Beyond The Golden Cave

[MoonyLuna]

Beyond The Golden Cave

by Lila May Guptill (Lunaria)



It is a giant of a house set high on a cliff. It is called the "Villa LaLatchi". The mistress of the villa is Brenda LaLatchi, daughter of grandma Lydia and grandpa Jerome LaLachi. Grandma Lydia used to be a LaLachi, But now she is just grandma. Anna was a LaLatchi for a while but she went home to Austria. She is a strong German woman that used to be married to grandpa LaLachi. But when grandpa went home to heaven, Anna left for Austria and wasn't a LaLachi anymore, but she visits a lot. Grandma Lydia and another man, we shall call him Boomer, are together now. Then there is John LaLachi and Mary LaLatchi and Helen LaLatchi. These are Brenda's children. John is a very handsome teenager.

Mary is younger than John, about twelve, but is very grown up. Helen is a young adult that lives on her own. She visits a lot to. After all, she is a LaLatchi. Bruno is the family friend that feels he is part of the family too.

And there is aunt Luzzy. Aunt Luzzy lives way up north with her small child, Misha and Andrew. They all visit the Villa LaLatchi often. Edward is Brenda and Luzzie's brother, so he is uncle Ed. He lives in another town. He doesn't visit because he doesn't like the part of the country where the Villa LaLatchi is. And of course there is Sherman the dog. Sherman loves to run around the grounds of the Villa LaLachi and sometimes gets lost. Then Mary has to go find him and bring him home. This is exactly what has happened today.

Chapter One
Grandma Is Curious.

The year is 2006AD. The town is called Willow Wind. It's summer, the middle of July and it's twelve noon. Mary is out looking for Sherman.” Sherman, here Sherman. Where are you for pete’s sake? Sherman, when I find you, you are going to get it." Meanwhile inside, Brenda and grandma were making dinner. "You know, Brenda you really should investigate that attic, grandma said. I think I saw a door over by the north wall. I wonder where it leads?"
Brenda replied that she would when she had time.
"Well, we should go up there together and snoop around. It might be fun, grandma continued. Dinner was ready. Mary came in with Sherman. He smelled soooooo bad.
Brenda said, "What has he been rolling in?"
"PEW" "John take Sherman and hose him down.” "ok ma" John came lumbering downstairs. He was a huge guy and sounded like a whole army with their marching boots on." Come on Sherman", John said, and took him back outside. Grandma, Boomer,
Brenda, John and Mary sat down to eat dinner.
Bruno came in late with desert. It was dripping from the box. He put it in the freezer and pulled up a chair and ate with the family. Everyone was afraid to ask what was dripping from the box that they were to eat later. After dinner the young people, Bruno and Boomer disappeared. Grandma and Brenda cleared the table and washed the dishes. That's the way it always was. While they were working in the kitchen grandma spoke again about the door in the attic. Brenda said she was too tired to think about it. It was late so everyone went to bed.

[MoonyLuna]

Chapter Two
The Door.

Morning came early.
Everyone ate breakfast and each went in a different direction. The house was silent once again. Grandma said to herself, "now would be a good time to investigate the attic."
She went upstairs and opened the door. Down came a ladder. She pulled herself up and found herself in the dusty attic." Gads, I should have brought a flash light." grandma said." There sure is a lot of junk up here. I wonder if-whoa- what the heck is happening?"
"Hey, where am I going?"
It seems grandma stepped on a trap door that fell open and she was sliding down deep into somewhere.
Brenda came home to make dinner. "Ma, hey ma, where are you?” Brenda yelled." where the heck did she go now? She's always disappearing and getting into trouble."
John and Mary came in to eat with Sherman trailing after." What's that Sherman has in his mouth, John? "I don't know. Com'ere Sherman"
"Holy cow, John said, it's a gold bracelet. There's writing on it.
What kind of language is this?" Brenda and Mary came to see.
Where did you get this Sherman? It looks expensive, Brenda said.
"I sure hope you didn't steal this from someone's house. "But how could you? There are no houses around here." "Give me that, Sherman". Brenda put the bracelet on the mantel and said, "John have you seen grandma?"
"No I haven't" "Have you Mary?" "No, I haven't seen her either"
"Why?" "She's missing. That's why.

