We Were Only Strawberry Picking

by Henrietta Defreitas

‘Why hello and what can I do for you?’

  ‘Did you happen to see my Jack and Oscar with their friends, Henratty and Lyndi Lou, at the strawberry fields today? You know Jack, he’s slightly larger than the other meerkats and possibly would have been wearing his army jacket, also you can’t miss Henratty, as she would have been wearing a red beret and red cape.

  ‘Er – now you mention it, I do recall vaguely seeing someone of her description but I have to say we had quite a lot of visitors today and I can’t remember everyone.’

  ‘If you could please try to remember, this is very important. Did you see them leave?’

  ‘I’m not sure, as I don’t man the gate all the time, and earlier today, a group of meerkats got into a scuffle so I was distracted for a little while. The only thing I can be sure of is that I always announce when it’s time to lock up and I also check the area for any visitors who may have got carried away with picking strawberries and ignored my last reminder and I can tell you that no one was left in those fields before I locked up! I do recall the attendant that was on duty yesterday reminding me to ensure that I double checked the fields as he almost locked in some meerkats and he was a little alarmed as he did not see them when inspecting the fields, but they apologised and said they would take extra care next time.’

  ‘Okay, thanks very much but if you do hear anything could you let us know as it is very unusual for Jack and his friends to be out so late without telling us they were going to be back later than usual.’

  ‘Will do and I will try to speak to the attendant to see if he noticed anything suspicious the day before, but usually we record anything like that and as I’ve just mentioned it was only those two meerkats!’

  As Papa Brian came off the telephone he looked at Mama Katie and the Mortimers and shook his head to indicate that it was not good news.

  ‘I am going to call the sheriff now to advise that our meerkats are missing. I think Papa Mortimer and I should then head into town to see if they have ended up there. We’ll need a couple of pictures,’ said Papa Brian, as Mama Katie fetched a few photos she had kept in her handbag luckily from Oscar’s birthday party, which included Henratty and Lyndi Lou too.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The Ambush

  Whilst Nora, Jasper, Alfonso and Enoch were on their way back to the tram heading towards their visitors, the meerkats were still following the tram tracks and heading right for the base camp as Nora had predicted.

  ‘How much further do you think we have to go?’ Oscar requested.

  ‘Don’t ask such stupid questions,’ replied Jack. How am I supposed to know? Do I look like I’ve ever been in this tunnel before?’

  ‘It’s just that Lyndi Lou and I are tired – can’t we rest for five minutes?’

  ‘All right, just five minutes and then we are on our way, I don’t think I can stand another minute down here,’ moaned Henratty. As they huddled in the corner, Jack passed around his water tank once again and they ate a handful more strawberries.

  ‘I don’t think I can eat another strawberry,’ protested Lyndi Lou, ‘I’m sick of the sight of them.’ How ironic, as earlier she was only saying how much she loved strawberries!

  ‘Well, that’s all we have so you better get used to it,’ Henratty asserted firmly, as Jack pulled out a small brown bag from his pocket. He then proudly said, ‘Would anyone like a bonbon?’

  ‘Yes please,’ beamed Lyndi Lou and Oscar.

  ‘There you go, take a few, as I have some more in the other pocket.’ This little gesture by Jack could not have come at a better moment, as it acted as a temporary distraction from the grave situation the meerkats were all in; their frustration was certainly starting to show outwardly. It was times like this that Jack not only showed his remarkable ability to defuse any situation but that he deeply cared despite him being thick-skinned most of the time, an action that had not gone unnoticed by Henratty, as she smiled to herself.

  * * *

  Nora had finally reached a good place in the tunnel where she felt visibility would be extremely limited and it was on a bend. She brought the tram to a halt.

  ‘Why are we stopping here, whined Enoch?’

  ‘Don’t you ever listen to anything I say? Must I repeat myself? This is where you three are going to ambush our little visitors whilst I distract them from above. I will wait until they get within reaching distance to me, and then alert them to my presence so that they start running away from me in the direction of the net that you will be holding on either side of the tunnel and then you can pin them down with it. Is that clear?’ asked Nora.

