I got this idea when I was putting up the decorations at work. I was in a similar situation and was Chanting "Silver Star, red, blue, silver, Red Star" etc all the way home, getting weird look on the bus funnily enough. I have read, and re-read it hopefully there won't be many errors but if there are I apologise now.
An update about 'Saving a brother'
I'm sorry guys I have to make lots of corrections, however I simply have not had time. The funny thing is when you work in retail, after Christmas you expect it to be quiet but it's not. Were are people getting money to spend with the credit crunch and why are so many calling in sick, and dragging me on my day off to cover for them? So I am sorry it has not been update. I will hopefully have it up Sunday evening (If I'm not dragged into work…again)
However I have this old story for you. I hope you enjoy it. It's a late Christmas story I wrote in October.
This is set before IR starts up.
"Silver star, red, blue, silver, Red Star, blue, silver, red, Blue Star, silver, red, blue, Silver star....." John was chanting as he was putting up the Christmas decorations around the room. "Oh No. What were was I up to...um...red, blue, silver, Blue Star...no Red Star, blue, silver, red, Blue Star..no…no…um…" He continued muttering confused
Virgil raised his eye brows in amusement. He was putting his engineering skills to good use, wiring the lights, replacing bulbs and trying not to go mad when one blew. He was also having to colour co-ordinate lights.
"Virgil!" John called "I've forgotten were I was up to, can you check for me?"
"You now need a Silver Star, red, blue, silver then Red Star" He replied not looking from his wiring. John made a mental note before looking at his brother in amazement
"How'd you do that?" He asked in amazement
"What?" Virgil replied not looking up from his work
"You didn't even check!" John replied
"Your talking to yourself. As a musician I can pick up several sounds at once. You are practically chanting" Virgil said with a smile.
"Fair enough. Oh darn it, were was I again?" John said with annoyance scratching his head
"John you are an A Grade 1st class Harvard graduate with honours, yet you can't remember a simple order of decorations!. It's Silver star, red, blue silver then Red Star. Think you can manage that?" He asked mockingly
"OK little brother" Said John tossing a bauble towards him and hitting him directly on the head.
Virgil decided to take the high road and ignore him. He was doing some tricky wiring and it was taking all his effort not to blow another bulb, he was running out of red ones.
John and him continued in silence until Gordon came in looking for trouble or at least a way to wind John up. John disappeared to grab some more pins and Virgil was so engrossed in his tree lights that he didn't see a mischievous red haired brother looking for trouble. Gordon smiled and stealthily climbed the ladder and re-arranged the colours to confuse John unaware Virgil had just told him the correct order of colours. While he wanted to wind John up, he tried to avoid winding his brothers up more than once a week and Virgil had already been a victim this week. Now it was John's turn. Virgil unfortunately was oblivious to all around him, headphones in his ears listening to the faint sounds of calming, classical music. Gordon climbed down and sauntered quickly out smiling to himself. It has been so easy, and nothing would lead back to him.
John came back and continued were he had left off, checking the last colour scheme. He got half way round the room and noticed something weird. He looked over the colour scheme again and was star struck. There were red stars, next to red baubles and blue stars next to blue baubles! How could that have happened? The order had completely changed since he'd asked Virgil to remind him the order of colours.
"OK I take it back. You are useless Virgil! Now I have to go back and do it again!" John said in an exasperated tone already growing tired of sticking up decorations
Virgil looked up form his wiring startled as his normally quiet brother raised his voice to him. In his haste he cut through a wire he had spent the last 10 minutes trying to perfect. Fan..blumin...tastic!
"JOHN! That took me 10 Minutes!" He said angry at his brothers outbursts before his sense kicked in and he realised what John had said.
"What do you mean I'm useless?" He challenegd raising his voice to match John's
"You got the colour order wrong, you said red, red, blue, blue, silver, silver when in actual fact it should have been silver, red, blue, silver, red, blue, silver, red, blue. Now I've got to go back and do it all again" John moaned "I've got a good mind to make you do it!"