[MoonyLuna]

Chapter Three
The Hidden Cave.

Grandma was sliding down some kind of tunnel at a very fast pace. "When is this ride going to end? This tunnel seems to be going straight through the cliff. If I don't get to the end of this thing soon I'll wear a hole in my pants" Finally grandma came out at the bottom of the cliff and landed with a thud on her backside in the dirt.
She got up and brushed herself off. “Where in God's green acre am I?” she exclaimed. And green it was and thick with foliage. It was a forest. A very dense forest. There were giant trees, big bushes, twining vines and magnolia blossoms everywhere. She could hear the twittering of birds and that was all.
"How am I going to find my way out of this jungle?, grandma wondered. She started walking through the brush. Around and around it seemed in circles. It was getting dark.
Finally her feet touched a gravel path. "I think I'll follow this path for awhile", she said. Way off ,far in the distance, she saw a tiny light. She hastened her step. After what seemed like hours and hours of walking and the light getting larger and larger, she stopped in front of a lighted opening in the foliage. She stepped inside and found herself in a large cave with golden walls with jewels imbedded in them.
"Oh, how magnificent", she exclaimed. "Look at the size of those diamonds and rubies".
"Gad, there are emeralds here too and sapphires and all kinds of jewels I don't even know the name of."
In the middle of this beautiful, gold room there was a fountain with pristine water flowing way up to the ceiling. There was a cup hanging close by and grandma filled it with this pure water and drank deeply. Then she lay down on the soft, white sand and went to sleep.

[MoonyLuna]

Chapter Four
The Gathering Of The Clan.

Brenda was very worried about her mother. It was dark out and she was nowhere to be found. "Hey, kids, I think we better call the rest of the family here". "We have to find grandma." "Ok", said John. Mary agreed. Bruno and Boomer said that was an excellent idea and Sherman barked his ok. So Brenda picked up the phone and called uncle Edward first.
"What did you say, Ma's missing? Where'd she go?" "You don't know?'
"Why can't you keep track of her, Brenda?"
"You want me to come all the way there and help look for her?"
"I don't like that part of the country." "Ok, I'll come. "Goodbye." And Edward hung up the phone.
Next Brenda called Aunt Luzzy. Aunt Luz was working and Misha answered the phone. "Hullo, who is this?" Aunt Brenda?"
"What do you want?"
"Granny’s missing?" "Hey, Andrew, my grandma is lost, we have to go find her".
Andrew got on the phone and agreed to tell Luz and they would come and help look for grandma.
Then Brenda called Helen. Helen answered the phone. "What?"
"Grandma's missing?" "What do ya mean she's missing?"
"Can't you keep track of her?" "Where could she go for heaven sakes, you live on a cliff?" "OK, I'll come and help look." and Helen hung up the phone.
Next Brenda called Anna in Austria. Brenda knew that Anna wouldn't come all the way from Europe to help find grandma, but she wanted Anna to know that grandma was missing. It was late so everyone in the giant house on the cliff went to bed. They would be waiting to greet the rest of the clan as they arrived in the morning to help find grandma.

[MoonyLuna]

Chapter Five.
On The Other Side Of The Cave.

