The Adventures of Horace Tidwiddler by jlee smith (book suggestions txt) 📕

the suit of armor was of importance to his family and should be preserved. He also knew that he could never replace it, or that for which it stood. This was one of the hardest decisions he had ever been forced to make. Horace turned and walked back to the front of the tents. Evangeline was still standing there, waiting for his answer. Horace said, “I think we have a deal.” Horace and Aunt Matt entered the tent to find everyone seated around a small fire and again drinking strong black coffee from small slender clear glasses. The conversation was about the weather and how strong the winds from the Southeast had been blowing for the past several days. Durant and Bentaub said it would make for a very fast and possibly dangerous crossing. Horace did not like the sound of this. He thought, I don’t want my first boat trip to be my last. Horace looked at Durant and said, “Sir, I will pay for passage as you have asked.” “I thank you and your crew for your help with his matter.” Abbasonn said, “Horace it would be an honor to accompany you on this adventure if you would allow me.” Horace said, “Sir, the honor would be mine.” A drink was poured in other glasses which were clear and round. All parties raised them and Abbasonn said, “To the adventure.” Each glass was raised, drank, then smashed in the fire when it was empty. Horace had never seen this done before but he was all for the custom. Horace liked the taste of what ever it was that they had just drunk and wished someone would ask if they required more, but no one did. Durant looked at Horace and said, “Sir, we will depart tomorrow provided God, Allah and the winds are willing.” Later that night, as Horace and Aunt Matt were drifting off to sleep, he mumbled, “who’s Allah?” Aunt Matt thought, we've got to get you a book.
The sun up came early the next morning, After coffee and the meal, lots of preparations had to be attended to. Horace had decided it would be best if the baby geese stayed behind due to the possibility of a dangerous crossing. He and Aunt Matt were walking in front of Guiensenbach as they walked down to the docks. Suddenly, Guiensenbach stopped, pulled her head up and said, “I’m not getting on any boat.” Horace and Aunt Matt stopped, looked at each other in complete and utter surprise. They both turned and said, “you can talk?” “Why haven’t you said anything before?” She replied, “Everything has been alright up till now, but I’m not getting on any boat and that’s final.” Horace just stood there in disbelief and all he could say was “All this time, all this time, and you never said one word. I can’t believe it.” “Well, you can believe this, I’m not getting on no boat with no body and that’s final, period, end of discussion.” “I don’t like water except to drink and besides I can’t swim.” “So, no way, Jose, I’m not getting on any boat!” Aunt Matt snickered and Horace said, “for crying out loud, you can talk.” He also thought, who the heck is Jose?
The next morning Horace made arrangements with Abbasonn for Guiensenbach to be taken care of while they were gone. He asked her if it was ok and she said, as long as she was not required to get on a stupid boat, anything was ok!
The provisions were stored on board, passengers and crew were rowed out to the larger boat that had been anchored in mid harbor. They all were anxious for the journey to begin. The sail was raised, the boat turned in the little harbor and headed out through the breakers toward open water. Horace looked back and saw Evangeline, Donkey, Guiensenbach, four baby geese and several others waving goodbye from the shore. He felt a lump in his throat as he waved back to them. Horace turned back to the sea as the wind filled the large triangular sail, and thought to himself, Mother I’m on my way.


