Beyond the Cherry Tree (16 page)

H
enry Bloom was more than pleased when Claudia tapped him on the shoulder and excused him and Nell from the anniversary guests in the main living room. The gardener and his wife were ushered to the library where a great surprise awaited them.

General Edgar Pennington was sitting in his chair, sipping a glass of whiskey and holding a wet towel to his forehead.

Nell almost fainted. Henry swiftly closed the library door and almost fell into the chair opposite the general.

‘General, sir, you’re back!’ he gasped.

General Pennington stretched out his right hand to shake Henry’s. As he took a tight grasp of the gardener’s hand, he beckoned Nell to stand beside her husband.

The general smiled at them. ‘He is king!’

‘Josh!’ cried Nell, gripping Henry’s shoulder. Henry reached his hand up to Nell’s to comfort her. He knew what this meant for Nell, for both of them.

‘He’s not coming back,’ said Henry softly, his eyes watery.

The general tightened his grip of Henry’s hand.

‘You knew this day would come. I did warn you that one day he would have to return beyond the cherry tree.’

Unlike her husband, Nell could not hold back the tears as
she left the room. Henry stood up to follow her, but Claudia insisted that she would go instead.

‘Stay with father,’ smiled Claudia. It was a nervous smile. She too was in shock as she never thought her father would return to the manor and to her.

Henry Bloom did not drink whiskey, but on this unusual night he felt the urge to pour himself a glass of the general’s finest. The two men sat and discussed all things of Habilon.

‘So! It’s over now?’ said Henry. ‘Krudon is dead and Josh is safe – and his sister, the princess …’ Henry struggled to remember her name. He and Nell had done their best to block out all thoughts of the land beyond the cherry tree when the general did not return after he had left Josh in their care.

‘Zera,’ said the general. ‘Good has returned to Habilon, Henry, and to Joshua and Zera.’

The general could see that Henry was relieved to hear him say that, but Henry was not fooled by the general’s soothing words. He noticed – remembered – a look on the general’s face that he had seen on more than one occasion when the general had returned from an adventure beyond the cherry tree.

‘Something is worrying you,’ said Henry. ‘I’ve seen this look before.’

The general’s eyes were blank. He was in deep thought.

Henry reached out his hand and shook the general’s arm. ‘General! Edgar!’

The general snapped out of his trance, and rubbed his head.

‘Sorry, Henry. I have rather a bad headache and I’m
drastically
tired.’

‘We’ll leave you now,’ said Henry as he stood up. ‘You need some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow – in the gardens.’

The general nodded.

Henry and Nell were the last to leave Cherry Tree Manor. Claudia, with sincere apologies, had arranged for all the other guests to leave. She had told them that urgent matters had come up which needed to be dealt with. She had not, of course, mentioned anything of her father’s return yet.

After seeing Henry and Nell out, Claudia found her father asleep in his chair, in his library. This was a fond and
familiar
discovery for her and it gave her warm memories of the many times she had found him like this before.

‘Sweet dreams, father,’ she whispered goodnight

She closed the door behind her, leaving the light on.

Suddenly, the general’s eyes opened, wide and frantic. He could see a vision before him. It was not a dream or a
nightmare
.
It was so real!

The general could see shadows before him, dark shadows, and they reached out to him. Then everything turned black; when light returned to his eyes, he was shaking and sweating profusely.

He stood up – his legs trembling, still weak and tiresome. He poured another glass of whiskey, took one sip and allowed good thoughts to fill his mind. He thought of Joshua and Zera together again in the gardens of their parents’ palace, and the great wizard, Wilzorf, and Bortwig watching them from a distant hill.

As the general sat back in his chair resting his head back and closing his eyes, he spoke with great intent in his voice.

‘We will meet again, my good friends. I’m sure we will meet again!’

JOE O’BRIEN lives in Ballyfermot, Dublin, with his wife and children. He is the author of three books about GAA player Danny Wilde,
Little Croker, Féile Fever
and
Tiger Boots
. He has also written the popular ‘Alfie Green’ series for younger readers. His book,
Alfie Green and the Chocolate Cosmos
won ‘Best Chocolate Book in Ireland’ in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2010. Find ‘Joe O’Brien Author’ on Facebook.