“How’s that cup of tea going, Polly?” he asked with a wide grin.
“Oh dear,” replied Polly, “I made it quite a while ago, so I think it is almost certain to be stewed. I will quickly brew up another pot.”
Soon Dr. Loveheart, Officer Locke, and Polly were in possession of a cup of fresh, warm, disgracefully sweet tea made by Polly’s fair hands. Neither Dr. Loveheart or Officer Locke thought it appropriate to tell her that she had gone way over the top with the sugar so that it therefore tasted more like syrup than tea, for both men were far too polite and gentlemanly. While sipping his tea, Dr. Loveheart decided that this was as good a time as any to update Polly on Jessica’s progress. Polly was delighted to hear that while she had been snoozing, young Jessica’s parents had been traced and were at this very moment by her bedside.
“Excellent,” cried Polly, “that is such good news!”
“I thought that would make you happy,” said Dr. Loveheart with a smile. “And, as promised, here are your shoes, oh, and of course, Langdon as well.” He placed the items in her hand.
“Polly, Jessica’s parents wish to meet with you to say a big thank you. Would that be all right?” asked the doctor.
Polly declined the offer. “I’m really sorry, Dr. Loveheart,” she said apologetically. “I would love to meet them, really I would, but I have stayed far too long and I must quickly leave the hospital, for I have some very private and urgent matters that I must attend too. Can you tell them that I’m so glad Jessica is safe and in good hands, and perhaps we can meet up at a later date once Jessica has made a full recovery?”
Dr. Loveheart smiled at Polly, saying he fully understood. “I will just slip back to Jessica’s bedside and let them know that it is not possible. But first, I think I need another cup of tea. Anyone else like a refill?” he asked as he made his way over toward the kettle.
Polly leapt off the sofa and offered to make some more tea. The good doctor declined her kind offer, for his stomach was still feeling a bit queasy from the last cup she made. Officer Locke on the other hand held up his cup to express that he wouldn’t mind another cup if it was going. After all, it is well known that British bobbies never turn down the offer of another cup of tea, as it serves to help them concentrate more effectively as they scribble down and then go over the he said-she said facts of the case in question.
Officer Locke asked Polly a few more questions before closing his notepad, at the same time informing her that for the time being, he had all the information he required. Then, leaving only the dregs of his tea in the cup, he stood up and with a huge warm smile that lit up his entire face as he bid her farewell. Polly smiled at the constable, feeling very glad to have met him, for their little timely rendezvous had done much to restore her confidence in the British bobby!
After the constable had left to go back to the police station, Polly picked up her schoolbag containing all her possessions and slung it over her shoulder. Then with Langdon in one hand and her shoes in the other, she quietly left the room and tiptoed down the corridor. Once outside the hospital, she sat on the wide steps to put her shoes back on. As she slipped her shoe onto her right foot, it felt distinctly uncomfortable, so she pulled it off and shook it. She was completely taken by surprise when out tumbled a small smooth stone. Polly cautiously picked it up and quickly noticed that, just like her other pebbles, this too had a word inscribed on its smooth surface.
The engraved letters spelled the word goodness.
Polly was thoroughly stumped as to how it got there, but she was far too tired to allow free reign to the multitude of theories that were ready and willing to occupy her mind for the next twenty-four hours. She wisely decided to place it in her pocket along with the other two and forget about it. She then slipped on the other shoe only to find that it also seemed strangely uncomfortable. So once again she removed the shoe and shook it. However, on this occasion nothing revealed itself. So she then resorted to peering inside the shoe before placing her fingers into it. She could see clearly that something was stuck inside and, trapping the mysterious blockage between her fingers, she pulled it out. It turned out to be an envelope that had obviously been folded up a number of times. She carefully opened it up and began to read its content.
Dear Polly,
Nothing can express the depth of gratitude we feel toward you for rescuing our very precious daughter. Please accept this monetary gift as a small gesture on our part to say a big thank you. We knew if we gave it to you in person you would probably refuse to accept it, so we felt it would be better to do it this way. We know you need the money, for a friend of yours named Ralph popped in to see Jessica, and he told us that you had a plane to catch and this is why you are in such a hurry to leave the hospital. Have a safe trip and keep in touch, for Jessica has told us you are now her best friend ever. Take care.
Polly felt deeply moved by the letter. She put the money safely in her pocket before pulling her precious gold book out of her schoolbag. She opened it up to a fresh page, and as she did so, she again noticed the words had been written for her. It read:
The princess was very tired, for she had been through quite an ordeal. Her time in the desert had been such a difficult and painful experience that she had nearly thrown in the towel, even giving in to thoughts that told her she would be far better off if she went back home to the castle. Luckily these thoughts were only temporary, as was her understandable outburst of rage. Thankfully, Langdon was only slightly injured, suffering a small bump, which left him nursing a sore head and trunk for the next couple of hours. However, the princess came up trumps in the end, for when she discovered a young girl who not only had been kidnapped but also left for dead in the desert, the princess immediately dropped all concern for herself and her future, choosing instead to devote herself to helping the extremely distressed and very bewildered child. She put on both goodness and kindness and spent all her energy doing all within her power to ease the young girl’s most terrible plight, for Jessica’s pain became her pain.