Grandma awakened early in the morning to the jeweled walls of the cave and the soft white sand she was lying on. She rose and went to the fountain with the sparkling water and took another drink." I'm getting hungry and I see no food in this cave", grandma spoke to herself. "I think I'll see if I can find the way out of this beautiful place". She walked in the opposite direction from when she came in. Grandma thought she saw a very small light way up yonder." It's a good thing there is all this white sand to walk on because that little light is a long way off", grandma thought to herself. There were small fountains every few feet as grandma walked along on the white sand. So she drank the wonderful water all the way to the other opening of the golden cave. Grandma stepped out of the cave into a lush, green jungle. There was every kind of fruit hanging from the trees. There was fruit she'd never seen before. "Well, looky here" "I think I'll try one of these things". "Wonder where I am? "I'm lost for sure, she said, with fruit juice dripping from her chin." But it's so beautiful and peaceful here." "Still, I miss the family and I don't know how I'm going to get home." "There are so many turns in that cave and I don't know which one I took." Grandma continued to eat fruit. It was fairly early in the day so she decided to do some exploring after she had her fill of fruit. "I bet I get cramps from all this fruit" ,she said. Off she went to explore the jungle. Well, if I don't get home this will be a good place to live.

[MoonyLuna]

Chapter Six
The Clan Arrives.

Mike arrives first.
Geez Brenda , how the heck do you make it up and down those steps?
"Give me water please, I'm sweatin’ like crazy".
"Here Ed, here's water. Sit down and rest." "Now what's this about losin’ ma?” “How can you lose our mother?” "What did you do with her?" "Calm down
ED . I didn't lose her, she disappeared."
"What do you mean she disappeared?" "Well, she was home alone and when I got home she was no where to be found."
"Someone must have come in and stole her" "ED!!!!"
"Who would want to steal her?" "Well, I don't know, but you better find her. She's my mother and I left her in your care and you lost her." "I didn't lose her. That's why I called you here to help us find her."
Aunt Luzzy, Misha and Andrew arrived next." Hey
Brenda ,Luz called, what did you do with my mother?" "She's my mother too and I didn't do anything with her."
Misha chimed in, "Where's grandma?" "I don't know." "That's what you're all here for to find her." Mary said she thought that gold bracelet with the strange writing on it had something to do with the missing grandma, and that Sherman knows something, if only he could talk." Helen arrived next. "So ya lost grandma, huh ma?'
"Oh Helen, stop it".
Brenda made a big dinner for the clan and they all sat around the big family table and ate and planned how they would find grandma.

[MoonyLuna]

Chapter Seven.
The Amazon Tribe.

Grandma wandered through the jungle picking fruit as she went and eating her fill. The streams of sparkling water were plentiful and she drank from them like a deer or a wildebeest would, down on the ground. Off in the distance she thought she saw some thatched roofs. They were very far off. It was getting dusky out, as she called it, and thought it was time to find a place to sleep for the night. "Maybe I can make it to that village and they can put me up for the night", thought grandma. It was a couple more hours before grandma entered the village. She was met by a very large woman with bracelets on her upper arms. "Hello there, little lady", said the large woman.
"Are you lost?' "What is your name, little lady?" "My name is Lydia and yes, I am lost". "How did you get here, Lydia?"
"I fell down a long chute in the attic and wandered around in the brush. I came upon a beautiful, golden cave and fell asleep in the soft, white sand. Then I walked in the cave till I came to an opening. I found myself in this beautiful Jungle with all this fruit on the trees. I was so hungry I ate and ate. Then I saw your village and made my way to it. I am very tired for walking for two days." "I bet you are, Lydia. You come with me and I'll get you settle for the night. My name is Miranda. "Miranda led her to a small hut. Inside was a soft mat to sleep on. She fell asleep instantly. Meanwhile Miranda called the villagers together for a meeting. “People,” Miranda said, “we have a problem.” An outsider has wandered into our village. Others may come looking for her .We cannot have outsiders upsetting our peaceful life. We have to get her back somehow without her remembering anything about us, or how she got here." All the villagers agreed. In the morning grandma awakened and didn't know where she was. Sunlight was pouring into the little hut where she slept last night. Miranda came into the hut and then grandma's memory returned.
"Hello Lydia, did you sleep well?"
"I slept very sound, said grandma.
"Well, come and have some food." Grandma was led to a gathering of the village eating breakfast. She was given a plate of very delicious food. "I don't know what this is but it's very good", grandma said to herself. Grandma looked around and noticed that everyone was very large. They were natives of some kind. They spoke very good English. They wore gold bracelets on their upper arms with strange writing on them.
Grandmother found a bracelet just like it in the hut where she spent the night. She put it in her pocket. Now she was not prone to stealing but it was so unusual and beautiful that she couldn't resist. After grandmother had eaten,
Miranda offered her a cup of the most delicious liquid. After that grandma fell into a deep sleep." Ok, Miranda said, she will sleep until you get her back to the bottom of that cliff. I think that's where she is from." " Hurry, and hopefully she won't remember a thing. If it should happen that she does remember she will think it's just a dream. No one will believe her anyway."
Two beautiful, large women carried her on a mat held together with two poles. One woman was on each end of the mat and they ran through the jungle and through the golden cave and through the forest and deposited grandma at the bottom of the cliff.

