NIGHT OF THE FULL MOON
The new guests arrived at the stroke of midnight as the bells rung and the moon illuminated the island with silver light. Savage instincts awoke the werewolf, the vampires ravenous searched for blood and Cinderella lost her glass slipper upon the palace steps.
At the entrance a dwarf snorted, awaiting with keys in his hand for the new inhabitants of the Villa to arrive. With exaggerated reverence he welcomed the guests and invited them to see the enchanted garden.
“Welcome to Can Cardona, a magical place. Here nothing is as it seems, Whatever you think, is not as it will be, everything here is different. Leave your luggage here please, if you would be so kind, and follow me. There are two houses camouflaged between plants and trees to give you shelter, one of which has three bedrooms and the other has two. They are both fully equipped and decorated with love and warmth to make you feel at home.”
Various rabbits babbled amongst themselves, they grouped together in unison and in high pitched voices discussed the excellent features of the villa whilst carrying the luggage of the guests into the two houses.
“They will be witnesses to an amazing world where everything is possible and nothing is left to chance, everything here is the fruit of strange minds and wonderful creatures that inherit this small parcel of Mediterranean earth.”
As the guests entered the villa, the mice gave the last touches, they polished the floor whilst the fairies finished making the beds with great care and affection.
“Good night dears”, said one of the fairies, “We take care of every little thing here with love and care, we hope that whilst you are here with us that you will sleep like angels, it is not easy to finish our work.”
The guests then returned to the gardensfollowing the dwarf, it was a special night, a night where dreams could come true. Posing upon the branches of the lemon trees, orange trees and palm trees sat owls adorned with fluorescent colourful velvet feathers, they called to the guests to warn them.
“Leave behind your sanity, allow your imagination to fly beyond all possibilities. You will find yourself unconscious, mystified as you enter into a world of fantasy.
The owls paraded in union and flew into the night under the starlit sky. The night was clear, the apple moon shone brightly, it´s radiant light reflected upon the pond of incandescent fish. Enchanted toads begged desperately for kisses to undo the spell of the wicked witch so they could turn once again into handsome princes.
The flowers were of silk, the fragrances were unknown, some were found scattered upon the earth. Fireflies posed upon the white roses and the yellow magnolias. The smallest of the fireflies was inquisitive, “where havethese strange beings come from, which country in the worldis their home?”
“They seem like good people, I think they are from planet earth”, confirmed one of the others with conviction.
They continued the tour led by the dwarf, the sweet rabbits took the hands of the children and took them to the play park, there were various gnomes there swinging beneath a carob tree aged one hundred years old, the gnomes lived there with all their family.
“Climb upon the swing and stay and play with us.” “We will look after them”, said the fattest gnome to the parents.
The gnomes were extremely happy, they had made new friends to play games with, they didn´t seem at all dangerous. The children content remained with the gnomes whilst the adults continued the path onto the swimming pool, two mermaids enjoyed the fresh clear water as they bathed. Three intrepid youths seduced by the sirens call dived into the pool, but were disillusioned to find the mermaids had turned into balloon fish. The three youths quickly left the pool feeling as though the devil had taken their souls. The sirens continued to call them, the youths could hear their sweet songs from the Jacuzzi beckoning them once again.
“Don´t attempt it! They like to play with the boys. They are not bad, but perhaps a little naughty. More than one young man has dived in and attempted to play forbidden games.” The gnome advised them, but without seeming too worried. “They are beautiful creatures, but elusive like demons. It is best to let them feel ignored and thus they will disappear into the water without a trace.
They continued once again, following the dwarf. The moon illuminated their path and followed them from the highest point. They were directed to a very special place. Lights seemed to switch on by themselves as if enchanted and out of nowhere two cats appeared from behind a bar, one white and the other black. They were dressed in waistcoats and bow ties and were shaking cocktails. Jazz music brightened the atmosphere. The guests sat down and were joined by all the characters they had met in the enchanted garden.
“Welcome to the bar ¨The rebellious cats¨ said the two cats, “we are an incomparable duo, we liven up the nights with music and drinks. Order what you would like ladies and gentlemen, we will serve you in just a jiffy”.
The guests with their mouths wide open were amazed, it was more than they could have imagined in their wildest dreams, or was it just a hallucination manifested by the exotic cocktails they were drinking which were prepared by the two cats?
Just before dawn, all the animated characters paraded back to their homes. The white cat began to collect the glasses whilst the black cat announced that the bar was now closed.
“Good night everyone, it´s time to finish the show, it´s time to go home. Thank you all for this unforgettable evening.”
The next day, the guests awoke late, they went in search for their new friends. Some birds were tweeting in the trees, a pair of rabbits hid in a burrow, mice fled terrified to see them, the mermaids left no trace, only a few colourful butterflies rested upon their shoulders, whispering in their ears…
Happy holidays in Can Cardona, a truly magical place.
Author:Juan José Cardona
Translation: Sarah Louise Bussey
