Chapter 40 - Pond Life

Days and nights went by with Gammelnok getting stronger by the hour. He still felt his advanced years and was happy to take it easy. After all he did not want to do any more travelling and expected to end his long life resting by the pond.

The old man had made careful advances towards Gammelnok, hoping to get to know more about him. He only approached him during daytime hours though when Gammelnok was mostly asleep after spending the night hours telling his life story to the animals who ventured close to the pond.

But, one day the old man and Gammelnok came face to face. "Oh hello" said the man. "Hola" said Gammelnok.

Gammelnok explained that he only spoke Spanish and GammelDansk. The old man in turn replied in his mother tongue which was Danish. It took quite some effort and concentration on both parts to get to grips with Danish/GammelDansk.

It worked though and after that neither was afraid of the other and many hours were spent pond-side talking and listening, learning and refreshing GammelDansk.

The old man offered for Gammelnok to visit the house. That was declined though due to his short legs not being able to manage sixty six steps easily, neither down and especially not up.

Being a handyman, the old man decided to construct a lean-to on the old garden shed, so Gammelnok would have shelter from the weather. When finished, it looked more like a dog kennel, but it was dry and Gammelnok loved it. A rocking chair came next and a small table followed.

Life in retirement was good and Gammelnok wished this could go on forever.

Life is not like that though and one day the old man announced that they were selling the house and moving to Spain. Gammelnok would be more than welcome to join them.

It only took Gammelnok a minute to make up his mind. He had had enough of Spain to last him another lifetime. He thanked the old man but declined the offer. He was happy where he was and had travelled the Earth to get here. He would not leave now.

It took nearly a year for the sale to go through. The steep garden was a young person's garden. Lots of energy needed to maintain it. Eventually a buyer was found who liked the house but was not bothered about the garden, which could grow to weed as far as he was concerned. When all was settled, the old man and his wife came to say goodbye. Gammelnok gave the old man his Andalusian passport, the carved image of himself that the woodcarver in Holland had made and which had served him well while travelling in Spain. Maybe it could do some good still in their new home in the South.

Gammelnok was on his own now and hardly ever saw the new owner. The garden deteriorated, getting back to nature, growing wild and keeping Gammelnok nicely hidden by the pond.

The wildlife loved it as well and more and more animals joined Gammelnok by the pond during evenings and nights.

His strength was failing though, and as the garden grew wilder, he grew weaker. 

The garden pond was silting up; the sycamore seeds that dropped each year were now healthy saplings. The back gate hang on one hinge and the old shed was rotting slowly having lost its felt roof covering in the last storm.

And then, one full moon night Gammelnok gave in. 300 years was a long time to live. He felt at peace and with these last words: "Thank you mother for all your help" he was gone. 

A lone fox howled at the full moon. A final lament to a good little guy who had put up a damn good fight.

The End.