answer once you have asked a question’, said the man in yellow.’

Michael waited.

’Except that it was me he was talking to’, said the man in red.

’How can you be so sure, I am the one who knows the answer to his question’, said the man in yellow.

’You do?’ said Michael.

’You see’, said the man in red, pointing at Michael triumphantly, no patience. The men laughed holding their belly’s and slapping each others backs.

’Why are you carrying an umbrella?’, said the man in red.

’To keep dry’, said Michael.

The man in yellow held out his hand, looked up, and turned to his friend, ’But it isn’t raining, what fool would take an umbrella on a .......’?

The man in red interrupted ’sunny day! its foolish, that is what it is.’

’leave it with us, it will be one less thing to carry, a cat is weight enough, said the man in yellow.

Michael was about to snap at these two jokers when he heard a gentle voice behind him.

’Good day sir, would you like a drink of fresh milk?’

Michael turned around as a pretty milkmaid set two buckets down at his feet.

’Don’t drink, she’s a witch, come to put a spell on you’, the men on the fence shouted together. They look frightened and as Michael watched they started cawing like crows. Their lips became beaks, their arms turned into wings and they launched themselves into the air and flew in circles above his head cawing loudly.

He turned again to the maid who dipped a wooden cup in one of the pails. She smiled as she raised it to his lips.

’Drink, and be refreshed’, she said.