The Phoenix Creation 🆕⭐⭐⭐⭐ (on Amazon)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Bird On A Wire

'There he is,' said Alya, as she and Hanuel walked along the terminal towards the escalator. They looked below at the parking area where various buggy and horse combinations awaited their passengers. The buses lined up on the far side to take people to the towns and villages in The Basin.

Alya's grandpa caught their eye as he sat waving from the light fibreglass cart that he'd attached to a pair of draft horses. He was pleased to see them, as ever, and Alya, as ever, was delighted to see him. She and Hanuel couldn't go any faster as they lugged the heavy sewing machine between them and Poppy tapped his watch jokingly. They exited the terminal, along with other eager families desperate to start their holidays, as soon as school was out. Summer in The Basin was often top of the list for people with youngsters as there was so much to do. Plus, just about everywhere, except for the mountainous inner perimeter, was a fly zone; ideal for teens or those wanting to get fit for the summer. There was the lake of course, with its sandy beaches and pleasure yachts and swimming. The sprawling zoo was always a favourite, as were the quaint traditional low-rise towns with their boutique shops and restaurants, ice-cream parlours, and weekly carnivals during tourist season.

They exited through the doors on the ground concourse and Alya's grandpa came to meet them. He shook Hanuel's hand in a manly gesture and kissed his granddaughter's cheek. He and Hanuel secured the sewing machine in the boot of the buggy, and then they all climbed in, Hanuel sitting up front with Poppy and Alya sitting behind them both. The evening was still as warm as could be and there was still plenty of daylight left for the five-mile ride home. Alya always enjoyed travelling by buggy with her grandpa's reliable horses, Rush and Slow, but she still preferred to fly, like some of the people that she could see now, exiting through the upper floor of the terminal from a platform specially designed to create immediate uplift for licenced fliers. She sat back and decided to relax, listening to Poppy and Hanuel small talk about school and the farm. The sun was warm on her face as they travelled west along the quiet country lanes.

They arrived shortly after eight p.m. and Alya's grandma waved from the kitchen window upon their arrival and then came down the drive to greet them.

'Hello baby,' she said, as she swished along in a long cotton dress towards her granddaughter.

Alya beamed and although she'd seen it a million times, she looked in awe at her grandmother's beautiful red hair which appeared as if on fire where the setting sun caressed it from above.

'Hanuel,' said Pasha, after she'd finished hugging her granddaughter and started on Hanuel.

Hanuel looked a bit awkward, but Alya could see he was touched by the affection. Her grandparents were always pleased to see Hanuel and held him in the highest regard. They knew he was good for Alya, and as her carers, for much of her childhood, they had fretted about her lack of friends her own age. Hanuel had been a breath of fresh air when Alya had eventually started school, and to them, he was the Gods' gift, in a literal sense, as far as they were concerned. 'Now come on, both of you,' ushered Pasha, leading the way. 'I have been trying to keep Seb out of trouble today, so he's spent all day cleaning the barbeque, and what a good job he's made of it too.'

Alya thought she could see Hanuel's mouth actually water and she laughed and then followed her grandmother around the back of the house to the garden where the delicious smell of barbeque floated through the air.

Alya awoke with a start. Where was she? Oh yes, her grandparents' farm of course, as she put the shadows in the room into order in her mind. She sometimes wondered if it was the quietness that woke her. The sirens and hustle and bustle of living in central San Fran seemed to fade into the background when you were there twenty-four-seven, but when they weren't there; it was as if her brain were searching for them to restore order during her sleep.