19.5 dreaded guest

The following morning Jack was rudely awaken by the weird sounds coming from outside the room, he softly raised himself to a seated position hoping not to wake up his sister and mother, which could result in a panic, but when he finally got to a seated position he saw that he was all alone in the bed.

'Huh, would you look at these traitors they wanted us to sleep together but they left me all alone here and now they still have the nerve to make a hell of a racket, talk about rubbing salt on ones wounds, let me see what all this fuss is about, all this needless loud lolly gagging, I mean I do not understand how a place can be so happy and joyful without me, it is a true phenomenon, I tell you.'

He got out of bed, searched for his slippers but found nothing.

'Where are my slippers now, great!, talk about rubbing gun powder on ones wounds, ridiculous.'

After playing all sorts of vengeful scenarios in his head, Jack finally managed to get his grumpy old self out the bed and left the room, as he was walking to the kitchen, he listened carefully to see if they were not gossiping about him but as he was listening an unfamiliar voice arouse from in between the chatter a husky and deep voice, Jack stopped dead in his tracks, wondering if he was in the mist of an home invasion, how was he going to defend himself, he thought maybe he should have learnt some witchcraft from  Sir C.J but that does not mean he cannot pretend to know and since everyone is so afraid of it, the invaders will not know that he does not know but they will think he know and he will pretend that he know but actually knows not and besides if these invaders are from the village/town, they are probably nothing but simple minded stable boys, who fantasize about thing else but horse dung, beer and women they will meet but that last part will only happen in their dreams, he smiled at this senile comment, this thought about his home town people being imbeciles, gave him the  confidence march into the kitchen, wearing a smile only a mother whose extremely visually impaired could possibly love, ready to spit out any made up rubbish spell, his little deluded mind could possibly conjure up.

He stepped in to the kitchen, pointed his index finger in the air and chanted the most terrifying spell in the history of witchcraft, words so powerful that it was bound to make him known in the wizarding world and even put the great Merlin to shame.

He said, 'Pumpkin, spice, I turn you all into lice, who do not like rice, you filthy mice!.'

Looking  at the ceiling, with a great smile on his face, he waited for screaming or them running for their lives but the room was dead quiet, you could hear the dead mouse in the cupboard slowly being devoured by maggots, he slowly lowered his head so he could get a good look at these invaders maybe he underestimated them, getting a good look at the invaders, he realised that they were not simple stable boys but educated school going girls, who happened to go to the same school as him, in fact he already knew their names, one was even in his class, it was, drum roll please, Susan and Julia, who both sat with confused and shocked looks on their faces.

'Oh, it is you two.' Jack said casually.

Jill and Julia could not contain their laughter any longer, then just broke out in to the loudest laughter you will ever hear in your life, Jill laughed so hard, she could not stay in her seat, and resorted to lay on the ground in order to prevent herself from sustaining an injury from reckless laughter as for Julia she pointed at Jack and laughed her lungs out, maintained eye contact through this entire process in order to make him feel like an bigger idiot then he already was, as for Susan and his mother Jane they at least had the human decency to cover their face and turn around to laugh.

'Laugh all you want but I have mastered the craft so beware.'

'Ohhh, we are so scared.' Jill said mockingly

'Jack the self -proclaimed man of science and unfathomable knowledge, believes in hocus pocus, I am shocked and yet not surprised by this development.' Julia said taking a sip of her tea.'

'I think he can do whatever he wants too, I believe that there are somethings in this world that science and books cannot explain.' Susan said in protest and with great determination in her eyes.

'Thank you Susan I know I can always count on you, it is a pity I cannot say that about my own family!, God!, I feel so alone here sometimes!'

'No..,no…, do not say that Jack..'

'Argh, leave him Susan, he is just doing his attention seeking dramatic scene…'

'Do not worry my dear…he is not actually sad, just pretending, would you like some more tea.'

'No, thank you, ma'am..'

'Ma'am, no…please call me Jane.'

