I am only a little Gypsy 1 - Reincarnation, does it exist? - 19. Chapter 19. Dreaming about being a 'little trapper boy'.

Halfway through the day, I left my old group of 'infants' and went to my usual bench where I normally always waited for our group of 'minors' to show up. Today, I also had to tell them some extremely important news. Starting tomorrow, their little 'Chef Cook' would join them into our surrounding woods for the first time ever, to set his own traps and to catch and roast his own edible animals! I almost couldn't wait to see my older friend Misha's surprised face...

Soon, my new group of minors showed up from our surrounding woods, as usual carrying many fat marmots and other small animals. Marmots were the most common animals in our surrounding woods and dense forests, and our minors always caught plenty of them. Now and then, they also caught a bigger animal, like a fat porcupine or a stray hare. On rare occasions, they even caught a small piglet that had enough meat to feed everybody for a few days, next to providing us with its very useful tendons and strong leather skin.

Immediately when my minor friends arrived, I left my usual bench and trotted towards them. Together, we went to our small butchery next to our parking lot; to skin and clean out their caught animals. Of course, I helped my older friend, Misha, prepare his own fat marmot; and then I also helped him smear its carcass with my nicely scenting herbs mixture. Soon, all the others were also smearing their prepared animals with my special spice mixture, as usual. When all our animals were ready, we took them to our already brightly glowing campfire, to put their spiced carcasses on stakes and roast them.

Involuntarily feeling a bit shy, I decided to tell them my important news now! First, I climbed onto one of our wooden benches, to be able to oversee my older friends, and also to look a little bit taller if possible. Now that all of them were looking up at me with surprised but also expectant faces, my deepest baritone voice told them:

"Starting tomorrow, I am going to join you into our woods, to set my own traps and catch my own marmots or other edible animals!"

For a few seconds, silence fell over my new group of minors. Then, all of them crowded around me, ruffled my unruly blond hair, and congratulated me with my important milestone! Again, they told me they were very proud of their little Chef Cook. Although I had to be the youngest kid ever who started to join them into our woods, they were already sure I would be a valuable part of our group.

Especially my older friend Misha seemed to be genuinely happy to have me at his side, although he also asked me:

"Are your parents really allowing you to join us into our woods, as you are only four years old and still a tad too small for your age?"

Feeling a little bit affronted, but not too much, I responded:

"Well, in reality, I am already four years and nearly four months old! And yes, since yesterday, my body is staying dry during both day and night, and therefore I don't need to wear any diapers anymore. I am a 'Real Big Boy' now, and my parents are really allowing me to join you into our woods, starting tomorrow morning."

With a happily beaming face, Misha lifted me onto his shoulders and horsed me around our campfire, while he chuckled:

"Our little Chef Cookie is going to join us tomorrow, to catch and spice and roast his own caught animals."

Suddenly, he fell silent, because I threatened to choke his throat. Although I really was only a 'little cookie', my older friend didn't have to say this aloud where all my other new minor friends could hear it! Still coughing, Misha quickly let me slide down onto my own feet. In the meantime, all the other minors had already started roasting their staked animals, of course again smeared with my nicely scenting herbs mixture. Soon, a delicious aroma started to fill the air, making a few grownups sniffle and smile at me approvingly. Starting tomorrow, I would try to prove to all my new minor friends that I could be much more than only a 'little Crown Prince Chef Cookie'!

When their nicely scenting animals were ready, all my new friends started to divide their roasted carcasses into smaller chunks. Suddenly, and very much to my surprise, ALL of them offered me a fat slice of their own nicely roasted animals, so that I could pick my own share! Of course, I had already seen before that they used to do this in case one of them hadn't caught an edible animal. Only, I hadn't expected that I could pick my own share as well. Therefore, and very clearly, from now on, I really belonged to our 'minors'! Almost bursting with sudden pride, I filled my own hungry stomach to the brim with their fat slices of heavenly tasting animal meat. After we had devoured all our roasted animals, my new friends and I burped loudly a few times, to thank the animal spirits for offering their tasty nourishment.

