The Adventures of the Talking Traveling Trunk

By Colleen Forsyth Pearcy

When ten-year-old June learns she and her mother will be helping her elderly neighbor clean her attic, she thinks it will be a lot of hard work. Soon after she arrives at Mrs. Nichols’ house, June happily discovers there is much more than just “junk” within the walls of the neighbor’s musty attic.

Together with her mother, Janine, who is a local seamstress, June excitedly immerses herself in each memory that Mrs. Nichols unearths from her old dusty attic.

As Mrs. Nichols sorts through the boxes filled with old books and clothing, June uncovers a beautiful antique trunk squirreled away in the far corner of the attic and asks Mrs. Nichols about it. In reply, she tells her that her and Mr. Nichols took it with them when they travelled the world.

Mrs. Nichols invites June to take it home to explore the many wonderful travel souvenirs that they had collected, now neatly tucked away inside the trunk.

It is not long before June, with help from the talking Trunk and souvenirs, embarks on an exciting journey where she learns fun facts about Europe’s various countries, customs, and cultures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Sep 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9781480880870

Colleen Forsyth Pearcy

Colleen Forsyth-Pearcy was born and raised in Rhodesia, Africa, now known as Zimbabwe. After leaving home at age 16 to study ballet at the Royal Ballet School in London, she moved to the world of cabaret as a leading lady at the Lido and Moulin Rouge in Paris and in other venues in Vegas, the Far East and Brazil. Colleen, who is married, has two daughters, ten grandchildren and currently lives in Los Angeles.

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Copyright © 2019 Colleen Forsyth Pearcy.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Archway Publishing

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Interior Image Credit: E. J. Diaz

ISBN: 978-1-4808-8086-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-8088-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-8087-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019909999

Archway Publishing rev. date: 7/25/2019

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Contents

Chapter1     A Day with Mrs. Nichols

Chapter 2     The Attic

Chapter 3     Meeting Mr. Trunk

Chapter 4     Spain and Senorita Maria the Fan

Chapter 5     Off to School

Chapter 6     The Tea Caddy and England

Chapter 7     Pam Meets the Trunk

Chapter 8     Mr. Trunks Gets Polished.

Chapter 9     Trunk’s Adventure in France

Chapter 10   April Daisy’s Costume Shop

Chapter 11   Church

Chapter 12   Meeting Bella Donna, the Bag from Italy

Chapter 13   Mrs. Nichols Comes to Dinner

Chapter 14   June Shares Trunk Stories at School

Chapter 15   June’s Visit with Mrs. Nichols

Chapter 16   June with the Measles and Hans’ Story

Chapter 17   Hans’ Story Continued

Chapter 18   A Phone Call with Pam

Chapter 19   A Trip around Holland

Chapter 20   June Shares her New Findings with Pam

Chapter 21   Trunk Chooses another Souvenir

Chapter 22   Snack and Chat Time

Chapter 23   Fred Continues His Story

Chapter 24   Athena from Greece

Chapter 25   The Troll from Norway

Chapter 26   June Makes Dinner

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1

Chapter

A Day with Mrs. Nichols

O n a bright Saturday morning in the month of May, a young mother named Janine was downstairs making breakfast for her daughter June, who was almost ten.

The smell of delicious scones drifted all the way up to June’s bedroom. Her little turned-up nose wrinkled in delight and she rolled over and out of bed. As quick as could be, she put on her robe and slippers and scrambled downstairs in anticipation of a nice hot cup of tea and warm scones covered in butter and strawberry jam. Oh, Mommy, she said, what a treat! Is it a special day?

Her mother replied, Yes, we are going to help Mrs. Nichols clean out her attic and get rid of a lot of things she no longer wants.

For a brief moment the corners of June’s mouth turned down, but then after a quick thought she grinned and said, That sounds like a lot of hard work, but we always have fun at her place and maybe it will even be exciting.

Her mother nodded in agreement. Yes, you know Mrs. Nichols used to travel all over the world with her husband when they were young, and they visited all sorts of interesting places and picked up many souvenirs. Janine paused a moment and sighed, then looking at her young daughter continued. Since Mr. Nichols passed away, she no longer feels the desire to keep them.

June tilted her little head to the side and with a small frown on her forehead said, That’s rather sad, Mommy, getting rid of the memories that she and Mr. Nichols had together.

Janine clicked her tongue and sighed again, Well, my dear, there comes a time in life when the memories remain deep in your heart and you no longer need things to remind you of them. She feels it is time to get order in her home.

Janine asked her daughter to fetch a pretty basket from the garage. She put a fresh red and white napkin in it, then popped the scones inside, covering them with yet another napkin. She then told Junie, as she affectionately called her, to go upstairs and get dressed in a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt and to brush her teeth.

