Chapter 4: Two wooden rabbits.
"Marco? Are you here?" Henry called when he entered the workshop.
"Hey Henry." August greeted when he entered the workshop and walked up to him. "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for your father, I wanted to ask him something."
"Father was still in the kitchen a moment an ago, but can I maybe help you?"
"I think it is the best if I ask your father himself, if that is possible?" Henry asked, hoping it would not be too much trouble.
"Of course, Henry. Would you like me to show you something to pass the time?"
"Could you learn me how to make a wooden rabbit?" Henry said thoughtful, for he wanted to help, and they could fit in well for Roland's room.
"I could try to learn you yes." August said with a smile and fetched some tools and two blocks of wood. "Well first we start with drawing a rough version of the rabbit on the wood before we get rid of the wood that is out of the lines." August showed him how to handle to tool quickly finishing the rough shape of the rabbit. "Now we draw some more details on the wood like his paws and ears. With smaller tools he made out the paws and rough detail. And explained every step all along, when they worked.
"My boy, you will make a fine teacher someday." Marco said with a smile while he stood watching his son for some while now. Both Henry and August looked up from where they were working on the rabbits. August flashed a smile to his father.
"Good morning." Henry greeted with a little smile. "Marco, could I ask you something?"
"What you want to know?" Marco said and sat down with them.
"I wanted to ask if you could make the furniture for Roland's new room."
"Roland? That is the boy from Robin, is it not?"
"Yes, he is."
"So the rumours are true?" Marco asked looking at Henry.
"I think they are true, as far as they are saying that Robin is alive. My mom has been visiting ever since he has been in the hospital."
"I can see what I can do for you. What do you all need, and what kind of design were you thinking of?" Marco asked and August quickly fetched a piece of paper and handed him his pencil.
"I was thinking of making his room look like the woods. So if you can do something with that? And for sure we need a closet, bed, night table and maybe a desk with chair and a shelf or chest." Henry listed, hoping it was not too much for the two to make in such short time. Marco nodded while he wrote everything down Henry said, so he could rely on it later.
"I will see what I can do for you." He repeated and walked out of his shop in to the shed where he stored all the wood. Henry and August finished their rabbits by sanding them and with a little pin making the final details they finished.
"There you have it. Two life sized rabbits." August said while he placed his rabbit next to Henry's.
"Thank you, August." Henry said with a smile.
"You are welcome. I hope Roland will like them." August said and stood. "I should go and look what my father is doing."
"I hope so too. I will come by soon to see and maybe help." Henry greeted before August disappeared and he took the two wooden rabbits and left the wood shop. August found his father at the table sketching the possible designs for all the furniture.
"Hello, Henry, what a pleasant surprise." Mother superior said when she saw Henry walk through the doors of the convent.
"Hello, can I go to Roland?" He asked looking at her.
"Of course you can. I think he is in his room, otherwise he might be playing with the others children." She replied and turned back to what she was doing. Henry was walking up to Roland's room when from the other direction Roland also walked to his room.
"Hey, Roland." Henry greeted and walked up to the boy that looked up to his visitor.
"Henry?" He asked getting curious why he was here. He knew his papa, maybe he would take him to his papa.
"Would you let me in?" Henry asked gently standing for the door of Roland's room. Roland nodded and opened the door to let Henry in.
"Why are you here?" He asked while he picked up the drawing he had made for his papa.
"I am here because I have something for you." Henry said with a smile kneeling down so he would be on eye height with the boy. Roland frowned not knowing why Henry would want to give him something. Henry got you the two wooden rabbits and showed them to him.
"Bunnies." Roland said looking from the rabbits to Henry.
"Yes, do you like them?" Henry asked and smiled at Roland when he nodded.
"Yes." Roland said and carefully picked up one of the two rabbits to get a better look at it.
"Then you can have them." Henry said.
"Really?" Roland said looking back at Henry.
"Yes, it is a little gift for you."
"Okay. But you need to have the other bunny."
"The both belong together, so I think you need to have both." Henry said holding out the second rabbit for Roland to take.
"No, then give them to papa and Gina." Roland said after some time of thinking, giving both the rabbits back to Henry. "Then Papa has something that can make his think of Gina, and Gina something to think about Papa."
"I think I can do that." Henry said taking back the wooden rabbits. "Are you very sure about this?" Roland nodded eagerly.
"I hope Gina comes back soon to take me to papa."
"I shall tell her that too, that she needs to come and take you to your papa. For you miss him, don't you?" Roland nodded and gave Henry a small hug.
"Thank you." Roland said. Henry took it as his cue to leave and when he was outside on the grounds Roland waved at him from the window of his room. Henry waved back before he made his way to his mom's house.
Henry knocked on the door when he arrived at Regina's house. It took quite a while before Mary Margaret opened the door. "Hey Henry, come in." She greeted her grandson and let him in.
"Where is Regina?" Henry asked walking to the guestrooms with her.
"She went to Robin, almost two hours ago, so I think she will be back soon. But how did it go with Marco?"
"He agreed in making the furniture for Roland. I even made a rabbit, together with August." Henry showed the wooden rabbits to Mary Margaret. "I also went to the convent to give them to Roland, and he really liked them but thought better if I would give them to Regina and Robin."
"Soon David and I will go and place the wooden floor in Robin's room, then there will be enough to also do Roland's room." She said and walked in to Robin's future room.
