Chapter 17

"The kids do the same thing outside. We'll be talking about playing a game and instead of saying 'I want to play tag.' they'll say 'Doesn't it look like the field wants to play tag?' I found it tricky to catch on to at first. It's considered rude to just say what you want straight out unless you're asked."

"So if all this is about guests, why do families not argue?"

"I think they are supposed to be guests in each other's homes. Marisha's daughter is getting married soon and I'm sure that there is something about that in the wedding vows. Risha is really nice. She's helping me with figuring out how to fit in there. Everything is so different, I'm afraid sometimes that I'll say something that will make everyone hate me."

"If they are the kind of people you say they are, they will forgive you if you make an honest mistake."

"It's funny you said that. We were playing guest or wolf, and I was asked. I started to say guest and changed my mind to wolf. Everyone shrieked as loud as they could and chased me all over the place. When they caught me, they tickled me until I begged for mercy. Then it was like nothing happened and they went back to the game. I asked Stone and he said you had to be guest or wolf, you couldn't be both even for a second. He also told me that the tickling was his favourite part of the game."

"Speaking of Stone, how's the juggling coming along?"

"I can do spoons now!" Justine picked up spoons from the table and started tossing them in the air. Patrick clapped.

"That's great! I love watching you juggle."

"I think I'm going to bed now." Justine put the spoons down. "I'll leave after breakfast."

In the morning, Justine looked at her recipe and notes very carefully. Then hugged Patrick.

"Thanks for letting me go."

"You'll be home by dark?" Patrick said.

"Yes, Dad, home by dark."

"Say hello to Drasil for me."

Justine waved and left, he saw her running down the street a moment later and smiled. It was good to see her so happy. He sat with his coffee and wondered what he was going to do with his day. He picked up the phone and dialled.

"Hi Lee, it's Patrick," he said. "Justine ran off to friends for the day and I wondered if you were up for lunch? Sure, brunch would be good too. Come over whenever you're ready and I'll start throwing things around the kitchen."

He hung up and started pulling out pans and looking in the fridge. Where were Justine's breakfast recipes?

Lee arrived a few minutes later and he waved at the coffee pot.

"Help yourself. I'll be with you in a minute."

She poured a cup and sat at the table looking at him. "So tell me about Justine's friends. They can't be school kids or I would likely know about them."

"Just let me serve this up." He slid the omelettes onto plates and placed the grilled tomatoes beside them.

"Here you go." He handed her a plate and put his on the table. "I'm so used to Justine setting the table that I forgot." He set the table with cutlery and sat down across from her. "Dig in."

There was silence for a short time as they ate their food.

"Friends, Patrick, give."

"I was going to talk to you anyway, because Justine already trusts you." He heaved a big sigh and shook his head. "I'm not sure that the friends that she's visiting are real."

"What?" Lee raised her eyebrows. "You'd better explain that."

"Well, she took me to the school ground and introduced me to a tree she called Drasil. She acted like she could hear him talk, but I of course couldn't hear anything. The friends that she's off to visit today are friends of Drasil's."

"How has her behaviour been? Any inconsistencies or breaks in functioning?"

"Actually, she has been very responsible. The homework gets done, the dinners get cooked. She is being Justine, only more so."

"Hmmm, I'm no expert, but I recall reading that exceptional children will sometimes build elaborate worlds to inhabit to challenge them beyond what the normal world will."

"You're saying Justine is exceptional?"

"Don't you think she is?" Lee said.

"I'm her father, I'm supposed to."

"Let's look at it objectively then." Lee counted points off on her fingers. "She is able to pull together from looking at her mother's notes a sufficient understanding of the principles of colour and balance to be a professional designer. You've seen her work. She has learned the basics of cooking and how to read a recipe and is confident enough to try making pasta from scratch."

"She's headed off to cook a spaghetti dinner for her friends from scratch today."

"Well, there you go."

"She's learned how to juggle."

"Juggle? You mean as in tossing multiple balls about and keeping them in the air?"

"Yes, only she using spoons now."

"I would bet if you checked her homework, you would find that she hasn't made a single mistake. That's probably why most of her class hate her. She makes them look bad."

"She's ten, I mean eleven years old."

"Exactly. Most eleven year olds are playing computer games and trading knock, knock jokes."

"So what do I do?"

"What did you do when she introduced you to Drasil?"

"I told him to make sure he took care of Justine."

Lee looked at him for a long time.

"What, did I do something wrong?" Patrick asked finally." There are so few things that make her happy these days. I don't want to take this little bit of happiness in her life."

"I think you're fairly exceptional yourself. I can't think of too many parents who would have a conversation with a tree instead of telling their kid to come back to earth."

"Well, I did threaten to chop him down if Justine got hurt."

Lee laughed, "How did Justine take that?"

"She said that Drasil understood and swore to keep her safe."