Do you get a lot pirates around here?
Chloé looked out of the window and saw a brown, tan and white dog sitting patiently by the small gate to the front path. “Fabby, there’s a dog we don’t know, waiting by the gate,” she said as she turned around to the figure studiously typing away, translating yet another book from one language into another. “Oh, that’ll be Lewis, come looking for some biscuits. Tell Moopah to get them, they’re in the container on the shelf in the kitchen,” she smiled, before tapping away at the keyboard again.
At the gate, Chloé and Evan fed the placid little beagle, Lewis, with several dog biscuits. “He’s a nice little chap.” Moopah said. “Quite often, simply in return for a pat on the head, he’ll escort us to the end of the road. I think he wants to make sure we’re not kidnapped by pirates.”
“Do you get a lot pirates around here, Moopah?” Evan asked.
“Well, I’ve not seen any recently,” he replied in an absent minded fashion whilst looking up and down the street, his hand shielding his eyes from the sun.
While they were talking, Chloé went to admire the chickens that were strutting up and down on the small field opposite. They’d both seen chickens before, Sebastian’s Granpa had some but they were nowhere near as magnificent as these specimens.
They went back inside for breakfast then planned the next great adventure, which they already knew would probably be to visit Sebi again to see if they could help out at all or maybe just play on the old fallen down tree that sometimes they’d pretend was a plane or a boat or a fort.
Rucksacks packed, they ambled up the street towards the dirt track and the hill beyond.
When they reached the house in the wood, they helped feed the chickens and Evan fed the goat. Sebi and Chloé sat on the bench planning the day’s activities. She showed him her mobile phone. He’d never seen one before and it interested him greatly.
“Your brother must be a goat whisperer,” Sebi said looking up. “Mungo doesn’t usually let strangers get close to him.” They looked over to see Evan, a massive grin on his face, stood with his arm around the goat’s neck, its head nuzzled up to him.
“Look! I’ve got a new friend!” He called back to them.
They chased each other around the wood playing hide and seek then explored the nearby fields and little stream. Sebi suggested they walk down to the ABC and get a small bag of boiled sweets. He had some money in his pockets and he wanted to treat them.
Wandering down the hill, they waved to anyone they saw working in the fields and eventually arrived at the little shop.
It seemed slightly different, a bit darker inside and there didn’t appear to be so much on the shelves. There was a different lady behind the counter. She looked quite like the first so Chloé decided they must be sisters. Evan hadn’t noticed at all. She smiled at the little girl sat on the counter. The little girl smiled back then took a big suck of her lolly.
They chose some nice sweets which were placed in a paper bag and Sebi asked the lady to pour them three glasses of something called ‘socata’. Chloé recognised it as the drink they’d been given on their previous visit.
They sat on the edge of the kerb drinking their drinks and watching village life go by: two carts pulled by horses almost as old as their owners and a battered old car that backfired, making them jump, as it disappeared up the road. Evan had found an interesting ants’ nest. Afterwards, they made their way back to the wood.
All too soon, it was time to go home for tea. They waved Sebi, Granpa, Mungo and the chickens goodbye and walked back around the edge of the wood to head down the hill.
“Ooh!” Chloé said.
“Do you get that?”
“Get what?” Evan replied.
“A sort of little chilly feeling every time we get to this spot?”
Evan looked up at her. “Yep. I just think it’s because we’ve suddenly come out of the sun.” He started running. “Come on! Last one back is an ugly duck!”
“You cheat!” she cried and ran after him.