IMPRISONED IN THE WOODSHED!

It seemed hours before we heard a chopping sound at the outer door of the woodshed. It went on and on and on… At least all the din; speculations, lots of ‘what ifs’ — crying— exclamations of doom.

I learned there and then that people can verbalize bad things, tragedies, death, violence and disaster, but few seem to have hope and to shout out about deliverance and that God Himself will protect. I remember bowing my head and wanting to pray, but the noise around me dominated my thoughts. I said aloud, but unheard by anyone but me and God — “Shut up and pray! Shut up and pray. Shut up everyone and at least let ME pray. I can’t even pray with all this noise! Shut up… please…”

Yes, the sound of the axe, chopping through the wood, pinging off thick steel nails, it silenced everyone eventually. Only Mavis sobbed, and somehow, her sobs came, one by one, between the blows.

Felix had somehow snaked his way through the trembling crowd to the inner door. He called, “Just one axeman out there, it’ll take him a while, but when he gets through to this door, we must all move back and give some space…” Then he shouted louder, commanding everyone to compact up and make space by the door.

It was Norman, John and Hedy’s father, who was that first axeman. By the time he was chopping on that inner door, others had joined him and one by one, they took turns, blow by blow. It stopped and someone began prising at the boards. Then the chopping resumed…. it was going to take all day at this rate! I couldn't help it, I swore under my breath, using a word that one of Felix's peers had used when we had been shoved in this woodshed. Then I apologised because I knew Father would not like me doing that... I just wished and prayed we could get out of here and move on to doing something about my father's abduction! 

Luke Chatelain

When our father was kidnapped

I see Jobyna has blogged about this! Let me catch you up from my side of things. Yes, we WERE racing to the top of the ridge - to our special place called 'Spy Castle'. I would have easily raced her to the top, but I got captured by some traitorous men on horses. Yes, they were traitors, going to the manor house to join with those there who had taken over our home and were packing up all of the bits and pieces that our father was using to make a printing press. AND they were going to take our father with it this time so that, as their slave, he could make the press for whomever had the price to buy him and the invention.

I was dragged off my horse and taken to be locked up in the large room at the back of the wood-shed where my mother, my two brothers and my sister, Elissa were locked and under guard. What a fuss when Jobyna was finally pushed into the room. Mother hugged her and held her like she would never let her go! Everyone was talking at once - standing room only and just that! All our servants, - oh, and Mavis, Sabin's mother. She was wailing about being there in that room for ever, or not, because someone might burn us alive in there, and this made other people, mostly women, start to wail, sob... then - BANG! BANG! BANG - not another word. A couple of sobs... but the banging went on and on. The evil creeps out there were nailing thick planks to the door so that we could not get out. The hammering went on for a long time. Even Mavis stopped crying. She was holding her breath so much, I think she passed out.

We listened and the sound of horses, lots of horses, riding off... fading... they were gone. Felix, one of our father's most loyal soldiers, he lifted me to try and get me to climb out the one long opening up by the roof of this room. I could get my head and one shoulder out, the the thickness of my chest just would not fit. If someone did not go for help, this crowd of people could be standing in here for hours and hours!
Somehow Felix talked Mother into letting Jobyna try and climb out. Of course Jobyna was just busting to do it, and although I wanted to get out of this cramped prison, I was in about three minds as to whether she should be the one to do it. She was always getting into trouble, and a lot of things could go wrong for her, then, I was thinking, why should SHE be the one to get the attention and glory again... and, if she did make it to the village, who would believe her? What a story. Everyone from the manor house, including the Baroness, locked in the wood-shed? Our father kidnapped? No, no one would believe it, and the way she would tell it would be spectacular, unbelievable.

But Felix put her up through that narrow portal and she turned around and dropped to the ground. I think she said "I'm all right Mother..." then she was gone....
Someone, I'm not sure who, but it was a man with a very deep voice and it reminded me of Father, only he was not here, that someone began to pray, and one by one, everyone raised their hands. Others prayed, I lost count of how many. Even the women prayed. The only one who did not, was Mavis as I think she was still faint and Sabin was propping her up because there was no room for her to lie down...
I was thinking of Jobyna... my little sister....

I cannot let my 'little sister' Jobyna get away with blogging and telling it all from her point of view. You see, although we've been close, she doesn't always see things the way I do. In fact, it is very rare that she knows what it is like to walk in my shoes - I guess that's the same for a lot of people. I try to think of others, but often I find that I'm making it all about 'me'. That was the case especially before I became king ...

I was not always king of Frencolia - in fact it was quite a journey, full of danger and adventure. I did a lot of growing up when I found I was to be the king of a whole kingdom... and growing up is still very much part of my journey.

So, not just to keep up with Jobyna, or 'Jo' as I call her, I'm going to keep this kind of diary. I can't let the world of blogging revolve around her, now can I?

The Manor House where we lived with our parents...