  ‘Absolutely,’ replied Enoch. ‘Alert, scare, then ambush, I’ve got it in three.’

  ‘Don’t you mean one, Enoch?’ He was confused as he just gazed at Nora, who said, ‘Don’t even answer that! Now please get ready … I’m going to wait a bit further up the tunnel. I will be hanging above them so they won’t see me, and you only have to listen for their screams to know that they are coming.’

  ‘Okay, Nora, we’ve got you loud and clear,’ affirmed Alfonso.

  ‘Main lights out,’ ordered Nora as she disappeared around the corner into the pitch black tunnel.’

  ‘I can’t wait to bite the little creatures, especially if they start to resist our ambush,’ Alfonso hissed.

  ‘I just hope for our sake they’re not bears as Nora seemed to think. Oh, the thought of being clawed by a bear is just unthinkable,’ as Enoch took a big gulp and held his tummy feeling sick just from the very thought.

  ‘Enoch, shut up and focus – be quiet,’ snapped Jasper. ‘We have work to do!’

  * * *

  Nora was in position above the tunnel some thirty yards away from the trap that Enoch, Alfonso and Jasper were laying. She was suspended and just wanted to go back to her meditation, but had no choice, as she knew these creatures must be found soon and interrogated about the diamonds. Her echolocation had picked them up again; they were on the move and steadily coming her way. Another ten minutes and they would be there, as she waited patiently and quietly, fully camouflaged in the darkness. Naturally, it helped being a bat!

  Jack started to bang the torch as it shimmered on and then went off intermittently, each time he shook the torch even harder than the last time.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ asked Henratty

  ‘The battery has died,’ said Jack glumly, as complete darkness fell upon them once more.

  ‘We’re just going to have to somehow follow the tracks and make use of our outstretched arms to feel our way through the tunnel and just hope this is enough to ensure we don’t bump into anything serious,’ recommended Henratty.

  Further up the tunnel, Nora had just heard Jack shaking the torch.

  At last, the little visitors had arrived, and Nora was more than ready for them. She just hoped both Alfonso and Jasper in particular, had understood her instructions to capture these creatures. Nora had told them to leave one small light on at the corner of the tunnel to steer the creatures the right way and hoped they had remembered!

  ‘Here they are,’ Nora murmured to herself.

  They were only ten yards away from Nora, and Lyndi Lou was the first to notice the flickering light, but it was very dim and a little way in the distance.

  ‘Look!’ she whispered, ‘I think there’s some light further up – can you see it?’

  ‘Yes we can,’ they all replied quietly. Jack decided that he would test the torch once more as he took it out of his pocket. They were now standing underneath Nora, as the torch came back on. Hooray, they thought. Jack began to aim the torch down the tunnel when suddenly he heard a weird sound, like a flapping motion.

  ‘What was that?’

  ‘WHAT WAS WHAT?’ said Henratty.

  ‘I could swear I heard something moving. It sounded like wings!’ Jack responded.

  Very astute, he could almost be a bat, thought Nora, but she knew he was not.

  Nora flapped her wings once more, as the meerkats gasped. They were all frozen so
lid, as if time had stopped, the tunnel felt ice cold but that’s because they were gripped with fear. Jack suddenly shone the torch in the direction he had heard the sound. Nora flapped her wings again but not so dramatically, she did it in a very slow but controlled motion. The meerkats jumped as this time there was no doubt that they had definitely heard something. The torch was shining brighter than ever, as the intense beam of light smacked Nora right between the eyes.

  ‘My eyes, my eyes,’ Nora shrieked. ‘Can you turn that torch off at once?’ But Jack was intrigued and wanted to know who was there. He had already calculated that if these inhabitants were going to harm them, they would have done so already, so he retaliated:

  ‘Who’s there – you don’t scare us?’

  ‘We have a brave one in our midst,’ whispered Nora, as she then flapped her wings frantically, which made the torch fall out of Jack’s hand, as it plunged to the ground.

  ‘Now listen here, I warned you to turn that torch off. My eyes are very sensitive and I suffer from photophobia, and if you shine that torch once more that will be the last time you see anything for a long time,’ Nora barked infuriatingly.

