- Harry AnderS -
Dutch psychotherapist and alternative writer

-The amazing adventures of a little Gypsy boy-

Born as a Prince 2
Book 2: Our Lucky Mascot
- by Harry AnderS -

http://www.harryanders.com
harry@harryanders.com

    Below is an OLD version of my manuscript! I am rewriting everything, to publish my BOOKS.
However, I didn't want you to wait for so long, thus I decided to put the old chapters onto Nifty.
You may find the newest versions of ALL my stories on my Internet site! Just have a look...

Book 2 chapter 10 ended with:

    Did I hear that correct?
Michail was going to a gadjo town, to visit a couple of those interesting 'stores' my friends had told me about?
I wanted to accompany him!
    I jumped up, and looked at my Dad using my best puppy dog eyes:

    "Dad, I want to join Michail to that gadjo town. Please, Dad, may I? It is MY money he is buying the goods with..."

    My Dad chuckled, and looked at my Mom for approval.
My Mom looked at me, and smiled at the sight of my very eager face...
    She nodded, and tenderly ruffled my hair:

    "Are you sure? You know you will have to wear your beautiful gadjo trousers again?"

    I threw my arms around her neck, and enthusiastically tried to suffocate her.
Fortunately, I had already burnt those loathed gadjo trousers in our campfire...

    My mom helped me put on a nicely colored T-shirt, blue jeans, clean socks, and my sneakers.
She washed my face, told me to brush my teeth, and combed my hair using a little bit of gel.
She also tried to create some punk spikes in it, as she had seen on a couple of other kids...
After ten seconds, I grinned at her clumsy efforts and did it myself, looking in our mirror.
My hair looked really nice now, and I was very satisfied with the result!
I hoped that today nobody would want to ruffle it, although I loved the feeling...

    My Mom forced me to take my badger fur coat, in case it would be too cold outside.
Okay, I would be able to live with that...
    Michail looked at the now neatly dressed up and combed version of me, and chuckled:

    "Suddenly, you are looking like a decent gadjo boy, instead of a wild savage."

    "You are always looking like a wild savage yourself, wearing your inseparable fur coat even in the summer!"

    Michail opened his coat, and let me see he was wearing a dark blue T-shirt and blue jeans under it:

    "As you see, I will be able to shuck my coat if it's really too warm, but I think I am feeling naked without it..."

    "Well, normally, I am feeling naked all day, and I love it..."

    Everybody started to laugh, and Michail didn't know what to answer...
Both my Mom and my Dad kissed me, and told me to be a good boy and always listen to my Big Friend.
I promised them, and enthusiastically kissed them back.

    Michail and I left our caravan; and I put my small hand into his enormous shovel.
Today, both of us were going to a real big gadjo town, to buy some supplies!
Walking together, we went to our parking lot and Michail's big truck.
We were a huge giant and a puny little runt, walking hand in hand, me taking three-and-a-half step against his single pace.
It had to be a real funny sight...

    Michail opened his enormous truck, and helped me clamber into it by pushing me up.
I threw my badger coat onto the backseat, and proudly sat shotgun in my big front seat.
Michail closed my door, walked around the truck, climbed into his own seat, and closed his door.
    Next, he handed me his keys, teasingly asking me:

    "I suppose, a clever boy like you already knows how to start the engine?"

    Yes, I DID know how to start it!
I had been paying close attention, the last few times he drove his truck...
I leaned onto the console, put the correct key into its keyhole, and turned it halfway until a little red light started to glow.
I waited until the little red light went out, and turned the key a bit further.
With a growling sound, the powerful engine came to life!
I grinned proudly at Michail, who looked very surprised and shook his head in disbelief...

    Again, I paid close attention to what he was doing next.
He pushed the clutch pedal with his left foot, and took the gear knob in his hand.
Suddenly, he looked at me with little fun lights in his eyes...
Slowly, he put the gear into reverse, released the pedal, and the truck started to move.
He stopped, put the gear back into neutral, and beckoned me to switch it...

    With trembling hands, I took the big knob, lifted it a bit, and pushed it to the left and backwards.
Again, Michail released the clutch pedal, and YES! Our truck started to move!
I had been able to put Michail's big truck into reverse, without any help!
I almost exploded from pride, and smiled from ear to ear.

    Michail reversed the truck out of its parking space, and rounded the corner.
Here, he stopped, and put the gear back into neutral.
Again, he looked at me, and slowly pushed the gear a bit to the left and forward, this time without lifting the knob.
He lifted his left foot, and the truck started to creep forward.
He stopped, put the gear back into neutral, and looked at me...
I grinned, pushed the knob slightly to the left and forward, and looked at Michail for approval...
Michail lifted his left foot again; and our truck started to move forward!

