THE WOODEN SWORDS CHAPTER 5. - SATURDAY’S MEETING

- Mum, Ralph said that he really likes your cherry cake.

- Say thanks to Ralph. I will try to remember that.

- Yes, err…

I should think quickly.

- Ralph is one of my best friends!

- I know, Alex. I’m glad you have nice friends, even though some of them are a bit…overweight. Too much cake…

This wasn’t working out how I expected. I think I had made things worse and now we were a long way from getting more cherry cake.

- Oh, we have a meeting today here.

- What do you mean ‘a meeting today here’?

I had made a big mistake by forgetting to ask for her permission before inviting everybody. It was that meeting had been energetic and I forgot that even leaders have to ask for their parents' permission.

She had stopped loading the dirty dishes into the dishwasher and looked at me, with her hands upon her hips. I didn’t like it when she stood like this; it meant that she was not very happy about something. I often saw her talking to Dad with her hands on her hips and I felt sorry for Dad.

- It’s Saturday, Mum! We always have our Saturday meeting!

- You didn’t have a ‘meeting’ last weekend.

- We were at James’ house!

- What about the weekend before?

- Timmy’s!

- How many of you are there?

- Eight, but Anne doesn’t count. She lives in the same house with Perry!

- Oh, I see. I guess this means that we will be having a ‘meeting’ every…seven weeks?

Mum could easily confuse you during a conversation and I had to think about her reply for a minute. From the day we decided to have a weekly meeting, we had to cancel one because Ralph, Timmy and I were ill with a cold and another because Perry and Anne went to visit their grandparents one weekend. The first meeting was in my house, which meant that we had only four meeting until now.

- I don’t know, Mum! We do try to take it in turns.

- What does Perry’s mother thinking about it?

My parents are very good friends with Perry and Anne’s parents. They usually meet at least once a month and they go out for a meal together, which is great because Perry, Anne and I can play knights together. We have to have a babysitter called Miss Helen, but she takes care of Maria because the rest of us are old enough to look after ourselves.

- So? What do Perry’s parents think about this weekly ‘meeting’?

- I don’t know. I have never asked them.

My mother laughed.

-Ok, you can have your serious ‘meeting’ here, but next time you’d better warn me the night before and even ask me!

- Yes, Mum. Sorry, Mum, it won’t happen again.

I felt that the moment to ask for cherry cake had passed; Ralph will be disappointed.

- Will ham and cheese sandwiches be enough to feed the appetites of the Kings Road Knights?

- Yes, Mum! Thanks and, umm, can we, err, have some, err…

- Yes, there is some chocolate cake in the fridge and we have some juice. I think that will be enough to satisfy the hunger of the hungriest knight, especially when there was no warning for the meeting!

- What meeting? I don’t know anything about a meeting.

My father had just come in from the garden with my sister on his shoulders.

- Oh Dad! Not again! Mum, tell him!

My mother explained to him while I hoped that he would keep my little sister out of my bedroom.

- Ok, Maria, it seems as though your brother has a serious meeting and serious matters need no disturbance. Shall we stay and keep him company or shall we go into town for some ice cream?

Please, please, please choose the ice cream! For a minute I was scared, did I say it out loud?

- Ice cream! Ice cream!

- Ok, pumpkin! Let’s go and get our jackets, then after your mum finishes with…hmm…all these sandwiches, we shall begin our quest for ice cream. Ahh, here is the first knight! Welcome Sir Perry and Lady Anne. Please enter our castle, the drawbridge has been lowered and many sandwiches are being prepared. Lady Anne, may I recommend a seat in the garden; spring looks wonderful this year!

Perry and Anne looked at me in surprise before saying hello to my parents and sister. My father walked off carrying my sister, who was singing ‘ice cream, ice cream’ over and over again. I went with them into the garden and sat down at the patio table that my dad had set-up last weekend. He had said that now it was spring, we should start using our beautiful garden again, although I knew I would be helping him cut the grass tomorrow.

Timmy, James, George and Adam all arrived within a few minutes of one another and my mum had almost finished bringing out the last of the plates piled high with ham and cheese sandwiches, plus a few peanut butter rolls. I don’t know how she could prepare that much food so quickly, but I guessed it was another part of her magic skills.

My parents came out of the house, with my sister following close behind. My dad had a funny smile on his face as he saw the seven of us sat around the round patio table.

- So, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, have fun and be good. We will be returning to Camelot in about an hour!

My dad was strange sometimes, but our attention was soon taken by my mum placing eight glasses and a large jug of juice on the table, along with a large chocolate cake. Just as the plate was placed upon the table, Ralph appeared.

His timing was always incredible. He would appear when all the food was at the table, not a second before and not a second after.

- I think Athos has arrived!

My father joked and my mother laughed. I knew that Athos was one of the Three Musketeers because I have seen the film; he was the fat one. The Three Musketeers had given me some ideas, but they could wait for later.

Now my parents and sister had left, our meeting could start. Stupidly, I positioned my knight notebook and pen in front of me and placed a sheet of paper in the centre of the table. I began to sketch a map of our area starting with the roads, but we couldn’t agree on the road names.

- That one is Pine Street. It has the candy shop.

- No, this is Pine Street because I live there on Island Road.

- If this is Island Road, then what is this?

- This is Elm Street!

- No! Elm Street is there. Here is River Road.

- Come on! I said that I live on Island Road! Don’t you think I know where I live?

- With you I can never be sure. I say this is Ocean Street!

- If this is Indian Street, then where is Ocean Street and where is MY house?

- Mmm…nice hammy cheesey sandwiches! Mmm!

- Hey! You are getting crumbs on the map.

- This is Capitol Street!

- You are crazy! There is no Capitol Street here. I do know my own neighborhood, I think.

- Well? Why not? You said that Elm Street is there. How do you know where Ocean Street is?

- We live in Ocean Street.

- Who asked you?

- I love these peanut butter rolls!

- Be quiet!

That was me. The conversation was getting confusing and the map looked like a plate of spaghetti, with all the squiggly lines pretending to be roads. I suggested that we walk around the neighbourhood and make the map that way.

- -Do you have anymore peanut butter?

- Where are all the sandwiches?

- Ralph?

- RALPH!

- Is this chocolate cake?