Once Upon A Time...

Chapter 2

They were taking a break from Warlock's homework (if you could the work they gave to the five-year-olds 'homework'). The boy was relatively calm today and wanted to spend some time in the garden. Of course, his nanny had agreed, which was why she was now being eagerly pulled by her hand to the garth.

"Tell me about this one Nanny!" the boy excitedly asked pointing to a blood-red flower. They often did this when they went in the garden, Warlock would ask his nanny about flowers, he'd talk with the gardener, and then his nanny would talk to the gardener. They seemed to be really good friends, but they were shy about talking to each other. Warlock didn't know why they would be afraid of each other; neither one of them was scary to him.

"That's a Gerbera or Transvaal Daisy. They're very popular for bouquets, they symbolise happiness and the celebration of life. They come in many different colours," she pointed to a yellow flower, "that one there is a Transvaal Daisy as well," she explained to the little boy.

"Wow, Nanny, you know so much about plants," he said, slipping his hand into hers once more to drag her to another part of the garden.

"Well, I've been around a lot longer than you have, Hellspawn," she said, squeezing his hand gently.

"What about this one?" Warlock dropped her hand to run up and cup the petals of a white flower that filled his small hands.

"That's a peony. You might not want to touch it if you don't want ants on you," Warlock instantly dropped the flower, whirling around to look at his nanny with wide eyes. "The ants help it bloom. They have a symbiotic relationship," she explained simply.

"A sim-bi-tron-ic-" Warlock started to ask before a smiling man popped up from behind a bush and interrupted the half-formed question with an answer.

"A symbiotic relationship, dear!" Warlock turned and smiled at the gardener, his nanny not reacting so well.

"Good Satan, A-! I mean I- Brother Francis... you startled me," she flushed slightly, scowling at nothing in particular.

"Oh, apologies, love," he smiled at her with remorse in his eyes, she didn't return the look. He cleared his throat, addressing Warlock again, "As I was saying, a symbiotic relationship is when two creatures help each other! It's quite wonderful! The ants protect the flowers from other, nasty insects and help them to bloom, as your nanny pointed out," he shot her a radiant smile. "And the flowers provide the ants with tasty food!" he grinned, pleased he could share this wonderful fact about the world with the small boy. He wanted to positively influence him in any way he could.

"Oh! That's cool!" Warlock said, smiling with the gardener.

"I knew all that, too..." the nanny grumbled slightly. She only acted this way around the gardener. Warlock really didn't understand it, but it didn't bother him too much.

"Of course you did, love! You are so knowledgeable about plants," he restated the sentiment Warlock had vocalized earlier, walking towards her.

"I- wh- yo- er... I guess, I mean I am, I s'pose," she stuttered over her words, struggling to regain her verbal footing after a compliment from the cheerful man.

Warlock didn't stick around to hear much after that.

He wandered away to explore the garden more. He loved the outside environment! The breeze gently ruffling his hair, soft sounds of birds and Brother Francis' soothing voice, the bright colours of the plants and the brilliantly blue sky. It energized him!

He skipped excitedly over to a patch of light purple flowers that, if he was remembering correctly, were called Cosmos. They looked kind of cartoonish to him, which added to the appeal.