CHAPTER NINE - THE SEA

After they cleared the breakers coming out of the harbor at Port Cesizeria, the sea smoothed out to rolling waves with swells of only about three feet. Horace and Aunt Matt stood next to the railing at the bow of the boat. Horace was still awe struck when he looked at the vast waters that stretched before him. He thought it was beautiful but frightening at the same time. Abbasonn was aft with his brother Durant. they were working the tiller while the deck hand Bentaub was busy working with the sail. It was a beautiful morning with bright blue skies, few clouds and a light breeze blowing from the southeast.
Horace noticed something that, until now, had skipped his attention. Abbasonn and Durant looked very much alike, even though one was much younger than the other. He thought about his brother and wondered if they really looked like one another and if their personalities were the same. Did they like the same foods, the same colors. There were so many things that he wanted to know, He hoped he would find the answers to these questions and many others.
Abbasonn and Durant both wore one piece white cotton garments that resembled long white night shirts. Bentaub wore a single piece of white cotton material that was wrapped around his waist and then between his legs. It was then secured at his waist by stuffing the end under the wrapped material. Horace thought this was a very ingenious and said so. Bentaub looked at Horace and just smiled.
Horace asked Durant how long it would take to reach the smaller island which was their destination. Durant said that if the winds did not pick up it would take longer than the two weeks which he had originally planned on. Horace thought the wind was just fine the way it was.
They had been at sea for about an hour when Horace began to feel funny. He sat down by the rail and began to have the most awful feeling in his stomach. He became very dizzy, and started to gag. Aunt Matt looked at Horace and said, "your face is turning real white, don't you dare puke on me." Horace laid prone on the rolling deck and wished to both God and Allah that he could die. Durant walked over to where Horace was stretched out on the boat's deck, looked down at him and said, "Need to get your sea legs, then the nausea will pass." Horace rolled over on his side, raised up on one arm and replied, "I need help now, not then." Durant reached inside his robe and pulled out a packet that contained several green leaves. He gave two to Horace and said, "chew these, but don't swallow them." Durant returned to the tiller and stood by Abbasonn. He said, "thought I would need these", as he put the packet back inside his robe. Horace laid back on the deck and chewed the leafs very slowly being careful not to swallow them. He did not know what would happen if he did swallow them but he knew he did not want to find out.
That evening Bentaub prepared a meal for everyone. It was cold meat with goat cheese but Horace could eat very little. The green leaves had helped but he still did not feel like his old self. Durant told him it would take time but assured him it would pass. Several days passed and Horace began to feel better, He could even walk the length of the boat without holding on to the rail. Aunt Matt thought he was showing off a little but said nothing.
After a week at sea, the weather began to change. The sky turned dark around morning on the eighth day and the wind picked up. The sea swells became larger with waves of seven to nine feet that rolled the little boat back and forth as it dove from one sea swell to the next. Durant said that it would be best if Horace and Aunt Matt took shelter in the small little cabin. Abbasonn stayed at the rudder to help his brother, Bentaub held tight to ropes that controlled the sail. All through the night the little pair in the cabin held on to each other, the deck, and prayed. Horace did not know who Aunt Matt was praying to but knew they could use all the help they could get regardless of where it came from. About dawn the weather broke, the sky turned light gray and the winds began to subside. It began to rain off and on. After a while, it stopped raining and a thick fog began to roll in. Horace could not see from one end of the boat to the other, A small lantern was hung from the mast but it was of little help. It just made Horace more aware of how alone they were on this vast body of water, He thought of Guiensenbach, his mother and father and all the people in Placidshire. He wondered if they would remember him.
For the first time on his journey, he felt helpless and did not know what to do or which way to turn. Horace was scared. He hoped the prayers of the previous night would be answered, and he did not care who answered them. He sat in silence with Aunt Matt and neither of them spoke for some time. Finally, Abbasonn stuck his head in the little cabin and said, "anyone for breakfast?" Aunt Matt jumped up and said "last one on deck is a stinky." Horace felt stupid.
The next day about mid afternoon Durant said, "Land Ho." Horace strained his eyes but could see nothing, The horizon was completely void of anything, After a few minutes, he thought he could see a faint low shadow on the portside. It appeared to be a very small spot where the sky met the sea. He turned to Abbasonn and said, "are we there?" "Yes," he replied, "We are there."


CHAPTER TEN - THE REED PEOPLE

The small spot on the horizon became larger and at last appeared as a low lying shadow. Horace noticed there were no mountains, just a flat plain. As they approached from the windward side of the island, Horace could hear the waves breaking on the coral reef that protected it, He realized an approach could be very dangerous, They continued to stay outside the reef and followed it for some time until at last a small lagoon was sighted on the far side of the island. As their little craft entered the safety of the harbor Horace noticed something strange, There was lots of green vegetation visible, but there was not a tree in sight. Their little boat hardly made a wake as Durant and Bentaub dropped its sail and steered toward a dock, where several other boats were moored, Horace had not seen boats like