    I couldn't restrain myself any more, and started to cheer with delight.
I knew how to switch the gears in Michail's enormous truck!
Now, where were the second, third, and fourth gear?
    Michail laughed at my excitement, and told me:

    "Thank you, my little engineer. You are a great help. Now, you will have to buckle up, for your own safety."

    I pulled the heavy safety belt around my waist, and Michail helped me click it into its holder.
He let the truck accelerate, and switched it into second gear, of course painstakingly observed by me.
Now, he switched it into third gear...
Aha, those gears were in an 'H' form, and you had to lift the knob only to switch into reverse, obviously for safety reasons.
From now on, I knew how to start and drive our truck!
I only had to wait until I would be tall enough to reach the pedals...

    We were on our way to the big gadjo town, while the engine growled and puffed through the forest.
This was the second time I left our secluded camp voluntarily; and, again, I craned my neck to look around everywhere.
Michail competently steered our big truck around huge trees and enormous potholes, seemingly without any effort.
All the time, I tried to understand what he did and why he did it, repeating every movement in my head.
Once I would be big enough, I would need fewer lessons to drive such a truck myself!
I almost couldn't wait...

    Too soon, we reached the big clearing and the two-story hotel...
Michail stopped our truck, opened his door, and went outside.
He walked around the truck, to help me descend...
However, I had already opened my door and climbed down on my own!
I jumped the last step, proudly grinning at my Big Friend.
He grinned back, and lifted me onto his shoulders.
Together, we went to the hotel entrance.

    He put me onto my feet and ducked his head, to be able to enter the door.
I took his big hand, and together we went into the lobby and waited.
Michail looked around, waited some more, and finally pushed a bell.
Two seconds later, the nice hotel owner rushed towards us.
    She smiled broadly, and put her arms around me:

    "What a nice surprise to see you here! And look at those nice clothes! Welcome aboard, my Prince."

    She left me and hugged Michail, telling him the same things except for the nice clothes.
Together, we went to the same huge room we were in before, and sat down around the dark wooden table.
Michail got a nicely smelling cup of coffee, and I got a big glass of lemonade and a pastry.
The hotel owner and Michail started to have some small talk.
Meanwhile, I looked out of the windows, sipped my lemonade, and nibbled on my pastry.

    Suddenly, Michail opened his purse, and handed the woman a lot of money...
HUH? Why did he do that?
I was severely shocked, and didn't understand what he was paying her for.
Was he planning to feel me up, like that nasty gadjo man who paid Misha for me?
He didn't have to pay her for me!
If he wanted to feel me up, I would let him do it for free!
He was my Big Friend, and I trusted him blindly!
However, I prayed he would not take me to such a stinking restroom...

    I jumped up, almost overturning my chair, and shouted:

    "What are you paying her for? You can have everything for free, because you are my friend!"

    Michail looked at me curiously, and shrugged his shoulders:

    "I am not sure what you are talking about. Of course, nothing is for free! You will always have to pay for everything, being befriended or not...
    "For a long time, we didn't have enough money to pay the hotel for our food and drinks. Now, we DO have enough money, thanks to our Lucky Mascot...
    "Today, I am paying our debts, and I am grateful for being able to do so. Now, what is your problem?"

    I colored a deep red, and felt deeply ashamed for thinking Michail had planned to do something else...
He was my big friend, and I had betrayed our friendship by not trusting him...
    I shook my head in frustration and whispered, barely audibly:

    "Nothing... I'm sorry..."

    Fortunately, Michail turned back to the woman and didn't ask me any other questions.
The woman put the money away, and told Michail he would be welcome in the hotel always and anytime.
She fetched him another cup of coffee, and offered me another glass of lemonade.
After some time, we thanked her and decided to go on...

    The nice hotel owner packed us some snacks for underways, in a huge plastic bag.
After receiving another big hug, we left the hotel and climbed into our truck.
Michail tried to help me, but I was already inside and smilingly closed my door!
He chuckled, walked around the truck, climbed in, and again offered me the keys.
I started the engine, switched into the first gear, and buckled up without any help.
Off we went, again being on our way to that big gadjo town...

    After a while, we reached the leveled landscape, and this time Michail turned to the left.
Now, we drove on the highway which would take us towards the big town.
Lots of fast cars were passing by in a tremendous hurry, as before.
This time, I didn't feel dizzy, and kept on looking around everywhere.
Behind us, our mountains seemingly disappeared into a far distance...
In front of us, the road seemed to narrow, until it seemingly disappeared into nowhere...
Misha once explained how everything seemed to change like this, due to the 'perspective'.
Now, I could see it with my own eyes...

