“And here is the only place. Would the Owner want us to bring them?”
“Well, that’s easy. If they can see the white gates then the answer’s yes.”
“You know, there’s a room upstairs in that house that sort of belongs to my mum. It feels the same as her room at home.” Jack remembered the sudden feeling the one and only time he went into the first room down the little corridor.
“I know you told me about it. If we’ve got rooms then my grandma should have one too because I could not ever leave her. So let’s see if they can see the gates.”
“OK. We’d better give it a few days because my mum needs time to adjust to new ideas.”
“Well let’s suggest Saturday – if it’s OK for both of them.”
“Fine we can decide after we’ve sounded them out.”
*
Matilda was almost astonished, but because so much was surprising about Jack these days the impact was a gentle one. She had not thought Jack would invite her so readily, but he seemed to want her to be part of all this in a way that he had not wanted her to before. She couldn’t get over how much he had changed. She readily agreed, but was quite sceptical about whether it would actually happen.
Momori was pleased, but was prepared to be disappointed. “I have always told myself,” she repeated, “that one day I would have to let you go. There will be a time when you are going to have to leave me behind. I’m not so young, and I don’t want to leave you before you leave me.”
“Oh, Grandma. No-one is going to leave anyone. I would hate it if that happened,” said Jalli with a tear in her eye.
“I’ll come with you on your agreed day,” reassured Momori, “but you must not be too upset if I can’t get into your garden.”
“I will be upset, Grandma, I could not say I wouldn’t be!” Jalli gave her grandmother a strong hug.
“Don’t get upset now then,” soothed Momori. “Let’s both be patient until Saturday. I can wait till then!”
18
Momori looked across the road towards the Municipal Gardens. “I could swear that wasn’t here on Monday,” she declared.
“So you can see it, Grandma! The white gate, you can see it!”
“Plain as my old eyes will let me! It’s bright and new looking. Are you sure no-one else can see it?”
“Well, no-one else has ever come in from anywhere that we have ever met, apart from Johnson – and he came in with us.”
“So. This is your very own exclusive white gate into the Municipal Gardens.”
“Yours too now Grandma. But beyond it is not the Municipal Gardens but a completely different world.”
“OK. So how do we get in without being seen?”
“Oh, just walk in. People don’t seem to notice.” Jalli walked along the wall, opened the gate and ushered her grandma inside. “So,” she said, “I wasn’t making it up was I?”
Momori said nothing. She just stood and stared, then breathed the air and turned to her granddaughter with the biggest smile Jalli had ever seen (and she had seen a lot of smiles from her). “Jalli, you are a very privileged young lady. You have been especially chosen. I am honoured to be your grandmother!”
“Oh, Grandma. I am nothing special. It’s the place that is special and we are indeed very privileged. Come and sit on our bench.”
It was seated like this, with pink blossom in her hair from the tree above them, that Matilda first set eyes on Momori. “Hi, Jalli. It worked!” Jack ran across and caught up Jalli in his arms. “It worked!”
“The Owner wants them to be here!” thrilled Jalli. They danced a little jig on the lawn, while Matilda and Momori smiled at each other.
“Oh, Grandma, this is Jack’s mum, Matilda.”
“… and this is Jalli’s grandmother, Momori.”
“Delighted to meet you!” said Momori, doing a Wanulkan curtsy and taking Matilda’s hand. Matilda responded less formally, “Honoured, I’m sure!” She felt a bit overawed by everything.
“Sit down, Mum. Sit down,” urged Jack and she and Momori sat on the bench together. Momori was quickly aware of Matilda’s nervousness and instinctively began putting her at ease.
“You have a very special son,” she said. “He has been very caring to my granddaughter. He is such a gentleman.”
Watching him with Jalli as they spoke together across the lawn – where they had now drifted out of earshot – Matilda answered, “Yes. Your Jalli taught him that.”