The princess even insisted on staying at the hospital until she knew Jessica had her family safely at her bedside. She did all this in spite of knowing that she was probably jeopardizing everything. It seemed a certainty that this unforeseen hold-up would result in her arriving at Piadora far too late for anything but cold leftovers. But to Polly, it no longer mattered, for such was the goodness that arose from within the spirit of this young maiden. It was a gift that had been there all the time, just waiting for the right moment to be released.
The young princess also dealt with her suspicion and mistrust for officers of the law, for she discovered that many of them truly do serve to protect young and very vulnerable ladies, such as Jessica and the princess. She had therefore learned many lessons through the trials and tribulations of her days in the hot, dusty desert. She now needed to hurry and get herself ready to catch a plane. The black London cab arrived in perfect time to get her to the airport, with the cabbie leaning out of the window to cry, “Taxi. I’ve come to take you to the airport, miss!” The princess got up from the hospital steps, and with Langdon safely tucked under one arm and her schoolbag over her shoulder, she climbed into the taxi to continue her most exciting adventure.
Polly closed the gold book and placed it carefully back in her schoolbag, along with all her other possessions. She then picked up Langdon and held him close. As she did so, a big black London cab pulled up right beside her, and with the engine still running the cabbie poked his head out of the window and shouted; “Your taxi, miss, to take you to the airport.”
Polly climbed into the backseat of the car and then closed her eyes as she reflected back on all the strange events that had taken place over the past few days. The taxi then drove carefully out of the grounds of Hope in Your Heart Hospital before making its way in the direction of the airport at high speed.
Chapter 21
MANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS
IN NO TIME at all, the taxi pulled up outside the taxi rank that
was specially reserved for dropping passengers off. Polly paid her fare and thanked the nice cabbie driver, not forgetting to tip him, before heading toward the doors of the airport terminal.
The inside of the building was not only huge, but bustling with travelers and their bursting-at-the-seams suitcases as they raced to and fro with trolleys stacked precariously high with their luggage. Observing all the busyness left Polly feeling a little bit scared.
Finally she made her way over to where two very glamorous ladies with highly polished nails were sitting behind a long desk tapping on computers. Polly had to stand on tiptoe, and even then she was not too certain whether the ladies would be able to see her there, for with the computers blocking her view and the service desk being so high she felt very insignificant.
“Excuse me,” she said in the most grown-up voice she could put on.
Still the ladies chatted excitedly because they had not heard her, nor could they see her. She needed to think of a way of catching their attention. She made a loud coughing noise before waving both arms in the air, and as Langdon was being held in one of her hands, it did much to make him feel terribly dizzy and sick to the pit of his furry little tummy. Her plan worked! Both ladies eventually stopped chatting and peered over their computers to take a better look.
Polly smiled and then said again, “Excuse me, but I really do need your assistance, for I need to catch a plane to Piadora and so I was wondering if you could help me.”
The two exquisitely dressed ladies looked at each quizzically before answering.
“Piadora? I have never heard of such a place!” remarked the taller one of the two, who had her long, blonde hair swept up in a bun, most of which was covered by a red-white-and-blue hat.
“No, neither have I,” stated her equally smartly-dressed companion with short dark hair and deep green eyes. “Don’t you think that you’ve got yourself a little bit confused young lady, and the place you really want to travel to is Paris?”
“Ooh, I love Paris,” interrupted the blonde lady dreamily, “Yes, Paris is definitely the ‘in place’ to travel to, for it’s so romantic, and the food is simply divine. Shall we book you on a plane to Paris then, young lady?”
“No, thank you,” replied Polly. “For although I’m sure Paris is, just as you say, a most wonderful place with food to die for, I cannot go there because I am expected in Piadora for tea at a friend’s house. He would think I was most rude if he ever got to hear that I had chosen to go elsewhere to eat. In fact, I’m certain he would feel so upset that he would never invite me to his house ever again!”
“Without wishing to appear rude either, miss,” interjected the blonde lady, “Do you think there is just the smallest of possibilities that you have the name of the country wrong or the spelling of it incorrect?” she suggested, drumming her highly polished nails on the counter as she spoke.
“I don’t think so,” replied Polly. “In fact, I am quite certain that I have got it right, and Piadora, not Paris, is where I am meant to be flying to. So please, I really do need your help and advice.”
Polly, who was now feeling most frustrated, pulled out her map and then placed it on the counter for the ladies to unfold and then look at. Both peered most anxiously at Polly’s map, agreeing and then disagreeing as to where this country might possibly be.
Polly began to feel a little unnerved. For if the ladies had no idea where it was, then what hope had she of ever finding it? After all, she considered herself to be a most inexperienced traveler. Yes, her travels had been extremely limited, with Polly never having ventured farther afield than the town in which she lived. She stood waiting as patiently as she was ever able to wait, anxiously biting her nails as she did so, in the forlorn hope that the ladies might finally shed some light on her growing travel crisis. She was on the verge of giving up all hope when one of them finally spoke.