'I will Jane.' Susan said nervously

'Great!, now that everyone knows everyone and are on first name bases, why are you here so early in the morning anyway, what is going on?'

'Do you not remember Jack, you asked me to come over, so I could help Jill catch up with all the school work that she had missed.'

'Oh, now I remember.'

'What a rude fellow, I tell you, I find it hard to believe that he is your brother.' Julia said looking at Jill, looking for support.

'I know right, one could say, that he is much older then he looks.'

'That is enough you two, come Jack, sit down and have some tea.'

Jack sat down at the head of the table.

'Can you feel the power coursing through your veins, it feels good doesn't it?'  Jill asked with a grin on her face.

Jack completely ignored her nonsense, 'I must say, you two are quite the early birds, aren't you?'

'Why?'

'Well, I do not know Julia, maybe because you are here so early and it is not even seven o'clock yet.'

'Jack my dear.., it is already past nine going for ten.', his mother pointed at the clock on the wall.

'So!, these things happen and besides you are still too early for guest, I did not even wash my face yet , My face! , is dirty.'

'What time should we have come?' Susan asked

'Anytime is fine as long as it is you and only you but for other people, ten o'clock, because that is the general tea time and visiting time.'

'No, Jack that is only for working people, we are school going children, with lots of youthful energy, hence we can do whatever we want to do.'

'Listen here to princess indoors Julia, you hardly ever leave the house, now you want to come here and give us a lecture on 'youthful energy', unbelievable!'

'Are they always like this?' Jane asked Susan.

'Every single day, sometimes it feels like I am their mother.'

The two giggle to themselves like two school girls who just shared an extremely funny joke, except for the fact that one was an actual school girl and the other a fully grown woman acting like a school girl , has she no shame!

'What is going on with these two, it seems like they just became the best of friends.', Jack asked  but the two just shook their heads.

Jill stuck her hand up nervously as if she was in a class room, in order to get her mother's attention.

'Yes, Jill.' Her mother responded.

'Can we go to my room, I think we here done here.'

'Of course, I hope it is clean?'

'Yes, mother it is.'

'Then go on ahead.'

'Julia, Susan, follow me.'

'You and my sister go ahead, I will come soon.'

'Okay, come Julia right this way.'

Julia got up and followed Jill but before she left the kitchen she turned around.

'Jack are you not coming with?'

'NO!, Why!', he answered abruptly.

'I do not know.' Julia turned around and walked away.

'What nonsense is happening in my life these days.' Jack took a sip of his tea and saw Susan and his mother nodding at him in sync.

A few minutes had past and Jack started to develop an urge to go and see what the girls are doing because they have been quiet for a while not a sound coming from the room, and quiet girls could only mean one thing, they are up to no good and could probably end up burning the house down, SO he got up from the table and….

'Mr Jack Peterson, where are you off too?' Susan asked him, who was still present in the Kitchen scene for some reason.

'I am going to go wash up and then see what my diary has in store for me today.'

'You have a diary?'

His mother snickered.

'No, I am a man, I mean journal.'

'But are they not the same thing?'

'Oh, my dear naïve Susan, There is a very big difference.'

'Please do elaborate.'

'I would like to sit in on this one too.' His mother said pulling out a chair for herself and sitting down.'

'If you two insist, then I shall impart all this glorious and valuable information in my beautiful and wise head on to you, so that you can teach the future generations to come.'

'Yes, we shall.' Susan said punching the air as if she was going to receive life changing information.