“Perhaps in a way. But it had to be there all the time. Meeting each other has brought out some of the best sides of them both I think. Jalli has grown up during these past few weeks. She’s always been a happy person but never so happy as this.” The conversation developed with each comparing notes about their children, and each increasing in satisfaction at learning about how much the young people had achieved together. Jack had not told his mother half of what he had done in Tolfanland. Momori hadn’t realised that the beach resort was chiefly about helping people because Jalli had enjoyed herself so much she had described it as a holiday. Now, it seemed, it wasn’t just sand and bikinis but getting young people a good press.
After half an hour the two ladies were really taking to each other – gossiping away as if they had known each other a long time. The young people watched with pleasure. This was easier than they had anticipated. They came across.
“We are so happy you both could come into this garden,” said Jalli cheerfully.
“And that you have met each other,” added Jack pleased to see his mum happy and smiling.
“How many gates can you see Grandma?” asked Jalli.
“Why two of course, yours and Jack’s.”
“Can you see two Mum?” inquired Jack.
“Indeed I can,” she replied.
“So you are each permitted to visit the other,” declared Jalli. “Grandma, can Jack’s mum come and stay with us in Wanulka?”
“Certainly, if that’s what you both want. Matilda you would be most welcome!” smiled Momori at Matilda.
“Jack!” exclaimed Jalli in a hushed tone, “Can you see a third gate?” One had just appeared between the other two.
“Where?” puzzled Momori, “I can only see two.”
“Yes,” said Jack. There was indeed a third gate.
“What does that mean?” asked Matilda who could still see only the two gates.
“That,” said Jack with a slight tone of apprehension, “is a new adventure!”
“We are not allowed to be lazy,” explained Jalli. “There is more work to do.”
“I am glad I cannot see another gate!” exclaimed Momori. “I think I am past having the energetic adventures you two seem to get up to.”
“I wouldn’t be missed,” stated Matilda. “It’s factory fortnight in Persham. But I must say I don’t fancy an adventure really. This place is enough of one for me… but I can only see two gates,” Matilda squinted in the direction the others were looking.
“It’s over here.” Jack led them over to the new gate. He glanced over it and saw hundreds of young people in some kind of field all waving their hands in the air in time.
“Looks like a music festival,” he ventured, “isn’t that an open-air stage?”
“It’s something with many people,” agreed Jalli.
“Well, I can only see hedge,” said Matilda.
Jalli studied the scene. “I don’t think you would like it, Grandma. They’re all young people standing in a lot of mud singing pop songs.”
“Definitely not my scene then,” agreed Grandma. Jack was examining inside the little shed beside the gate. There were two roll-up waterproofs and two pairs of Wellington boots.
“Look, wellies! But only two pairs. Sorry Mum you’re definitely not invited it seems.”
“That’s settled then!” said Matilda in a cross between relief and disappointment at being left behind.
“Matilda?” asked Momori, “If our two young people are off on another adventure, and if you have a holid
ay and won’t be missed, would you like to come and stay with me in Wanulka till they get back? White gate permitting, of course.”
“Well… I haven’t been away on holiday for years!”
“That is all the more reason to come,” responded Momori to Matilda. “I would value your company.”
“You go, Mum. Grandma’s food is fantastic…! Not that yours isn’t great too… of course…”
“Boys!” sighed Matilda. “All they can think about sometimes is food!”
“… and girls!” joked Jack, squeezing Jalli’s hand.
“Girls! How many do you want!?” Jalli made to reprimand him playfully.
“One. One’s enough. Couldn’t cope with any more!”
“Good job!” laughed Jalli. “But there seems to be a lot of them in this new place,” she said, looking over the gate.
“A huge number of young people!” agreed Jack. “I wonder what the Owner wants us to do there?”
“The only way you’re going to find out is to go through the gate,” said Grandma decisively. “Matilda, I think we should let these people put on these disgusting looking boots and join that festival – or whatever it is. Let’s see if Jalli’s gate will allow you through into Wanulka.” Momori took Matilda’s arm and strode off to the Wanulka gate. It seemed to welcome her. “OK, you two if we go off home and leave you to it?”
