A Book In A Month - Chapter 20

This was to be a big day for John. He had decided to see if he could buy Dylis lunch. Would the Ice Maiden melt? He rubbed his hands together to warm them as he ascended to the heaven that was the IT room. He floated into the room, with the help of his walking stick, an angel in an old mans' body and shuffled to his usual seat. The others, Sid and Bert had not arrived. Like him, this was not only a chance to learn how to use a computer, no it was also their way to keep down their heating costs. The three elderly men all thought they had been especially canny until they looked around the room at the other students, all of whom were probably on the same ruse.

Although John had now finished his word processing module, he still had a test to complete. Dylis bustled over, assessment sheet in hand. “This will set your grade.” She told him as she fluttered both it and her eyelashes at him. “Try your hardest for me John.”

How could he do otherwise. He had swivelled his seat so that he could see her, “What if I fail?” He asked her in genuine agony at the thought of looking stupid in her eyes.

“We lose funding whenever a student doesn't make the grade. Too many poor grades, and it's curtains for the course. Don't let me down.” She patted him on the shoulder, “You can take as long as you want, but you must not discuss the test with any one. It should be exam conditions.”

“What if I need a wee?”

“Or food,” she added, “Put up your hand and someone will escort you.”

“It's rather a serious undertaking, this exam lark. I feel like I'm back at school.” He added as he turned himself to face the screen and began to read the test sheet.

John had to choose a topic to write about, type it up and then alter it according to his instructions on the exam paper. He decided his written piece would take the form of an apology to Dylis for his behaviour the first few times that they had encountered each other. He hoped that if any other tutors on the course read it, they would not realise it was about Dylis. He Knew that if she read it, and he would make sure she did, that she would immediately know it was about her. His final hope was, as he cracked his knuckles before beginning to type, that Dylis would accept his apology. He had been a silly old fool. She had been magnanimous even though she had every right to remain permanently offended. He felt he was certainly lucky to be given another chance.

Lunch time loomed large and John had to break off to eat. He had alreadyntaken two toilet breaks, one with a coffee break, now he was famished and in need of the toilet again. He raised his hand, waited in silence for Dylis to come to his aid and handed her a page of text.

“No, no, you don't hand it in yet. Well, unless you've finished, off course?” Dylis said as she took the paper from him.

“This is a bit of extra curricular. Read it.” He said.

Dylis went through the paper, commenting on his centring, the use of tabs, the bold text. “Ah yes, the bold text.” she repeats in a whisper, as she absorbs the full meaning of the content. “In response to the PS: I take it, this is about us?” John nodded, “Yes, I see. In that case, in response to the PS, I'd love you to take me to lunch at the book shop. As long as you don't embarrass me while we're there, Besides, you have to be escorted when you're not at your computer. I'll go and clear it with my boss. Wont be a mo.” And with that she was gone, still clutching the apology.

Who'd of thought it, mused John. We couldn't stand each other when we first met, now we're thick as thieves.

*

The two maps sit on Johns living room table. It had taken him several evenings of careful effort to copy one to the other, without too many mistakes. He was glad of his new glasses which had been so expensive, but had enabled him to complete the task with relative ease. Clara would be able to take it with her tonight, once she had cooked him a meal and they had eaten it together. John folds both maps carefully and places one on top of the other on the dining table so that they form a neat pile. They were incongruous amongst the muddle that was his life. He looked at his home with some concern, What if I invite Dylis back sometime? I've got to get this place straight. What the hell would she think. What would she think?

By the time Clara walked through the door John had cleared his dining table and all the seats of the detritus that constituted his life. It was now all in one pile, almost a metre high, with a couple of full carrier bags next to it. He was busy filling a third carrier bag. A second small pile of papers, magazines and books rested by his left foot. This was his keeper pile, he would put them away later.

Clara was aghast. The flat had never looked so tidy. “You should keep all your stuff in one huge pile dad. It looks so much better like this.”

Poor John tells Clara about his possible problem in the vain hope that his daughter will give up part of an evening, or even a weekend to help him have a total sort out. Clara is not too keen on the idea as Johns' possessions are both present in overwhelming amounts and he was pathologically attached to every single item, as far as she could tell. They chat about the mess and the possible solutions, which include the faint chance that Dylis might take pity on his situation and clean up the for him. Clara, not surprisingly, offers to help in out in exchange for the copy of the map.

“One place I know you'll be going is Dhaka,” John tells her as they drain their coffees for the second time that evening, “All roads seem to lead there.”

“Strange,” comments Clara, “As he doesn't have to go there for work, so he must be going out of his way.”

“Well, it's to see birds.” Said John ironically. As he had decided that there was no link between the bird book and Simons journeys for work., he thought it was an amusing thing to say.

Clara wondered why a man would go to a distant city without good reason. The birds can not have been so fantastic that they kept drawing him back, especially as he was not a bird watcher. She had wondered if her mother had been sent there for her education, but Simons work record showed that that was not the case. Her school fees were recorded and met by the tobacco company, and supported by detailed documentation. There was no obvious reason for him to keep going there. The company paperwork showed he was there from time to time and that he stayed in one particular hotel. The map from the bird book told a different story. Despite John saying that the two records were not linked, Clara felt that they were. She intended to study the map very closely to ascertain the truth.