  ‘Photo what?’ but before Jack knew it, the other meerkats were screaming and running towards the dimly lit tunnel in the distance. As Jack swivelled round, his eyes were met by a pair of menacing red eyes, wildly peering at him.

  ‘Er – yikes,’ he whimpered as he ducked, grabbed his torch and began to run towards the glowing light. He had now caught up with the other meerkats, but as they turned the corner of the tunnel they were thrown backwards, almost as if they had been hit with some sort of elastic and fell to the ground – down came the net as they screamed even louder, Lyndi Lou’s scream being the highest pitch they had ever heard.

  Nora had descended and had now joined the other animals, as she said, ‘Enoch, go and put the lights back on in the tunnel.’

  ‘But can’t I stay here, after all I was the one that led them to you?’

  ‘ENOCH!’ she hooted.

  ‘Yes, yes, Nora, the lights … the lights … I’m going!’

  ‘Now little ones, I think we’ve heard enough screams to last a lifetime; it’s pointless screaming anymore, no one’s going to hear you except us.’ Indeed, the meerkats were silent. Visibility was still quite poor in the tunnel, especially under that net, but they could just about make out Nora who was now standing in front of them and looking really angry. They now realised she was a bat, but they still had no idea what her companions were who remained in the background.

  Enoch had eagerly just returned. He did not want to miss his moment of glory having been the one that had enabled the meerkats to be captured, ultimately.

  ‘Honestly, Enoch, they’re not bears,’ chortled Alfonso.

  ‘I can see that now. Well, what are they?’

  ‘You have got to be kidding … have you never seen meerkats before? Why do you think the fields are called Meerville Strawberry Fields? It’s because we’re in meerkat territory – I thought you knew that!’

  ‘Obviously, I’ve forgotten, but I still maintain I heard a bear in that tunnel and I’m not changing my mind!’ Enoch said adamantly.

  ‘I demand that you let us out of here,’ protested Henratty.

  ‘At last they speak …’ said Alfonso.

  ‘Now which one of you was shining that torch in my face? Ah, it was you,’ as Nora pointed to Jack.

  ‘And yes it was me … so what and what’s photophobia?’

  ‘I see you’re not as bright as I thought, because if you knew what photophobia was you would have stopped shining that torch in my eyes,’ as Jasper, Enoch and Alfonso started laughing.

  ‘Shut up, you three!’ barked Nora, as she began to release the meerkats from the net.

  ‘Now get up and come with me. I suggest you don’t run as there’s no way out of here anyway and you would just be wasting your time,’ instructed Nora to the meerkats. At which point, all the meerkats just looked at each other horrified at the possibility of never getting out of this awful place. They dusted themselves off once more and followed her back to the tram.

  ‘Get in and be quiet, especially you torch boy!’

  ‘By the way, I do have a name you know – you can call me Jack!’

  ‘INSOLENT JACK! Now, shut up, before I shut you up!’ retorted Nora, as Henratty nudged Jack and gave him that look which he knew meant to zip it or else!

  There was one thing and one thing only that was going through their minds as Nora started up the tram and headed back towards camp. Would they ever get out of this dark place alive? Jack was already scheming as he glanced over at Henratty who was weaving a plan too, as she gazed at him.

  They travelled in silence along the dimly lit tunnel. Fifteen minutes had now gone by. The tram then made a right turn as it stopped next to some old wooden doors, which suddenly sprung open.

  ‘Now get out everybody and follow me,’ commanded Nora.

  At last there was proper lighting as the meerkats could now see who had, indeed, accompanied them in the tram. They could clearly see Enoch the mole and Jasper the hedgehog but were mortified to see Alfonso the rattlesnake as he began to hiss as if he wanted to attack them. How could all these creatures live in one place and not have killed each other yet! It was truly amazing, noted Henratty.

  ‘Alfonso, will you please stop hissing … now is not the time,’ demanded Nora, as he recoiled back down in his seat and slithered out of the tram, followed by Jasper then Enoch who was muttering to himself, as usual.

  Despite the imminent danger, there was no way Jack could keep quiet and just had to say something: ‘I demand you show us the way out of here. We mean you no harm and it was a pure accident that we ended up down here.’