“I think I know the answer to your travel problem,” she said with a smile. Polly immediately perked up. “Yes, what you need to do is travel to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and once there, you will then need to take an internal flight to the Iguaçu Falls. Finally, you will need to take a boat downstream before heading up into the mountains. Yes, I’m quite certain that is where you will find Piadora.”
Polly thanked them, for she was most grateful for their help. She then politely asked, “Where do I need to go to buy a ticket to Brazil then?”
“You can get one here,” said the kind hostess with the blonde hair tied up on a bun. “But I will need to see your passport.”
“What’s a passport?” Polly asked with a troubled look etched on her face, for she had never seen one before.
“It’s a little book with a gold British emblem embossed on its cover, and inside it has a nice little picture of you, dear,” replied the nice lady.
“Oh dear,” said Polly, feeling instantly disappointed, “I don’t think I have one of those, and I certainly have no picture of myself, for I am so terribly ugly. Please tell me the truth…Are very ugly people allowed on planes? For if not, I have no idea as to what I am going to do,” she wailed.
The ladies looked at each other before breaking into a smile. “Yes, even if you were Quasimodo you would still be allowed on the plane,” said the blonde lady before breaking out into fits of giggles, her friend then following suit.
“Well, that’s all right then,” said Polly, her voice betraying sheer relief, although she had absolutely no idea as to why they found her very reasonable question so funny. However, she decided not to pursue the matter any further.
“I may not have a photograph or a passport, but I do have a royal emblem on my signet ring,” she said, placing her hand on the desk. “Will this do instead?”
Both ladies peered at the ring before the blonde lady replied to Polly’s question. “Well, that’s all right then, for I do believe that wearing that ring will get you anywhere you wish to go.”
“Is Langdon allowed to travel on the plane with me?” Polly asked. “Or does he require a passport or ring as well?” She lifted Langdon above her head and once again waved him in the air so they could take a good look at him.
“No, I think as long as he stays close to you at all times and doesn’t charge off anywhere, then I do believe there should be no problem,” replied the blonde lady with a smile as she issued Polly a ticket.
“Do you wish to have any baggage checked in?” asked her equally delightful companion.
“No, I don’t think so,” Polly wistfully replied. “For I have very few possessions and I take them with me wherever I go, but thank you for asking.”
Polly breathed a deep sigh of relief as she thought to herself that she was finding her time at the airport a very pleasant and trouble-free experience. She beamed back at both ladies as she produced the envelope that contained the money. In minutes, she had been checked in and was clutching her ticket tightly in her hand.
Polly made her way to gate seven, where the ladies had instructed her to head. They also informed her that she would be traveling with BOAC. Polly asked them what that meant. The nice ladies informed her that it stood for British Oversees Air Carrier.
She was glad they had been so helpful in giving her directions. The airport was so large, and Polly had absolutely no idea which gate she needed among the many corridors and glass tunnels that all served to make Polly feel thoroughly confused.
Once she made it through one set of gates, she was directed by a very serious uniformed gentleman with a peaked cap to join a long line. Polly hadn’t the slightest idea what they were all lining up for. She wondered if it was to get free sweets and ice cream. She certainly hoped so. As the line got shorter and she reached the beginning of the queue, she was most disappointed to discover that she had not been standing in the line for free goodies, but they wanted her to remove her schoolbag from her back and place it on a long black surface that was moving. Polly did as she was told and then watched as her bag of most precious items went down what looked like the production
line in a factory, only to be finally gobbled up by a large metal, oblong machine.
This made her most anxious until the man standing behind her in the queue told her that it would come out the other side, and once checked over by security, it would be handed back to her. She was delighted to hear this good news, as the bag held all her worldly possessions and she did not want to lose them to the hungry X-ray machine that was happily devouring everything that came its way!
Polly was then ordered by a man in a uniform to place Langdon on the moving security line. She was quite reluctant to part with Langdon and therefore hesitated. Having given her the order, he then momentarily turned his head to deal with a customer who appeared to require his immediate assistance. The very demanding lady then commandeered him toward her rather large mound of luggage. In doing so, he abandoned the security checkout and left the line momentarily unsupervised. A bad decision if ever there was one, and one that he would have many years to reflect back on!
For Polly, having followed through his last order, which was to place Langdon on the conveyer belt, took it upon herself to jump up onto the moving line as well. For she naturally assumed that if Langdon was required to go down the moving line, then she too was expected to do likewise! She also could not bear the thought of being separated from Langdon, even if it was only for a few minutes. She had, after all, experienced the deepest sense of loss when she accidentally left him on the beach in the near-drowning crisis, so she was not prepared for anything like that to happen again!
“Langdon,” she rather furtively whispered in his ear. “Where you go, I go.”
With her intentions now clearly out in the open, Polly then climbed up on the conveyor belt and lay out flat, giving a quick stretch as she did so. For she did not wish to bump her head or get her hair tangled in the man-eating machine. The machine had a strange rubber fringe that looked something like tentacles as it flapped to and fro, covering each item that moved slowly toward it before utterly consuming it all. She smiled to herself as she thought how much fun all this was, lying back with not a care in the world.
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