[MoonyLuna]

Chapter Eight.
The Clan Finds Grandma.

Mary heard Sherman barking his head off outside. She ran to the deck. The deck had a strong railing around it so no one could fall down the cliff.
"Hey everyone come quick, Mariah yelled, I think Sherman found grandma." Everyone rushed to the deck to see. Sure enough way down at the bottom of the cliff was grandma. Ed was furious. "Well, that’s a fine how do you do" "How did ma get down there?"
"There are no stairs. No one ever goes on this side of the cliff. Well, what do ya all say?" Everyone agreed that there was no way down. John said, "Ya have to walk all the way around from the other side to get there and then I'm not sure ya can." Boomer said, "Well, maybe she's hurt for pete’s sakes." Brenda wanted to get to her right now. Bruno said to Boomer, "come on lets get those ropes in the store room and slide down." Boomer and Bruno sturdied the ropes with spikes driven into the cliff and started down. They got to grandma in lickity split time.
"Hey old girl, Bommer said, you gave us quite a scare." "How did you get here?" "Are you hurt?" Grandma looked at him like he was crazy.
"What are you talking about, said grandma." Then she realized where she was. Sherman was licking her face.” Stop it Sherman. I don't need you to keep kissing me. What's wrong with you? Go chase a squirrel." "Ma! "Ed was beside himself. "How did you get here?" "I don't remember, but I had the most amazing dream." "Ma, you've been gone for almost three days," Brenda screamed.
"Well, I don't remember how I got here.” "Grandma, John said, you just didn't appear here, you had to walk or fall, and you don't look hurt, so you must have walked." "No, I don't think so," mostly to herself. Boomer said, they will have to get up the cliff again by the ropes or walk all the way around to the other side of the cliff to get to the front door. So they opted to walk. They all started out when they noticed Sherman going into an opening in the side of the cliff. "Hey Sherman, Bruno said, wait up". Sherman's tail was the last thing they saw. Uncle Ed and Aunt Luzzy were the first ones into the small opening.
"Come on everyone, Luzzy yelled, let's see where this leads." "Follow Sherman, Ed yelled. They all went single file into the opening. It's a good thing they were all thin because it was a very narrow opening or passageway. The passageway inclined upward. They climbed for a long time, not stopping to rest because there was just enough room to stand upright. So they continued walking. It was very dark also so they kept one hand on the shoulder of the one in front of them. Finally the passageway stopped. Sherman went through a dog door. He was on the other side of a large door barking. A light shone under the door. "For pete’s sakes, Ed said, let me find the door knob." The knob turned and the door opened. They all piled into a lighted basement.
"Well for the love of Pete, Ed said, we're in the basement." "Duh, said Brenda, as she pointed to her head, and added, who left the basement light on?" They went upstairs and gathered in the living room. "Now let's get to the bottom of this", Bruno commanded. "grandma, can you recall anything yet? Lydia was silent for a moment and then told them about the dream she had. "Okay, ma, it is a lovely dream, but that doesn't tell us how you got to the bottom of the cliff on that side"." you were missing for almost three day, now think," Bonnie commanded. "I really don't remember guys, "she said. She reached into her pocket for a kleenex to wipe her nose and out fell the bracelet she had stolen." Hey, what’s this?" "look, ma, that's the same kind of bracelet Sherman had, "Mary exclaimed. Brenda got the bracelet from the mantle and compared the two of them." Look, ma, they are exactly the same". "Ma, where did you get this?"