"Hey Grandpa." Henry greeted. "I will go and get started in Roland's room." Henry picked up a pencil and started to draw on the wallpaper. An half hour later he had drawn rough outlines of the threes on the wallpaper. Regina silently stood watching her son.
"Looks good so far." She said looking to the walls with the outlines of the trees.
"Mom!" Henry said and flashed a smile at her.
"How was Marco?" Regina asked while she stepped inside the room.
"He wanted to make the furniture for Roland's room so I think he started the moment I left the shop." Henry picked up the two wooden rabbits. "I made these together with August." He handed one of them to Regina. "I also went to the convent to give these to Roland. He liked them but he thought it was better that you and Robin had one, so you both had something to remember each other."
"That is very sweet of him." Regina said eyeing the rabbit. "And he liked the forest theme?"
"I think he will like it. He also said to me that I had to tell you that he hoped that you soon would come and get him to visit his papa again." Henry repeated the message he had promised to tell.
"I think I can do that. Robin would like that too." Regina said and gave the rabbit back to Henry who now was at a loss, because he had no idea what to do with the rabbits. So he simply put them down in the middle of the room. He continued the drawing till he was satisfied and so the with little preparation he could start painting tomorrow.
Soon another day had gone bye and Mary Margaret and David left to go home. Henry decided that he wanted to stay over at Regina's keeping her company like when he was young. Watching a movie together, having lots of fun.
When Regina came downstairs the following morning she found Henry in the kitchen, making breakfast.
"Good morning." Regina announced herself and sat down at the kitchen table.
"Good morning mom." Henry said and turned around with a smile. "Breakfast is almost ready." He announced while he lifted the frying pan and put the eggs on plates together with toast. Regina watched her son while she took a sip from the orange juice.
"Thank you." Regina smiled and started to eat when Henry sat down with her. When they were done eating, they cleaned up together. Henry gathered some supplies like old newspapers to cover the floor and some brushes before he could start on Roland's room. Again around nine o'clock David stood in front of Regina's door.
"Good morning." David greeted when he stepped inside.
"Good morning, where is Mary Margaret?" Regina asked when they walked to the guest rooms.
"It is Monday, she had to go teaching again." Regina nodded and helped David get started before she walked to the other room and helped Henry paint the trees.
"Don't you think it is going to be too dark?" Regina asked after some time, looking at what they had painted already.
"I do not think so, but I might need some light brown paint to make the trees more detailed." Henry said also looking at the walls. "But the furniture will be light, so I think that already solves a lot." Regina nodded and they continued painting. It was about one o'clock when Regina put the brush down, being almost finished with the brown paint.
"I am going to Robin." Regina announced while she wiped her hands on a cloth.
"Are you going to take Roland with you?" Henry asked.
"I am yes." Regina said before she said David goodbye and left for the convent. Roland was very happy when Regina showed up and gladly left with her to the hospital.
"Papa!" Roland said and let go of Regina's hand he was holding. He ran to the bed and climbed upon it.
"Hey buddy." Robin said and gave his son a hug. Regina sat down in the chair that stood next to his bed.
"How are you?" Regina asked.
"I am alright, I suppose." Robin answered while he took Roland's drawing and looked at it. "What is the next adventure?" He asked his son.
"Going to play in the park." Roland answered with a smile.
"I see a basket and a ball, and rabbits." Robin said nodding. "But who is the fourth person with us in the park?"
"That's Henry. He came and visited me. He had made two bunnies for me but I had told him he had to give one to Gina and one to you."
"Oh, did he do so?" Robin questioned and looked up to Regina. Regina nodded, confirming what Roland was saying.
"Did you bring them?" Roland asked eagerly.
"I think I have forgotten them." Regina said for they were indeed still standing in Roland's soon to be new bedroom. "I will bring them the next time, alright?" Roland looked a bit disappointed but nodded. Roland told his father some more things about his drawing and Robin listened with a smile on his face. Roland snuggled down in his father's arms while Robin softly hugged his son. Regina watched the scene in front of her, being happy that both of them find comfort in each other's presence. Both Robin and Roland were almost asleep when the visitor hour was over.
"Robin? Roland?" Regina asked softly to awaken them again. Robin lifted his head and turned his attention to her.
"Yes?" He asked with a tired smile.
'It is time that we have to leave again, sadly." Regina said and watched as Roland lifted his head from Robin's chest.
"Do we have too?" Roland asked, still in his father's embrace.
"I am afraid we have to, otherwise a nurse probably will chase us out." Regina replied and watched while Roland hugged his father and Robin kissed his curls. Regina handed Roland's jacket and pulled on her own.
"I will see you soon." Robin said to Roland. Regina gave Robin a kiss before they walked out of the ward.
"Goodbye, papa." Roland said before he joined Regina. When they walked out of the hospital they saw Ruby and Whale, who apparently had finished his shift for the day. Regina treated the boy on some sweets before she walked him back to the convent. There they said goodbye and Regina promised to soon come back to take him to his papa again.
When Regina came home, David and Henry were still busy with the rooms. David had started laying the floor in Robin's room while Henry had started with the green of the trees. Regina helped Henry before both David and Henry left to go home for dinner, leaving Regina alone, with the paint and the two wooden rabbits.
The grave where Robin supposed to be buried was soon removed, indeed his body missing from the coffin. Most who worried about it did not understand how or why it happened, yet for others it did not matter, because all that they wanted was to have him back, that just happened.