Chapter 5 - Journey

Jane saw a few green trees beside the road. They were tall. The carriage bumped between the trees. Jane didn’t see a rock until now. The rock was huge and dusty. It was rolling towards the carriage. Jane thought they might crash into it. “STOP!” she yelled, “STOP! THERE’S A ROCK!” But the carriage drove straight into the huge rock. BANG! NEIGH! The horses seemed to be flying. “Ahhhhh!” came Rachel’s shriek. 

Jane suddenly opened her eyes. It was a nightmare. She was lying on a blanket, but still in the carriage. Jane was a bit overjoyed. She was thinking about looking out of the carriage window and talking with Leo about her hobbies. But the nightmare, was still hitting Jane’s mind. 

Jane looked around. Leo was rubbing his eyes and Rachel was scratching her nose. Rachel looked sleepy, but Leo looked very excited. 

“Get up, friends! Our journey is beginning. Come on, everybody!”

August was shouting to everybody. Blankets, quilts and sleeping bags were all lying on the carriage floor. Jane’s blanket was on a seat. The horses nickered when August got some hay from a box. Mr. Summer put the blankets, quilts and sleeping bags back to a large burlap bag. Jane hadn’t seen any boys on the carriage except Leo yesterday, but now she saw four tall boys. They were all wearing brown baggy T-shirts. Rachel and other girls put on their green skirts. Rachel combed her hair with a small wooden comb. They went to find their bottles and undying branches. 

“Will an undying branch die?” asked Jane.

“You can only make it die in one way,” said August.

“How?”

“Feed it to a horse! The horse will feel powerful when it eat leaves from undying branches.”

The horses in front of the carriage looked tired.

“What about cows and sheep?”

“They don’t eat those branches,” said August. “Come on, let’s have some breakfast. Otherwise, we wouldn't have the spirit to go to the City of the Seasons. ” he shouted.

“What will we have? Fried eggs? Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?” Jane asked.

“No. Only some bread and milk, you’re overthinking it!” yelled Mr. Summer rudely. He gave everybody a piece of bread and a cup of milk. 

After breakfast, the four boys went to the driver seats and sat down. They picked up reins and started to drive. The view from the window began to move backward slowly. 

“Slow down, driver boys!” yelled August to the boys. 

Tall oak trees were standing beside the muddy way. A small clear stream was flowing. Butterflies were dancing in flowers. A squirrel ran across the road in front of the carriage. Jane knew they were not in the town now. They were in the countryside! 

Jane shared stories and her orange candies with Leo. Leo put his needle into a pen case. He remained emotionless and didn’t say anything. 

“Hmph, why don’t you chat with me?” Jane asked Leo carelessly. “Mom said we should keep smiling when we speak to people.” she added. 

Leo smiled absently.

“Hey, everybody, look out of the windows! These are oak trees. ”explained August,“In summer, oak trees flourish. Their trunks are thick and straight, with a rough surface and longitudinal cracks, and brown bark. Their leaves are oval, with serrated or lobed edges. And in the summer sun, they have a rich and vivid dark green color, with a tough texture and a shiny surface. Oak trees are highly adaptable and can take root in all kinds of soils, even in poor places. Therefore, the Summer Logo is a light green circle with a cyan oak tree in it. You can learn a lot of things in this journey.” 

“Oh, wow,” gasped Jane.