Ladle Rat Rotten Hut (13 page)

“You should get dressed, and prepare for a long journey
now, Ladle.” She said, brushing my hair.

“Please don’t call me Ladle,” I moaned, brushing my cheeks
on her chest. “I hate that name. This is a ladle,” I pointed at the
ladle
I used to crush the fortune cookie open with. “My name is—“

“Shhh,” My mother stopped me gently. “I promise you that if
you accomplish your duty and come back from grandma, I will call you by your
real name for all times.”

“Really?” I was surprised. All I ever wanted was to be
called by my real name. Even though I was told it was really weird and creepy. “Thank
you, mother.” I pecked her on the cheek, and ran back to her room.

“What are you doing?”

“I am going to wear my white hood, ready to visit granma.”
I said while in her room, opening the drawer, searching for my new white hood.

I did find it, but I also found a red one underneath, one
that I had never seen before. Whose hood was that?

Examining the red hood, I found out that it was double-faced.
One side was yellow, and the other was red. I was so curious to ask my mother
about it, but was afraid that she’d stop me from my journey for asking too many
questions.

I wore my white hood, preparing for my journey into the
forest, not knowing that it will change my life.

On my way out, my mother gave me money to buy the wine and
cakes, a map to granma’s house, and even more money for a carriage, so I don’t
walk alone in the forest.

“Carriages are too expensive,” She said. “but consider it a
birthday gift for your first day as a responsible girl.” She hugged me with
tears in her eyes.

On my way to the local market, I kept clicking my feet
together, singing songs that didn’t exist. Staying alone in the house, I had
created my own rhymes. It was puzzling how I always forgot the tune.

Even though the land was covered with thick layers of snow,
I was happy with everything around me. The animals danced and trotted next to
me. Since I had no friends, the animals were my best companions, and we shared
a big secret: they could understand and talk human language.

When I reached the market, everyone greeted me and smiled.
Well, not everyone. Youngsters were kind to me, but the elders seemed to avoid
me, hissing words I couldn’t hear behind my back. The older the people, the
lesser they liked me. They weren’t rude, but it was as if they just preferred
to walk away from me.

I bought cakes from a middle-aged woman who was neither
kind nor worried. Then I went to buy the wine.

“Wine is red,” A funny voice whispered behind me. I turned around
and saw a young girl with brown dreadlocks. She was about twelve years old, and
she had an unusual happy aura around her. Her smile was fantastic. “It’s prohibited.”
She said, covering her mouth with her tiny hands, and giggling.

“Never mind my sister,” A young boy stood next to her,
eating a big loaf of bread, the breadcrumbs falling at his feet. “She is always
so ridiculously happy.”

“Why ridiculous?” I said, putting the wine in the basket, covering
it with a white piece of cloth. “You know about the red color thing?” I bent
down and talked to the girl.

She nodded, still giggling with her hand on her mouth.

“I don’t know what is so funny.” Her brother took another
crunchy bite.

She pulled me closer from my hood. “It’s because of the
evil that lurks in the forest.” She whispered, trying to make an unconvincing
ugly face.

“You know what that evil is?” I asked.

“She doesn’t know anything,” Her mouthful brother
interrupted. “Besides, we’re not supposed to talk about it.”

The girl pulled me closer. “There are wolves in the
forest,” She whispered. “Many of them. And they want to eat us.”

“Wolves?” I knotted my face.

“No,” Her brother interrupted. “It’s vampires, not wolves.”

“As if you would know,” She stuck out her tongue at him.
“You’re busy eating all the time.”

“What’s a vampire?” I asked.

“It’s a demon that sucks the blood of a human.” He
insisted.

“Hmm,” I sighed. I needed to get going so
I get back home before dark. “I am going to the forest. Will you be there when
I get back?” I asked them.

“Really?” The girl’s eyes widened. “You’re going alone?”

“I will get a carriage and a coachman. My mom was generous
and gave me money.”

“We would love too but,” The girl sad. “Our parents sent us
on a mission. How about we meet here in the market tomorrow?”

“Would you like to ride a carriage with me? I can get
wherever you’re heading.” I offered, knowing that I sounded desperate, but I
wanted to make friends badly.

The boy and the girl exchanged looks. “No,” The girl said
reluctantly. “We’re not supposed to talk to strangers.” She looked away, the
tip of her fingers on her lips.

“Tell me about it.” I sighed. So everyone’s parents were
like my mother, preventing their children from talking to strangers. Even though
the girl was the one initiating the conversation, I understood her concern. She
probably didn’t want her parents to see her with
strangers.

“But it’s not like we can’t be friends,” The girl said. “I
mean we just don’t want our parents seeing us riding with someone they don’t
know.”

“Alright. Tomorrow then.” I waved goodbye.

Leaving them behind me, I paid a coachman to drive me into
the forest. He didn’t hesitate, but the map seemed to confuse him. He said that
he didn’t remember seeing a house in that area. He also said something about
breadcrumbs, which I didn’t get.

“I think it’s because my granma, who lives there, didn’t
have visitors for about ten years.” I suggested.

“So you are delivering the basket to your grandma,” He rose
an eyebrow. “How thoughtful of you on a lovely Christmas Eve.”

Once the carriage entered the forest, heavy curling trees
nested above us, darkening the forest like huge spider webs. The only thing
that lit the surroundings was the white snow covering the earth. It glittered like
crystals at certain spots.

The driver was masterful, avoiding hedges and uneven parts
in the snow. His horses were strong and fast.

I rested my head, relaxing as he rode through.

