The Temple in the Sky - Fernando Herrera Jr (children's ebooks online .TXT) 📗

stratum of miscellaneous scrappy-blankets and pillows given to him by these accommodating strangers he had by ostensible chance stumbled upon. Luckily, they were very good people. Lord knows what might have been had he otherwise stumbled upon a more “innovative” and perhaps more “competent” ménage, for it does rather seem that when it comes to pious righteousnesses, the plebian folk always tend to accommodate to the more humanistic values. Burritoed by the woolen sheets, lying on that stratum bed set on the cold-bumpy-bare cement floors of that dreary bedroom, in melancholic moons about home, he lay sole and supine mewling his heart away. The lonesome girl downstairs couldn’t have been more curious. It was clearly past her bedtime but her eyes would not shut. The notion of that strange alien boy, that same strange alien boy who had jumped into the river to save her, that same strange alien boy who caused her to fall in the first place, that same strange alien boy who she believed was the friend she had been wishing for, and that same strange boy who was of an ugly, dark, lusus nature was obliterating her sleep. Hence, she crept out of her bed in tippy-toe gaiting, approaching the stairs, flashlight in hand, and enthusiastic, inquisitive bric-a-brac in an amiable frame of mind. She tippy-toed up a spiral stair case and all the way down a dark hall that led to his old wooden door. Then she placed her hand upon the doorknob. First, she thought she would knock, but then figured that she might wake him had he fallen asleep; second, thought of calling a “hello,” but figured he wouldn’t be able to understand what she was saying; therefore, in the end, she simply pushed on the little rusty handle and the door was opened ajar. She turned off the flashlight and peeked inside but it was too dark to see. So she clicked the flashlight on again and pointed it in aim at his bulk. She peered inside, allowing no more than her thin little neck to pass. He lay still in a burrito of blankets with but a nose poking out. She stood gazing at his bulk, until he eventually moved and peeked out to her because he heard the squeaks of the door. She was startled and quickly shut the door in gasp [thump], then clicked the light off. She stood by the door for a moment and began to tippy-toe back to her bedroom. That is, until the door was opened entirely and Apaec’s head peered out of it. She stood in slight shock, bewildered, though she could not see him clearly because it was dark. Her eyes grew broad and her jaw dropped. She blinked and clicked the light back on again shining it at Apaec’s face. He covered it with his hands to block the light. She said, “Hello.” He said, “Rimaykullayki.” She followed him inside and flipped the switch of the bedroom lantern on. He lay back down on his bed, supine, and she knelt beside him, noticing his puffy, sallow eyes. He was in obvious blubbers, and for that, she consoled him dearly. She stayed with him for hours, holding him in caress, until she became too sleepy to stay awake. She didn’t want her grandfather to find out about her snoops so she went back to her room. It was the first step in the forming of an great bond of companionship, a bond she had always desperately yearned for.