“But you haven’t been here very long,” complained Jalli.
“No. Not nearly long enough, but I don’t want you two arriving in some strange place too late in the day.” Momori took her granddaughter in her arms and kissed her, then grasped Jack’s hand and said, “Look after yourselves, both of you!”
“Mum, are you going to Wanulka?”
“Seems so,” said his mother with a hint of excitement. “I haven’t brought anything to stay overnight, though.”
“No matter. We’re much the same size. You can borrow some of my clothes,” offered Momori. The whole thing was settled and very soon after that the two ladies left through the gate into Wanulka. The garden suddenly seemed awfully quiet. Jack and Jalli stood where they were just inside the gate to Wanulka.
“We’ve started something there,” observed Jack.
“Seems so. Grandma will really enjoy having your mum to stay.”
“Good. So let’s have a proper look inside this shed.” They discovered pairs of scruffy jeans and T-shirts for each of them, and two small bags with some changes of clothes and shoes. Jalli found two long floaty dresses with skirts to the ankles, while Jack unpacked much the same thing in his! He looked at them and wondered if there had been a mistake.
“Robes!” exclaimed Jalli. “Full-length robes. How interesting.”
“I’ll look stupid in this!” Jack declared holding up a pale yellow one.
“No you won’t, because you can be sure that where we are going everyone wears them.”
“Not in that festival place.”
“No, that’s what these other things are for. Got to look quite a mess to fit in there it seems.” A girl quite near the gate was sporting a pair of tight blue jeans with a torn pocket and holes in the knees. Girls and boys were wearing all sorts of stuff on the top – in fact some had no top at all (these were mostly boys – but Jalli noticed that was not entirely so!). This venture was going to take some courage.
“It’s a bit like diving into the deep-end of a swimming pool,” she said.
“The perfect expression,” agreed Jack. They got into their scruffy stuff. It was clean, they noted, even if it didn’t look it. They re-packed their bags and slung them on their shoulders. Jalli took Jack’s hand and led him through the gate.
They were immediately swept up by the crowd. Jack tried to turn and take note of the position of the white gate. It seemed to stand all on its own in the heart of the throng. No-one else taking any notice of course. They pushed their way towards the edge of the crush. The heavy music was compelling – the decibels very high. After three songs from the band on stage there was a short intermission while the next performers got settled.
Jack addressed one of the guys next to him. “Great band!” he declared.
“Yup!” replied the boy.
Jalli tried asking something a bit more ambitious, “Who’s next up?” she yelled in the ear of a girl who pressed up against her.
“Cool!” was all she got in reply. The band started up and Jalli and Jack swung with the rest. Communication with the people around them was quite impossible.
*
An hour later the session ended and people began to disperse. Jack and Jalli tried again to talk to people. All they got were one word answers that could mean anything.
“There’s something wrong here,” ventured Jalli.
“You’re right,” agreed Jack. “This mud doesn’t feel right either, and the smell is all wrong. All these people in this muddy field should smell quite powerful. I was at a music festival last year for a day. Apart from the music, there’s something… artificial about this.”
He reflected on the word “artificial” and the more he thought about it the more apt it seemed. Jalli tried talking to some more people. She stopped a screaming girl and her boyfriend.
“Where’s it happening now?” she asked. The girl just screamed some more and staggered off.
Just as Jalli was staring after her and Jack was looking round to see what else was happening, a boy and girl both about their age approached them.
“Hi,” spoke the girl. “Great concert!”
“Yeah,” replied Jack, “we only arrived an hour ago!” The girl and the boy beside her looked amazed.
“You look… are you, real?”
“I hope so,” said Jack, “are you?” The girl reached out and stroked Jalli’s arm.
“She’s real, Matt,” she stated. “How did you get here?”
