Wednesday, February 27, 2013

A forest of divans

After our meeting in the Aviary Garden, getting to know each other a little better over some refreshments and some rest I took Jupiter to the monastery the next day. The nuns would surely have a spare room for him to stay whilst he was waiting for the return of Nicholas.
But it was not to be. The nuns were going through their pre-spring cleaning...again. Two years ago they had an unfortunate infestation of bed bugs during a heavy winter, and ever since, any time the sun would come out from behind it's grey shroud during the winter season they would take all the beds out to be washed and aired. I sighed whilst entering the monastery gates as a forest of upright white divans stood almost luminescent against the stone walls.
- Oh no child, we couldn't possibly... it would be highly irregular to make a guest sleep on the floor, and well, he is rather too large to sleep on our best sofa. Jupiter shuffled embarrassed in the backround as sister Anne stretched her neck to meet his face. I made a note to myself to send her a balm of rose mint cream for whiplash that evening.
- Where did he sleep last night? asked sister Anne
- Well I had to improvise, so I let him sleep in the assistant's room in the back.
Sister Anne directed her next question to Jupiter.
- Were you comfortable sleeping there? I know there hasn't been an occupant in those quarters since Lea took over so, it must have been cold and moldy!
- Ayee slept like a chick in an unhatched egg, sister! Sister Anne raised an eyebrow and Jupiter elaborated.
- It was a very fine sleep indeed!
- Well Lea, there is your solution. Take him back to the Aviary and he can stay in those quarters.          Don't worry yourself about extra food, I'll have one of the girls bring you a warm dish of something every eve. Now child, I have to get back to whipping those divans.
And that was that.