Visiting Francis: Part 2
The members of Marlin Academy, Hal, Lois, Reese, Malcolm, and Dewey stared at the strange, hated man who had just entered the room. He was quite a sight to behold. He wore a navy blue that had the name "Spangler" stitched on the pocket. An eye patch covered his right eye. A hook had replaced his right hand. One of his legs was replaced by a wooden peg leg.
"Lieutenants!" Spangler barked. Reese, Malcolm, and Dewey slowly backed away. Francis stood tall, his back rigid. Hal merely seemed confused, while Lois looked at the man with distaste.
Dewey grabbed Francis's hand and whimpered, "F-F-Francis, I'm scared!"
"Whoa, look at that dude's eye!" Reese commented loudly to Malcolm.
"Shut up, Reese!" Malcolm whispered.
"Who is this guy?" Hal wondered out loud.
"I don't know, but he sure seems full of himself," replied Lois, "Hey, buddy! Why are you scaring these poor kids so much? Don't be such a jerk!"
This was definitely the wrong thing to say to Spangler. No one was allowed to call him "buddy". No one was allowed to call him a jerk. And obviously, no one was allowed to disagree with him.
"I Madam," Spangler hissed, "Am General Melvin Spangler, the head of Marlin Academy!"
"MELVIN!" Reese laughed loudly, "His name is MELVIN!" The rest of the boys tried to hide their laughter by faking coughing fits. Even Hal couldn't keep a straight face.
Spangler turned to Lois with a strange look in his one good eye. He had never had a person openly defy him before. Somehow, this rude, completely tactless, honest woman had changed something within him. There was no way of stopping it. Spangler was in love.
"I am very pleased to meet your acquaintance, Madam. And you are?" Spangler inquired.
"Lois. I'm Francis's mother. This is my husband Hal, and my other sons, Dewey, Reese, and Malcolm," said Lois.
"Well, this young delinquent Francis certainly has a lovely family. And quite a beautiful mother, if I do say so myself," Spangler announced lovingly.
Most of the Academy students had resumed their other activities, although the television and radio were tuned so softly they could hardly be heard. The boys couldn't believe what they were hearing. Spangler was actually being nice to someone!
"Do you think he's sick?" one student whispered to his friends.
" I think he's delusional!" added another.
"He's gone totally out of his mind!" said a third.
Francis walked a few paces over to his friend Stanley, who was pretending to shoot play, but was really watching with interest.
"Stanley, is Spangler actually hitting on my mother?!" Francis loudly whispered.
"I don't know, man. But whatever he's doing, he's sure acting weird!" Stanley shook his head at the sight of Spangler fawning over Lois.
"And how long are you planning on staying with us?" Spangler asked.
"We'll be staying at the Ravenclaw Inn for 4 days," answered Hal.
"Stay at a hotel? Why, I won't hear of it! You'll stay here at the Academy! That way, you can be closer to your son!" Spangler boomed. "And I can be closer to Lois," he added under his breath.
"Francis, I think we've entered the Twilight Zone," Stanley said.
"I think you're right," an astonished Francis answered.
To be continued………………………….