“Well, actually,” began Jack aware that they hadn’t paid to come in. “We just arrived here from – another planet.” He smiled, “Honestly!”
“Obviously,” responded the boy called Matt, “which one?”
“Earth, Planet Earth.”
“Do you hear that Sass? I’ve always wanted to meet someone from there. The place where all human beings originate from, they tell us.”
“And you?” asked Sass of Jalli, “Are you from Earth too?”
“No, Raika.”
“Raika…? I know where that is,” said Matt. “It’s in the Andromeda galaxy. A rare colony set up over three million years ago. People have been trying to get back there for many years but it requires a special connection. It is far beyond normal space travel. Wow! You are most welcome!”
“Great. Come on, we’ll take you to our quarters. Just how did you get into our MIVRE?”
“We just arrived, through a white gate,” explained Jalli. “It is a way that seems to connect solar systems and, who knows, even galaxies. There is a cot-tage where the Owner connects up people and places.”
“She certainly does! You’ve been sent. I know you have!” Sass clapped hands in delight. “Come on. Come to our quarters and tell us all about it.” Matt took a device from his pocket and held it up in the air. A red light blinked to their left and the throng of people slowed down and stopped. The red light approached them. It seemed to be attached to a platform that settled in front of them. Sass stepped up on the platform and beckoned Jalli and Jack to follow. Matt shepherded them all onto the boards and then held up his device again. Then the platform seemed to sink through the ground like a lift.
After a couple of metres at the most they emerged into a large room, artificially lit with wall lights. The room seemed empty except for a couple of doors, one to the right and the other to the left. Sass took Jalli’s arm and guided her off the platform to the left and Matt ushered Jack to the right. He turned determined not to let Jalli out of his sight.
“No, that’s the female changing rooms!” squeaked Matt in amusement. “You don’t want to go in there! We’ll meet on the other side. Sass’ll look aft
er her.” Inside the changing rooms Sass went to a bank of lockers and found her day clothes. The mud had mysteriously vanished from their boots and she stuffed both hers and Jalli’s back into a drawer of the locker.
“I like that Experience,” she said, “we get all the latest music. It’s quite cool really. Of course, one day I would like to go to a real festival with real people. But I don’t suppose I ever shall. We have another twenty-five years to go until we arrive at our destination and I don’t expect they’ll have enough people for a music festival there in any case. Anyway the music in the MIVRE is authentic – it’s all the up to date stuff.”
“So all that is a sort of clever computer program?” asked Jalli.
“You could put it like that. We call it the MIVRE – ‘Multi-sensual, Interactive, Virtual Reality Experience.’ It’s a vast improvement on the virtual reality stuff our parents got when we set out.”
“Set out? So where exactly are we? You’ve a lot of explaining to do here,” said Jalli. “I’m confused. Mostly it’s us that seem to confuse other people by just turning up from nowhere – but you don’t really seem surprised to see us.”
“No, we know how people get here. We have had people before – but not for a long time now. We’ve been asking for ages!” This confused Jalli even more! “We are on our way to a new planet,” Sass explained as she got out a long dress very similar to the one Jalli had been given to wear by the Owner. She began to relax about things – at least this was going the anticipated way.
*
Meanwhile, Jack had quickly sussed that they were on some sort of spacecraft. Matt was giving Jack some of the technical low-down. The MIVRE had been installed on board before they left but there was a team of geeks on Planet Earth Two (Matt and Sass’s home world) responsible for sending technical updates, state of the art programming and new “Experiences”. The on-board electronics team had the supplies and components necessary to last until disembarkation to keep rebuilding the whole of the craft’s Nerve Circuitry, Computing and Communication Systems or NCCCS that controlled everything. Matt’s dad was one of the leading technicians. “On Planet Earth Two he would have been in charge of his own electronics base by now,” explained Matt, “but he gave it all up to come on this mission.”
The Kicking Tree Page 21
