Theme Thursday...........BREAD

Opal Nation19


He had been in the Swirling Marshlands more than once. Father truly believed that the Swirling Marshlands hid the secrets to where the ten large revered Opals in the Opal Nation had been found. For you see, he had once found an Opal of which he swore was even larger than any of the ten that the Opalites worshiped. Then he had lost it, along with his case of journals, to one of the many swamps in the Swirling Marshlands. He knew that Opal would never be found unless the swamp dried out, thousands of years into the future.

Father had cried that night when he had told us the story of the lost Opal. There had been so many stories about the adventures Father, Carlos and the Professor had experienced during those three years they had spent in Opal Nation. As I sat there in his chair I remembered the story about the time Father had gone to visit a weanurthee farm outside one of the many villages during their travels.

Carlos and the Professor had gone into a village for supplies while Father had stayed in their camp with three of the Packwitts. A few hours later, a young boy wandered into their camp. The boy just stood there starring at Father. He had never seen anyone dressed in such a strange way. The Opalites wore a few basic coverings due to the warm weather that occurred during the time of the Opal Nation. The boy was not afraid because he knew one of the Packwitts, and had walked up to touch Father's shirt. He rubbed the material and then gave Father a big smile. The Packwitt told Father that the boy really liked the feel of the shirt and wanted to know where Father had gotten it from.

Father then tried to tell the boy about how they had traveled a very long distance to visit them in their Opal Nation. He was not sure if the boy understood, but Father wanted to make as many friends of the Opalites as possible and so he gave the boy one of his shirts. The boy put it on and proudly walked around the camp showing it to the other two Packwitts and their zerthbeelees. The zerthbeelees chirped while their nostrils were flapping, Father said it almost looked like they were putting on a nostril dance for the young boy. They then knelt down while the boy rubbed the sides of their necks.

All of a sudden the boy looked at Father and asked if he would like to visit his home and meet his family. There was no way Father could refuse such an invitation. Soon he, the young boy, and the Packwitt, who was his friend, were on their way to where the boy lived. Father said it was about a ten minute walk and he soon found out it was a weanurthee farm.

There was a large house with the courtyard in the rear and four more buildings. Father noticed that there were only males working there. He still had hopes of seeing a female Opalite. But alas, today was not the day. The boy's father came over to meet Father, and he too had to touch the material on the shirt the boy was wearing. Father then gave the boy's father a shirt, which proceeded in Father getting a large hug from the man. He then began to show Father the inner workings of the weanurthee farm.

He took Father to the smallest building. Father said the smell coming from this building was better than any bakery we had at home. He said he knew what they were doing, they were baking the bread made from nurth seeds. He had never tasted fresh baked nurthleen and could not wait to try it. They opened the door and.....

For those who missed part 18, here is the link. Which also links to parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. For more Theme Thursday's please go here.