For quite some time after we were ready, we just sat together on our usual wooden benches, whilst enjoying our close togetherness and the still very nice aftertaste from our heavenly spiced animals. When the evening air became too chilly to stay outside any longer, we left our faintly glowing campfire and went to our own caravans, to join our parents until it was time to go to bed.

Again, I had quite a story to tell; and, again, my parents assured me they were really proud of their so extremely fast maturing son who was already accepted as being one of our 'minors', although he was only four years and a few months old and still a tad too small for his age.

That night, I went to bed without wearing my usual diaper, for the first time ever since I had been a baby. Sleeping like this, without wearing a diaper, turned out to be a really nice feeling, as if somehow my skin felt more alive and I was more aware of my own body. From now on, I would sleep just like every other grownup and older kid in our Gypsy camp always did, without wearing any diapers, because I really belonged to my new group of 'minors' now!

Halfway through the night, I suddenly woke up from a nice dream that unfortunately turned into a nightmare. In my dream, I had been a little 'trapper boy', living in a huge forest with many steep ravines, dangerous rapids, and wildly foaming water streams. My Mom had died in childbirth, and, from then on, my 'trapper Dad' had raised his little baby son all alone, only now and then helped by our nearest neighbor and closest friend who lived in his own log cabin, around half a mile away. From a very young age, I had started to help my trapper Dad with absolutely everything. Soon, my Dad also taught me how to catch wild deer and other strong animals in our rigid snares and cleverly hidden traps.

At first, my Dad always tied a long leash around my waist, so that he could watch over me until I didn't stumble into any ravines or dangerous rapids anymore and became an excellent swimmer. When I finally could cross even the most dangerous water streams all on my own, and I also knew exactly how to rescue myself if I unexpectedly fell into a wildly foaming river; my proud looking trapper Dad released me from my long leash and told me I could now scour our dangerous woods and surrounding forests all on my own and without any more parental supervision.

Immediately after my trapper Dad released me from his leash and told me to have fun, I left him and started to inspect my own cleverly hidden traps and rigid snares. Now and then, I also visited our nearest neighbor and very best friend who lived in his own log cabin, around half a mile away from us. From when I was only a little baby, our friendly neighbor had always helped us, for example by babysitting me while my trapper Dad had to be downtown to exchange our deer pelts for fresh food and other valuable necessities. Since then, our neighbor and I always had lots of fun telling each other what we had been doing, or just cuddling together until I had to go back home.

If I suddenly found a wild deer or any other big animal in one of my own traps, I always whistled loudly and then waited for my trapper Dad or my neighbor to show up and help me carry the too heavy animal towards our log cabin. Then, I helped my trapper Dad skin the animal and clean it out; by using my own sharp knife. From when I was only a little toddler, I had always been searching for the tastiest herbs and spiciest plants, to use them on our roasting animals. I seemed to have sort of a 'sixth sense' that always 'told' me which herb would be poisonous or dangerous, and my 'trapper Dad' found out that he could trust my rather strange but clearly infallible 'abilities'. Immediately when I was able to scour our woods all on my own, I started to bring home even more tasty herbs and spicy plants. Now and then, I also found a few new spices I hadn't seen before but that 'told' me they were harmless and could be used on our roasted or smoked wild animal meat to refine its taste.

Then, my 'trapper dream' turned into a nightmare! One day, I was playing outside, when suddenly a hungry grizzly bear showed up that clearly wanted to eat me as an afternoon snack. Although my trapper Dad immediately tried to rescue me, with only a small knife in his hand, he just couldn't help me, so that the hungry bear killed both him and me, plus our closest neighbor and very best trapper friend who happened to be around and desperately tried to take revenge...

At that moment, I suddenly woke up, while my nightmare slowly disappeared. For a second, I didn't understand where I could be now. Clearly, I was sitting upright in my own bed in my own sleeping den, panting and wheezing and trembling all over; although I could still smell the stinking breath from that hungry bear that ripped my small body open with its enormous claws! After regulating my breath and forcing my still trembling body to calm down; my consciousness slowly returned into the here and now.

