Here is day #2's writing. The rest of my post shows you all.
John's bus turned the corner and pulled up to the stop. Through force of habit, he pulled out his month pass and found a seat; all without losing focus on his latest encounter. He could not stop thinking about how special he seemed, and it made him feel good.
For most people, paladins and clerics were just fantasy warriors and priests, respectively. Most people knew only what they saw on TV, in movies, or special events at the Pacific National Exhibition. The PNE was a two week long community exhibition.
John knew that he had just joined an elite group of people, who had first hand knowledge of what it was like being a paladin. Unlike kids, who might play cowboys and Indians, demons and devils, cops and robbers, or soldiers, he was dealing with the real thing.
He was facing out the window, but his mind was still on the topic. He had a smile. The sun shone on his face.
After the bus dropped him off at his final stop, he walked home. To him, talking to a real live paladin, and being able to ask questions, was like meeting a real warrior.
John picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“Hi,” a young, cheerful, female voice said.
Instantly, John knew that he never talked to this person before. He prayed in his mind, “Please. Please be from the fire department.”
“I'm Sally. I'm from Green Lawn Care Centre.”
He felt his heart sink. It was the senior's home.
“A while ago, we received your application for volunteer work. We are delighted to inform you, that we have an opportunity available. Are you still interested?”
“Um, well...I'm still considering my options...”
“Okay. This opportunity starts three Fridays from now. When do you expect to hear back from the others?”
“I don't know.” The other volunteer jobs had already started, but he was still hoping for last minute changes.
“All right. I'd like to schedule you for an orientation, and introduce you to the senior that you'll be working with. I'm thinking of four P.M. on Friday, and then having you start right in with your first visit at five.”
John marked the empty calendar near the phone.
“When you hear back from the others, or when you're sure you want this, then why don't you give me a call to confirm?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Here. I'll give you my number. Have you got a pen and paper?”
“Hold on a sec'...okay, go ahead.”
“Five five five, seven three three one.”
“Five five five...seven three...three one.”
“Yep. So, do you have any questions?”
“No.” He thought, “At least, she seems nice.” He wondered if she was hot.
“All righty then. Since there is nothing else, I'll look forward to hearing from you.”
“Alright.”
“Thank you, so much for your interest.”
“Yep. No problem.”
“Bye bye, now.”
“Bye.”
After he hung up, he took a look at the calendar. The school year was already half over, and he needed sign up for something. He expected to be well into his volunteer job by now, but he then shrugged it off. He figured that he could do his volunteer work on weekends, and get it done quickly.
John went to the couch, and pressed the play button on the remote control to continue watching Transformers reruns. He thought, “At least, it's not He-man.”
An hour and a half later, his mom called, “Supper time!” John had three sisters, who were all older, and a younger brother. The entire family sat down in the kitchen, and said a prayer of thanks. Each of them reached to the serving dishes in the middle of the table, then spooned some out on to their own plates, and then passed the serving dishes to the left.
His dad stuffed some mash potatoes and gravy in his mouth. He nodded, and stuffed in more, before even swallowing. After a few morsels of other food, he looked at John, and asked, “Did you hear from anybody?”
John shook his head.
“It's been what...six months? No...four...no, five. I wonder why they would wait so long. They know that you guys need your hours. If this continues, you're going to have to get an extension.” He cut some roast beef, and then savoured it in his mouth, while he listened in on the other conversation. He turned back to John, and said, “Are you sure that they got your applications?”
John said without looking up, “Yeah.”
“Well, then maybe you need to start handing out some more.”
The thought of handing out applications and letters almost made John lose his appetite. He loved roast beef and mashed potatoes too much for that to happen, but it came close. He quickly responded, “Actually, I did get a call today.”
“You just told me that you never got a call. How did you change your mind so quickly?”
John continued to look down at his food, while he said, “I didn't change my mind. I just forgot.”
“How could you forget? You've been waiting for months. You could go hang out with the guys, and get your hours.”
“It was from a seniors home. When you just asked me, I was thinking about those other jobs. They haven't called yet.”
“Great! Who was it from?” his dad said.
His other family members heard this and the room quieted, as they listened in.
“Are you going to take the job?”
“I'd like to wait and see how things turn out.”
“Don't you think that you're running out of time?”
“I have until next week. I just need to call up and let them know. It doesn't start until three Fridays from now, anyways.”
John's dad sat back, and patted his mouth. He looked around the table, and said with resignation, “All right. Just promise me that you won't pass this up, if you don't have anything coming down the tubes.” He continued eating; this time, some vegetables.
John's mom said, “I think that this will be a wonderful opportunity, John.”
John looked at her with a bit of surprise, and disgust.
His oldest sister, Kay, looked at him, and said, “What's the matter?”
“Nothing.”
“Was it the same one that I went to?”
“No. This is at the other end of town.”
“Honestly, it's not bad at all. You just have to go in and read to them. I can't understand why anybody would volunteer for the fire department. Yeah, it's cool,” she said with finger gestures to indicate sarcasm, “but honestly, you would be working for free.”
His brother, Derek, only a year younger, said, “Just so that you know, volunteer work usually involves, you know, work.”
She said, “Duh. But with seniors, you just show up, and keep them company. Sometimes, you get free food.”
Derek had never been in a senior's home before, but the thought of the smells and other things seemed so disgusting to him.
His mom said, “John, all of them have a point. While all your friends are lugging around fire hoses and other heavy stuff, you'll be keeping other people company, and doing a very easy job.”
John looked at her, while he chewed.
She said, “They'll probably be all filthy by time they get done, and all they'll get is volunteer hours. At least, you'll keep somebody company, and then you'll be able to just continue on with your day.”
He nodded, and turned his attention to his food again. He almost rolled his eyes.
After loading the dishes into the dishwasher, he grabbed his basketball.
His mom said, “Have you done your homework?”
“It's all done.” In reference to his math homework, he said, “I even done a few extra questions.”
“Does your dad know where to find it?”
“I left it on his desk.”
“Okay.”
He headed outside to the local park. The sun had not set yet, and he figured that they probably still had an hour of light left. He hoped that some of the guys were out, tonight.
He turned the corner. Several blocks away, he saw paladin cars at the courts, with their flashers going. Some of them had their guns out behind and they hid behind the cars.
A cold feeling flashed over him. Last week, Carl, John's best friend, had gotten into a bad argument with a tough character on the court. John had pried them apart, but they were still upset.
Check back tomorrow for more. Thank you for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment