The Mayflower Gang

Hello my friends. It's Darcy here in a somewhat reminiscent mood.

I'd had a phone call from Wade Waters. He reminded me that it was May and that it was probably time we fulfilled our promise to an old childhood chum, especially as we'd missed a couple of years. I agreed, saying I'd contact my pal Spencer Maces and we'd arrange a time to meet up in our special place.

So it was that Wade, Spencer and I met up at Laburnum Grove. We had timed it perfectly as the brilliant yellow flowers of the trees were at their most profuse. They always are in the first month of May.

"Still looks excellent," said Spencer. "Jerky would be happy."

"Aye," said Wade. "Shall we sing our song?"

"In a bit," I said. "Wouldn't it be better to do it on the site of our old den?"

Spencer nodded. "That would be more appropriate."

 

Appropriate because it was the meeting place of the Mayflower Gang.

o 0 O 0 o

Yes, I was a member of a gang. There were four of us: Wade, Spencer and I you have already met but the fourth was Jericho Flora. If you're wondering how that gathering came to be, I suspect part of the reason was that we were home-schooled and had apprenticeships with our own families. I spent a lot of time learning the family business at the Mellowdene Examiner and the others had similar stories. Clearly we needed further connections with kids our own age. 

Wade and I were already friends as our parents used to socialise. Spencer and Jericho were neighbours and had decided to pair up for the purpose of fun and games. They were originally unsure what to call their partnership, calling it the Maces-Flora Gang, but this mutated to Mayflower when we were given the opportunity to join them.

This appealed to my sense of adventure as it was a secret gang. The change of the gang's name was part of this. How can it be secret it comprises two of the members' surnames? It's odd we did not think we risked that secrecy by meeting in a place where the flowers were at their most splendid in May. Not as blatant, I suppose. 

We continued to strive for anonymity by giving ourselves secret names; in retrospect they were not that obscure but in our young minds they gave us an identity. Spencer Maces was Messy, Jericho Flora was Jerky, Wade Waters was Wonky (he refused Warty) and I was Dorky.

We worked on coded signals. We experimented with citrus-based invisible ink. However, our initial project was to build our secret den within Laburnum Grove. 

I had better tell you about Laburnum Grove. It is situated where Laburnum Road meets Briony Lane. At that time both Jericho's and Spencer's family lived on Laburnum Road and Wade lived on Waterfront Road close to the other end of Laburnum Road. They didn't have far to go, and to be fair, I was only a few streets away. I wonder now, was our den that secret? I suspect our parents were happy to give us the illusion of our independence.

The den was between a dense growth of evergreen shrubs. Growth in the area between the shrubs was restricted by a rocky slab so we were able to push back the encroaching ground cover to give us a solid floor. Spencer's family were co-owners of the Applewood Department Store and he was able to retrieve some broken wooden palettes destined for recycling. We recycled them to create a solid structure for the walls and the roof of our den. 

 

 

Jericho claimed the remnants of some rolls of waterproof fabric left from his family garden. Once this material closely enclosed the den structure, we bent supple branches overhead and weaved them together. Into this we inserted divots of grass and moss, encouraging other plants to root within. It took a few months to get it into shape and we kept it maintained long afterwards. It was our place. 

Of course, there came a time after all this careful preparation when needed to discuss what the Mayflower Gang should actually do. Secret codes and invisible ink were all well and good but we needed a project in order to use those skills.

"You've got the intelligence network, Dorky," said Spencer. "Your dad's newspaper must have the scoop on all sorts of stuff."

"What are you thinking, Messy?" said Wade.

"There's bound to be stuff in there from the Sheriff's Department," said Spencer, "asking for the public's help. I'm guessing not all of that info goes into the printed newspaper, with editing and all that. If we've got the full info, couldn't we help investigate things?" 

"Wouldn't Sheriff Huckleberry think we're in the way?" said Wade.

"Good point, Wonky, but we'd do it secretly," said Jericho, "and when we solve whatever it is, the Sheriff shouldn't have any complaints. What about it, Dorky?"  

  

"Well...," I said, "I'm working jn the newspaper archives area. Some of that includes filing correspondence. It might not relate to the latest events."  

"So we look at cold cases," nodded Jericho. "You'll have the council press releases too. Could be useful."

"I won't be able to take anything out of the building, Jerky." 

"You won't need to. When it's clear you can let us in."

It didn't sound the best plan to me; discovery was always at the back of my mind. It didn't happen though. We found four reports that interested us and that led us to mount surveillance operations. It shouldn't surprise you that nothing came of it, although we were able to use our coded communications.

