Singing Hinny

Papa climbed down from the wagon. He was busy with the horses getting us ready for the next leg of our journey. The carriage ride was bumpy, but I liked seeing the different trees and grass. I don't see that much at home. I heard the fast new Iron horses were bumpy too and very loud. Papa says it costs at least 3 shillings! James still thinks that they are REAL horses, but he's only 4 and I'm 7 and I know that they are not real horses.

"Where do you think we are going next, James?" James didn't know either. It had been such a long day I don't even remember when it started. Did it start with Mama? Did she give me bread and butter? I'm sure it did. She always likes me to eat my bread and butter and eggs in the morning.

"I can't wait to see Aunt Ellen's house! Papa says it has 5 rooms!" I said to James.

"Ohh! What do they use them for?" James wondered.

"I don't know....maybe to play in!"

"James! Look, look at the sand!" said Thomas.

"I had never seen the ground that color! It looked like the corn meal that mama made for breakfast. And it was piled high! I bet Mama could make dozens and dozens of breakfasts with that!" James was in wonderment!

Then there was the flying grass. Big, long blades of grass so tall it was like it was flying! It wasn't like the greener and shorter grass that was everywhere else I looked. The grass at home in the park and by the canal was a water green, this grass was a sunshine green. James blinked his eyes at it like it sparkled.

We passed several big, gigantic puddles too with ducks and birds swimming in them.

"Do people here drink from these puddles instead of the tap at home in the street?" I asked James.

"Let's go see the ocean. Wait until you see it! You've never seen so much water!" said Papa.

"More water than the canal!" James' eyes went really wide at that because there was a lot of water at the canal.

The wagon continued moving. I settled back and watched from our seats in the wagon. The sky was so blue it was like it was wearing a dress.

James, where do you think all of the people are?" as James shrugged and looked at the sky.

Back home you saw dozens and dozens of people everywhere. Suddenly, I was glad Mama and Papa were with me, cause I was starting to feel a little scared in this different colored place! Blue, and green and cornmeal colors! I put my arms around James so he would not be scared.

A few minutes later, I couldn't believe my eyes. So much water everywhere. And it was blue, not dark. All the way out until forever! All sides of forever! I wondered if it would surround me. I was glad I was there to protect James.

"Were they trying to get something to drink?"James pointed at the birds that flew all around above the water.

The cornmeal sand was also everywhere. I wasn't sure I wanted to step on it because I didn't know what would happen to my feet. At home, if it gets muddy, my feet sometimes sink up to my ankles, but then the ground stops me. Does this cornmeal sand have a ground?

"Can we go play Papa? Please?" I pleaded.

Papa turned around and looked at me for a moment before answering, "We have to get to my cousin's house, my boy, on King Street right now, before its gets dark."

He turned the wagon around and the horses took us the other direction. Towards the short, white buildings with the funny colored roofs on them. They were above the green and short grass and below the sky. I didn't know that the sky could meet the ground at the same place. As James yawned, I wondered where we would sleep?

"Do you think Papa's cousin Richard has a bed for us, James?" It had been a long day and we were tired.

But when we finally arrived at cousin Richard's, I then hoped we would not be sent to bed straight away.

"James, look at this kitchen" It takes up the whole room! I didn't even see any beds!" The room smelled a little like licorice from the fire in the room.. There was a big pot with a sweet pudding smell in it.

"James, I think we are getting a treat!" James jumped up and down excitedly. How he loved treats!

The cook mixed the warm milk into the flour in front of her and rolled and rolled and rolled. James was impatient and tugged and tugged at my arms wanting to know when it would be done. Finally, the cook put the dough mixture on the big griddle and to our astonishment, the sizzle sounded like a song from our street musicians in Manchester. James danced beside me with excitement, mimicking his dancing in our streets back home.

When we finally get to eat it, it tastes like penny sweets, but filling like Mama's porridge.

After our treat, we were led to our bed in a whole other room where we laid down. Curled around each other, we went to sleep.

Vaguely, I heard my Papa and our cousin talking quietly. I shut my eyes very tightly so as not to hear.

"I'm so sorry to hear of your boy James. I'm very glad to receive you and your boy Thomas in my home."

"Thank you, Richard, it's been rough on the family. Ellen is also busy with baby Danielle, she hardly has time to grieve his loss. I worry about her. She feels things strongly. "

"Your Thomas is quiet."

"Thomas was very close to James. When he passed, Thomas could not understand it as he fell ill so quickly. He still has not let him go...