Background
After accepting the position as Groundskeeper (**See End Notes), Nicholas is discovering all about 'his' fantastical Gardens. Here, we meet another magical addition...
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As Constantine made his way over to the desk, motion from the filing cabinet caught my eye. With colorful wisps following and surrounding their actions, the imps rose from the top drawer carrying what seemed to be a large scroll. Their dancing color trails created a beautiful light show in the small area. Once they’d cleared the drawer’s edge, they quickly flew over to the desk and hovered there, their flight path colors continuing to swirl and squiggle around them.
Archie clambered up onto the rickety desk chair that made some very uneasy creaks and groans as he did so. At the same time, Constantine kicked one of the old, empty planters over to the desk and hopped up smartly to stand on it. Now about shoulder height to me, he motioned – a bit impatiently, I might add – for me to join everyone.
“Over here, Groundskeeper.”
I was beginning to learn that pretty much nothing happened fast enough for Constantine, but I kept that to myself.
Archie reached out with one of those clawed hands of his and touched the trunk of the vine growing right out of the top drawer. The luminescence thereon responded to his touch as did the vine itself with a physical and iridescent ripple that ran from their point of contact along all the arms and shoots of the vine that covered the wall area. I couldn’t help myself – I gasped at the awesome display.
“How did you –”
But Archibald interrupted, reaching toward me with his other hand. He opened and closed those claws quickly as he began to speak.
“I’ve someone for you to meet, Valentin” – I watched as the color variations in the vine increased, and it quivered with what almost seemed like excitement – “We have a new and honorable Groundskeeper,” Archie continued, voice steady, although the hand he held out toward me was anything but. It increased its clasping motions that were exaggerated with some up-and-down gesturing as well. The vine, too, increased in its quivering. “His name i-i-i-i-iss…”
About this time, Constantine made another of his exasperated snorts and, rolling his eyes, hopped down from his planter perch. He then took my hand and dramatically placed it on top of Archie’s near-frantic one. I’d swear he was mumbling under his breath more of those words again, but I wasn’t sure.
However, I didn’t have time to contemplate that as Archie’s firm grasp wrapped around my four fingers and, using them as the anchor, yanked me to stand directly in front of the desk. As he placed my hand on the vine’s trunk near his own, he cleared his throat and continued.
“His na-a-ame,” Archie drew the word out with emphasis while he forcefully pressed my hand over and onto the vine, “is Nicholas.” Then he raised his voice to that dignified ‘Sir Archibald’ voice. “Groundskeeper Nicholas.”
With the second iteration of my name, a bright white glow emanated from my contact and quickly spread through the entire vine, over the desk and along the wall. I didn’t even have time to wonder about it before the white transitioned to the most beautiful iridescent display I think I’ve ever seen. They were such brilliant colors, I had to seriously squint to continue looking at it. But before I had the chance to really blink a few times, the vine returned to its usual luminescence.
Then the coolest thing happened: the end of every stem – of every curl or tendril or leaf – began to actually ‘wave’ at me.
“Groundskeeper Nicholas,” Archie continued as he removed his hand from on top of mine, his tone that of upbeat satisfaction, “meet Valentin, Weatherbury’s very own DeVine.”
Suddenly, there was a flurry of little imp voices all clamoring at once. Swirls of color fell and danced around as the imps, apparently, lost their patience with the whole introduction ritual, such as it was.
“Okay, okay! He’s wonderful!” Their colorful chorus – led by the one and only, Shot – made me smile. Although, I could tell by the way Archie was eyeing them they may be in trouble again. “Can we get on with the Devining now?”
To be continued…
**The Gardens at Weatherbury is a collection of approximately 500 word chapters (this one’s a little bit longer… it happens!) about young Nicholas' continuing adventures as Groundskeeper for the unique gardens at the fantastical Weatherbury Estate. The chapters are short to maintain the attention of a pre-teen audience for whom it is written.
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
Nicholas (narrator) - young boy (current age 17), telling of adventures since accepting Weatherbury's Groundskeeper job at age 14.
Constantine – garden gnome and self-appointed on-site manager of the Gardens
Sir Archibald – (aka Archie or Sir Archie) eccentric pink armadillo tasked with organization and upkeep of the Garden Shed
Imps – (an imp is a small mischievous sprite) There are a total of four imps: Jerry, Shot, Minah and Sprig. They are charged with the care and handling of the Gardens’ maps and other contents of the filing cabinet.
Valentin – (officially the Gardens’ DeVine) sentient vine occupying the ‘desk’ in the garden shed whose responsibility it is to read and interpret the maps contained in the filing cabinet.
Rosalind – (aka Rosa) sentient climbing rosebush whose job it is to guard the Garden Shed
Sir Phillipe - owner of Weatherbury Estate
George Thrasher – (aka G-Trash according to Constantine) former Groundskeeper, employment terminated by Sir Phillipe in Prologue