It was a year or so later when we received an urgent summons from Jericho.

o 0 O 0 o

"It's my parents," said the lop-eared rabbit. "Their fancy flower fiddling has got out of hand."

I should explain. The Flora family are totally enamoured with flowers and plants of all descriptions. Jericho is not. His passion is reserved for wild flowers. The centre of Laburnum Grove is a haven for a wide variety and I'd often seen our rabbit chum sitting and gazing at those flowers with a happy smile on his face.

His parents were dedicated to creating new varieties of flowers by selective fertilisation. They had a small laboratory at the back of their house to assist with their experiments but there would be a time when they'd want to plant their creations out in the open.

"They want to plant a garden of the stripy tulips they've been working on."

"It's too late for tulips, isn't it?" said Wade. "Aren't they more March or April?"

"Ordinarily, Wonky," Jericho sighed, "except these are late bloomers. Slap in the middle of May. And one of the sites that could be affected is Laburnum Grove. All our wildflowers will be taken out."

"That's terrible," said Spencer. 

"You said one of the sites..." I began.

"What can we do to help?" said Wade.

"I was hoping you'd say that," said Jericho. "I have a proposed mission for the Mayflower Gang."  

o 0 O 0 o

"There was a choice of three sites to develop for a special tulip field, each agreed by the council," Jericho explained. "Laburnum Grove, a plot near Hop Lane accessible from Cloudberry Road, and one running alongside Goldenrod Lane. My mum and dad checked them out, leaving Laburnum Grove to last. I went with them and couldn't believe they were considering our place." 

"Did you say anything?" said Spencer.

"About the den? No, but I did say there were wild flowers that it would be a crime to remove."

"And?"

"They said they'd think about it. I had the feeling they'd already decided. The Hop Lane site has a lot of small stones and rocks to move so they mainly compared the other two. There was little to distinguish between them, but Laburnum Grove was nearer to them."

"So they eventually told you that they'd chosen that."

"No. I found the paperwork. They are engaging some contractors to prepare the site when we're away to visit my uncle out of town. I wonder if it is so that I'm not upset about losing the Grove."

"Considerate or sneaky?" said Wade.

"Could be either," Jericho acknowledged, "if they think I might protest." 

"What will the preparation involve?" I asked.

"Most of the work," said Jericho. "Clear the land, set up the planting areas with the predetermined soil with accessible walkways."

"What about the planting?" asked Wade.

"That too. The contractors include two critters from the Sylvanian Horticultural Institute. The bulbs will be planted according to the plans."

"Are you saying everything will be completed by the time you're back? That it would be too late to change anything?" said Spencer.

"Yes," grinned Jericho, "and that's how our mission could work."

 

o 0 O 0 o

The plan was audacious. It emerged the paperwork had still to be sent to the contractors and they would be posted as the Flora family left the village. Jericho had borrowed the pages that specified how Laburnum Grove would be processed. We had to work quickly. 

As I had experience in manual printing at the Mellowdene Examiner, I would produce custom forms according to Jericho's specification. He had created diagrams of the Goldenrod Lane site and typed out instructions for that particular piece of land. 

 

 

These would act as substitutions for the pages mentioning Laburnum Grove. The general papers, including those bearing the signatures of his parents, would be copied using the Examiner's duplication facilities - with the signatures blanked out. These would replace the signed pages in the original contract. If Jericho's parents should notice the missing signatures they might be momentarily confused but it would be simple for them to sign them again. We were hoping, should that happen, it would be attributed to an oversight on their part. After all, the contract was otherwise unchanged.

The revised contract for the Goldenrod Lane site would include the pages with the original signatures and these wouid be placed into an identical envelope and a switch would be made before it could be posted.

After the Flora family had left, the remaining members of the Mayflower Gang would go into action. Messy, Wonky and Dorky would relocate the signs created for the benefit of the contractors.

And did this work?

o 0 O 0 o

It certainly did. The contractors had finished setting up the tulip field before Jericho and his family returned.

There were some intense discussions!

And yet, being Sylvanians, the discussions were positive. Jericho's parents had not appreciated the strength of feeling about preserving the wild flowers. The Goldenrod Lane Tulip Field presented an amazing display of hybrid striped tulips in May, and it even transpired the site was a better one as it allowed for expansion.

A couple of years later, Jericho's parents became employed by the Sylvanian Horticultural Institute and moved away. However, Mellowdene wouldn’t long be without representatives of the Flora family as his cousin's family would take up residence on Cherry Blossom Avenue.

 

Spencer and Wade didn't face any consequences, so at least some of the Mayflower Gang members maintained an air of secrecy.

Having used some of the newspaper's resources I did face some consequences. My reasons were understood but the consensus was that I had been left to my own resources too much. 

