ISOKTOBA: Chapter 11 everybody. Listened to Organeum by Girls in Hawaii while writing it, cause that's such a great song and really fits the atmosphere of this ch, as well as holding a huge hint as to the next chapters.
Chapter 11
Howard heard Vince entering the front door from down the hallway. All yesterday afternoon Howard had dropped hints and implications to an outing he had planned for the two of them today. Vince had seemed a little skeptical, and Howard was certain the boy was conjuring up images of another boring art museum excursion. Howard wished he knew if there was indeed a museum along the way to their actual destination, just so he could look at the kid's face as they drove up to it. Isabella had surprised Howard with her permission for him to borrow the car for the day, and Howard had nearly leaped into the air.
The young man could hear his mother and the kid speaking in the sitting room, and finished digging around in the storage closet. He checked over everything that now lay in a heap at his feet, making sure they had all they would need. Satisfied, Howard grabbed as much as he could carry and made his way toward the two currently speaking at lightening-speed. It amazed Howard how the two seemed to speak over one another, and yet still understood what the other was saying, and with the tv blaring, no less!
Howard sighed and proceeded past them and out the front door. He opened the boot and stuffed the supplies in as far as they could go. He made one more trip before he had everything, struggling briefly with the poles, eventually just stuffing them into the backseat. Howard then went back indoors and into the sitting room, standing there for nearly a minute before either occupants noticed him.
Vince looked up at him and smiled, speech halting mid-sentence. He stood from his place on the sofa beside Howard's mother and Howard smiled down at the curious nervousness in the boy's eyes. Ignoring the silent question, the teenager smiled again and gestured for Vince to follow him. As they turned, Isabella sat up in her seat, looking over her shoulder at them.
"Do you have the keys?"
Howard turned back to her and patted his left pocket. As he turned back around, Isabella continued to call out.
"What about spare money? Wear your safetybelts, boys!"
"Yes, mom, we know!" Howard called over his shoulder as he shepherded the boy through the door quickly before his mother could send any more inquiries his way, or worse, change her mind and decide it was simply too dangerous to allow her son out on his own, and with the kid, no less.
Moving around the car to open the passenger door, Howard waited for Vince to settle himself in before closing it and going back around to the driver's seat. Once behind the wheel, he glanced over at the boy, who was busy standing on his knees facing the backseats, staring at the fishing poles currently bent up against the roof of the vehicle.
"Seatbelt."
Howard expected immediate questions, but the child surprised him by mutely turning about, sitting down once more and pulling on his seatbelt. He gave Howard a quick look that was unable to be read before he turned and looked out the car window. Howard wasn't certain if this were a good or bad thing, and started up the engine in silence, trying to remember the map directions he had looked up in the local library.
A few hours later, in which Howard had gotten lost thrice, they pulled up along a grassy hill overlooking a wide river. Howard got out of the car and made his way to the boot, taking out all of the fishing equipment he had found crammed into the back of the storage closet. It'd been years since it had been used, but everything had looked alright, and Howard really didn't want to have to buy more supplies. He heard Vince dragging the two poles out of the backseat, and quickly made his way to the kid.
"Watch the hooks, they're still attached."
Howard took the fishing poles from the boy into one hand while shutting the boot and locking the car with the other. He then grabbed up the biggest bag, leaving the smaller one and tacklebox for Vince to carry. The boy still hadn't said a word, or even questioned why they were going fishing of all things.
Down by the water's edge was a small building with two docks, both holding various boats in all sizes. Howard had thought to phone ahead, once he'd looked up the number, and had rented a small but sturdy wooden boat. He waved at the owner of the boat rental as they made it across the first dock, the old wood swaying slightly beneath their feet. Vince dutifully set the bag containing first aid supplies (better safe than sorry) and the tackle box under a wooden bench at one end of the boat, climbing in after and taking a seat. Howard did the same with his bag, which held their food for the day.
Howard pulled on his life jacket, which had come with the boat, making sure the child was doing the same with his own. He carefully placed both fishing poles on the floor of the boat, picking up an oar in each hand. With one last wave toward the old man observing them, Howard untied the boat and took off at a slow pace, oars making the only sound as they pushed them across the water's surface.
Howard continued to paddle until they'd rounded a bend in the river, some fifteen minutes from their car. He finally deemed this a good place to settle and let the current carry them further from the docks. He looked across at Vince, who was leaning on his side, arms gripping the edge of the boat, looking down into its depths.
"See anything?"
Howard felt a bit unsettled by the kid's silence, and so had thrown out the first question that came to his mind. The boy shook his head, sitting upright once again and looking to Howard, as if waiting for further instruction. Howard took this as his cue to get out the tackle box from under the boy's seat and open it. As the young man busied himself with preparing their fishing rods, he talked to fill the silence.
