part 6

I think it was last Friday when I was having my breakfast. Cloudboy suddenly came in behind my back, pulled me at my skirt and announced with a loud voice: ” I’m going now.” Without understanding I turned around.” Excuse me, what?” “I’m going now,” Cloudboy repeated. I still didn’t understand anything. “Wait lets take it from the beginning. Where are you going?” Cloudboy took offence: “Now I’ll go and put my offended clothes on. You never listen to me what I’m saying to you.” “No, no I’m listening.” I said it softly because I didn’t want him to leave angrily, “I just don’t remember at the moment where you are supposed to go. Maybe you are so kind to tell me.” “I told you already a month ago that I’m going on vacation for some days.” “Oh yes.” I said, although I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. “And where are you going then?” I asked curiously. “Oh I’ll go and walk along old familiar paths. Remember things” Cloudboy said carelessly. “Oh well ok. You take care than and have fun” I nodded and patted him on his shoulder. He gave me the keys of his house to not loose them while wondering, and asked me to keep an eye on his cloud. So I promised, as I believed he wouldn’t be away for long and watched him leaving with a backpack half bigger then he is.

For a few days everything was so quiet. I almost got bored when he wasn’t around. On Sunday evening when I came back from a walk, I found him sitting on my stairs. “Oh you are back! I shouted when I saw him “yeah back” he muttered and didn’t seem to be very happy. I called him inside the house and thought why he didn’t go to his house. Suddenly I remembered that I had his keys and I felt embarrassed. I put him down sitting on the couch and offered a cup of tea. Then I asked him to tell about his adventures.

He was quiet for a while and then started:” I was visiting King of Rocks. “King of Rocks? Who is that?” I asked curiously and was little impatient. “Wait. Everything from the beginning.” Said Cloudboy and continued.

“Firstly I walked along the road where we met Big Truck. Then I went across a meadow, walked a little bit to the right, a little bit to the left, then straight ahead and I was in the big forest where the King of Rocks is living. His castle is under the ground. Above his house are many rocks which are all covered with moss. It reminds people of a little hill, but no one is interested in whether there is something under it. Also people don’t know that there is a little door on the north side of the hill. Almost near the ground. The door is opened by a special key which nobody in the rock-kingdom has. In extreme cases they are given for some special services.”

I would really want to know how he got it. But I didn’t want to disturb him.

“After I opened the door there were many stairs that go deep under the ground. At the end of the stairs is a rock- kingdom. Some people think that King of Rocks is really made of stones. This is a really wrong and foolish way to think. Cloudking and -queen aren’t made from clouds either. King of Rocks is the same as you and me are, although very much different. He is sitting on a big throne which is covered with soft carpet. The throne is covered with shiny jewels. Under his power are all the stones inside and above the ground. I don’t think those regular gray stones that we can see laying everywhere, but also many different jewels and metals. He knows exactly where which stones are, and how many there are of them. If he thinks that somewhere are some stones missing or there are too many of them, then he gives an order to his loyal servants and they do exactly what he wants. I spent all day with him walking in different chambers full of jewels in every color, every size and shape. As I am a cloud dweller, this dimness under the ground finally started to disturb me. Although there was plenty of air and light of torches, I still started to miss the daylight. So I said goodbye politely and King of Rocks gave me goodbye present.

When I came out from under the ground I thought to go and see if the sea is still there where we left it last time. So I walked a little more to the right and to the left. Took a ride on a bus and there I was.”

I was a little surprised that he remembered how to go there. Cloudboy was quiet for a little while, but then he continued his talk.

“Actually I went to the sea because I knew that mermaid should be around there.”

“What” I shouted!” there are no such things as mermaids, it’s not logical, and in our sea!” Cloudboy immediately took offence: “Maybe you should also say that I don’t exist because I’m not logical.” “No no.” I tried to calm him, because I wanted to hear his story till the end. “Please go on.” Luckily he continued:” I went to meet the mermaid because she’s an old friend to my father, and he asked me to give her something. Well there wasn’t anything much. We talked a little. I walked some more in the forest and came back home. It would have been nice to get inside also.” He finished his story.” I’m sorry, but I didn’t know that you were coming today.” I justified myself. I brought his key and gave it to him. Cloudboy jumped up saying: “I’m going now. This vacation was weary” and started to go. “Wait!” I shouted, “What did you get from King of Rocks?” I was really curious. Cloudboy smiled. He took from a pocket the biggest jewel I had ever seen and he disappeared.