The villagers of Fullgreens woke up one by one to the pleasant, distinct song echoing across the green mountains. Nobody could trace the mythical source of this sonorous rise and flow. To the lovely maidens and lads of Fullgreens, the song seemed more mellifluous than most mountain inhabiting birds, especially since it was the day of the famous Fullgreens’ June Festival that celebrates summer.
Like the rest of Fullgreens, Gale has been an avid participant to this ceremony that originally paid its tribute to an ancient pagan goddess whose name was vanquished by crusaders and their indentured servants. As Fullgreens was a rather remote village, the gust of Christian reform, led by Whigs or their enemies, which swept across the King’s colony didn’t reach its borders. Even if the power of the English church did reach Fullgreens, he doubts that the youth would be willing to relinquish their opportunity to dance, make merry, and present their hand-woven flower garlands on their objects of adoration. Gale very much enjoys any opportunity to dance and during the annual summer festival, he allows himself to indulge the crowds by being generous in his charms, especially when it comes to executing his signature move–the “fox trot.”
After Gale washed his face and dressed up, he descended the stairs to see Michaela open the the Hulders pharmacy. The collar of his well tailored shirt allowed a glimpse of his neck and the auburn sash across his waist that accentuated the silhouette of his torso completed the attire. Usually he wore garments that were less tight-fitting, but he thought the event warranted a special change. Standing in the middle of the stairs, tall and handsomely groomed, Gale had a full view of the living room that was behind the rather small pharmacy store, adjacent to the door. Even though the entrance door opened immediately into his apothecary, his cozy living room is what occupies most of the space of first floor.
He approached Michaela who was observing the people gathering in the streets from the pharmacy window where they accept and deliver prescriptions. Smiling, Gale remembered how he had to excuse Michaela’s unnerving behavior of staring at the customers’ faces without uttering word.
“Is there anything that interests you, Michaela?”
‘Who am I kidding. It will be like looking at dragons in the eye for her.’
He can only imagine what it must be like for a wild rabbit who finally got to see the reigning lord of the food chain at eye level and not have to worry about dire consequences of her fascination. There was almost something morbid about her curiosity as she can’t turn her eyes away from the faces of the folks who cannot hold her gaze any longer than a minute.
For a brief moment, she glanced upward at his face and then looked down at his rear, or rather his tail swaying in a languid fashion. Michaela learnt several things about hulders through her month as his apprentice. Apparently, hulders can attach or detach their tails or tree bark backs or keep it invisible to ordinary peoples’ eyes as he was doing right now. Since she is not a full human, she can see the ghostly silhouette of his furry, abundant tail flickering about but judging from the New Englanders, they are blind to his tail.
Once, she was curious enough to pick up his trousers and peer in for any anomaly, but there wasn’t a hole for the tail to go through as she expected. Apparently, hulders’ tails are like specters that transgress boundaries and elude human senses like sight. For a strange reason, she was a little disappointed to not see a huge hole.
Unaware of how she was intently staring at his tail hanging from his rump, Gale peered outside, but his expectant smile dissolved into a look of confusion. His brows furrowed slightly as he detected a strange change in the town atmosphere. First of all, because he closes the pharmacy early in the day of the festival, there would always be someone who comes right before noon, usually the elders. Also, since he sells many other items, many young people would flock to the pharmacy for daintier objects like bath salts, tea, or even something simpler like dried rosemary leaves or lavender potpourri or imported myrtle to weave into the garlands for their loved ones. However, he found that the pharmacy window was unsolicited, an unusual phenomenon in the Fullgreens where every stall and market was a place to make small pleasant talk. Finally, the most distinct marker of the unnerving change was the complete absence of mirth in the towns peoples’ faces, and the young people can hardly suppress a poignant look of dejection.
Deciding to find out the reason of this change, Gale went outside into the streets. Everything didn’t seem to change, but he felt a shy tap on his right arm. He turned around. It was Anna, the daughter of the orchard farmer who lives in Little Shenk Lane.
“Morning, Dr. Hulder.”
“Oh, morning, Anna!”
Technically Gale wasn’t a doctor, but he decided to let it slide. Anna was dressed in her most prized frock, a gown of breezy baby blue with a lace shawl that she was going to leave to her old man while she dances. But Gale saw the contrast between her hopeful eyes and the awkward effort she took to smile despite the heavy solemn air.
“Anna, do you happen to know why everybody is sulking today? Just yesterday, everyone was so excited.”
“Oh, you don’t know? Why, Dr. Hulder.”
She paused before opening her mouth.
“A messenger came to the town’s court. He said that the King’s army was adjourning in this province.”
Gale’s pupils dilated in surprise, and Anna continued with a voice that reflects the Fullgreens folks’ general dry attitude to the power struggle between the Boston gents and the Empire.
“As you would know, doctor, their arrival was supposed to be at least a month after. We just got this news yesterday night. I was the one who had to tell my friends early this morning as my father is one of the council.”
“I see. So the festival was void. Do you have any idea for how long the King’s army would stay?”
“Pa only said that we should expect the army anytime today and the girls were supposed to not leave their houses.”
Anna’s sigh only reaffirmed the oppressive state of mind Fullgreens was succumbing to. Alas, the King’s army made no statement about how long they will enjoy the town’s hospitality. Although Fullgreens was a remote village, its location was close to the midpoint between the key players of the colonial government of Virginia in Jameston, and that was the reason Fullgreens made decent profit by a good number of taverns and its eclectic visitors. Gale thanked Anna who replied back with a small nod and a regretful smile to which he smiled back politely and returned home.
‘So that’s why everybody was so blue. I wonder which of the King’s Army adjunct will be here.’
Michaela was still looking curiously outside the wide window. A mother holding a child appeared and she, like many of Hulders’ customers, had her face deeply reddened by Michaela’s bold stare and taciturnity. He quickly approached the window and flashed an affable smile,
“Hello, Ms. Gorkey.”
“Good day, Gale. I am here to ease my young one’s teething.”
“Yes, of course. I will have Michaela here bring the salve. Also, teething infants get sick bowels, so it would be good to feed your little fruit some tea. Chamomile is good.”
“Oh, no wonder Abel was not doing so well on his nappies! Well, Gale, could you also give me some…”
Their cordial back and forth conversation was interrupted by a sudden stampede of the villagers that passed by Hulders with a whoosh in the direction to the main street. They all looked at the crowds. and Gale whsipered in an aloof tone, as if he is uttering to himself.
“It’s the Royal Guards.”
Hulder Tales 