Birch Manor - Summer - Part 4

This Wednesday the words are over at WiseWebWoman's blog. Today we're given:

Canopy
Thorn
Machine
Charity
  
Limp
Aisle
Nothing
Sneak

 Remember to go back, read other peoples' stories there or follow their links back. And please place a comment after reading. Challenges like this one thrives on interaction.

We're now back to Susan's story in the future, Birch Manor. Continuing where I left off here

  And ... I made an OOPSIE. I forgot to post a part of the chapter last time around, but of course continued from there in my files, using some of the words. If the story should not go back and forth like crazy, I'll just have to publish this part first.
  Word used: Canopy, which I was able to sneak in. 

It turned into a late night. They drank lots of coffee, spoke of old memories, told of their lives, and discussed ways and means of bringing peoples' magic back. My had one leg of Helge's old trousers and half of Martine's brain teasers. Susan insisted they kept some in case Hilde had any children.
In the morning, late morning. Knud once again brewed them some coffee and My walked them to the train station. There they bought a ticket to Denmark for My, ascertaining that it could have its date changed if anything should happen in the time between now and then. Susan and Knud boarded the train to the airport, they did not want to spend a whole day in a train, and the air ticket was even cheaper than the train.

***

Tromsø was a big town. But after an uninspiring lunch, to put it mildly, the hospital was easily found. It was huge!
"Hilde is where?" Knud asked.
"She is working in the Milk bank. Susan answered with a lopsided smile "Yes they accept and distribute human milk from there. It is a great thing. If we had had a car or lived closer to the hospital, I'd have donated milk when our children were small. I imagine Hilde is doing a good job there. And there it is 'Morsmelkbanken B2'."
They followed the road signs to the right place. Norwegian was easy to read for Danes. "What are we going to do now?"
"Follow our plan, we agreed upon a direct approach for Hilde. She was always a no nonsense type."
"And we all believe we participated in some kind of 4H summer course. Thus a question about such an enterprise won't surprise her too much." Knud said.
They sat on a bench under the canopy of a giant beech tree outside the milk bank, watching women coming and handing in milk, They pricked up their ears and listened as someone called for Hilde. But it was only a mom calling her older child come back.
At long last the bells on a far away church struck four. Knud and Susan stood, stretched and walked to the entrance of the Milk bank. "I wonder if she'll get out through this door here," Susan said. "Maybe I should take a look around the corner?"
"OK I'll call you if I find her first, and you can do the same." Knud said. But it never became necessary. The door opened and a group of ladies smelling of hospital came out.
Knud took two steps in their direction, saying: "Could you please help us?"
"Yes," an elderly, efficient looking lady said. "What are you looking for?"
"Not what, Who. We're looking for a lady named Hilde, last name is, or at least was, Westvold."
The lady turned toward another very like her: "Hilde, those two want a word with you. At least I think so. Your maiden name was Westvold after all."
"Thank you," Knud said, as Hilde said, "Yes that is true. What do you want."
We're planning a reunion," Knud said. "This summer marks the 50eth year since we met at the 4H farm. We'd like to invite you."
"This is a bit ridiculous," Hilde said. "I do not have fond memories from that farm, even though some of the people there were OK, as I remember. I haven't given it a thought in  many years."
"Let's have a cup of coffee and talk a bit," Susan suggested. "I'm sure you know a nice place somewhere near."
"Yes, actually I do. We often go there for an after work cuppa on Fridays. Follow me."
They had a table outside in the sun, far from other people.
"Now, spill it," Hilde said. "I'm not stupid, and that lame tale of 4H and so on. That's not the whole truth is it? I'll have to warn you, thought that any hint of violence will make me reciprocate, and I have the black belt in Karate."
"Ouch, you're still a tough nut!" Susan exclaimed. "We're not after your money, or life or anything. But yes, it is a lame story. It is nonetheless the truth as you know it."
"The truth as I know it?" Hilde said. "Yes I remember that Farm, more summers, not only one, three, I think. Rather boring. What is it, you want?"
"We want to give you back something you left behind at the Farm!" Susan said and held the shirt out for Hilde.
"My skirt? Don't tell me you came all the way from ... Sweden, no Denmark, just to give me an old skirt. I do not really believe you."
"No?" Susan said. "The best thing is hidden inside the skirt. Have a look."
Hilde did not look convinced, and Susan placed the skirt on the small table. "Take your time," she said, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Well an old skirt can't kill me." Hilde said and pulled it towards her. At the touch, the tough outer shell, that was Hilde's armour against the hardships of life cracked, and she began crying silently. "My magic, you gave me my magic back," she said as her tears stopped. "You have given me back my memories of those happy ... and not so happy days at the Unicorn Farm. Now I remember. Now I know what I have been missing all those years. And now I recognise you as well. You were ..
... hopeless flyers!" Susan laughed. "You have no idea how many times we've been told so these last weeks!"
"You are really trying to organise a reunion? Not for 4H girls and boys but for  ... witches and wizards?" Hilde said still hesitating.
"We're planning something more actually," Susan said. "We intend to re-open the school. Do you have any children or grandchildren?"
"By golly! The children! I forgot! I was supposed to pick them up from preschool at five. Come with me!" She paid their coffee and walked in a brisk trot towards the parking lot. "Get in behind, last row, You'll get swarmed shortly, do prepare."
"We have six kids, and grands of our own. We are prepared," Susan said as Hilde slammed the sliding door shut.
Hilde drove with skill, as she did anything, around corners, through rural roads and ended up outside a newly built school. "Stay put." She warned and went to the fence. They heard her call and saw a group of children come running at her. She opened the gate and gave a short command. In a neat procession they walked to the car and piled in. Shortly everyone had a seat and had their belts fastened. Hilde closed the sliding door and the front passenger door and climbed aboard once again.

