Tabby… Tabby!
She jerked as if she had woken up from a dreamless sleep… She opened her forgetful eyes and smiled. It was her father. She was taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the hospital and had chosen her father's medical room as her safe haven, to which she had a spare key. "What's the use of being pampered here, head nurse Clarissa has already asked for you..."
"Sorry, I somehow overslept, maybe that's why he won't scratch my eyes..." Tabby joked. Doctor Harris smiled a little.
"I don't think so, he's our angel, even if he's a little bit angry sometimes. You're sad, I can tell it to you, it would only take a little and you'll need a handkerchief..." he said a little worriedly.
"It's okay, Dad, I'm fine..."
"You're not..." Dad objected, gently placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Well, you know that David has flown to the Himalayas, I'm very worried about him...and also a strange fear that I might never see him again. I don't know what it is, I can't help the feeling. Tell me more about him, Dad..." she begged. Doctor Harris rubbed his chin and after a moment began. "It's been many years since his mother first brought him here, he was barely ten... I'll never forget him... a brown-eyed boy with a bright smile, with which he seemed to be trying to drive away all the dark clouds from his life. He was found unconscious a few times by his parents and also by a teacher at school. And it scared them quite a bit. I thought it might be something minor. And it was just a slight enlargement of the left hemisphere in the area behind the left eye. It could have been a congenital defect, and it was at first. I recommended therapy and medication. I haven't seen him since. Until recently, he came here with his pictures from the doctor... I suddenly remembered the tears in his mother's eyes and her pleading look... and unfortunately I found out that my conclusions were wrong back then. No, it's not my fault, his disease is very rare and indistinguishable at first. Unfortunately, he came too late... Now we just have to wait helplessly until the end will come...but I didn't agree with his journey, but I still allowed him to go, of course with a flood of medicine and safe advice. But, but, you're crying, little girl, I really didn't want that...that's enough, go, go, get to work, at least you'll come up with other ideas." Dad said loudly. That brought her back to her senses a little. She stood up abruptly and her eyes slid to her dad's bookshelf. A travel book caught her eye. As if something was drawing her to it, she slowly approached it and took it in her hand...on the title page she saw it...that tree that David once told her about...
"... many times in my dreams I have seen a beautiful, powerfully grown tree, with a crown in the shape of a huge heart, in whose leaves the rays of the rising sun were golden reflected... and on each leaf it seemed as if one day of my life was written, in each rustle of the wind it seemed as if thousands of whispering voices could be heard, like unhappy human destinies. In the shadow of that tree I vaguely see a girl's figure sitting. Her head is leaning against the trunk, her hair is black as raven wings... she is holding something in her hands, and I do not know what it is, I did not even know her face until now, but now..."
She gasped and hesitantly asked her father:
"Where is it?"
"It's a beautiful place, high in the mountains here in Ireland, the nature here is pure and wild, it's a really beautiful and uniquely beautiful and rare tree and it's said to be surrounded by legends that it hides the secrets of wandering human souls. But who knows if it's even true, people will talk it out. Okay, but run away now, or the matron will be very unpleasant and not even my intercessions will help..." Tabby felt a strange warmth in her heart, she didn't understand it, but she was very happy about her discovery.
"And can I borrow this book?"
"Of course, but..."
"I know, I know, I'm flying!!" Tabby shouted and slammed the door to her dad's room behind her. She hid the book in the cloakroom and happily ran down the stairs. Fortunately, the matron had not yet appeared. So she grabbed the table with the laundry and ran with great gusto down the long corridor. She didn't even notice that Ted's omnipresent eyes were following her with a hesitant look...
Nepal, Kathmandu, 12 hours later…
David Hatcher rubbed his eyes lightly as he was awakened from his slumber by a voice announcing that the plane would soon land at the airport, and he tried to overcome the unpleasant feeling of nausea. Aaron watched him carefully.
"Are you okay? Are you feeling well?"