Suddenly, a heavy thud caused me to leap to my feet in the
bouncing carriage. A huge face of a wolf grinned at me behind the glass in the
door. I wondered how it balanced itself on the board of the carriage, with its
face flat to the window.

Looking it in the eye, I knew it was one of those standing
by my window at night.

The driver whipped the horses away, yelling that I should
stay inside the carriage no matter what. As the howling grew louder outside, I
told him that I could help.

“Show them something red!” I yelled.

“Red is the color of blood. It is forbidden,” He yelled back,
whipping away. “If they see it, more wolves will arrive.”

“No. You got that wrong.” I had to explain. I knew what to
do. I was about to drink some wine, spill some of it on my white hood, and then
scream at the wolves. But I had not time. One of the horses tripped on a fallen
tree in the snow, and the carriage flipped on its side.

I blacked out, thinking I was never going to wake up again
– or maybe wake up inside the stomach of a wolf.

An hour later, my eyes flipped open to the sound of a
squirrel. I was still alive, and the weather was colder than before.

Standing to my feet, I picked up the bottle of wine and the
cakes. I put them back in the basket. My heart pounded against my chest as I
went to check on the coachman…

He was dead, next to one of the horses, which was dead too,
both half-eaten by the wolves. The other horse ran away. The blood on the snow spread
around me. Even though the scene was appalling, I didn’t feel that scared.

I was lucky, having been trapped inside the carriage with
the door closed. That’s why the wolves couldn’t reach me. Even though the window
was broken, it was too small for them to get inside. I was extremely lucky.

I wondered if the wolves still lurked somewhere in the dark.
It would have been better if kept standing in the middle of the blood on the
snow. I knew how much they were scared of the color red. Standing here wasn’t a
good idea though. I was going to freeze this way, and I had a job to do.

How dare I disappoint my mother and the
Tree of Life?

I had to run away. If not before the wolves came back, then
before whatever evil lived in forest found me, attracted to the scent of the
forbidden color.

Run, run, run. Pant, pant, pant.

With the basket in my hand, I trotted on the snow, confused
and losing direction. I still had my mother’s map to my granma’s house,
everything looked alike in the forest. The map was also confusing. It said to
follow the breadcrumbs from a certain tree to another. How was I supposed to
follow breadcrumbs to get to my granma’s house?

Wait for me, granma. I know it’s Christmas
Eve, and you must be waiting eagerly for the cakes and the wine. I am coming, granma.

When I stopped to catch my breath, I heard a voice. It was
a boy reading a book out loud.
Alone in the forest?

“Wants pawn term,” I could hear him read aloud. “dare
worsted ladle gull hoe lift witter murder.”

What looney words where these? But his voice was sweet. I
felt safe. Whatever language he read, it sounded funny. What did these words
mean?

Finally, I saw him standing behind the bushes. He was a
cute boy who looked like prince, lying back in a hammock between two trees,
wearing heavy boots, and reading a book. He looked out of this world, enjoying
his time
in
such a scary
forest.

“Pssst,” I whispered, afraid the wolves would hear me. “Pssst.”
I repeated, pressing my teeth tighter.

The boy jumped out of his hammock, thudding on the snow
with the book in his hand, as if it were his gun. “Psst?” He wondered, looking
around, not seeing me.

“Yes. Pssssst,” I repeated, stretching the word, so he
could locate me. I guess I wasn’t easily visible, wearing my white hood in the
snow.

“Pssssssss…?” He wondered again, posing with a fist now.

“Ttttt.” I added.

Then our eyes met.

He smirked shortly, as if it was just ordinary for him to
get
pssst
by a girl. Then his smile eased, “Who are you?” He asked.

“I am—“ I was eager to tell him my real name, but then I
changed my mind. I didn’t want to scare him away. I loved my name, but people
said it was scary. Why would my mother name me after something scary? “They
call me Ladle.” I used the silly name my mother called me.

“They?” He titled his head.

“It’s my name.” I wasn’t going to explain the whole story
to him.

“What a silly name,” He said abruptly. “Ladle reminds me of
soup.”

“I know,” I bowed my head, holding the basket with both
hands. “My mother likes to call me Ladle. Just like the sentences you were
reading. I think I heard you say my name in that insane language you were
talking.”

“That’s true. There was a Ladle in my last sentence.” He
said.

Even though he looked friendly, I still didn’t trust him.
Too many scary things happened today. I decided I am not coming closer.

“So what language is that?” I asked.

“Anguish Language.” He said proudly.

“Anguish what?”

“Anguish Language,” He pointed at the book he was reading with
his finger. “It’s another way of saying English Language.”

“What?”

“Let me read to you,” He opened the book. “Wants pawn
term—“

“Wait. Wants pawn term? What is that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t you get it?” His boyish eyes gleamed with enthusiasm.
“It means: Once upon a time.”

“It surely sounds like it, but the words don’t make sense.”

“That’s the point,” He said. “It’s a secret language
without actually being a secret language. It’s genius. Listen to this,” He
started reading again. “Wants pawn term, dare worsted ladle gull—“

“Stop. Are you saying that what you just said should read:
Once upon a time, there was a little girl?”

“See. You’re starting to get it.” He smiled.

“That’s an amazing language.” I said. If I taught this to
my animal friends, we could have our real secret language.

“I know,” He said, sounding a little arrogant. “The best
thing about it is that each word in the Anguish Language
is
English, but
when you put the words together they don’t make any sense, unless you listen carefully.”

“So ladle means little?” I was a little girl in size,
indeed.

“It doesn’t quite
mean
it since both words have
different meanings, but they sound alike when used in the secret language. Can
you see the magic of this? You and I could walk for hours without anyone
understanding us.”