"My mom made me spend one summer in a camp for children. Was just another attempt to try and get me to make friends...It didn't work. I spent nearly the entire summer keeping to myself. The only thing I really enjoyed about the camp was the lake beside it. A camp instructor taught me how to fish, or tried to. She wasn't very good, and neither am I, but she taught me the basics; like how to place a hook, or how to fix a tangled line. Things like that. I ended up spending the rest of the summer down by the lake, just sitting with my thoughts, occasionally catching a fish or two. I still sometimes like to go out on a boat for a day, though I hardly ever catch anything. But fishing's really not about fishing, after all-"
"What do you mean, 'course fishing's about fishing. What else?"
"...No, you see, fishing is about nature, about sitting with your thoughts. It's about reflecting on one's life, abo-"
"That sounds rubbish, I wanna catch a huge fish!"
With that, Vince took up his pole, which Howard had prepared only a moment ago, and cast it into the water. Or tried to, at least. His befuddled expression when he looked out onto the water, only to discover his baited hook still hanging in mid-air, caused the argument on Howard's lips to morph instead into laughter. The boy gave him a dirty look as he begrudgingly handed his rod back to Howard, who patiently demonstrated how to properly cast a line out.
Once the kid had figured out how to cast and reel back in his hook, the two lapsed into companionable silence for a little while, occasionally speaking up when one spotted a rather large fish near the surface. Vince seemed determined to catch a prize winner, while Howard was content to just lean forward in his seat and let his mind drift with the stream.
The sun was lowering over the water when Howard snapped awake. Hell, he'd fallen asleep sitting up! Mind still adrift, Howard reeled back in his line. No fish seemed to be biting today; ah well. Howard placed his rod back down onto the floor of the boat, looking about him in the stillness of the air. Occasionally a bird would call out from the forest, but other than that all was quiet. Howard felt peacefulness settle over him, and tried not to fall back asleep as he fumbled about for the oars, deciding to head back to shore before it grew dark.
Wait. Had Howard come here alone? He'd had someone with him this time- THE KID! Peace shattered like glass in Howard's ribcage, becoming shards of panic that tore into his chest. He looked wildly about him once more, not seeing the boy anywhere. His gaze searched over the water. What if the boy couldn't swim!? Hell, Howard couldn't! Howard then saw to his dread, the small life jacket lying underneath Vince's empty seat. Fuck.
'Oh god oh god oh god oh god!'
"Vince!"
Suddenly a dark head poked out of the water, breathing in deeply. Rage and relief butted heads inside of Howard, leaving the young man feeling whiplashed. Distantly he noted with amazement how long the child had held his breath under the water. Howard nearly stood up in the boat, stopping himself short as common sense reemerged. He called once more out to the boy, who swiveled in the water to face Howard. Howard dropped the oars, making a very sharp 'come here now' gesture. The boy quickly swam back to the boat, pulling himself up and inside. He didn't even get a chance to sit down before Howard was pulling him up by his shoulders.
"I fall asleep and you go diving! Am I never going to be allowed a moment's peace with you!?"
Howard was honestly gearing up to give the child from hell a few smacks for giving his poor heart a turn, as well as a few grey hairs (Howard could feel them practically spring up!) when the boy interrupted his thoughtstream with quick words.
"I was just looking for the funk!"
"...the what now?"
"The funk! You know, the sorta alien little ball, made all outta tits. It's said to give someone the power to be a rockstar! But the stupid Parliament went an' lost it. And so the funk is lyin' somewhere on the bottom of this river. I was just lookin' for it, cause if I find it, I can become a star! Vince Noir, rock n roll star, they'll call me; has a ring to it, yeah?"
Somewhere along the story Howard had relinquished his grip on the boy, letting them both settle back in their respective seats. Howard sat forward, elbows resting on his knees and his head propped up on his hand. As silence thickened around them Howard simply stared at the boy, who shivered a bit in the cold air and stared right back. Howard opened his mouth, and it was a full minute before words came out.
"...So you're telling me...that there is currently a big ball of breasts lying somewhere on the bottom of this lake. And that this very ball can give the owner the power to be a celebrity."
"Yeah, and I was jus' lookin' for it after you fell asleep. I would've asked, but I didn't wanna wake you up. You look real tired all the time, y'know."
Howard really didn't have anything else to add to this warped conversation, and if the kid kept behaving as though he were worried for Howard's health, the man might just loose some of his anger, which he had every right to feel toward the damn brat! With a long sigh, Howard took up the oars and made for the docks. The current had drifted them quite far, and the teenager inwardly groaned at how long it would take to paddle back.
"I think...that this is the last time I'll take you anywhere for...at least five years."
"Wot! How come!?"
"Because you are the human embodiment of a heterodox. And you're rendering me blind, deaf and dumb."
"What's a heterodox?"
"Nothing."
"Is it...quelque chose de bon?"
"...Oui."
Howard now stood in front of a tall dark building, clutching directions written out by Vince the day before. He had arranged with Vince to meet him outside his house every morning to escort him to the school, as Howard no longer had classes of his own.