While June was getting ready, Janine cleaned up the kitchen, took off her apron, and then went outside to pick a few lovely roses to give her old friend. She knew they would brighten up her day, as flowers always seem to have a way of bringing beauty to any place and making people feel special when they receive them. At least, that is how Janine felt. Just as she put the last rose into the basket along with the scones, June came skipping outside all dressed, face washed and hair pulled back in a ponytail, ready for the morning adventure. Janine collected her bag and hat, gave the basket to her daughter, and out the door they went. The two of them took off down the road hand in hand, singing a bright and cheery song while breathing in the fresh morning air and enjoying the lush green countryside.

It was not long before they reached Mrs. Nichols’ home and were standing in front of the door ringing the doorbell. The sound of her big Great Dane greeted their ears as he came galloping to meet them. Though he was huge and looked very forbidding, in reality he was a softy, especially with children. The door was soon opened by a smiling Mrs. Nichols, who was trying to stay out of the way of her big dog, Rupert, and telling him to quiet down now because these were friends. Before you knew it, Rupert was slobbering all over Janine and June and giving them a welcome that was almost as big as he was. Mrs. Nichols swatted his behind with the dish cloth she was holding and told him that was enough.

Rupert, being the obedient dog that he was, stopped his fussing over Janine and her daughter and with his tail wagging took off to his big pad in the living room next to the fireplace. The two women and young girl laughed and hugged each other and went off into the kitchen, where Mrs. Nichols was boiling a kettle to make tea.

Ah, what timing! I have brought some fresh scones for us to have with the tea, Mrs. Nichols, said Janine, while handing her the basket filled with scones and the freshly picked roses.

Mrs. Nichols’ face stretched into a huge, happy smile and she said, What a kind gesture, my dear, I love roses! They always remind me of our visit to England and the Kew Gardens in London. My garden used to be full of beautiful flowers and was so well looked after when my husband was still here with us. Alas, I just can’t seem to keep it up on my own. Thank you so much for bringing me this lovely bunch. I had forgotten just how happy flowers can make you feel. With that, the old woman sighed and said, Oh, enough of my reminiscing. Let us sit down and have a cup of tea with those delicious scones you made for us.

As they sat having the treat together, Mrs. Nichols talked to her friends about the attic they were going to help her clean out. I want to donate all the things we decide to get rid of today to an organization that helps the poor. It is such a good feeling to know that someone else will benefit from the things I once loved. She smiled and then added, The Good Book says it is better to give than to receive, and the older I get the more I realize how true that saying is. I really do not need to hoard these treasures of mine anymore. It is time for other families to enjoy them.

June and her mom nodded and wholeheartedly agreed and began to look forward to the mission that awaited them. As they finished, Rupert, who up until now had obediently stayed on his pad next to the fireplace, came begging for a bite to eat and a bit of attention. Mrs. Nichols went to her pantry and came back with a box of dog biscuits and asked young June if she’d like to take Rupert outside and give him one or two. Of course, June was thrilled at the opportunity to do so and led the big dog out into the back yard, where he sat patiently waiting to be given his treat. As soon as Rupert had finished his biscuits, June stroked and hugged the big animal, talking to him as if he understood every word she was saying. She then left him out in the yard to play on his own and came back into the house ready to take on the task of cleaning out Mrs. Nichols’ attic. She was ever so excited about getting to see all the treasures Mrs. Nichols had been talking about.

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2

Chapter

The Attic

M rs. Nichols and Janine had been standing and chatting while they waited for June. As she walked in, the old woman turned to her and said, Let’s go and tackle the attic. We have a good few hours of work ahead of us, my friends. I’m so grateful to have your help and know that I simply would not be able to do it alone.

Smiling warmly, Janine said, Well, what are friends for, Mrs. Nichols? Most of Janine’s friends knew that she could always be counted on to help them out, and she did so happily and with a cheerful heart.

By profession Janine was a seamstress and owned a little shop in the local town. She was known for the beautiful clothes she made. Customers could just show her a picture of something they wanted and she would make it. She had a kind and encouraging word for all the people she came in contact with too and was generous to a fault, often charging them nothing when she knew they had financial difficulties. She herself struggled to make ends meet and would often work into the early hours of the morning stitching and repairing garments. Her friends often asked her how she did it, and she would answer, You just do it. That in turn gave them the courage to try and do the same.

Janine was bringing her daughter up alone as her husband had passed away when June was a toddler. Janine never complained. She just did what needed to be done and always had a good attitude. Attitude is everything was her motto.

As Janine walked up the stairs, she pulled a band out of her dress pocket to hold back the red hair that was falling into her eyes, and she began to roll up her sleeves in readiness for the chores ahead. Young June skipped up two stairs at a time and Mrs. Nichols followed behind, puffing and panting as she did.