"It's about time he mixed with others anyway," said my mother.

I suspect my father was secretly proud of my independence but he agreed. "And I know how we could fix that," he said. "It's about time he had some academic studies to supplement his apprenticeship here. Time he was enrolled in school."

 

And the rest is history.

o 0 O 0 o

"Messy, Jerky, Wonky, Dorky

Thinkie first before you talkie,

Faithful duty do not shirkie,

Wonky, Dorky, Messy, Jerky"

Sunshine Daydreams

Hello my friends. Darcy here with some more scribblings for you. An amalgam of my thoughts and snippets about Mellowdene. Ah, you know the sort of thing. Unless you're new to this blog, in which case, welcome!

I've been pondering Jackson's recent tale about Morwenna Deerheart and Kurtis Gribbit. After reading it I was in a quandary. Briefly. Whilst my investigative side urged me to go and speak with these two extraordinary people, I took Jackson's words to heart. Morwenna and the boy deserve to have their abilities kept secret so I have exercised some self restraint. Nevertheless, it has opened my eyes to possibilities I could not have imagined. Do superheroes live amongst us?

Whoa, Darcy. 'Superheroes' is hyperbole. What do I really mean? I suppose 'unusual abilities' covers it. How would we detect them? And there's the crux if it. At their heart, Sylvanians don't differ too much from each other. Put personalities, likes and dislikes aside and at our core we are the same. The same values and physical attributes. We recover well from injuries and infections, treat each other with kindness and respect... where would we get an opportunity to see anything outside normal behaviour?

You see how my mind works? No? The investigative journalist part of me will now be watching people more closely. Watching for any odd attributes. Oh, Jackson. What have you discovered?

o 0 O 0 o

Speaking of our resilience against injuries and infections, I'm reminded of a particular exception. Someone with a connection to one of my employees, my good friend Harry Hawthorne. The wife of my head reporter has a nephew who was very ill indeed. Huckleberry Hamilton and his family moved to Mellowdene for three reasons. One - to get additional support from his father and sister, two - to live in a kinder climate and three - to consult with Doctor Henry Bearbury. Young Georgie Hamilton suffered from a blood condition that was reportedly life critical. The expectation was that he had two years of life left to live.

Henry Bearbury is an important part of Mellowdene and he is dedicated to keeping us well. That goes beyond his medical skills. He used his ancestor's resources to develop an apartment complex that, initially, was intended to provide homes for hospital staff. I'm speaking of Minestrone House. These days, whilst some medicos still live there, there are other occupants too. With regard to his medical skills, our dear Doctor Bearbury is not only the lead General Practioner in Mellowdene; he periodically spends time at the Greybear Clinic learning of alternative treatments. 

That brings us back to the Hamiltons. Huckleberry was hoping that Henry could suggest a different treatment for his boy, one that might change his fate. That hope was fulfilled.

I always remember a quotation from my younger days. I was spending a little time with my chum Wade Waters, and his brother Kelvin - recently ordained - said, "Sylvania is all about balance. If something bad is about to happen, good will rush in to smooth things out." I thought of this when I was told how the Packbat was diverted from evil deeds after an encounter with the Dreamstone. Was Henry Bearbury the 'superhero' that rescued Georgie Hamilton from that rare life-threatening condition? 

Harry shrugged when I tentatively raised the subject. "Tillie said that Huckleberry is quite open about it. Henry's treatment was completed when he brought Georgie to the Sunny rabbits."

o 0 O 0 o

I knew a little about the Sunny rabbit family, imparted to me on one occasion when I was with Kelvin and Wade Waters, relaxing after lunch.

Rhona, like her sister Emily Nightingale, was born to the Oswald family. She left Mellowdene after forming an attachment to a visiting rabbit Edy Sunny. They married and settled in the small hamlet where Edy was raised - a place called Sedesolis - but returned to Mellowdene a few years later with a young son. Their family has grown since then.

I learned that most of the inhabitants of Sedesolis were also Sunny rabbits and they tended to share a spiritual belief, variations on a creation myth that related to the sun. There was a core belief but unusually there was also encouragement to develop variations upon it that suited the individual. It transpired that Edy and Rhona (she was known as Rooney there but wasn't keen on this) had decided that their spiritual "solar connection" was better suited elsewhere. The Nightingales and Oswalds were delighted when they returned to Mellowdene. In turn, Rhona was delighted to be re-united with her sister who was now head nurse at the hospital.

When asked about their return, Rhona was quite open. "Oh, I liked it there, mispronunciation of my name aside", she laughed, "but Edy had only settled there out of a sense of obligation. As his beliefs evolved, his family insisted he should go wherever his solar daydreams led him, that he could always visit. And that led us back here. He even wants to be called Eddie so that he feels more of a Mellowdenian."  