'Great, good enthusiasm Susan, that eagerness to learn will get you far in life, I just wish I could say the same for others around the table but never mind, let us not focus on the negative energy suckers but on the few positive ones, the journal, A journal is usually used by a man and what makes it manly is that instead of a hard cover, it is made from the toughest leather known to man, wild buffalo leather, the baddest and  the strongest of all buffalo, imported from South Africa, and then hand made in to a book, the pages are hand sown together, so it can withstand the most rigorous of hardships of the average daily life, because everyone knows it is not easy to be a man, As for your diary, this is usually used by women, hard cover, they have all sort of fancy designs on them like stars, knights, dragons, dancing fairies, wearing the cutest and the most beautiful dresses you have ever seen,…uhmm…as I was saying and they are usually smaller then a journal, so that you can hide them from prying eyes, who have nothing better to do but to read other peoples deepest and darkest secrets, in order to use them as blackmail to their dirty deeds for them, some just do it for the fun of having a good laugh, and gossip, disgusting man!, anyway…'

His mother raised her hand.

'Yes, mother?', he pointed at her as if she was amongst a group of university students.

'Uhmm…I do not know how to say or ask this.'

'It is okay this is a safe space there is no such thing as a stupid question.'

'I would just ask…,all those things you just described.'

'What things?'

'The dragons, stars and dancing fairies…'

'Mhmmm…'

'These things are all on your book, what does that mean, do you have a journal or a diary?'

'I think that it is quite clear that I have a journal since I am a boy, as for the graffiti you just described, those are all things drawn by my sister as a prank, you know how these kids are of today.'

'I did not even know you had a journal.'

'Jill!, why…why are talking out of turn, why are you here anyway?'

'I am here to get some water.'

The room went quite as everyone's eyes were focused on Jill filling up a jug with water then left.

'Ha!, you know these kids, always trying to be funny.'

Susan raised her hand.

'I really would like to answer your question but it seems like we are all out of time, thank you.'

Jack turned around and bolted of to his room.

A few seconds later, a knocking sound came from his door, 'Who is there?'

'It is me, Susan.'

'Susan.', Jack quickly shoved whatever was visible and could make his room look messy under the bed, then fixed his hair, then open the door.

'Heyyyyy, girl, what is going on?'

'Nothing special, I just wanted to see your room, if that is alright with you.'

'Of course there is not, I have nothing to hide.'

'Okay, so may I come in?'

'Yes, please.'

Jack stepped aside and welcomed her with a curtsy, Susan entered the room, looking around in amazement as if she entered a whole new world.

'I know it is not as big as your bedroom, so there is not much to look at, there is not even enough space to move around.' Jack said scratching his head trying to look as relax and composed as he could possibly can.

'No, it is perfect and surprisingly well kept.'

'Why are you surprised?'

'You know what people say, that boys do not know how to clean up, their rooms are always messy.'

'Typical stereotype.'

'But then again, you are no ordinary boy, Mr Jack Peterson, you are unique, even though you can also be a little weird at times, Susan wondered around the closet like a dog who just caught the scent of something interesting, 'Mr Jack Peterson, are you hiding something, do you perhaps have a skeleton in your closet?'

'Honestly, Susan, I don't think there is anyone who does not.' he looked at her and raised one eyebrow.

'True but we are not the same as everyone.'

She pulled open the door in one great dramatic swoop.'

'Woow!, look at all these books have you read them all!'

'Yes. I have.'

'What are they about?'

'A little bit of everything but the majority is a about mythical and historical heroes.'

'Do you wish to become a hero, Mr Jack Peterson?'

'Me, a hero!, do not be preposterous.'

Susan shook her head, 'No, Jack do not laugh at yourself, you can be whatever you want to be, if you are willing to work for it and have no regrets,  to achieve it and I think you know that every hero has a price to pay.

'And what hero would I be pale boy or powder white man?'

'That is for you to decide, not me.'

'Do you really think I could be a hero?'

'Mr Jack Peterson', she said in a calm and therapeutic voice, 'I believe so, you could even become the king of heroes.'

'A king, I do not think so, now you are taking it too far.'

'Maybe, maybe not, you can go as far you want to go or as far as you have the courage to walk, that is what I always believe.'

Susan continued to scavenge through his stuff and Jack fell on his bed, with the thought of actually becoming a hero, Susan looked back at him and smiled.

