Crown Park Read Online Free

often,” he said in
a perfectly normal voice. “It’s a Buddhist mantra that helps people
come to peace with their world.”
    “Oh mummy pat me bum?” said
Jack. “What does that mean?”
    Fluoro frowned. “Don’t ridicule
other people’s religion.”
    “I’m not!” replied Jack. “That’s
what I heard.”
    “Well,” Fluoro said slowly,
“it’s ‘Om, mani, padme, hum,’ and it’s not what it means that is
important. It’s what it does. It makes me feel good and gives me
peaceful thoughts.”
    “I’ve got a book like that,”
said Jack. “It’s called Magic Thinks Big. ”
    “And why does it make you feel
peaceful?”
    “I don’t know really,” said
Jack. “There’s a cat in the story called Magic, and he can go
places in his mind.” He shrugged. “There’s just something about it
that makes me feel good.”
    Fluoro nodded. “Can you go places in your mind?”
    “Sometimes. But I’m not very
good at it. When Mum or Dad used to read to me, I could do it
better. But they don’t do that anymore.”
    “That’s a pity,” said Fluoro.
“Because it’s good to go off to places. I do it all the time.”
    “Where do you go?”
    “Oh, I stay right here,” replied
Fluoro with a grin. “But I travel back in time. I try to go back to
before the last big eruption.”
    “What’s it like?”
    Fluoro looked at the boy for a
long time before answering. “Maybe I can take you there. If we get
comfortable, and I tell you what’s happening in my mind, we might
be able to share the journey.” A pause. “Do you trust me enough to
do that?”
    Jack looked away. He didn’t know
if he did or not. What he did know was he was feeling his most
relaxed since moving to Taupo. If just talking to Fluoro worked,
then taking a mind journey might be even better. Anyway, what was
there to lose? His life was already rubbish. How could it get any
worse?
    “Yes,” he said. “Let’s do
it.”
     
     
    Fluoro’s idea of getting comfortable
was to drag a beach lounger from the back of his home and unfold it
for Jack. The canvas was ripped in a couple of places, but was
still strong enough to hold Jack’s weight.
    The man then sat in the La-Z-Boy
and leant back until he too was lying down. He began talking.
    “The time we’re going back to is
about two hundred years after the birth of Jesus Christ. Almost all
the world is populated with people except for here. It will be
still another few hundred years before the first Polynesians make
it to this land.
    “Imagine we’re on a rise,
looking down at the land that will become Crown Park. Behind us we
can see Tauhara. It is covered with bush, like most of the land we
can see, except for dots of bare patches where steam rises into the
air.”
    Jack was finding it difficult to
see any of this. To him it was only boring description. I want
things to happen, he thought. I want action!
    At that moment a heavy weight
landed on his lap. Jack flinched, thinking that somehow it had
resulted from his wish for action. Then the kneading started and he
knew it was Chainsaw. His hand automatically moved to the cat’s
head and began stroking back and forth. Instantly, the sound of an
idling chainsaw filled the makeshift home.
    Fluoro was still talking. “…
trees so big their crowns are filled with other plants, forming
gardens in the air. And in these gardens are birds feeding on
fruits and insects. Every now and then a metallic note rings
through the forest, to be answered soon after by an echo of similar
sounds.”
    Slowly, Jack began to see this
land in the past. He stopped hearing the words and began seeing
images. And what images they were. It was like standing in the
middle of a 3D fantasy movie. Something like Imax3D, except here,
when he looked around, he saw things everywhere — above, below,
behind. It was the ultimate movie experience.
    Standing next to him was Fluoro,
still dressed in his orange outfit. On the ground was Chainsaw
showing an unhealthy interest