[MoonyLuna]

Chapter Nine.
Grandma Remembers.

"Well, it's all coming back to me now."
I was alone in the house. I wanted to check out the attic. So
I went up there and fell through a trap door. The trap door opened to a chute and I slid down what seemed for hours. "She told them about the forest, the golden cave, the soft white sand, the fountain with the sparkling water, the jungle and the Amazon women. There was also a strange child that took care of the animals. She didn't speak at all. But she looked like she knew a lot. Her name was Ezmeralda, grandma remembered. Grandma's children, grandchildren, and the men stared in disbelief. "Whoa, you really dreamed up a good one, grandma, Helen said, now tell us what really happened." "I just did", said Lydia. "Wait a minute,” said Mary, “if this was just a dream then how do you explain the matching bracelet, the same kind that Sherman found?"
"I don't know,” said Ed, “maybe we better question the dog." "Now Ed, don't be sarcastic." "Let's check out ma's story." "She isn't prone to lying".
"But Brenda, that story is too way out." "First she says it was a dream and now she say's it's real." "Well Ed, what about the bracelet?
"That's real." "Ya but, holy cow, Amazon women, a golden cave?" "Brenda was insistent. "Ed, the bracelet is real and maybe the story or dream or whatever it is, is real too." "Okay, said Ed, let's check it out. "They all went up in the attic. "Wow, said Helen, This place needs a good dusting." "Hey, there's the trap door."
"Be careful, said Boomer, unless you want to take the same trip Lydia did." He carefully pushed on the door. It sprung open so fast it startled everyone. "Wow, said Bruno ,that thing has a hair trigger."
"Okay everyone, Boomer said, we have to nail this shut so no one else takes a trip to the Amazon land." "Get some two by fours. We'll lay them across the door so no one can fall through. "Bruno found some in the basement and the two men nailed them good and tight.
"Ya know, Brenda said, there is another way down the other side of this cliff we live on."
"Remember how Sherman led us up through the cliff and into the house?" "What do you suppose that passageway is there for?' "I don't know, said Bruno, but it was a well kept secret."
"Maybe it was used to smuggle people or something." "There was a knock on the door. Boomer answered it. There stood a child, but she looked very old. She recognized grandma. "Hello, Lydia, remember me?" "Yes I do said grandma. "Who is this?" said Bonnie. "This is Ezmeralda, the child from beyond the golden cave. "Well, I'll be switched, said Ed, Ma was telling the truth."
"Of course I was telling the truth." Ezmeralda spoke again.
"Lydia, I have come for the bracelets. I know you took one and I know you have another one here." "Yes, I'm sorry, I did take one. Sherman brought the other one in. I don't know where he found it." "I do, but it's no concern of anyone's, Ezmeralda said. Grandma got the two bracelets and gave them to her. "Thank you, said Ezmeralda. "Now I want you to know that you will never again be able to find the land beyond the golden cave." "Our land is in a kinder, gentler time. It is not for outsiders. Goodbye". and Ezmeralda was gone.
The clan talked about grandma's accidental trip way into the night. Morning came early and everyone went to their respectful homes, happy that grandma was safe. "Grandma looked at Boomer and said, I wonder if we could find that place again?" Boomer replied, don't even think about it, Lydia.

Copyright © 2004 Lila May Guptill (Lunaria)