Then, I started to think. Had really such a hungry grizzly bear killed my 'trapper Dad', our closest neighbor, and me? Only, who had been our closest neighbor and very best friend who had been living half a mile away from us? My Inside was sure that both my trapper Dad and I had loved him dearly, because he had always helped us with everything. Or, had I been dreaming only some frightening nightmare? Everybody else always tried to make us believe that dreams are never true...

Unexpectedly, a very warm and soulful voice in my inside told me:

"Please, my friend, don't feel frightened or shocked, because your unconscious mind only showed you one of your past lives on Planet Earth wherein you really were such a 'little trapper boy'. Soon after Planet Earth has rounded its Sun two times, you will meet your closest neighbor, and you and he will be best friends again. Then, after Planet Earth has rounded its Sun another two times, you will also meet your former 'trapper Dad' and again be his son. Be blessed!"

Immediately feeling happy again, my inside recognized the warm and soulful voice of our Beloved King of Ancestors who still was and always will be my dearest Spirit Friend from our Timeless Eternal Realm. Around two years ago, after I had said farewell to my metamorphosed King Monarch butterfly, my King of Ancestors Friend also promised to contact me again. My inside could still remember His very warm and soulful voice from then, when he told me:

'You are welcome, my young friend! Soon, we will meet again, and then we will be able to talk some more. However, for now, you have to return to your parents and forget everything about me, at least until I will be able to talk to you again.'

Surprisingly, since that time, I had totally forgotten all about my Beloved King of Ancestors Friend, until now! Would I again have to forget His words? Fortunately, this time, my 'trapper dream' stayed with me; so that, now and then, its strange message showed up in my mind, making me wonder about Planet Earth rounding its sun two times. Of course, I knew that our sun moves around our earth in one day, thus creating day and night. However, until now, I had never heard of our earth rounding our sun! Therefore, I would have to ask my Dad or perhaps Michail about this strange message. Would our Wise Woman be able to explain its hidden meaning to me? Or, would I have to keep my message silent until I really needed it?

Now that I thought about my 'trapper dream' some more, if it had been true, then it had also contained the confirmation that I really had been such a 'little trapper boy' during my past life, always helping my 'trapper Dad' spice our roasting animals with my spicy herbs. Plus, in that past life, I had been very good with using my own sharp knife! Obviously, the same 'built-in little trapper memory' was still living in my unconscious mind, from where he sometimes helped me...

Only one more question remained. My Beloved Ancestor Friend had told me that I would meet my former 'trapper Dad' soon after the Sun had rounded the Earth four times, and that I again would be his son. Only, how could my 'trapper Dad' ever be my Dad again? That would be impossible, because I had already my own Dad. I was very fond of my own lovable Dad, and I was absolutely sure that I could not have two Dads and be their son at the same time! Clearly, this had been only some strange 'dream', and everybody knows that dreams are never true. Therefore, I tried to ban it out of my memory, at least for now, so that I could go on with my life as if nothing special had happened.

Still feeling a little bit irritated, I first shook my head a couple of times, to clear my mind. Then, I left my bed, and almost immediately restarted to think of my pending visit to our surrounding woods for the very first time. Again, I felt full of anticipation and enthusiasm. Today was my first 'Big Day'! Today, I would finally join our minors, for the very first time, into our outstretched woods and dangerous forests that surrounded our secluded Gypsy camp! Today, I would finally be allowed to enter those mysteriously winding paths, set my first own trap, and hopefully catch my first own animal!

A few days ago, my older friend Misha had helpfully shown me how to fold an effective snare from a piece of glistening wire, and how to cover a trap with some forest litter to make it almost invisible to any wary animals. Now, finally, I would be able to set my own traps and catch my own animals! Hurriedly, I left my sleeping den, trotted to our living room, and looked outside. Were my new minor friends already waiting for me, before we entered our woods? Alas... Very much to my disappointment, nobody was waiting for me, and our camp was still enveloped in darkness. All our wooden benches were still empty, and only our faintly glowing campfire was shimmering in the crack of dawn, as usual. Where were my new minor friends, the lazy slackers? Come on, show up and let's go!

