Fourteenth Chapter

"John!" Out of nowhere, someone called John.

"Mr. Watson! It is great to see you! Where's Mrs. Watson?"

"She's fine. John, i want to express my gratitude to you. If you had not made a mess on the hallway, we will be dead." Mr. Watson recalled the experience he had at the hallway where John begged them to save their own lives.

"It was not a big deal. Anyone would do what i did, Mr. Watson." A standard human answer bask in humbleness.

"Not everyone, no. Lad, we will live in Lafayette, Boston with my son and his family. When you go there, look for Watson Steel. I entertain you for you are mine and my wife's life savior." Mr. Watson expresses his gratitude again.

"Definitely will in the future, Mr. Watson." Boston is a nice, no, a great place, he has to be there someday, he promises him.

"Do not Mr. Watson me, lad. Call me by my name, Carmine, Carmine Watson from Birmingham, Boston in the future."

"Carmine, it really is a Birmingham name." John laughs.

"Sure is. Haha. John, i have to go. See you and thanks again. We owe you a life. Lives. Me and my wife. Anything you need, do not hesitate to come find me." Carmine serious in his offer.

"Hmm. I will. Take care." 

"See you then. Lady." Carmine offers a handshake for respect to John.

No hesitation, John reached out.

Esme bows gracefully.

In the coming hours, the Bureau of Immigration accounted every passengers including the crew.

"Out of 2240 passengers. Only 289 died. So. Hmmm." Preparing to go out cause they got their papers from BI. The numbers were finally out.

"1,951 survivors." Esme answered easily.

John looks at her. I mean, he is a 2023 32 year old police officer and a lawyer, he cannot do that arithmetic lightning quick. 

(He is just dumb in math. Not like our dear readers who easily solved faster than Lady Esme.)

"I am good with numbers. I am a certified public accountant." She proudly responded.

"Nice. 6 times 57=."

"342." She answered without blinking.

"Woah. 342 x.....15." He struggles even with finding number to multiply. How did he become a police and lawyer. (tsk.)

"5130." She smiles.

"Really?"

"Really. Give a hard one."

"Wow. Okay. 5130x123456."

"633,329,280." She answered easily. Its like she did it like breathing.

 "For real??!! No way!!!! another one....633,329,280 divide 78985" John amazed. So amazed. But it did not stop him from throwing a division problem.

"8018.348800405140216." Esme answered without breathing.

"Jesus son of Mary. Even the decimals you know? Esme, ur a walking calculator."

"I do know a calculator but it don't walk. Is this metaphor again? How come you know words i do not understand. Is this a vernacular where you are from?" She wondered.

"Yeah. Vernacular from where i am from, Essex."

"Hmm. got any more....harder? John, just asking you're struggling. Sigh." She sounded disappointed though her eyes shows teasing.

"Here you go again. Esme, honestly. Einstein got nothing on you."

"You know Einstein?" She looks at John not expecting to know Einstein.

"Yeah. E=mc2. Mass. Energy. The works. Special Theory of Relativity." He don't know what is emc2 but because of information overload in 2023, plus he was a police and lawyer, he ought to know somehow emc2. He want to impress Esme with this.

"John, not only you are brave and courageous but also a learned man. Marvelous and miraculous." She genuinely smiled and have sparkles in her eyes.

"Thats me, marvelous and miraculous. Hehehe. Do u know Newton? He got his gravity from falling apple."

"From falling apple." The two said in chorus.

Light shines in Esme's eyes.

"Hook line and sinker. This Lady Esme is an erudite. To impress her, must throw in some future knowledge. Hahaha. Sky, it is your time to shine. This is gonna be easy." John is dreaming even awake. Nothing comes easy. Nothing.