Keepers of the Deep by Rcheydn - HTML preview

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Nikko’s mother bent over the cot. “Look at him,” she said. “He’s got a lovely smile on his face. He’s beautiful.”

His father reached over the side and brushed Nikko’s hair with his hand and stroked his back. “He’s a beauty alright. Our little beauty.”

As they stood holding hands Nikko stirred and screwed up his face. Then he let out a wail.

“Back to the real world,” said his father. “I think the temporary peace and quiet has ended.”

His mother rolled him only to his back and Nikko opened his eyes. He smiled broadly and gripped one of his mother’s fingers in his own tiny hand. He held it tightly as his wet nappy was taken off and a pair of bright orange pants put over the fresh one. His mother picked him up and carried him into the sitting room where some of Nikko’s favourite toys and playthings were. As she left his room she said over her shoulder to her husband: “Would you tidy up his bed please, it looks like he has fought a war in it.”

In the sitting room Nikko had his bottle of milk and his mother placed him on the carpeted floor. Immediately he crawled to the fireplace where there were a toy fire engine, a colourful cube and assorted other toys. But he ignored these and instead reached up and pulled a Japanese kokshi doll from the side table.

“What’s this?” asked his father walking into the room, holding something in his outstretched hand.

“What’s what?” said his mother. She looked at her husband who was holding a small silver ball in his hand.

“I didn’t get it for him,” he said. “Did you?”

“No,” his mother answered. “He must have found it in the garden.” She turned to Nikko. “Little kleptomaniac. We’ll put it away safely for you. You can play with it later if you want to.”

Nikko did not notice. He had tried to grab the kokeshi doll in his tiny hand but it had only succeeded in slapping one end. It spun around and around on its side as Nikko sat staring at it, his mind seemingly transported on an adventure to a wonderful distant land of oriental mystique.

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