Ch 145: Museum

The next day after, I felt much better and went out with Mr. Collin and Ben.

"So where are we going again?" Ben asked when he looked out the limousine's window sitting next to me.

Mr. Collin chuckled in the seat across from us, "you'll find out, Mr. Parker."

After his statement, we pulled up to the humongous museum.

"Is this your Museum?" I asked, exhilarated.

For someone studying to be a paleontologist and archeologist, this place is my kinda playground.

"Indeed," Mr. Collin hummed as his Bodyguard Duncan opened the door for us.

We got out and Mr. Collin took Ben and me inside. He showed us around some of the displays. We saw prehistoric dinosaur bones, an ice age gallery, gems, rocks, paintings, Indian history, and a full display of Egyptian relics and tombstones. There was so much to explore and I couldn't get enough of it.

Mr. Collin even had an explore and fun play area for children to do science experiments. Play tunnels replicating the layers of the Earth's crust. A digging site for them to find dinosaur bones in. He even built a replica of an Egyptian Palace as a large playhouse with tunnels and slides for them.

There were too many activities and play areas made for kids to even count. You could tell Mr. Collin loved kids and had a passion for old relics.

"This place is amazing!" I excitedly said.

"Where only getting started," Mr. Collin chuckled and went through this employee's only door.

Ben and I followed him in. After walking into the corridor we turned off and my eyeballs rolled across the floor to see the area where they were digging up this large dinosaur bone.

"Yes, this is surely your department," Ben teased to see my eyes lit up.

"Don't worry Ben, there is a reason why I had you join us," Mr. Collin told him. Then he walked us in and we said hi to the workers doing their thing.

Not too far, we entered a library filled with books and other documents from our history. Ben was a nerd for history and that's why he wanted to run his own business towards politics.

"Well, I see you found your playland," I teased Ben and he laughed.

"Can I live here?" Ben asked and we laughed at him wandering around to his heart's content.

"I'm sure you can find a lot of great advice here about establishing your own business," Mr. Collin told Ben. "With you both starting college soon. Coming here will help you advance in your skills."

"Wait, does that mean I can go dig up some bones?" I asked sorta jokingly.

"Of course, my dear," said Mr. Collin. "You are both welcome here even during off hours." He pulled out two ID passages from his pocket. "You will have access to any locked doors and this will get you inside the Museum."

Ben and I were thrilled and grateful to get such a high privilege for us only being trainees. "Now follow me."

We both followed Mr. Collin and he showed us around. There was even a room full of mummies and other Egyptian relics still being cleaned up and preserved

After the tour, Ben got a book and sat with me as I chipped at this leg bone of a triceratops.

"This is so incredible!" Ben announced as he was carefully reading his large book.

"This is like a dream come true," I added gleefully.

"You have an awesome father-in-law," Ben mentioned. "I hope mine is just as cool."

"Are you hinting to be interested in a lady like maybe Ms. Thorn?" I playfully interrogated and Ben was blushing red.

"Alright, I have a crush," Ben chuckled admiringly. "No need to rub it in."

"Have you asked her out?" I asked, giggling.

"I've taken her out but as friends," Ben said. "I'm trying to think about how to ask her."

"To be honest, you should buy her a bracelet and go from there," I suggested. "She loves bracelets."

"Isn't that coming off a little too strong," Ben rolled his eyes and I laughed.

"No, silly," I explained. "Say it's a friendship bracelet but also add that you hope in the future it will be something more."

Ben smiled, "you got that from Orlando."

"How did you know that?" I asked, puzzled as I chipped at this rock.

"He told me," Ben chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess I did get it from Orlando. He gave me a locket and we put our friendship picture in it first. Then once things became a serious relationship we added one of us dating in later." I said, trying not to get all teary-eyed.

As Ben touched my mid-back for comfort, "I'm sorry he hurt you."

"It's ok." I chiseled it away like this rock around this fossilized bone.

~~~

After we returned home, I went back to the bedroom and heard Kai in the shower. I walked past the couch to see his old-looking journal set on the middle cushion.

Curiosity stole my better judgment. I went around and picked it up. From what I know Kai and I never went through each other's things. But something inside my heart exhorted me to have a peek.

I sat down and opened the middle page. The whole book felt so old. It could deteriorate into dust at any moment. Instead of finding words what I found was a very old fragile sketch of a girl that looked like me whenever I was thirteen.

Very gently, I turned the pages and found another drawing that looked like me as an infant. Turning more delicate pages there was more that looked like me at age sixteen, four, and eight...

"This is weird," I whisper, confused with what was going on.

Did he find old pictures of me and drew them? That can't be possible. These drawings were so old, he couldn't have drawn them. Most of the details were so dull and deteriorated from age.

I flipped through a few more and found Kai's handwriting. Only I was shocked to see Kai knew how to write in the rare language that only very few can read. Let alone know how to write it. I knew how to read it but I didn't know how to write it because it was extremely complex.

Suddenly the shower turned off before I could read anything. I put the book down where I found it and walked out on the balcony. Within moments, Kai came out only in a pair of black shorts. Once he saw me out here. He came out and kissed me, then he took a seat at the table with me.

"Did you have a good day?" He asked and I smiled, telling him about my day.