It emerged that the reason Edy/Eddie wanted to feel more of a Mellowdenian was prompted by Rhona's upbringing. She had been raised with stories of the Snow Queen and our creation myth. He wanted to know if he could reconcile the two myths and this resulted in him talking with Kelvin Waters and subsequently encountering the Dreamstone. Clearly his encounter went beyond mine. I only had sketchy details (one's experience with the Dreamstone tends to be a private thing) but I gather his daydream showed his Sun King assist our Snow Queen in her desire to melt herself and create Sylvania.

This might be evidence that the Dreamstone tailors its visions to the individual. Does it really show the truth or does it adapt to help consolidate Sylvanian values? After all, it apparently had an affect on the Packbat. But I digress. This isn't about the Dreamstone. It's about the Sunny family.

You're probably wondering how the Sunny family figured into the treatment of Georgie's condition. As a doctor, Henry Bearbury wouldn't discuss details (of course) but the Hamiltons - and by association the Hawthornes - were so delighted with the results that they were quite effusive about the treatment.

The last stage of that treatment was marked by the time Henry took Georgie and his parents to the Solarium where the Sunny family worked.. 

o 0 O 0 o

"What do I have to do?" said Georgie, looking around at his parents, Henry and most of the Sunny family.

They were in one wing of the the Solarium. This building has many windows and it lies adjacent to the Sunny's home, set back from Sundew Terrace, both nestled in a  sandy clearing surrounded by an extensive growth of short golden-leafed shrubs.

"Not much, Georgie," said Henry. "If you try and relax in this recliner chair, Mister Sunny and his family will attempt to help you. The medicine you've been taking over the past week gives our rabbit friends a chance to see if their treatment works."

"It won't hurt, Georgie. That's right, isn't it Eddie?" said Rhona, encouraging her husband to explain what would happen.

"No," said Eddie. "It might feel a little uncomfortable for a short while. You'll feel hot but you shouldn't feel any pain. We will hold your hands throughout. Close your eyes and tell me when you can taste roast vegetables."

"Roast vegetables? Sounds weird but okay," said Georgie. "And this will make me better, mum?"

"We hope so, darling," said Hilda Hamilton.

"But we don't know until we try," said Henry. "As we explained, it might leave your head sensitive to bright sunlight for a while..."

"But I can wear a hat like you do," Georgie said, a weak smile on his open face.

"Maybe not as big," Henry laughed, 'but yes. That's a good idea."

Huckleberry Hamilton later described what had happened next. He had moved back, together with Henry and Hilda, to sit on the benches within the Solarium. The Sunny family formed a circle around the chair in which Georgie sat, Eddie and Rhona taking the young hamster's small paws in theirs.

Minutes later, when the sun reached its zenith over the Solarium, the young hamster was bathed in sunshine and the rabbits appeared to glow faintly.

"Dream of what you'd like to do if you were well," said Eddie.

"Okay," said Georgie. "I'd like to... ooh, my arms are tingling inside!"

"It isn't hurting, us it?" called Hilda.

"No, mum. It feels like warm water is running through me. It does feel odd but it doesn't hurt."

"Keep daydreaming, Georgie," said Eddie. "Thinking how you will be better helps the treatment."

The process took no more than five minutes although it seemed longer to Georgie's concerned parents.

 

"I can taste hot peppers," said Georgie, smacking his lips.

"Hold," said Eddie and both he and Rhona released Georgie's paws. "You can open your eyes now, Georgie."

Georgie's parents joined their son, Henry following them. The Sunny rabbits stood back. The apparent glow had disappeared when the parents had broken contact..

"Well?" said Henry.

"I didn't detect anything unusual," said Eddie. "If you run your medical tests you can check whether we were successful."

"It's very bright," said Georgie.

"Yes," said Rhona. "Let's get you out of the sun."

o 0 O 0 o

As it was explained to me by Harry, the infection was burned out of Georgie's body without any physical damage being incurred. The only side effect was a sensitivity to sunlight but that was expected to disappear in time. Some years have past and that diagnosis has proved accurate - although Georgie has become attached to his floppy hat.

My earlier comment about Sylvanian resilience and there being only rare exceptions: Georgie was one of those, but it seems Sylvania compensates by creating crittizens who have the skills to smooth the way. Maybe the Sunny rabbits - with their ability to heal with their sunshine daydreams - are further examples of Sylvanians with extraordinary abilities. Not quite the same as Morwenna Deerheart and Kurtis Gribbit, but individuals who can help preserve the balance of our beloved land.

o 0 O 0 o