'So, this is what Jack Peterson's room looks like, surprisingly well kept, even though I have to say so myself.', Julia said marching in the room like she own the place, giving Susan and Jack a fright.

'Do you not know how to knock?' Jack asked clutching his chest.

'Sorry, I did not mean to scare you, I was just wondering around and accidently stumbled into your room.'

'You still did not answer my question.'

'It was not a rhetorical question?'

'No, it was a real question, which hailed from the deepest part of my brain.'

'Woow!', Julia said and started to applaud, ' I did not know that boys had such  brain capacity, anyway, I do know how to knock but the door was already open so I thought it was not necessary.'

She walked right past Jack and joined her sister and started looking through his books, tossing some of them on the bed next to Jack.

'Sorry…sorry…' Jack got up from the bed and tapped her on her shoulder, 'Sorry…excuse me, girlie but what is happening here, show some respect or at least pretend to have, this is my room.'

'He is right sister, this is his room after all you cannot enter someone's room and start throwing their stuff around, how does it make us look.'

'Relax, why, are you two so uptight, they are just books.'

'Yes, Julia , they are just books, but they are not our books, so please show some respect, why are you behaving like this?'

'Like what, Jack, I would like to take the liberality to inform you, that these books I have selected and carefully placed beside you, are the books, which I will take home with me and when I am done reading them, I will return them at once, I guarantee you that, they shall return in the exact condition in which I borrowed them from you.'

Julia looked him straight in the eye not breaking eye contact for a second, he got up, stretched out and yawed, stacked the books one on top of the other, reached under his bed and took out a blue ribbon, tied it around the stack and handed it to her.

'Okay, would you girls like anything, I am feeling peckish.'

'Huh?'

'Would you like something to drink or to nibble on?'

Both girls just shook their heads.

'Alright, then do not say that I was a bad host.'

Then he walked out the room, whistling 'when the saints come marching in.'

The girls looked at each other, as they were both were expecting him to do some kind of over the top dramatic seen, of how precious his books are to him and how he cannot live without them, I will not lie I was expecting it too.

'That was strange even for him.'  Julia finally broke the silence.

'His growing up, maybe he just might become a hero.'

'Jack, A hero, are you on grass again?'

'No, I am not and why are you always so negative, could you just for once see the possible and not always the impossible, somethings are beyond the capabilities of mathematics and science, not everything is always doom and gloom Julia, there is beauty in this world too, all you need to do is change your mind set and open yourself and your eyes to it.'

Julia just watched her sister pack the books back into the closet.

When!, Argh…is this story going to come to an end, I mean I have written narrated so many pages , I am getting tired guys, anyway back to the story, he returned to his room, to  find Susan and Julia both laying and deep inside the reading zone.

'Aa!, seems to me we are comfortable, too comfortable from my point of view , laying on my bed like you own it.'

'Oh, please Jack would it hurt to share your stuff once in your life.'

'I am sorry Mr Jack Peterson, your bed is really comfortable but if it is a problem, I will gladly get off.'

'No, it is not a problem, do you need an extra pillow perhaps or something else…perhaps?'

'No, I am fine, thank you very much.'

'I would like some tea right about now.'

'Go make it yourself, you know where the kitchen is.'

'What kind of host are you, I cannot just go and make it, this is not my house.'

'Really.., the way you are laying on my bed, one might assume that it is, oh Susan, I never knew you also liked to read.'

'I know it might not come across as if I do but I actually love to read.'

'What kind of books do you like?'

'O!, please don't ask, she like all that fairy tale, idealistic nonsense, how we just live to meet our prince charming subjecting ourselves, a woman to him, for we as women cannot become anything without the help , because that is all a women is here for, to pop out children and keep her husband happy, after of a man you meet him you just ride off into the sunset, never to know, poverty, hardships or any injustice of  this world, all because you found your true love.'

'I may not be a it know it all like you but I would like to believe that love makes even the worst and the ugliest thing beautiful.'