"Sure, that's good, don't worry..." That's right, he still missed his friend being a caring mother to him. Half an hour later they were standing in the airport hall and in a few minutes they were sitting in a taxi, if this vehicle could be called a taxi, of course. When the door slammed, it threatened to fall apart. But it was definitely much more pleasant than trudging in a rickshaw after a tiring and long journey. After half an hour, they finally reached the house of his grandfather's friend. From afar, the house shone snow-white, among tall trees and palm trees. It didn't look at all luxurious, but it radiated a special charm and peace. An older man in a turban and a long white tunic was working in the garden. They greeted him timidly. He looked up at them, waved lightly with his hand and led them inside. Instead of a door, there was only a long curtain of reeds. In the room at the table full of books and ledgers sat a slender man, his tunic blue and richly embroidered. When he turned to them, despite his age, a white smile shone on his olive-brown face.
"Namaste, welcome boys... David... Are you a real man, where is that skinny boy who used to sit on my lap?" David laughed happily and hugged him.
"Uncle, how could I forget... do you still have that whistle you used to play for me?"
"You know I do, come, sit down, Bahir will make you tea and prepare something to eat. You must be tired after the long journey, you have a bed in the next room. Make yourself comfortable, like at home. How is your father, how is he doing? I haven't seen him for a long time." David sat down, threw his backpack into the corner and answered. "They're in Canada with my mom now, I'm kind of a straw orphan now," David grinned. He couldn't help but notice that his uncle was watching him closely.
"Are you okay, boy? I don't like the color of your face, you're a bit pale..." Aaron cleared his throat, but David glanced at him.
"I'm okay, uncle, don't worry." But he didn't convince him too much. He preferred to continue the conversation.
"You know why we came here, I'd like to make grandpa's dream come true..." Uncle Rohit lightly rubbed his gray beard.
"Yes, I know, but I'd prefer you came here for a different purpose, you have no idea what legends are circulating about that ancient cave..."
David grinned and answered.
"I know, and it attracts me all the more... you won't stop me, you know I'm like him..."
"Well..." replied the uncle quietly and reached for the shelf. He took out an ancient book from there, in dark brown leather covers that were covered with a thin layer of dust, its pages were yellowed like leaves in autumn."
"What is it..." asked David curiously. The uncle frowned slightly and answered.
"This book is very old, it was written by hand in 1876 by an English scientist... he was also obsessed with the desire to know the secrets of our mountain. Everything is written down here, in detail, all his knowledge and observations... but it is not finished, because..."
"Because what..." David insisted...
"Um...he didn't make it, and this is the only thing left of him...here, take it and read it carefully, but something is missing, the title page, where the labyrinth map was..." David smiled and reached into the side pocket of his backpack..."
"You mean this?" Uncle raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Where did you get that map from? We've been looking for it for years..."
"It was in my grandfather's estate, and it aroused great enthusiasm in me..."
Uncle frowned slightly. "Okay, I see that I can't do anything to you, you're like your grandfather, you're going hard after your goal...but be careful, boy...I'll give you an old jeep tomorrow, it's almost half a day's journey from here, you won't get there until late in the afternoon..."
David smiled contentedly. When he lay down in bed after dinner, he knew he wouldn't fall asleep anytime soon... Aaron was breathing contentedly after a while, so he tried to dial Tabby's number again, but there was no signal there, so he put the phone down on the table again in disappointment. From his shirt pocket, he took out a slightly wrinkled photo of Tabby smiling happily at him. That smile awakened old feelings in him again... he didn't want that smile to disappear from her face... never... he lightly touched the photo with his lips and whispered:
"You will always be in my heart, love, even though I may never see you again... you must be happy... Ted will take better care of you than I can, I have nothing to offer you..."
This thought made his heart ache, but he tried to overcome it. He hid the photo in a drawer and after a while, with a vision of the adventure of the next day, he too set off into dreamland. He was so absorbed in painful thoughts that he didn't even notice how the breeze picked up slightly and a barely noticeable phosphorescent flash passed through the book and map.