The boys are excited to see all of the books in the library. They find books on every topic.
They even find a book about blankets. The book discusses details of blankets from all over Africa, and all over the world. Dingo Pingo turns to Justinian. He has an idea to share. “Justi, I don’t think we should seek an amazing blanket.”
“Why not? This is why we have been going to the library! We need an amazing blanket to travel through Africa!”
“Well,” begins Dingo Pingo, “have you noticed that we have learned about Africa? Have you noticed that these books have travelled us through Africa?”
Dingo Pingo looks into Justinian’s confused face. Justinian complains, “But I have not yet finished learning about Africa. I want to continue travelling through time. I want to see ancient times. I want to see how people lived hundreds of years ago. I am not ready to stop learning.”
“Justi, what have we been doing for days now in the library?”
Justinian thinks. “We have been learning about Africa. We have been travelling through time. We have visited ancient times. We have been seeing how people lived hundreds of years ago.”
Dingo Pingo stops on the murram road. Isabella and Anansi trot on toward home. Justinian stops on the road. The boys face each other.
“We don’t need an amazing blanket.”
“We just need a library.”
Later in the evening after a supper of matooke and groundnuts, the two boys relax with Uncle Junior on the verandah. They watch the sky grow dark. Little Isabella pets the soft hairs on Anansi.
“Why didn’t you go the library before, Justi?” asks Dingo Pingo.
“I didn’t know anything about the library.”
“But why didn’t you go?”
“I don’t go to places that I don’t know.”
Uncle Junior listens carefully to his son. After a moment of quiet, Uncle begins a story…..
anansi99@hotmail.com