Wild Berry Apprehension by Otilia Tena
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SUMMARY: This is a sequel to "The Lady Teacher without a Name". Brad and Daiusy grow up and have a child together, yet they are still haunted by the teacher's memory.Wild Berry Apprehension
"You know, Brad, I've been longing for wild berry pie for some time... and I thought: why not going in the woods and fill my lap with berries?"
"Don't worry, there's no need for you to go. I'll do that for you."
"No, Brad, promise me we'll go together! I miss those days when we used to have fun like this..."
"All I mean is that I'm worried for your condition..."
"You're afraid it may wish to come out right there, in the woods..."
"Yes..." He put his hand on my belly and caressed it. " You don't want this for our baby, do you, Daisy?"
"I want berry pie. And I want to pick the berries myself!"
"Alright then, young lady. Tomorrow we'll go in the woods and pick just about everything that looks like berries. We'll make sure there'll be nothing left for the others."
I don't know what time it was when suddenly a slow knock at the door woke me up.
"Who is it?"
No answer. So... I opened and...
"Daisy, how are you? Won't you give me your baby? You can have mine instead. Look!"
I closed the door quickly and went straight to bed. In the morning, I just couldn't tell whether it had been real or merely a dream.
"I had a nightmare...you know..."
"A nightmare? Tell me!"
"It was she..."
"She?"
"Our former lady teacher..."
"Oh, that one! What about her?"
"I think she wants to steal our baby."
"Daisy, come on, darling! She's gone. It's been thirteen or fourteen years since then."
"But how can you be so sure?"
"She was just an ordinary woman, for God's sake! We were children. Children live more or less in a world of their own."
"I guess it must be the pregnancy, right?"
"Of course. It's natural to be worried about your child."
"Promise me we'll pass by her place when we're in the woods!"
"Alright, if this makes you feel better."
So we went to that glade near the swamp... we could still hear the water purling. It had been so long... my thoughts flashed back to that day... as far away as this place.
"It seems so empty..."
"You see, Daisy, I told you she's gone. It's been so many years!"
Evening came... how was it? Like a thief of silver... with bells tied at his ankles. The smell of baked pie filled the house. Our nostrils went mad.
"Brad, don't you remember when she invited us to her house to eat berry pie?"
"But we didn't go, did we?"
"We didn't. Grandpa and grandma told us not to."
"You know, Daisy, I still have that flute knocking around. Her lover's flute."
"Oh, my, it can't be! I hope you won't play it."
"Alas, I tried so many times to play it! It's got no sound at all. It's just a toy."
"But... we heard it, Brad, didn't we?"
"Yes, we did. He played the flute."
I left some berry pie on a plate outside. If she stopped by and ate the pie, there were chances she might go away and leave us alone. Then I buried the flute and covered it with leafs and branches and fresh earth. As I entered the house, an unusual feeling of peace and relief overwhelmed me. It was just as if everything had been a mere fairytale, mixed up with all the other memories of our childhood.
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