Episode 20 THE YOUNGER TED . Henry and Ted were dressed in special attires. Ted was wearing a striped long-sleeved top and a black waistcoat. He had on his neck a thick and well made red bolo tie, which he had taken much time before the mirror to set. A wide hat was also fitted into Ted’s moderately big head, making him to appear like a cowboy. In the other hand, Henry was on a lustrous and velvety smooth jacket. His boot was strong and it was white. He had a white inner coat too. He also set a wide-face goggle before his head. They stared at their images in a mirror, spicing up themselves with many eau de cologne as they were preparing for the promotions in Gyrus they had envisioned. They had ideated that by showing the wand and telling the story of their journeys to Selemis Cave and the Nile River, they would get promotions. Nevertheless, they doubted if the magistrates would believe the latter story, (the journey to get the knife in the Nile River) since there was no knife to present. Before leaving for Gyrus, the boys interacted with each other: “Henry, do you know that I don’t know how I’ll feel today, being honored as one of the two who has overcome the Power Guard?” “It’s going to be superb,” replied Henry. “The whole Gyrus will give us some standing ovations as they welcome us, the two new Power Guards, to the podium.” “Wait a minute. How will the dean feel?” “I’ve not given that a thought.” Henry recollected something and asked, “Ted, hope you’ve not told the dean about our encounter with Kent Robins in the Island of Forgetfulness.” “Why should I?” Ted asked a rhetorical question. “If I had, be sure that the man would have collected it by coercion from us to earn a reward.” Henry meditated briskly and asked Ted suddenly, “Ted, I don’t know which is more superior, the position of Power Guard or Assistant Head Lieutenant.” “I felt the latter is superior, but all I know was this—Power Guards are always powerful people. I can assure you, Professor Wilson was scared of Professor Kent Robins.” “How do you know?” demanded Henry inquisitively. “The two had a clash about two and half years ago, when I was just initiated. The dean told me something then, which made me realize this,” Ted said frankly. “What did he tell you?” “Professor asked me not to tell anybody,” smiled Ted, “So, I’ll not tell you.” Henry pondered quickly on the trick to play on Ted to get him into answering the question. He came across one fast and said, “I’m not just anybody—I’m your friend man.” “You never told me where the dean was taken you to that day, before you were initiated, so I’m not telling you this too.” “Please don’t pay me in my own coin,” pleaded Henry. “Besides, that was almost nine months ago, so—” he paused to look at Ted’s face. “Can’t we just forget it?” “Hey, don’t coax me into telling you the secret,” Ted raised his voice. “As far as this matter is concerned, at least for the time being, you’re just anybody to me, so I’ll not tell you,” Ted insisted. He was insinuating something dangerous if he told Henry, basing his fear on the fact that Henry’s disobedience had earned him a punishment then, when he told Susie the secret (though Henry later was happy about the ultimate aftermath of the event). Ted thought he was not going to be as lucky as Henry, peradventure such a thing happened to him. However, the two left for Gyrus after the count of ‘three’ in unison. Hardly had they departed when Cynthia surprisingly walked shamefacedly to Henry’s door. She had come to apologize for her role in the ‘winkie stuff’ that had trailed Henry few months ago. Without doubt, Ted’s little trick had brought about the action. She pushed the doorbell and gave the door several knocks, but no response came from within, since Henry had departed. She persisted relentlessly in those actions, but no response. When Ted landed in Gyrus, it was on someone else’s lap he found himself. Greatly amazed, Ted sprang up and turned his face around to see who was there. “Who are you?” Ted asked in a casual way, fixing his eyes belligerently on the anonymous bloke, whose fleshy laps had seemed to Ted like a pillow during the brisk moment his buttocks had made contact with them. The snub-nosed fellow was also fixing his gaze on Ted, slightly nervous. He seemed a little younger and shorter than Ted, but he was a bit robust. His hands seemed a little shorter for his age and more importantly, for his body. If the new weirdo had got a pot-belly and a bigger head, Ted would have mistaken him for a kwashiorkor patient. In reply to Ted’s question the boy said, “I don’t understand what you’re saying.” “I’m speaking plain English,” Ted said hilariously. “I repeat, who are you?” To Ted’s amazement, the fatty replied, “I’m Ted Manuel.” There seemed to be no iota of guile in the boy’s undertone, yet Ted still kept looking at him, expecting to hear him say something else. “That’s my name!” affirmed the boy when Ted would not stop leering apprehensively at him in astonishment. “That’s my name too,” Ted spoke, “You’re sitting on my seat. My name’s on it.” “Mine is on it, not yours,” the boy disagreed. “How can you just come claim this seat when you met me here seated?” deduced the boy, whose laps Ted had landed. It did not take Ted so long for him to have the perception that the boy was new, so he felt that expatiation, rather than laconism, would fare better to settle things quick. Therefore Ted plunged into explanation: “I’ve been using this seat for over two years now. In this planet, seat owners do land directly on their seats, but newcomers have to mooch around in search of theirs. That was why I landed directly on your laps. Did you land directly here when you came or—?” Before he could complete his statement, the boy, who was now convinced, replied, “I landed over there, but someone directed me to this seat and asked me not to get up for anybody that may want to come after—to claim this seat.” “Oh, you must be new here,” said the older Ted. “Isn’t it?” “I just come; it’s my first day,” replied the boy. “Come let’s go find your seat.”
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 10:01:59 +0000
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