Chapter 24: Expectations

Chapter 24
Expectations

“Hank, it’s Eason. I have a report in my hand that tells me there was an incident at Zephyr Park yesterday.”

“I hear there are annual fireworks in the park.”

“During the day. Witnesses say they saw a young man in a grey jacket with a grey skull-cap“

I flinched at hearing him describe my toque as a skull cap.

“and a young woman with a skull ribbon in her hair.”

“Don’t know those people.”

“Witnesses also said that a little boy with a kite was with them.”

“Wouldn’t know.”

Silence.

“Just confirming. The witnesses must have been under duress and recalled wrongly then.”

Call ended.

“Who was that?” Grace asked.

“Eason.”

“Who’s Eason?” Christopher asked?

“A detective.”

“Oh cool! How do you know a detective? He bailed you out of trouble? I pegged you for a troublemaker!” Christopher laughed.

“I thought you said I was a good person.”

“A good person will be good hearted, but he can still find himself in trouble.”

“You’re really enjoying this.”

“It sounds fun to be around you! What’ll we do today?”

“Well, I’m going to the library to do research,” Grace stated. “You boys have fun!”

“But…”

Before I could mutter anything else, Grace was already out the door.

“So what’ll we do then?”

We walked out of the café several hours later.

“I take that back. It’s boring to be around you,” Christopher complained.

“It would have been faster if you focused more.”

“Well, homework is boring!”

“Be glad I even helped you.”

“You could have just told me the answer instead of making me work for it.”

“Now, why would I do that?”

“I was wrong again: you’re not a good person!”

I found myself patting his head.

“What’re you doing?” Christopher asked.

“What am I doing?” I honestly asked myself.

“You’re a jerk!” he laughed. “Stop messing around!”

He ran off, and I ran after him. We ran and ran. Eventually, he was winded, and I caught him. We were nowhere I recognized, which wasn’t saying much. I didn’t explore much of the city.

“I’m hungry,” he stated.

“Well, we can take a bus back-“

“Let’s try that place!”

“That’s a bar.”

“I have a good feeling about that place!”

“That’s a bar…” I tried once more.

“I heard the first time.”

“We’re not twenty-one, so we can’t enter.”

“Isn’t that Grace?”

A woman wearing a purple skull ribbon walked into the bar.

“Huh.”

I found myself entering the bar.

“Hey! No kids!” the bartender yelled at us.

“Did a girl with a skull ribbon walk in here?”

“What’s it matter to you, kid? You got the hots for her?”

“Yah, he does,” Christopher replied.

I sighed. Why does everyone keep saying this?

We heard feet scamper above us. Then, Grace appeared on the stairs.

“Oh my gosh! What are you two doing here?”

“He wanted to eat here,” I pointed toward Christopher.

“He was following you,” Christopher pointed toward me.

She laughed. “You two are identical. Well then, are you hungry?”

“Yes!” Christopher stated.

“Come on up, I’ll make something.”

“What’s upstairs?” I asked.

“My apartment!”

We walked upstairs and found a single door that connected from the staircase. I imagined what could be behind that door. Cushions and couches, wallpaper and drapery, tables and chairs – all black and purple – tall and pointy. Gothic.

The door opened.

The walls were white. The carpet was white. There was even a white couch in the middle of the living room. The only things that weren’t white was a brown table in front of the couch with a fishbowl but no fish.

“Well! What do you think?” she asked.

“I’m confused,” I stated.

“What does that mean?”

“It’s not what I expected.”

“Were you expecting a black room laced with purple drapery, skull patterned wallpaper, and medieval torture devices?”

“Everything but the medieval torture devices – yes.”

“I keep those in private,” she winked.

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

“What do you want to eat? I have chocolate muffins, chocolate cake, chocolate milk, and ramen.”

“That’s eclectic,” I stated.

“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it.”

I apologized, and she began to concoct a strange mixture. She grabbed eggs, mushrooms, beef, flour, soy sauce, ginger, and many other things. She threw most of it into a pot of boiling water, and an atrocious smell bubbled out.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m making ramen.”

Christopher and I frowned at each other. This smelled like no ramen I had ever had. Three bowls suddenly appeared in front of us – bubbling brown broth over noodles, chunks of beef, carrots, mushrooms – I didn’t even know when she made the noodles.

“Eat in!”

She delved into her food. Christopher took a bite. I also forfeited hesitation and hope, and I took a bite.

It was delicious.

“See! I told you so!” Grace smiled.

I hadn’t said anything, but my face must have said it all.

“So, how was your research?” I asked before I took another bite.

“Well, I read my parents’ article – the one about Greek Mythos.”

“Well, what was it about?”

“Men who became Gods.”

Text and Images © Jonathan Lee