Eric--Part Thirty-Six

Splog # 160

Thirty-Six

   "Cor and Mae," Cor repeated. He was looking at Eric but Eric didn't think that he was any part of what Cor was seeing. He began to feel that whenever he opened his mouth, he had the unfortunate tendency to send whomever he was speaking to off into memories that seemed to affect them in some profound way. Absently, he looked down to his plate and picked up a piece of bacon. He held it awkwardly for a moment and then, moving it towards his mouth, he looked back to Cor. Cor had lowered the plate he'd been filling to the table and, absent-mindedly, had also picked a slice of bacon from a platter. Two pairs of eyes glanced at two faces and each found a mirror image of itself about to munch a morsel of bacon. The smiles started in their eyes and spread to their mouths and they each took their plates and returned to their seats.

   "Let's switch seats for a while."

   Cor and Bev were watching him with looks of pleasant invitation on their faces, so he yielded his seat to Nol and carried his plate, cup and napkin over to the other table.

   "What do you think of Lon's?" Bev queried as soon as he was seated.

   "Quite extraordinary, are there many places like this here?"

   "Well, that depends what you mean by 'places like this'. It's the only tree of its size in the forest. It wasn't always, but it's the only one left. The only one left whole and alive, that is. There are some other eateries but everyone who can comes to Lon's unless they're off at a great distance."

   "Who's Lon?" Eric found questions welling up inside him. He enjoyed Bev's answers because they gave him time to eat while she talked.

   "Lon is the man who shared in the growth and shaping of the tree. It took a great many years and now his grandchildren are the stewards here. Splog knew Lon back when he and the tree first joined together. Right, Splog?"

   Splog merely nodded and Bev went on.

   "Splg taught Lon and the tree about rising and lowering and how to touch the animals and birds..."

   Cor interrupted Bev at this point by putting both hands on the table and straightening in his seat.

   "Eric, there are a lot of things I'm sure you're anxious to discuss, especially after the night you spent."

   Eric was excited about the possibility of finally learning what was going on and where he was, But he felt uncomfortable with the way in which Cor had interrupted Bev.

   "I would very much like to learn about what you have to tell me," he replied rather formally, "but it seems rude to me to not let a lady finish when she's speaking."

   Cor and Bev looked to each other and then back to Eric. Bev spoke first, in a somewhat loud voice.

   "Splog, I congratulate you. This young man is one in a thousand."

   She then put a hand over one of Eric's.

   "Eric, that was very kindly said and I appreciate it. Cor wasn't actually being rude, though I admit that it did seem so. I knew what he wanted to talk to you about and I was only trying to keep a bit of conversation going so there wouldn't be an awkward silence while he decided how to start."

   "I didn't mean to be so abrupt and I hope I haven't offended you. If I have, then I sincerely apologize."

   "Oh, not me," Eric rushed in. "As long as it's ok with Bev...I just didn't want to leave her hanging in the middle of..."

   Bev patted his hand again and smiled. "Quite remarkable."

   Eric turned to Cor with a warm glow in his chest.

   "I'm sure there are many things that you're confused about. If you don't mind, I'd like to start by telling you about Mae."

   Cor paused for a moment.