Boogabob led Girlymann and Vic to his cottage. They passed over the stream on a wood and stone bridge. Lily pads were in bloom in a small pond made by the expanse of the bridge. Beneath in the water swimming around the lily pads were trout. It was as pretty as a postcard cottage except for the ugly troll.
They walked up the wood steps and into the shelter at the front door hewn from old oak timbers, thick and aged. The troll opened the door and bid his guests to enter. Inside, sunlight filtered through a paned window where a canary hopped in his wire cage singing his heart out. It was furnished with overstuffed chairs and small sofa that sat in front of a stone fireplace that crackled with a wood fire.
On the walls were pictures, mostly of beautiful women. One woman in particular was on more than a few pictures. Boogabob asked his guests to sit, he would bring back some drink, cheese and fruit. Campy and Vic had left there bikes leaning on the cottage near the front porch and were glad to sit after carrying them for so long.
When boogabob returned, he carried a wood tray with a carafe of wine a fresh cheese, apples and pears. "A little snack to go with the conversation." He said and placed the tray on the table to the side of the sofa where Campy sat, and Vic in the overstuffed chair on the other side of the table. Boogabob sat opposite of Vic but before he did, he poured each a glass of wine and picked up an apple with a slice of cheese.
"I could get use to this," Campy said as he picked out a pear and cut a slice of cheese to go with it.
The Belgian also helped himself and settled deep into the soft velvet upholstery. "Good cheese, Boogabob. Is it from you?"
"Oh, no there is a whole underground trade system we forest dwellers use. I traded crystals dug from the caves I have into the mountains."
Campy asked, "Are those crystals that shown so on the stepping stones."
"They are, I put them there myself. Bet you didn't even notice it was a path."
"I didn't, they looked just like stones at first in a random order."
"Well, you have to know which ones to step on. It's a trigger thing, when you step on the right one, the next will light up enough just to let you know and then when your foot steps it shines so you can see. They work best in the dark."
Vic pointed to one of the pictures that was across from him in back of Boogabob. "She is beautiful, do you know her?"
"Yes, and no. She is beautiful and I plan to marry her. She is Antoinette."
"Campy studied the picture and then asked. "When are you two getting married?"
"Oh, she doesn't know I'm alive. I mean, look at me. But she is the one I love none the less."
"Well she sure is beautiful." Campy said.
The troll drink from his cup before he poured more wine. "She is as beautiful as I am ugly. There's no getting around it but not even the plain women are interested in me, so why not go for the most beautiful? I have just as much chance. Yes?"
"More so," Vic said, and grabbed an apple. "I think beautiful women appreciate the soul better than the body of a man. From what I've seen you have a good heart."
"It wasn't always so. I was a very mean troll from the abuse I had as a child. Not my mother, but bullied relentlessly. It wasn't until I wandered into the forest and made friends with wood folk. They're a simple lot but they didn't care what I looked like. And it changed my life." Boogabob got off his chair and put a few sticks of wood in the hearth. "My mom named me Bob, but--Boo! gad-Bob stuck. Now I like it."
"Well, Campy Girlymann came with a few sneers but the name fit and I'm proud of it."
"Want to see the caves?" Boogabob asked his new found friends.
To be continued...underground.
No comments:
Post a Comment