The old attic door creaked as Mrs. Nichols pushed it open and a musty smell filled their noses. The attic had been closed for many years and dust had settled over everything. There were even cobwebs here and there. June said it felt a bit like a room in a scary movie. Mrs. Nichols assured her that there was nothing to be afraid of and then switched on a light and opened a little window to let in the fresh morning air before saying, About time this old attic got aired out and saw the light of day. Then Mrs. Nichols shook her head of grey hair, looking around at the piles of boxes that held so many belongings she and her husband had collected and used over the years. There was an old rocking chair in the corner and she sat herself down in it, saying, Where do we begin?

Janine, whose eyes were roaming all over the attic, pointed to a big box at her own feet and said, How about right here?

Giving her a grateful look, the older woman said, Fine. Please bring it here and we’ll see what is inside.

Jumping up and down with anticipation, June said, Wow! This feels like Christmas, doesn’t it?

The two women looked at her in amusement, saying in unison, I guess it does.

June, who was always reading adventure books in her spare time, grinned back at them and said, Kind of like digging for lost treasure, Mrs. Nichols. Thank you so much for inviting us to help you. This is very exciting. She had a true look of pleasure on her little face. All of a sudden, with those few words, what had looked like an ordeal to all of them had now become a time of fun.

Janine dragged the heavy box over to her friend to open. It was filled to the brim with all sorts of books, some that looked really old and others that looked fairly new. Mrs. Nichols checked over each one, and then put most of them in a discard pile on the floor beside her. The last book in the box was an old diary that she had kept when she was a young woman. Inclining her head to one side and with a wry smile on her lips, Mrs. Nichols exclaimed, Oh, how glad I am to find this old journal! I must read it. I know it is filled with memories and it will be fun to go back and see how my life was way back when. You are about old enough, June, to start keeping a journal of what you do every day. There are so many things you could write about. For example, after today you could write about you and your mom being here with me—what we did and said and how you felt about it all. Over the years you will learn a lot about yourself, and when you are older it will be fun to read it and remember what went on. It is a good thing to do.

Janine stood up and dusted down her apron while looking out the window, not really focusing on anything in particular. Then she said, I have kept a diary for many years too and it has been very helpful. It is a great way of recording what you did and when, and what not to do again.

June piped up, Really? What exactly would you rather not have done?

Her mother smiled and said, Ah, those were my private thoughts and I am not ready to share them right now. When you get older, maybe I will.

At that point Mrs. Nichols plopped all the unwanted books into a box and asked Janine to label it to give away. June found another box, not quite so heavy, and pulled it over to where Mrs. Nichols was seated on the old rocking chair. Upon opening it, they found it filled with lovely linen—many beautiful handmade tablecloths with matching napkins, doilies galore, and some old curtains.

Gosh, I forgot I had all those, said the dear old lady in almost a whisper. I did much of the embroidery and crochet myself. Would you like to take any of it, Janine?"

Janine really felt she did not need any more linen, but her heart went out to her old friend and she thought of all the hours of work Mrs. Nichols had spent. She graciously replied, Yes, I would love to own one of the tablecloth sets. It will remind me of you every time I set a special table for a dinner with friends.

The old woman said, Listen, Janine. Don’t wait for a special occasion or it may take years before you actually use it. Enjoy it now. I have always felt that the food tastes that much nicer when eaten off lovely plates on a nice cloth.

At that Janine smiled and replied, You are so right, and that is what we’ll do. Maybe soon you can come over and we’ll all have dinner together and you can enjoy seeing them used again.

Mrs. Nichols looked delighted. That would be simply lovely, she said. I will look forward to it.

June stood up and spun around a few times before saying, So will I. What will you make for dinner, Mama?

Janine laughed and shook her head and said, I have no idea right this minute, but I’ll think of something when the time comes and we’ll go shopping for it together.

The next box they opened was also very heavy. It was filled with a very smart set of dinnerware. Each piece was wrapped carefully in old newspaper. They decided not to unwrap them all until they studied one of the pieces.

What a lovely design, said Janine, tipping the plate she had in her hand upside down to see where it was manufactured. Made in England, she read. Made for everyday use, the plate was off-white with a pretty design of pinkish roses and leaves around its rim. Mrs. Nichols was watching the expression on the faces of both Janine and June and decided there and then that they should have those dishes to go with the linen set she had just given them.

Oh, I couldn’t, said Janine after hearing Mrs. Nichols’ offer. You have already given me enough.

The older woman replied, I insist and that is that!

Putting the box of dishes aside with the linen she had been given, Janine found yet another big box. It was filled with old clothes. Mrs. Nichols recognized them as belonging to Mr. Nichols, who had passed away. I really do not feel like going through all of these things. Let’s just put them together with all the other give-away boxes as I am sure someone will find use for them. Mr. Nichols liked good quality when it came to his clothes, and even if some of these are not quite in fashion I feel they will be put to good use, Mrs. Nichols decided.

