CHAPTER TEN
Nikko’s head ached and his arms were so heavy to move them even slightly was an effort. His eyes felt like they were stuck with glue and he strained to open them. Gradually one lid fluttered open. Then the other. Slowly his eyes blinked open into light.
It had a pink tinge and initially made his eyes water. But it was welcome nevertheless. Not only because his head throbbed but because the last thing he remembered was an all-embracing black cloud. The soft light seemed to ease the ache and bring relief. It was a sort of distant but vital return to life.
He was in a cave and soon realised he could feel warmth. That was not expected because since he had entered the subterranean system he had been struck by the cooler temperature. At first he had put it down simply to the vast contrast between the unsheltered heat of the Dead Place and the constant protection of the unnatural underground environment. However, he had soon discovered it was more than that. The temperature was much lower below ground. It was obvious and Nikko was a little annoyed he had not understood it immediately.
But now he was definitely feeling warm. Too warm in fact, he was becoming slightly uncomfortable. He blinked quickly and began to sit up from his lying position. Straps on his arms and across his chest tightened and he found he was under firm restraint. His legs too were fastened with a strip of hide that he could see was threaded through inverted pins in the earth.
The other Leaf Children and their Drong captive were spread eagled as he was in a straight line by his side. They had not moved and were presumably still unconscious. About five meters to his left a fire had burned itself out and dark red embers glowed emitting a rich heavy heat. For a few minutes Nikko stared into the red and black coals and was transported back in time. The tantalising combination of colours was mesmerising. They burned into him and flickered in slow motion before his eyes. The warmth covered him and he could sense it seeping into the soft flesh of his face. But je could not turn away. He stared unblinking at the embers and pictures formed in his confused memory of a time and place he had left far behind.
He saw a small white house surrounded by leafy green trees and shrubs which frames the corners and sides. They formed a living barrier between the lawn in the front of the cottage and the main road which passed outside. The house was made of wood and had green trimmings and a quaint green awning reaching out over a set of reddish brown brick steps. At the top of the steps a tier of green blinds fell in front of high French doors leading to the living room. The steps, no longer the main entrance to the house, had a number of pot plants on them with colourful blooms adding a splash of brilliance.
The main entrance was at the side of the house beside a tiled patio on which stood a rustic round table and three slatted stools and which was surrounded by while flowering vines. A small garden grew in an L shape beneath open windows on one side. Beyond the steps a carport extended further with a sundeck on top. All down the side of the carport large trees spread their leafy branches.
Nikko had a fleeting glimpse of himself in his mother’s arms sitting at the table. His father knelt in front with a camera taking pictures of the two people he loved most in the world. Then the vision faded and was replaced by the inside of the living room of the house.
It was large and joined with the dining area, but at the same time stood separate with a modern linen sofa creating a partial division. Again the basic colour inside was while except for a brick fireplace and brown mantle piece above, and heavy mahogany furniture placed functionally about the room. Tasteful pictures, artefacts and oriental cabinets, chests and rugs added a worldly touch. A fan whirled nonchantly in the ceiling.
Again Nikko saw his mother was sitting patiently feeding him in a high chair as his father watched the television. He himself fidgeted endlessly and while the image was only of the rear of his head he could imagine food smeared his face. Music played in his ears and Nikko turned his head to look towards the adjoining kitchen where a radio perched on top of a refrigerator in the corner. The pots on the stove bubbled noiselessly and a pleasant aroma filtered out of the room.
Nikko’s mind sped quickly through other rooms – the bathroom with its green tiles around the tub and the big red and black Chinese fan mounted on the white wall, matched by the red knobs on the cabinet doors and red odds and ends by the sink. The bedroom with its two large single beds pushed together and the standing mirror next to the dressing table with its drawers filled with a multitude of female necessities. The reading room next door where the bookcases provided endless enjoyment. Finally his own room.
Nikko could see every square inch of the room as clearly as if he was standing there in person. His cot up against the wall with a large poster of Mickey Mouse and friends riding in a jaunty car and laughing and gesticulating with their funny three fingered hands. Other posters hung on other walls and a row of louvers opened onto the outside garden at the rear of the house. A pine chest of drawers stood under the louvers and on top were toys and bottles, a comb and a brush. Some of his toys lay undisturbed in his cot.
A tear welled up in Nikko’s eye and he recalled once before in the forest when he had thought of his home. This was his home and these were his personal belongings. His life was playing before his eyes. The tear blurred his vision and when he blinked it away he saw once more the glowing embers of the fire and he felt their warmth on his face.
He was back in the cave. His home and his mother and father and all that was familiar and dear to him were far, far away. More tears rose in his eyes and the embers became more and more indistinct as the salty drops overflowed and rolled down his cheeks.