Feeling disappointed and also still a little bit sleepy, I sauntered into my parents' bedroom and crawled in between my softly snoring Dad and Mom, planning to wait here until the sun would show up and I could go outside to join my new minor friends towards our woods. My Dad woke up some, turned around, chuckled when he felt my too cold body, and threw his nicely warming arms around me to stop my shivering. That felt safe and cozy, so that I tried to let my entire body melt away into his powerful and lovable male aura, as usual. For what felt like only a split second, I closed my eyes...

I woke up at the bright morning sunlight that peeked through a gap in our curtains and tickled my closed eyelids. Feeling a bit shocked, I first opened my eyes, and then immediately sat upright because I felt confused. Why was I lying in my parents' double bed? Then, reality dawned upon me. WHAT? Had I really overslept my first appointment with my probably already impatiently waiting group of minors?

Immediately, I was in a tremendous hurry, jumped out of my parents' bed, and raced towards our living room to take another look outside. Feeling angry, I stared at my growing group of minors who were already gathering around our campfire, and I was sure they were waiting for ME! Why hadn't my parents woken me up in time, instead of silently leaving their bed? Now, I too belonged to those same 'lazy slackers' I always loathed, and this was on my first 'Big Day'...

Angrily, I stormed into our kitchen and whined:

"Mom, what did you do? Please hurry up, because my new minor friends are already outside and waiting for me!"

My Mom started to chuckle at seeing my clearly panicking face. Then, she ruffled my uncombed hair while responding:

"Please, calm down some! Nobody will leave without you, and you have to dress and eat your healthy breakfast first."

Because I couldn't stand still for a second, I just couldn't help hopping up and down from sheer frustration, while I helped my Mom preparing her 'healthy breakfast'. Then, I raced our plates to our living room and immediately started to wolf my food down, whilst now and then nervously staring outside. More and more minors were already joining my steadily growing group, and they were still waiting for ME! What if my older friends didn't want to wait any longer and decided to disappear into our woods without me? Hastily, I gulped my milk down, but now I still had to wait for my much slower parents to finish their own meals... Come on, Mom and Dad; please hurry up, because my older friends are already waiting for me!

Impatiently, I tried to send my worried thoughts towards my Dad's brain:

'Please, Dad, hurry up some more, because I don't want to be the laziest slacker and left behind on my first Big Day!'

Fortunately, my Dad had picked up all my thoughts, because he suddenly looked up from his plate towards me and chuckled some. Then, with an understanding smile, he allowed me to leave our table early, and told me have fun with my new friends!

Quickly, I jumped up, opened our front door, and raced outside, in my tremendous hurry even forgetting to say goodbye and shut the door. Outside the door, I first had to stop for a second, because the bright morning sunlight blurred my vision and made me squint. Then, I went on and almost dived down the few wooden steps towards the solid ground...

A few waiting minors looked at me in sudden surprise, and then started to chuckle at seeing their little Crown Prince who nearly broke his neck in his tremendous hurry to join them. Still chuckling, they nudged their friends, until all of them started to laugh at seeing my obvious eagerness. A couple of them even started to chant:

"HA-ROLD, HA-ROLD..."

Suddenly feeling shy, next to still feeling ashamed of being late on my first Big Day, I slowed down considerably whilst trying to read their minds. When I found out that none of them were reacting angry or disturbed, my inside felt relieved, next to feeling proud of being recognized like this. Clearly, all my new minor friends had already accepted me as being 'one of them', and they were chanting my name because they felt happy to have ME in their midst! Now, I felt even more determined to prove that I could be a valuable part of my new group of minors. Happily, I trotted towards them and joined their still slowly growing group that now also was MY group.