"No I said Silver star, red, blue, silver, Red Star like the beginning of the pattern" Retorted Virgil confidently
"Then how come it's wrong. You just gave me the correct order but it's wrong! You sure? I mean I listened to you closely?" John tired to argue though he now started to sound a little uncertain
"Yes. I'm damn sure, now could you let me get on with this. I need to work out which bulb has gone and to replace it" Virgil said angrily
"Well you should pay more attention" John retorted "Now I need to go back and do it AGAIN!." He said moodily.
They worked in silence. Scott came in half an hour later and felt the tension in the air. Both John and Virgil were mild natured but when something simple went wrong they could both go mad and by the look of it something had happened between the two. An occurance as unusual as snow at Christmas on the tropical island.
"Hey guys. John looking good." Scott smiled at his brother hoping it would cheer him up
"No thanks to Virgil!" John replied
"Why?" Scott said curiously
"John thinks I gave him the wrong order of colours. He also made me start, snapping a wire and blowing another damn group of bulbs" Virgil answered in an equally exasperated tone
"OK. Um..guys it's just the order of colours and a little wiring" Scott said but realised too late the mistake he made. Nver insult the two other perfectionsitst's on the island.
"What do you mean! This is an art form! I'd like to see you wire and co-ordinate these bulbs!" Virgil replied fiercely, his eyes flashing like fire.
"Yeah. The order has to be perfect" John says slowly coming down from his ladder "The colour scheme has to be correct. It will drive myself and Mr. Artist over their mad. Not to mention Grandma and Dad. Fancy upsetting the heads of our family!" John said angrily
"Yeah. We should make you do it, but you'd never get the job done!" Virgil answered angrily and before Scott knew it he was backed into a corner by his two normally most mild brothers in his family. He was scared. Really scared. And coming from a Tracy who knew no fear.
"OK guys. If it's that important...." He stuttered nervously trying to calm the angry astrologer and artist down
"You bet it is" Virgil retorted and a sharp nod from John told Scott John agreed with Virgil.
'Well at least they were siding with each other' Scott thought and normally that would have made him happy, however in this instance it wasn't a desirable result for him.
"OK...I'm leaving now....I hear dad calling me...um...must dash" He backs closer to the side door, freedon is seconds away. As he gets there he sprints out, a look of terror on his normally calm face.
Virgil and John both breathing hard glared at each other before Virgil breaks. He can't stay mad for long and just starts laughing. John joins in seconds later.
"I can't believe it. He was so scarred!" Virgil said laughing
"I know. It was funny. Oh....but if you gave me the right order...which I'm guessing you did, my conclusion from the fact you repeated the colour scheme without checking...what happened?" John asked puzzled
"I think I know the answer. How shall we repay the favour?" "Virgil asked
"Huh?" John asked for once in the dark. He was rarely a victim of Gordon's pranks.
"I was in the room, with my headphones on. Someone must have changed the order. It wasn't Alan as his in space, it wasn't you as I'm sure you just left. It certainly wasn't me and by the look of horror on Scott's face, I doubt it was him. So it just leaves Dad, Grandma and Gordon. Take your pick" Virgil said with a smile
"The jammy dodger. We need to get him back....but how?" John said thinking out loud
"I wish I knew" Virgil confessed
"Of course this is all circumstantial." John said
"We could finger print, if you have your doubts" Virgil suggested lightly
"Finger print?" John said confused
"Yeah it's easy. We need coco or talc, a light brush, sticky tape and patience" Virgil said confidently
"OK. I'll take your word for it. How can we get revenge though?" John questioned
"I don't want to do anything too mean, I mean it's almost Christmas. How about we finish our jobs then come up with a plan?" Virgil suggested
"Good thinking" John replied with a smile
"I'm sorry I shouted at you" Virgil said
"Yeah. I'm sorry I called you useless." John answered smiling in return
"Right let's finish this job so we can plan revenge. Revenge is a dish best served cold!" Virgil said before continuing with the wiring while John went back to hanging decorations.
As I previously said this drove me nuts for two whole hours decorating our shop. You have no idea the importance of the shops looking the same. They had to hang at the correct height, have an equal mix of colours and follow a pattern. It was enough to drive one mad.
What will they do? If anyone can think up a good revenge strategy Virgil and John could use, leave it in the review section.