Susan and Knud had to answer the same questions many times over, and Hilde's grandkids had troubles understanding their what a small girl called "wrong Norwegian" Susan said "Shut your eyes and count down from ten, you can do that! Cone on. All together now, Ten. Nine ..." She stopped counting and while the children continued, she pulled out her wand and cast the Mál Sameinast spell that Gilvi once had cast at the beginning of every day at the Unicorn Farm.
"Nå snakker jeg skikkeligt norsk, ikke sant?" (Now I speak proper Norwegian, don't I? ) Susan said and all the children yelled "Yes!" After this they were great friends and Knud and Susan had no trouble making the children play with the brain teasers one after another while Hilde got something to eat whipped up for all of them.
It was as well prepared and tasty as Susan and Knud had expected. "Now what are those funny toys?" Hilde asked.
"It's some Susan and Knud had for us!" the girl who had teased Susan with her Norwegian said.
"Really, Synne, just for you?" Hilde aksked
"Oh, I'm sure you and granddad can play with them as well," Synne retorted. "That white one over there, It's very hard, only Paul could solve it." Paul was the oldest of the grandkids, and he had ben able to solve all the puzzles, magical and not with equal ease.
"I don't doubt it," Hilde said. "I think that boy thrives on puzzles and riddles."

"What does the rest of you say. Do you agree with Synne?" Susan asked. "Which ones are the hardest, so that we can tease granddad, and your parents too when they arrive."
They started to line up the puzzles after how hard they were, and Susan and Knud soon had an idea of whom of Hilde's grandchildren had magic, most of them did; and who not, only two.
Please tell me who is who and how many children you have, I keep loosing it," Susan said with a big sigh. "It's a bit overwhelming when I do not know the first thing about this invasion. Susan grinned.
"OK children now sit down, and please stand up as I say your name," Hilde said. All the children sat down in the grass, and Hilde continued. "I have three children, and each of those have children of their own. Nine grand-kids. My oldest son, Hans, is the father of Paul, Synne and Erik." They stood. "My daughter, Nana is the mother of Dora, Elsa, Finn, and Gregor. They rose in order, two boys and two girls very close in age and abilities as far as Susan could judge. "And my youngest son, Rasmus has only two children Roseanne and Mary." They rose, and Susan recognised the two girls who probably had no magic. Luckily those two were siblings, that would make it easier on them, or maybe not as Hilde's grandchildren seemed a tight knit bundle.