Randell the plastic trader was on his way back to the Valley of the Caves from the ancient landfill, swinging old plastic containers tied together with hemp twine and singing a simple tune. There, out of the corner of his eye he spotted a slight movement in a shadowy crevice in the cliff face above him. Suddenly alert, he stopped humming the tune he'd been composing and stood stock still in the shadow of a fig tree.
All was silent in the narrow, steep sided gully, but for the buzzing of flies in the noonday heat. Randell stood and watched for another sign of movement. After some minutes, there was a clattering of falling pebbles and then the head of a boy, pale and frightened peeked out from the crack in the rock face. It was young Barak, who'd escaped the pack of wolves three nights earlier and who had been hiding there ever since. At first Randell didn't recognise his young brother Barak - so pale and covered with dust was he.
It took a little while for the older boy (Randell was about seventeen years old) to help Barak down from his hiding place - about twenty meters up a sheer cliff face. It was a mystery how he'd even got up there. Fortunately, Randell had a length of rope among his possessions, which he cleverly used to good effect in helping the boy down to safety.
When he was safely down, recovering in the shade of the fig tree (having gorged himself on fresh figs and drank lots of water from the stream) Randell, with gentle questioning (for Barak, of course, was very confused and upset) pieced together the story of how the boy's family had been attacked by wolves while they slept. Randell resolved that if all of Barak's family had indeed perished (this was not unlikely - it was something that happened from time to time in these parts. A fact of modern life..) that the boy should come with him to his own family who would certainly take care of him and give him a home.
And so, when the boy was rested and recovered slightly, and the sun was lower in the sky (though not so low that they would be in danger from night predators) they set off in the direction of the Valley of the Caves - to the House of the Four Mothers.
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The 'House of the Four Mothers' (as it was commonly known) was situated on a high plateau some miles from Barak's now desolate home. It was not really one house, but a rambling collection of houses, built from all sorts of odds and ends.. Old rubber tyres filled with earth and rocks, covered in ornately sculpted mud plaster with windows made from ancient glass, which was quite rare to find these days and highly valued. Dome houses made from mud bricks, or long sacks filled with earth and coiled into elegant arched buildings, also covered with earth plaster.
The main, central 'building', as it was, was a huge aeroplane which had been abandoned after having crash landed on the plateau almost two centuries ago. Wooden structures made from branches and covered with palm fronds surrounded the ancient flying machine and many people, young and old, were there in the shade, playing, talking, preparing food for the evening meal, which was generally eaten together with the whole family around sunset time.
Around the main building and between the other houses were wonderful gardens, lush and green, bursting with all manner of fruits, vegetables, edible and medicinal plants and herbs. Around the whole living area was a tall fence made from branches of thorn trees - a defense against wolves, bears and other intruders.
Entering the enclosure through a tall wooden gate, adorned with all kinds of oddities and trinkets - some natural (shells, stones, crystals, bones) some from ancient civilisation (mirrors, dolls, circuit boards, phones) Randell and Barak went in search of Mother Magdeleine (Maggie). Of the four mothers, Maggie was the most sensible. She was an organiser. She would know what to do.
They found her in the cushioned alcove which had once been the cockpit of the plane, which served as her 'office'. She was holding a meeting with the chief gardeners, working out a planting rota and a schedule for the coming season. There were many details to be discussed and arranged - how many helpers they would require, who would be responsible for what, making lists of any materials and resources they might need, as well as issues of safe storage for the coming harvest.
All heads turned as Randell and Barak entered the room through a curtained partition. At first everyone wondered who the pale and dusty boy was. Magdeleine was the first to recognise him. Her eyes opened wide and filled with tears. First, at the miracle that he was still alive - second at the the sorrow of the loss of his family. Of course, everyone had heard about the wolf attack (except for Randell who had been away for four days - the landfill was a two day walk in each direction). Full of emotion she went to him and gathered him in a loving embrace, crying tears of sorrow, joy and compassion onto the orphan boy's dusty matted hair.
After all of the others there had also welcomed him into the fold, in a very emotional scene, the topic of the meeting was turned to where Barak would live. It was quickly and easily agreed, on Randell's suggestion, that Barak could share his little house - after all, he was away for much of the time and anyway would be glad to have a young brother for company.
And so it was that Barak found himself a new home and a new family.
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@stillgideon/utopia-an-adventure-story-part-1-old-saul
@stillgideon/utopia-an-adventure-story-part-2-superheroes
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