12
Supper with the Trouffles

The next day, Adonia proved her gastronomical talents in the kitchen by preparing a generous medley of foods and beverages. The dinning room was humble, narrow and cold with pallid walls that were deteriorating with age. Some old wooden cupboards, a big clock, and a few paintings of sea related themes decked the old den. The dinning table was narrow and long, and just like the rest of the house, built of ancient wood. It wore a dirty-motley-knit-stitch flannel-mantel upon which cups and dishes were set. They were packed with bizarre foods and bubbling beverages that steamed and sizzled. Apaec’s entrails rumbled like clashing stones, so even though he hadn’t an idea of the nature of the unfamiliar foods presented to him, he indulged in them blithely because they tasted amazing. He sat at the end of the table facing the girl who sat at the other end. The rest of the family and Miss Arietta Gloom occupied the rest of the seats. The doctor had been invited for dinner as a gratitude gesture for her troubles the day before on the evening of the boy’s arrival. The Trouffles were poor and couldn’t possibly afford medical services; the doctor was also poor and couldn’t possibly afford to give away medical services; but the Trouffles were her friends--close friends--and she would always help them whenever she could. In fact, she had never accepted more than a humble meal or flowers as meek gestures of gratitude. She was a good doctor indeed.
Apaec never had seen such pale skin or such furry little ears atop someone’s head, much less, such bizarre looking eyes. The kings and priests back home wore jaguar masks and garments, but they were always pretending. These were real. These “animal people” were not pretending. They were as real as the reverence burning in his gut. They stared at him deeply. They did try not to be so overt, but just as anybody tries not to stare at a misfortunate deformed beggar, it was impossible not to have. But they didn’t think he was deformed; in fact, they just thought he had quite the amusing physiognomy. They thought he was interesting, enkindling, fascinating, and transfixing. He stared at them too, and he did try not to be so overt; but just like he tried not to stare at the misfortunate deformed beggars back home, it was impossible not to have; but he didn’t think they were deformed; in fact, he rather liked their amusing physiognomies--he thought they were cute looking, different, and spellbinding--especially the girl. He liked the ashy-blue color of her skin and the way her eyes had not an iris encompassing the light-olive pupil specks. The furry little-ears colored of ginger laying atop her head were quite outrageous, but he liked them too. He wanted desperately to communicate with her. The girl didn’t think he was deformed either. In fact, she rather liked his visage. She liked the rich, burnt color of his skin, and his odd bone-structure which was sharp and edgy, and at points, awkwardly round, the way his eyes bore big black irises around the gloomy black pupils, and the long, black, scruffy hair which almost hid his eyes. His “snaily” ears were quite outrageous, but she liked them too. She thought he was cute looking, different, and wanted desperately to communicate with him.
Apaec dug into his grub with animalistic vigor. The Trouffles made their attempts at communication, mostly by gesturing signals, pointing at foods, and drinks in offering. Their honest hospitality calmed Apaec and made him feel welcome, although the overwhelming feeling in his gut was still fear. Not for them, but for the uncertainty of his fate. He ate and listened, not attempting to comprehend, but at the peculiarity of tongue which they spoke. They talked about his appearance, about what he must be feeling, about how he would adapt, or whether he would adapt at all. They also talked about the possibilities of his transport. E’goone came up with a rather good theory: “That boy is the Lord’s disciple and has been sent down to Polis for the rendering to the Pippolian salvation. He is our savior. Let us venerate that foreign boy.” But Harggot had a good theory as well: “That boa mus haa been placed here ba aliens as an experiment. They wanna know what happens to an alien boa in an alien planet. Hell, they probably filmin us from a space broadcastin satellite as we speaka. We’se going to be famous in some unknown planet. Pity, I cannot gain from their exploitations. It’s probably a new Television show or a documentary, or some wacky, scientific experimentation.” Miss Arietta had her own: “Why, if you ask me, I think that boy wandered far away from home and fell into a form of dimensional portal.” Adonia however, didn’t have a theory, but she did have an enthusiastic thought about him. She thought her prayers might have finally been answered: that boy could fill the vacancy for a brother and the alter ego she had desperately longed for.


Lumen Ziggin

A year passed and Apaec grew familiar with his new life and family. However, long months went by before a night could pass without the boy shedding a melancholic tear. He had left his family and friends behind without leaving any explanation of his whereabouts--but the most frustrating matter to him was not being able to know what happened to Micay and Kusco. The most difficult person to be without was his mother. What had she done without him? How could she have coped? She figured him dead for sure.
So, by then, Apaec had learned the Pippolian language fluently. Chapwook took responsibility for his education and did a great job at it. Every morning while Adonia was off at school, Apaec would sit inside Chapwook’s studio to learn all there was to be learned. Sooner than later he caught up with Adonia’s academic level and was able to attend the Lumen Ziggin Pond School of Zenith or the L.Z.P.S.Z.
It was a cold, foggy morning of January when Apaec would attend class for the first time. He stood outside of the house waiting for Adonia. She came out with a smile and took him by the hand.
“Ready?” she asked.
“I suppose,” he replied with a nervous mumble.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”
“Sure.” He wrapped a mustard yellow scarf around his neck and began to walk.
They walked through the forest until arriving by a railroad. There, Adonia took a seat upon a large rock. Because the trees were so monstrous, little sunlight actually touched the mossy ground. About ten minutes passed, until finally the ground began to tremble. It reminded him of when the foreign people arrived at the desert in their crafts back home. A far away grumble was heard. “It’s coming,” Adonia said. Apaec peeked into the railroad and noticed the train’s light approaching. It arrived and stopped opening the cart’s door’s upwards. Inside, about thirty students stared at him as he entered. He took seat next to Adonia. The train sped for thirty minutes, mile after mile, at about 70 miles an hour. All that was visible through the train’s windows were trees, trees and more trees. Then, after about thirty minutes, the train began to slow its pace. Apaec stared at the trees that passed by the window like speeding cars running the opposite way. When the train began to slow, the trees became clearer and he began to notice they were becoming smaller. As the train slowed to fifteen miles an hour, it crossed a colossal bridge. The enormous panorama of the school could be seen through the windows of the train. Apaec saw the massive towers and walls of the school and sat aghast at the magnificence of it. The edifices which had been built with cut stone (like a castle) seemed to stretch out for miles towards the horizon, until it his eyes could not see what lay beyond the fantastic realms. The morning sunlight was reflected on rivers and ponds around the school. When the trained halted completely, the doors opened and the students flowed out of it seamlessly.
Tram after tram arrived by the train as students with different colored uniforms hopped in to their assigned trams. Apaec felt Adonia hold