'That is called living in denial, truth is all that matters in life, nothing else.

'Yes, dear sister, truth is the end and love is the way.'

'Oh, please!'

'I believe you Susan….'

'You believe anything she says.'

'I believe! Julia, that we should just stop over thinking everything and live in the moment.'

'I cannot stand this ridiculousness, going on here, I am going back to Jill's room, Jack I am still waiting for that tea.'

She left the room, taking all the books she has chosen for herself along with here.

'Your sister is quite something is she not?'

'Yes, she is, sometimes, I feel like disowning her.'

'I know that feeling.'

'But we would not exchange them for the world.'

'Unfortunately, that is the nature of love.'

'That is true, love blinds a person only to see beauty.'

'See, Mr Jack Peterson, I do not believe that is love but more infatuation, love is a balance of love ,hate and consistency, it does not mean when you in love everything is all sunshine and rainbow, might be for the first days or week or so but love does not just happen love, as I said, it is consistent, because if you only had the beauty all the time, that will eventually become boring after a while, it will be like eating ice cream every single day for breakfast, lunch and dinner..'

'Yes, your right, that would be awful after sometime.'

'So, it is necessary to have those days when it just sucks, days when you hate your partner with a passion, when you literally want to kill them, but…here is the nice thing…if you really love somebody all of those things you did consistently come back to you and you realise, why you fell in love with the person in the first place, sure you might mess up some days, but thanks to the consistency you will come right back to them, and that is true love, if you really love someone, you hold on to them and never let go.'

'Using hate, to fuel the love inside, I never thought of it that way before, you are quite smart Susan.'

'What do you mean, you thought I was dumb?'

'No…it is just that….'

'Dude, I get higher marks then you, so let us not go there.'

Jack coughed then, scratched his neck, 'Uhmmm, thank you for the valuable lesson you taught me today.'

'My pleasure, each one teach one, on that note, I think it is time for us to go, may I please take this book along with me, I promise I will return it, in mint condition.'

'No problem, you know what, keep it.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, I am, I never read a book twice, I only keep them so people think that I am smart.'

Susan giggled, 'Your honesty knows no bounds, best you stay that way, we all benefit from at least one honest person in life, even though life might mistreat you now and again, deal you the harshest punishment for doing something good, you must promise me, that you will stay like this.'

'Yes, I promise but listen to you girl, spitting out mystic knowledge, if we were at a temple, the monks might mistake you for a reincarnate.'

'No…No, please can you imagine me bold.'

Susan covered her hair line with her hand and pulled back.

'Hummmm….., the guidance you seek….,  in the night.'

Jack started laughing and Susan soon followed.

'Looks like you two are having fun.' His mother said standing in the door way.

'No, it is nothing mother.'

'Yep, I was just telling Jack, that it is time for us to get going.'

'So soon, would you not like to stay for lunch?'

'We would love to but we cannot, I told my mother that we who be gone only for a two hours, she must be getting worried.'

Susan took her book, then brushed past Jane and went into the next room, so returning with her sister by her side and Jill behind them.

'My sister and I would….' Susan looked to Julia to continue.

'Like to thank you for your wonderful hospitality, Jane and Jill and we hope to return soon, if we may.'

'NO!'  Jack shouted 

'I knew it, that is why I only thanked your sister and mother.'

'No, you may come here whenever you like.', Jack continued.

'I….' 

'Woow ,my dear sister Julia is at lost for words, judgement day is near.'

'I was not…'

'Come now you two, it is time to go.'

After their guests have left, Jane remembered that she had not been to her husband's funeral or she did not bother to go but mainly because I honestly I just wanted to end the chapter, I really do not have the energy or creative capacity to generate a full on funeral of a character many of you properly did not like and if you did then there is something seriously wrong with you and you better go check yourself, so I humbly leave it to you my dear reader to decide and imagine what kind of funeral John Peterson had.

Yours sincerely 

Your friend

The narrator and writer of this book.