    Now and then, we passed a wrecked car that was left along the road.
A few times, I even saw an old car that seemed to be inhabited!
Skinny looking children, clad in filthy and worn clothes, strolled along the highway and across the parking areas.
Obviously, they were looking for thrown-away leftovers to eat...
They had to be very poor, to be living like that!
Maybe, they were even poorer than we had been before I became our moneymaker...

    After a while, I got bored, sat back, and closed my eyes.
I dreamed away, with the monotonous humming sound of our truck engine.
Slowly, I drifted off, dreaming of being able to drive an enormous truck, all on my own.
It was filled to the brim with nice gadjo goodies, to deal round among all those poor highway children...

    I woke up with the changing sound of our engine, and opened my eyes.
Michail drove our truck into a big gadjo town, full of enormous multi-story buildings and blinking lights.
Now and then, he stopped, and patiently waited until one of the red lights turned green.
What was that light for, and why did Michail stop every time it was red?
    I was curious, and decided to ask him about it:

    "Michail, why did you wait for that red light to turn green, before driving on?"

    "It's called a 'traffic light', and it helps the car drivers to avoid any nasty collisions. Look at the light we are approaching now...
    "It is warning us first, by turning yellow. Now, it turns red, and we have to stop! Across the street, the other traffic light turns green, to let the crossing cars pass by...
    "Now, their light is turning yellow and finally red... and now, our light is turning green again, to let us pass the now empty crossing."

    "Wow! That looks like a really clever idea! Maybe, those gadjo's aren't so stupid after all..."

    Michail grinned, drove on, and slowed down at the next yellow light that soon turned red.
Several cars crossed our road, passing until they had to stop at their red light and our light turned green again, letting us pass.
Those gadjo's had to be really clever, to think of such a simple solution to avoid a traffic jam!

    After passing a couple more traffic lights, Michail finally parked our truck in a parking lot.
We got out, and he locked our doors carefully before we crossed the street.
Didn't he trust those gadjo's? In our own camp, nobody ever locked any doors...
I shook my head at the horrible thought of carrying keys all the time, to lock and unlock every door you were using...

    All those noises from the passing and angrily tooting traffic were overwhelming me a bit...
For safety, I held on to Michail's well known hand, while we crossed the street and entered a huge square.
Together, we walked towards an enormous building, seemingly winking at us from across the square.

    The four-story building was provided with huge windows, displaying all kinds of beautiful things.
I felt delighted, pressed my nose against the panes, and looked at all those nicely displayed gadjo gadgets with bulging eyes!
This had to be such a 'store', a huge gadjo building where people could buy all sorts of different things...
Lots of people were going in and out of a pair of huge sliding glass doors.
Every time somebody approached the doors, they were opening and closing magically...
Clever gadjo's, again, to invent those things!

    Michail and I went towards the glass doors; and they opened like magic when we approached them.
Of course, I had to try them out a couple of times, walking in and out.
Michail grinned, and waited patiently until my curiosity was satisfied...
Now, we entered the store, and I didn't know where to look first.
I felt totally overwhelmed by the sheer size of everything!

    Misha had told me about huge 'staircases' with many steps, and I had made sort of a picture of them in my mind...
Never could I have imagined the real staircases we were seeing now, having MOVING steps...
People stepped onto them, and the moving stairs carried the people to the next floor, fast and effortlessly.
They had to be VERY clever gadjo's, to construct such a useful thing!

    I kept staring at the moving stairs for a long time, wondering if they ever stopped...
Did all the gadjo houses in this big town carry those moving staircases?
Again, Michail waited for me to overcome my bewilderment...
    My curiosity won, and I leaned into Michail to whisper my question:

    "Are all the other gadjo houses in this town carrying those moving staircases as well?"

    "No, the smaller houses are having normal staircases. This moving staircase is called an 'escalator', and it's used solely in huge buildings, to help all those visiting people going up and down...
    "Come on, let's go to the second floor, to buy a couple of things."

************************************************************************************************************

Thank you, for reading this chapter of my story 'Born as a Prince 2 - Our Lucky Mascot .
This is the SECOND book of my children's series. Many more books will follow, just be patient...
Enjoy the reading, and help us make our world a better place. We NEED you!

ALL my stories are on my site: http://www.harryanders.com . Just click this link.
My site always contains the latest rewritten versions of my stories (recommended)!

I would LOVE to receive your comments, remarks, or appreciations...
Please, send me an email , to let me know my story has at least SOME impact on you...

I wish you lots of Love in your Life, and Profound Peace in your Heart...

Harry AnderS, Dutch psychotherapist.

harry@harryanders.com
http://www.harryanders.com