Well, here it was, Howard finally knew where Vince lived. Surprisingly, the boy had been the one to suggest it. The house itself was tall but narrow, and obviously very old. It was made mainly of dark, ancient wood, and would have been lovely if not for its run-down appearance. The lawn was in total dissarray, broken toys and pieces of tattered furniture littering it. One window was boarded up, while faded drapes closed off the rest from the outside world. It was now seven in the morning, and Vince should be emerging any minute now. Howard wanted terribly to go into the building and see the place, meet the guardians, as well as the other children that Howard had heard lived with Vince. Two girls, was it? He was beyond curious, but held his ground on the pavement.
Shaggy blond hair greeted Howard as Vince crept from behind the front door. He walked up to Howard, face blank, and grabbed his hand, silently leading him back the way he came. Howard suspected Vince wasn't entirely comfortable having Howard see his home, so he chose to not ask questions and just allow the boy to lead the way.
The trek to the primary school took about fifteen minutes, and the two walked in a comfortable silence the entire way. Coming to a water puddle in the road created by the rains, Howard grasped Vince by both of his hands and swung him over the puddle. This worked in making the kid grin, and Howard continued their walk, considering it mission accomplished. In too short a time they were standing outside the schools, the sound of children and teens filling the air.
"Now, do you know where your new class is? And you have all your things as well? Maybe I should check your bag-"
"Howard. I'm not a baby."
Howard moved his mouth silently at being interrupted right in the middle of making a fool of himself. He and Vince stood in front of the primary school, children piling into the building like lambs. Howard conceded to Vince's look of impatience, and let the boy off with a "goodbye" and a pat on the head. Vince ducked under his hand, grinning, and raced up the steps to the front entrance, dissapearing amongst the throng. Howard felt rather proud of himself for not following the kid into the building like he saw some other parents doing.
This new routine went on for two months. Howard's daily schedule now consisted of walking the boy to school, returning home, and then spending the entire day searching about for jobs. It was becoming exhausting, this endless scouring for work. All the places available were either out of his league, or so dirt cheap it wasn't worth it.
His mother did surprised him with a car for his eighteenth birthday, however. It was old and rusted, but it ran well enough to get Howard around South London, where he went for interview after interview. Vince had seemed incredibly upset at not being able to afford a gift for Howard, and so had settled for giving the man a small painting he had done in school. Howard loved it, or would've, had the painting not caused an argument between him and Vince. Seriously, a balloon!?
Currently he was on his way to see about an available position in Wimbledon, at a zoo. Howard hadn't thought much of such a position at first, but he was far past desperate. And apparently the job didn't require a zookeeper's license or even a CV.
Howard thanked the heavens that he'd arrived on time for the interview, even though he had left two hour early and gotten lost four times. As he pulled his car up to the gate a man walked over to him, looking shrewdly at Howard.
"Who're you?"
"Oh, um, I'm Howard Moon. I have an interview? With a Mr. Nooka."
"Oh right, he did mention someone'd be around for that. Go on through."
The man unlocked the gate and let Howard enter. Before Howard could take a single step forward, however, he turned back around to look at the guardsman with a lost expression.
"Um, actually, would you mind telling me where the uh, the main office is?"
The man gestured with his hand, "You'll want to keep goin' straight 'til you reach the centre, that's when you'll turn to your left, and there it is. Good day."
Howard muttered out a farewell as well before making his way through the zoo, both nervous and mesmerised. This place was incredible! Even on off hours, with no guests about, the zoo seemed so very alive and beautiful. Howard felt his steps grow surer as he found the building labeled 'main office'.
Upon entering, Howard was met with a short man in a pale blue safari outfit. He had quite an intimidating mustache, and an even more intimidating stare, as he silently beckoned Howard to follow him. The man gave off certain vibes that made Howard want to turn tail and leave, but he sucked in a quick breath and followed, and was led down the hall and into a back office, where he was left.
Howard had been so focused on keeping a measurable distance from the blue-shirted man as he left that he failed to notice the also short man sitting behind the large desk. When he finally did, the man smiled at him with no hint of malice, and Howard inwardly relaxed, glad that he hadn't somehow come to the zoo of squat angry men.
"You must be Howard Moon. I'm glad you could make it, we're in terrible need of another zoo employee. My name's Tommy Nooka, we spoke over the phone."
"Ah, yes. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've read about you before, and that one time you were on the news for helping to excavate that Egyptian crypt..."
Howard let himself trail off. He was beginning to rabbit on, just like the damn kid. The young man was relieved to note that Nooka didn't seem at all annoyed with Howard. In fact, the man gave off the very essence of calm as he stood from his chair and made his way around it, ushering Howard through the door and back down the hall. He took Howard on a small tour of the zoo, highlighting all that would be done if he were to accept the position, and how each staff was assigned a certain area or group of animals to watch over. He even introduced him to a few of the keepers as they passed them. The job sounded tiring, and there wouldn't be much time for anything else, much less a social life, Nooka warned. Howard smiled, stating that that was fine, as he didn't have much on anyway. They had shared a laugh, and before Nooka could even ask, Howard was accepting the job with more enthusiasm than he'd thought he would feel.
(Reviews are my sustenance! Don't deny me my sustenance! Please~
this is officially the second half of the first series, hope you all enjoy this ch and what is to come.)
