A KINGDOM FAR AWAY (fiction - part 2)

It was barely 8 o'clock as I hurried down the road toward Joe's cabin. Mother thought I should wait until later, but I was too excited to wait. Now I just hoped that Joe wasn't still in bed and maybe it was too early. All my apprehension vanished as I approached Joe's cabin and saw him sitting on the porch drinking a cup of coffee. Hunter saw me instantly and came bounding off the porch to greet me. Over the coming weeks this would become a regular ritual.