  ‘A pure accident?’ Nora taunted. ‘Surely you can all read … did you not see the sign about trespassing and what happens to trespassers: they are prosecuted and I am your prosecutor!’ Lyndi Lou started to weep.

  ‘Oh, look what you’ve done to my sister, you evil thing,’ barked Henratty forgetting where she was for a second. ‘Look I’m sorry, that came out all wrong; we just want to get out of here, so please let us go.’

  ‘Maybe later but as I said there is no way out of this mine so you can forget that idea,’ replied Nora. ‘For now, you are all staying here.’

  ‘Er – look here bat, we’re not scared of you and be warned that the rest of Meerville Town have been alerted, it is only a matter of time before they come down here,’ refuted Jack.

  Nora was inches away from Jack’s face as she glared at him.

  ‘And how so, when I know you did not call for help before entering the mineshaft – a very foolish move, Jack, wouldn’t you say?’ as she poked him in the head as if to say, What were you thinking?

  ‘Will you, please, all get out of the tram and follow me,’ Nora reiterated and reluctantly they descended. Nora’s intimidation had worked … they were scared that was for sure but Jack was the most determined not to show it, although he was a little scared inside.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Meet The Neighbours

  As they walked past the giant wooden doors, they noticed there was another hedgehog who had opened the door as she shook her head acknowledging their arrival. It was Nancy of course, Jasper’s sister, who was wearing her apron as per usual; she was never seen without it. They entered what seemed a much wider tunnel with alcoves leading off from it on either side, like dormitories. There were six in total, three on each side, from what they could make out.

  Nora led them to the third dormitory on the right. The plaque on the door said “Master Cooper” and as the door swung open, they were greeted by all the other inhabitants they had not seen yet. They noticed a fire place straight ahead at the back of the dormitory that was being stoked by a rather hunched over creature who immediately turned around upon hearing them enter. It was Cooper the rat who said, ‘Ah, Nora! At last … so these are our little bears?’ as the other inhabitants all burst out la
ughing.

  ‘Okay, guys, so I made a mistake, bears – meerkats, what’s the difference?’ Enoch cowered.

  ‘What was that about?’ whispered Oscar.

  ‘I think they were having a joke at Enoch’s expense as he told them we were bears after Jack growled at him with his foghorn.’ If only that were true, how different the scenario would be right now, thought Henratty.

  To the right, near the fireplace there was a large bed in a small alcove. More or less in the centre of the room was a large wooden table with seating for ten. Some of the seats were already occupied by Enoch, Jasper and Alfonso. They also noted directly in front of the two seats nearest to them was a snail (or rather the shell of a snail), as well as the cutest looking worm they had ever seen. These two species were much larger than the average size one would expect, but what they were was undeniable.

  Nora decided to rest her poor weary legs and sat down at the head of the table with Nancy sat to the right of her next to Cooper.

  ‘Now little ones,’ said Nora referring to the meerkats, ‘I’m going to ask you a couple of questions so I suggest that you pay particular attention and give me the right answers.’

  ‘You’ve got to be joking, this feels like we are being interrogated but we’ve not done anything wrong!’

  ‘Can you ever keep quiet boy or will I have to make you keep quiet,’ as Nora turned and looked at Alfonso subliminally insinuating that Alfonso could perhaps wrap himself around Jack to keep him quiet. Alfonso began to hiss as he raised his head up off the table. His shadow illuminated the walls of the dormitory and even though it was well lit, it was still quite a dark place, but in comparison to those unlit tunnels it was indeed bright. Alfonso then began to weave in and out of the crockery on the table heading towards Jack. The meerkats were now huddled together and shaking a little, except for Jack, as Alfonso began to raise the back of his tail off the table, but once again he had forgotten he could not rattle, as he dropped his tail, turned and slithered back to his seat.

  ‘Now do you understand about keeping quiet?’ Jack had got the message as he nodded his head without making a sound, but he only obeyed because he knew somehow these inhabitants were their ticket out of here. Besides Alfonso was a snake and he could take him out any time but he would have to contend with the other inhabitants as he knew he was outnumbered.