Stories · Curiosities · Questionable Ideas · Rather a Lot of Imagination · Farah Sam · Author & Creator ·
Great Aunt Scheherazade and the Sunset Lantern
Great Aunt Scheherazade told us a queer, magical story under the tree, and she gave me a mysterious tin lantern to keep the light.
MAX SPARKLY DIARIES JOURNAL
Max Sparkly
6/15/20261 min read
Great Aunt Scheherazade told us a queer, magical story under the tree, and she gave me a mysterious tin lantern to keep the light.
Max’s Diary-Style Journal Entry
June 15th — Evening, The Nubian Village Great Aunt Scheherazade is the last of the Sparkly sisters, and she is the most magical of them all. She wears flowing sunset-coloured robes and silver rings on every finger. Her voice sounds like a soft flute, and when she sat us down under the shade of a tree, the entire square seemed to go quiet just to listen to her. She told us a marvellous tale about a boy who traveled across the world to find a treasure, only to realize the treasure was the people he met along the way.
"Keep the light, Max," she whispered, handing me a beautiful tin and glass lantern as her official gift motif. She also reached into her pocket and slid a heavy, antique iron Key of Curiosity onto a silken cord around my neck.
I looked at Granny, at Tilly, and at the sparkling river, trying to write it down properly. Tilly sat perfectly still, which is rare for her, and didn't giggle once. Suddenly she looked at the antique key and said, "Max, that key doesn't open a box. It opens the tomorrow we haven't seen yet." I nearly dropped my pencil. That was a shockingly brilliant observation for an eight-and-a-half-year-old. It is deeply concerning how clever she is getting.
The moment was beautifully serious until Sir Bark-A-Lot decided to jump up and grab the silken cord, tugging me backward off my wooden stool and straight into a patch of dusty mint leaves.
This key is very heavy.
My family is quite extraordinary.
Crumbs. I have mint leaves stuck to my ears.
Explorer’s Notes
OFFICIAL LOG: Classification of oral histories and key tracking.
Gifts Acquired: Tin and glass lantern, plus the iron Key of Curiosity from Aunt Scheherazade.
Dog Attack: One unexpected tackle during a historical presentation.