Janine said, "I know what—I have a friend who owns a costume shop and she is always looking for old clothes and material. She uses them to make outfits for people for all sorts of theater productions and fancy dress balls and Halloween.

Mrs. Nichols nodded and said, Good! Because here we have another box full of my old clothes and a box of material that I bought in India and Thailand when we were there.

Janine clapped her hands with delight, exclaiming, Oh, April Daisy, the owner of the costume shop, will be thrilled! I know she will even be glad to give you a few dollars for the lot.

Mrs. Nichols looked pleased and said, Good, I was hoping to find a little extra money to send back East to my young grandson who is ready to go to college and is in need of money for books. It seems they cost a lot these days.

Janine smiled, knowing all too well how much things cost, and said, Wonderful! I’ll take it all to her next week when I am in her area of town.

Mrs. Nichols answered, Perfect. I am thrilled they’ll be put to good use. Now I think it is time we went downstairs, stretched our legs, and had some lunch, and everyone agreed.

With that, they all made their way downstairs. Rupert started barking the moment he heard them. He was at the screen door of the kitchen with his nose pressed up against it. It was by now quite hot outside and he was happy to be let in. After giving them all a sniff and a lick, he sauntered off to his pad in the living room and plopped himself down. With a big yawn, he began to snooze. The three of them looked at him with just a little envy, as they were all a bit tuckered out from the sorting of the boxes in the attic. Mrs. Nichols turned to the others, asking, Would some grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches and some fresh fruit hit the spot?

Sounds wonderful! said Janine, while June simply said, Yummy! Janine added, But if we eat too much, we’ll become soporific and not be able to finish our project, and I really want to get it all done for you today.

June looked at her mom and asked what soporific meant. Janine gave a short laugh and told her it meant tired.

Mrs. Nichols smiled, nodded, and said, What a good word to use. Adding to what Janine had mentioned about getting things finished, she told her friend, Thankfully, we are almost done. The only things left are a few pieces of old furniture and the traveling trunk we took on all our trips around the world.

She entered the kitchen and right away started making their light lunch. Janine and June laid the table in preparation for the meal. Mrs. Nichols said would you enjoy a cold glass of lemonade to drink? The pair said that sounded perfect! Soon they were all sitting around the table, eating and chatting about how much they had already achieved up in the attic. Mrs. Nichols felt very good about getting her things in order, and Janine and June felt very good about helping her do it.

Once again Rupert appeared and gave a big bark as if to say, And how about me, your faithful dog? Mrs. Nichols smiled indulgently and said, Rupert, you are so spoiled, and then promptly got up to find him a nice big juicy bone in the fridge. Needless to say, he was delighted and ran off into the back yard with it and dropped himself under a big shady tree. Putting his paw on top of the bone, he began to gnaw away with great pleasure. Mrs. Nichols watched him for a moment before turning to her friends and saying, That will keep him busy for a while and then I know he’ll find a place to bury it. She gave a laugh and then continued, Well, I guess we should get ourselves back up to the attic and finish sorting out the rest of the things.

Janine and her daughter agreed with the comment and they all tramped up the staircase again. They had left the windows open and a cool wind was blowing through the attic, clearing out the musty smell. It was a lovely day and the birds could be heard singing outside. The three friends once again got back to work sorting out the rest of the boxes. One was filled with old dress patterns, another with tools and such. The sorting out of the goods went on for about another hour. Then all of a sudden June came across a beautiful old trunk squirreled away in the far corner of the attic.

Oh! squealed little June. Look at this fine old trunk.

Mrs. Nichols looked up from the box she was going through and smiled a big sunny smile. Ah, that is the trunk I was telling you about. We used to take it on all our travels around the world, little June, and I want you to have it. It is filled with wonderful souvenirs from all the countries Mr. Nichols and I visited together.

The young girl’s eyes stretched open as large as a cup saucer. So cool, are you sure, Mrs. Nichols? May I really, really have this great big beautiful trunk? said June, with lively joy written all over her pretty little round face.

The elderly woman laughed aloud and said, ‘Yes, you really, really can. If that old trunk could talk, it would tell you many a fascinating tale or two. Now don’t open it yet, but take it home, and tomorrow when you have finished doing your chores and helping your mom, you can go to your room and see all the treasures it holds. I have a very strong feeling you are going to learn a lot from my old trunk and have fun doing so."

June ran up to Mrs. Nichols and threw her arms around her, burying her curly head deep into her apron, thanking her over and over again. The two women chuckled with delight at her response.

Well, said Janine, smoothing down her own apron that was now very soiled, and using her arm to push back some loose strands of hair, "I think it’s time for me to get you home, young lady, and bathed. Tomorrow