Chapter 5 What now?

Walking down the side walk, there is a rectangular post, a billboard as the books say, on it were lines and colors. On a red mark it says "You are here" and few fingers above were the words "Vivicty", 3 hands away to the upper right "Monochormatia". Huh? Why are we so small? I thought. I scan the area tracing our path this morning, and it looks like we are out of the map, so sad.

Looking for a way to cross to the other side, I can see fading white lines on the ground, people seem to be stepping on it, so I followed them, jumping from one line to the other, not falling out of lines, until finally I reach the other side.

Walking back and forth on the shop that my brother pointed, trying to catch a glimpse on my brother, then I got tired. I crouch down near a window and peek on the shop. The door suddenly opened, I flinched, and then I can smell warm feeling, like wood but sweet and soft on the morning. A lady came out, she wore blue shirt, and a long skirt, her hair tied on a bun so tight, not a single fly away to be seen, she is looks old, there are small lines on her face, but I can feel genuine in her eyes as she smiled.

"Hi, dear, are you Galen's sister" she spoked

I nod

"Come here, your brother is at the back" she signaled me to get closer, I hesitated at first but my feet walk forward.

I entered the shop, and it smelled so sweet, I see other people, and recognize that some of them are from my class, one girl pointed at me as she whispers something to someone beside her. Following the older lady, she went behind the counter of cakes and opens a heavy looking door. I was just standing, admiring the plates behind the glass cover.

"Psst" she called form the door, I followed, and entered the heavy door, and it looks like a different place, all silver and sweet, unlike the other side, wooden walls, this place is more like fancy looking workplace. My eyes scanned the area, the I saw a hat, with puffy black hair, I sneakily went in closer, he was piping some chocolate icing on flower cookies, my hand reach out slowly wanting to take a piece, but my brother notice.

"No, they are for sale" he says without moving an inch from what he's doing.

"Don't worry dear, a piece is fine" the old lady says from behind me

I smiled to her and pick a finish sunflower cookie it is bigger than my hand, it taste like the ones brother made at home, sweet, but not too much.

I watch in awe as I chew on the cookie, finishing the seeds of the last cookie, he wipe his hands and picks up the tray, hands it over to the old lady, she goes out of the kitchen, leaving us alone.

He kneels close to my height "how's today?" he ask

"I sat beside a smart kid, he gave me his phone number" shows him a piece of crumpled paper with River's number.

He now looks troubled, he purse his lips and his eyes shows deep thought. And then I remembered, we don't have a phone.

"Aw, we have no phone… you can just teach me brother" I said with a smile. "You already taught me everything before"

I came back to reality "go sit on the chair" he says pointing at a silver chair on a small table.

" Nah, I wanna watch" I said "No… can I help?"

He nod and picks up a book near where he made the cookies.

"We are going to make a batch of those" points at a picture of round cookies that says, sugar cookies. "wash your hand and prepare that is written on the cookie part only"

I salute and head for the sink, tip toeing to reach it and went back, my brother prepare a chair for me and the items I need to measure.

"Go first with the powder one place it on the big bowl" he said

I pour 3 cups of flour, not packing it, not shaking it, not tapping it, to the bowl. "Brother, what's tsp?" I asked

"It's teaspoon Z" he answered

"okay"

I took a ¼ teaspoon and counted, 1…2…3 baking powder, next using the same spoon, scooping one ¼ salt. The book says sift, I found a whisk and swirl it around. I pick out another bowl and place 1 ½ cup sugar, and butter, smooshing it with a fork. Mid way my brother look at me and took the bowl "this place has a mixer, we can use it" he place it beside me and took a semi-circle thingy with two small whisk, he move the switch and I watch, the butter and sugar mixed together easily. The he stop, "can you crack two eggs here" he said.

"But the book says only one" I debated

"Those are small ones, so we add two, because it's supposed to be large eggs" he answered

So I carefully crack, no shells to be seen on the bowl, "I'm a professional" I thought. And add ¼ milk, I watch as he mixed those again, then to place down the mixer and took a wooden spoon. Told me to pour the flour slowly, I followed and made a light cookie dough, on the bowl. He wrap it on a plastic on the table and place it on a refrigerator. I wipe the place where we work, then he place another dough like the one we made earlier, and gave me a water drop cookie cutter, we continue working until 24 cookies were made, he told me that he would bake it and design it, just go back to the table, we'll have our lunch.

I sat down and prepare the food he made earlier this morning, I took also the one from his bag, and place it on the table. The old lady went in and gave us a glass of apple juice, and went back out.

We ate and I told brother about river and Ms. Griffin, and he just laugh "Don't worry, you'll be fine" he said in assuring tone.

After lunch, He went back to work, while I cleaned the small table and place the book I had and start reading, I was fine at first; verbs, noun and such. I move on the math, mostly the basic equation, and few letters, I continue to read and wrote down the question I would be asking tomorrow.

After a while my brother called me up, he is now in his normal clothes this morning," Let's go"

I fix my things and followed him out the heavy door, the old lady was counting the money at the table.

"Bye, Mrs. Lily" my brother called out

The old lady, look up and wave back "see ya tomorrow Galen, bye dear" and she went back counting.

We retrace the steps, and I recalled on the map, that we are now on Monochormatia, the gray part of the map, and the gray building on the place. We head back to the forest, seeing trees and soil again, make it feel like we have been gone for months, I miss home. Closing in the house, I frown, seeing him, and now I remembered, the man named Aiden.