Immediately when I joined them, all of them crowded around me and high-fived me or teasingly ruffled my unruly blond hair. Again, they told me they felt very happy to have me in their midst, and they were already sure that I would be a valuable part of our group! Only my older friend Misha seemed to feel a little bit worried. Why was that? Stealthily, I tried to read his mind, but my inside felt too agitated to be able to pick up much. That is, until, with a more and more worried face, Misha hesitatingly approached me and asked me:

"Harold? Now that you are joining us and setting your own traps, you also don't have to wait anymore for a slice of our roasted animal meat, because you will start catching and roasting your own animals. Only, now that you don't need us anymore, do you still want to be our Chef Cook and help us spice our caught animals?"

So, this was why my older minor friend Misha was feeling a little bit worried! Chuckling at seeing his still hesitating face, I decided to tease him some first. Whilst trying to keep a straight face, I pretended to think about his question first, before I answered:

"Misha, do you really think you can get rid of me this easily? Well, okay, let me think about your unexpected question some more first. Hmmm... Would you really want me to go on being our Chef Cook? Really? Okay, then I will go on helping you spice your roasting animals, probably for as long as I can. Now, come on, let's GO!"

Looking truly relieved, Misha responded:

"Thank you for still wanting to help us spice our roasting animals! Yesterday evening, we've talked this over among each other, because we were feeling a little bit worried... But we cannot go yet, because we first have to wait for three more kids to show up and join us."

What? After my minor friends first had to wait for ME, they still had to wait even longer, for three more tardy lazy slackers who didn't show up in time? But, then, I had NOT been the slowest kid in our waiting group, even if I really had been a little bit late. Therefore, my new minor friends had not been waiting for ME, as I had assumed in my youthful eagerness to join them. Well, okay... Today, I had to learn that our world didn't always revolve around ME.

Finally, three yawning sleepyheads showed up from their caravans and trotted towards us, grinning sheepishly whilst mumbling under their breaths they were sorry for oversleeping. Then, they just blended into our waiting group, as if this were their normal daily routine...

Feeling surprised, I just didn't understand how those lazy slackers could be this indifferent about being tardy, while their friends were waiting. Strangely, all the other minors didn't seem to mind, because they just started to walk into our surrounding bushes. As usual, the oldest minors disappeared first into one of the mysteriously winding paths, whilst beckoning their friends to follow them. Slowly, all the others started to follow them; still frolicking and teasing each other whilst on their way creating a long and twisting line.

Suddenly feeling a little bit nervous, but also full of anticipation, I stepped into the already moving line, directly behind Misha. Today, for the first time ever, I was entering one of the mysteriously winding paths that were leading towards our still unknown surrounding woods. Of course, I had already entered our surrounding bushes many times before, whilst studying our interesting Mother Nature or searching for the tastiest herbs. Only, until today, I had never followed one of those mysterious paths, and had always stayed away from our surrounding woods, as I once promised my parents.

Now, finally, I was following my older friend Misha and all my other new minor friends into the unknown, with a lingering feeling of trepidation in my stomach... For a moment, I remembered what my Dad once told me, that first day when he allowed me to play outside all alone: All our youngest kids had to stay away from our surrounding woods, to avoid any nasty predators or dangerous animals that might attack them; at least until they would be strong enough and knew exactly what they had to do to defend themselves against any hungry predators, if ever necessary. If any of our youngest kids ever happened to meet such a predator or any other dangerous animal with sharp teeth, they had to grab a sturdy branch and push it into any open animal mouth with sharp teeth that showed up, to hurt the attacking animal and hopefully chase it away.

Well, I surely hoped I would never meet such a predator with open mouth and probably razor sharp teeth! Involuntarily, I started to look around for a sturdy branch; until I started to laugh at those silly fears that had already turned out to be unnecessary, at least in our surrounding bushes. After first forcefully regulating my involuntarily halting breath, I again started to follow my new minor friends into one of the mysteriously winding paths that were leading into our surrounding woods. Where would they be ending?