THE CARETAKER
THE CARETAKER
I was engaged in my usual morning constitutional, striding out of
Aldeburgh towards Thorpeness when I spotted the bare-chested
man in trunks; he was raking the shingles with a metal detector
when he stooped and weighed something in his hand, 'This'll fetch
a pretty penny ,' he yelled to his pal, 'come take a look at this.'
He must have been aware that I was watching him because he
jerked his head round and caught my gaze, with that movement his
enthusiasm seemed to wane before seconds later he clutched his
chest and dropped to his knees. I was close enough to notice the
pallor of his cheeks, I have some knowledge of medical matters
and I didn't like his colour one bit.
I diverted my course with as much speed as I could muster and
knelt at his side, 'Are you alright?' I asked, a stupid question
because plainly he wasn't.
'Yeah, just a spot of indigestion,' the man, probably in his thirties
tried a toothy grin which turned into more of a grimace, 'be okay in
a while fella.' From his expression I was dubious of that but his
gangly sidekick intervened, placing his hands beneath the man's
armpits and levering him up. 'Come on Tom, I'll get you home.' He
nodded to me knowledgeably as I rose to my feet, 'Thanks bud, but
like he says he'll be okay, he's on medication you know.'
Doesn't seem to be doing him any good, I remember thinking as
the man stumbled across the pebbles to the footpath, supported by
his mate. And then I focused my eyes on something glistening in
the sunlight.
It was an octagonal green amulet with gold chain and surround,
obviously the object the man had found but with the tide closing in it
was in danger of being swept out to sea. I raised the amulet from
the shingles and examined it carefully between my fingers. Within
its vivid green centre there seemed to be the outline of a long, thin
face but it is human nature to try and identify a pattern, and I could
scarcely be sure it was a face at all. I frowned, a growing
awareness that my heart was pumping a little more forcefully - the
gold edges seemed to pulse as I held it and heat radiated through
my fingers and up my arm.
I blinked, shook my head and pulled myself together, it was a warm
summer day, the pulse probably just a trick of the light and I
decided the heat I felt was a result of the weather. I checked back
for the man but he'd been guided away by his friend, presumably
into the mews which lay beyond the beach road of Aldeburgh.
I had no inclination to return it to him, I don't believe in his kind of
practice in any case and I suppose I'm a bit stodgy like that. I was
inclined to drop the amulet where I'd found it but a strange and
unusual persuasion prevented me. A tremor ran from head to foot
as I placed the thing in my trouser pocket. I raised my head towards
the sky, just a hint of white amidst the blue but this wasn't a wisp of
high level cloud; it was just a spot, not much more. Feeling oddly
light-headed I resumed my walk along the coastal path to
Thorpeness. I put it down to the contemplation of a pint at the
Dolphin Inn before returning home. All the same though my mind
was a livewire of thoughts that weren't interconnected.
Was it my mind playing tricks? Because the further I walked, the
heavier the amulet seemed to weigh in my pocket. It felt as though
there was a lead weight strapped to my leg.
The need to relieve my lower body of the weight it now carried
became overpowering. I could resist no longer. I clasped the
amulet in my hand and slowly opened my fist.
At once I felt the heat rise, as though the whole thing was
attempting to escape; I had the daftest notion of the jewel rising
from my hand.
But the face on the green surface was no longer an indistinct
outline. It was luminous, almost alive. Unnerved now, that it might
be my mind playing tricks I studied the dome-like hairless head, the
colourless oriental eyes, the long imperial nose and unsmiling
mouth. A face disturbingly short of being human as I waited,
expecting those eyes to blink. And then the heat became so
intense I thought it might scald my hand.
I became aware of a long shadow stretching along the path
towards me and looked up into the face engrained on the amulet. I
staggered back in alarm before from somewhere came an
incomprehensible stab of recognition. The vision before me, I can
only describe it as that, wore a spangled vest and trousers of
dazzling white, and seemed of exceptional height.
The coastal path had been oddly deserted and I suddenly felt
encapsulated in a bubble that held me fast. The tight, straight
mouth I stared into never opened but words flooded into me just the
same, strange alien words that seemed to hang in the air and
translate slowly inside me, hollow, floating on a whispering wind.
'Do not be afraid, I mean you no harm, but you hold something in
your hand that I lost a long time ago.'
I was frozen with fear, too frightened to speak and yet, seemed to
be speaking just the same.
'From the worried depths of your mind you ask me how long - two
thousand years my friend is the answer you seek. Be calm, your
fear is leaving you. What you now hold has called me from long and
far, many light years have passed during my journey to collect it.
The figure's spangled vest rustled and the wind whispered music
through my body as I felt myself relieved of my burden; within it the
voice spoke again, 'When the time is right I will return once more
and you will reap full reward for what you have done. That time
approaches, it is almost at hand. Look to your body if you need
faith, for you my friend are the caretaker.'
The coastal path was vibrant with joggers and hikers, the stranger
had gone. The whole thing might never have happened - I'd never
seen the men with the metal detectors before, I never did again.
But engrained in the palm of my hand if you were to examine it
really closely is the face of the stranger.
It is true.
I am the caretaker.
