My Friends

There was a knock at the door, and a gust of wind buffeted the house as Jonas got up to answer it. He pulled the door open, and a blast of cold air rushed in, along with the sound of rain splashing against the porch roof. But the real surprise was who was standing on the doorstep: his son, Jerry.

Jerry looked out of breath, and a bit nervous, like he had been running or something.

"Hi, Dad," he said, with his voice breaking slightly, due to the cold outside.

"Hi, son," his dad replied, a surprised look weaving on his face.

"You're here by yourself? And why didn't you take an umbrella? You're all wet son" He remarked as he glanced at his son's wet body.

Yeah, sure." Jerry said, biting his lip. "Actually, i didn't know it was going to rain, and …You know what, just forget that, dad. The thing… Is … the situation here is my friends, the ones I told you would be coming, I talked to the guys, but they all turned me down. Only two of them said they'd come, though I'm not sure they were serious about it, maybe they just said that to make me feel better a little. The girls, well, they thought I was crazy. Although I have to admit here. I did kind of," Jerry let out a small laugh hoping it would add some euphemism to what he was about to say.

"It did sound a bit crazy but they don't understand how real this is that's why no one would believe me about it." He paused, looking down at his shoes as he sighed softly.

His dad placed a hand on his shoulder, his expression full of compassion. "I believe you, Jerry," he said, looking his son in the eye.

"So, what did the other guys say? Did you tell them that the crystal can grant wishes?" Jonas asked, his voice calm and reassuring.

"Clearly, that was what made them thought I was crazy to believe in fairy tales. Well, most of them just laughed at me, saying, I'm imagining things," Jerry said, his voice tinged, he had tried to hid his sadness but it had been evident now.

"Jerry, look at me," his dad said, lifting his chin up so their eyes met. "You are not crazy. You are not imagining things. I know my research concerning this Myth might sound strange," his dad continued, taking his words one after the other.

"But sometimes the things that seem impossible are the very things that turn out to be real. Great discoveries are often made by people who were told they were crazy right? But who had the courage to keep going anyway. And that's what we are doing, boy. You're bravely following your instincts, and that's something to be proud of."

A flicker of hope crossed Jerry's face. He felt a bit less alone in the quest between him and his dad.

He had really wanted it to be like an adventure with a merry crew just like in the stories but it was still okay if it was just him and his dad.

"Thanks, Dad, you're still reading those quotes of yours aren't you?" he said calmly teasing his dad.

"Oh, common boy, you always sensitive to catch, but that wasn't one of it by the way." He said, playfully rubbing Jerry's hair with his hands.

The duo went into the house. Jerry going straight upstairs to change out of his wet clothes into a wooly sweater and black shorts. He returned downstairs but to his father's laboratory.

Their basement which he converted to a room full of books, maps and an unarranged shelf. His dad called him over to look at some of his research.

The two busied by this when they heard a knock on the door. The wind was still howling outside, and rain battering the windowpanes.

"I wonder who that could be?" Jonas said, looking puzzled.

"I'll go see who it is," Jerry said, heading upstairs for door. As he opened it, he saw two familiar faces standing on the porch, huddled under an umbrella.

"Mike, Serinal" Surprise clearly filled Jerry's voice. "Damn, you guys actually came" he bumped fists with them.

"Of course we did" mike said, flashing a grin. "We wouldn't miss out on this for the world!"

"Come in, come in," said Jerry, beckoning them inside.

"Mike and Serinal?" Jerry's dad asked coming up from the stairs, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Who are they?"

"Oh, they're my friends, they were actually among the ones I told about this whole wishing crystal stuff in our football training club, the ones I told you about that, that agreed to joined the mission." Jerry explained.

"They've got some friends too who are really into this whole crystal thing too, and they said they'd come over and help us with our research." Jerry said.

"Well, the more the merrier" Jonas said, smiling warmly.

"So you're telling me your friends are going to join us on this trip," Jonas said, his expression serious, trying to confirm indirectly from Jerry's friends mouth but only Jerry nodded in response.

"But are they really prepared for a journey like this? I mean, it's going to be tough, and we'll need people who are up for the challenge. Are you sure they're ready for this? Do they have any good skills to bring along for this trip?" Jonas inquired.

Jerry hesitated for a moment, thinking about how to respond clearly knowing where his dad is diving to with the questions.

"Okay, i know they don't have any experience with jungles," he confessed. "But I think they're up for anything right guys."

The two fellows gave him a wry smile, nodding their heads in respond.

"My friends are actually really good at what they do," Jerry said, eager to defend them.

"Serinal here is a nurse, and she's one of the best in her field. She helped people in all kinds of difficult situations. And Mike is an amazing footballer. He's really good at what he does, and he's used to pushing himself to the limit. I think they're both really capable of handling this trip." Jerry smiled weirdly, clearly knowing that, what he just said, isn't in anyway helpful judging by what embodied their trip.

Jonas clearly looked unconvinced, showing from his face even as he tried to hide it.