HEARTBEAT
RATED T for some theories on reincarnation and romance.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE AMAZING CHARACTERS ON GHOSTWRITER! BUT I SURE DO LOVE THE SHOW AND LOVE TO WRITE ABOUT THEM!
PS- I don't care for GRAMMAR or SPELLING- I only care for writing a story that my readers will enjoy. For me it's about the content, so sorry for any grammatical and spelling mistakes
~Chapter 20~
Max couldn't help but be a bit concerned of the stranger his daughter and her friends just brought into the house. With all the chaos happening in Fort Greene what would possess them from doing such a thing? Especially after all they talked with all of them about the dangers of strangers after Tina's incident. Lenni could see the worried look in her father's eyes as he emptied the grocery bags. He was starting to put the food away as Lenni approached him.
Rob looked on and could tell that she was reassuring her father that Chuck was safe. Rob remembered feeling the same way when he first told his own father about Double T. That even though he was homeless he was such a nice man, a talented poet, and a father. Lenni looked up talking to Max as he had one hand settled on a table, the other rubbing his chin in great concern.
Rob looked to Jamal. Jamal nodded back.
"Well what is this amazing thing you have to tell me," said Chuck with a smile.
"Well, Chuck, we'd like to wait for Lenni."
Lenni came back and motioned Jamal to come with her behind the kitchen into the hallway of her washer and dryer. Rob looked on a little annoyed of Lenni ignoring him asking Jamal instead. Alex and Tina exchanged looks, while Gaby shrugged her shoulders.
"What's going on Len?" asked Jamal.
"My dad, well he's getting a bit worried about who this Chuck guy is. I told him…well I had to kind of tell him Jamal, I'm sorry. It was the only way he would get off my back about it!" said Lenni in a loud whisper.
"Tell him what?"
"That Chuck is Grandma Cici's lost uncle."
Jamal chuckled, "well he kind of is isn't he. Good thinking Lenni."
"Thanks, but I don't know how we can tell Chuck about Lenard and our hunch of Lenard being Ghostwriter with my dad around. Where is Ghostwriter anyway? Do you know if Gaby was playing scrabble or some word game with him this morning?" asked Lenni.
"No clue about Gabster, but come to think of it I haven't heard from Ghostwriter either. What do you say we should do?"
"Well I don't want to hold the gang up too long," said Lenni as she looked over Jamal's shoulder. Lenni let out a sigh of relief as she saw Chuck continuing to entertain the gang on more of his bass playing. Even Max went out to listen. "Jamal, we need to think of way to tell this to Chuck. Should we even mention Ghostwriter?"
"Lenni, I'm about to take a risk. Give me a piece of paper. Lenni saw a notepad that was near the dryer and took off the cap of her pan on the necklace around her from instinct and handed it to Jamal.
: Ghostwriter are you there?:
:YES JAMAL. I FEEL FUNNY:
Jamal looked at Lenni with great concern.
: How do you feel?:
: LIKE I'M BECOMING UNDONE:
"Well at least we know he's here." Stated Jamal to Lenni, as he looked on the glowing piece of paper.
"Lenni should I ask him who is Chuck?"
"But what if that makes him go berserk!?
"I don't know what else to do!"
" We need to think of this step by step Jamal. Carefully. Let's tell Chuck first of all that you are Lenard Harp's great grandson. We can explain that the trumpet is still at your place, if he'd like to come by and see it. We can reunite Grandma Cici with her lost Uncle Chuck that way too. We can look at the trunks maybe together with Chuck being there."
"That's a good plan Lenni, but what about Ghostwriter. How does that all fit in? DO we tell Chuck about Ghostwriter?"
"Well ghostwriter can feel a strong presence with Chuck I think being close to us. That's why he feels like he's feeling as if he is becoming undone."
"Are we slowly freeing him?"
"Well the little knowledge I have with ghosts is really from the discussions we've had with our team. We know that usually their stuck as a ghost because something about the way they died- unresolved, unrequited, tense, full of anger, scared. And if we look into Gaby's visions, Ghostwriter is stuck in this turbulent state of death, trauma, and sadness. Explosions, weddings, just a mess of visions depicting his life in fire. Wouldn't we want to free him?"
"Of course. That would mean no Ghostwriter, but obviously-"
"Jamal, " snickered Lenni, " you might as well stop calling him Ghostwriter now, and start calling him grandpa!"
Jamal felt a shiver up his spine. His great grandfather to be exact. Wow. He never thought of it like that- or maybe among all the crazy scene of events he didn't have time to. He wanted to reassure Ghostwriter that everything would be ok.
:Ghostwriter do you feel a new presence:
:NO JAMAL EVERYTHING IS THE SAME. BUT I FEEL AN OLD PRESENCE THAT I AM REQUITED WITH:
:GW, You will feel ok soon don't worry:
:MY OLD FRIEND. YOU FOUND HIM DID YOU NOT?:
:who?:
Jamal and Lenni looked at each other with amazement and concern.
:MY TWEEDLE DEE:
Lenni and Jamal smiled. Rob could see in the corner of his eye that Lenni and Rob we half hugging as they looked on to the notepad. They seemed excited about something. Rob looked down, he pretended not to see Lenni. Alex took note of this. Ghostwriter was beginning to remember a lot. Now it was as if no one could stop him! Lenni and Jamal were as excited as could be. They were finally bringing Ghostwriter to his self~ he deserved to be free.
Max clapped with the rest of the team after Chuck had finished playing. " I'm leaving soon Chuck, it was a pleasure to meet you," said Max as he came closer to chuck to shake his hand,
"The pleasure is all mine," replied Chuck.
"I talked to Jamal's grandmother. Didn't really have time to tell her the details but I'm sure you kids will." He said as he looked Lenni sternly. " Lenni, I need to go get Sally from an event. Promise me you'll take care of this gentleman, and Jamal- good luck. Lenni told me the wonderful news," he whispered with a wink. And with that Max gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead, and went on to pick up Sally.
As Max grabbed his keys, he smiled looking at his daughter and her great friends cross legged looking up and Jamal's lost great uncle- at least so Max thought. He wished he could be there when the team announced to Chuck about who he was. Max felt in the back of his jean pockets to find the hard box. Today would be the day. The day he would ask Sally to marry him, and with a smile Max left to go get Sally. It seemed that the HEARTBEAT song Chuck had just played was spreading more love that Lenard could've even imagined should he be alive today.
Jamal and Lenni looked on to the team and then to Chuck. Jamal took the risk to start.
"Chuck- you asked us how we knew about HEARTBEAT, the song that Lenard supposedly made for Lilly."
"Not supposedly he did my son, he did." Smiled Chuck as he replied to Jamal.
"Well what if I told you that Lenard Harp was my great grandfather? And that the trumpet he played with in your band is still in my house. What if I told you that HEARTBEAT was on a note that we found in my basement along with a picture of Lilly and Lenard. What if I told you that Lilly had a daughter, my Grandmother, Grandma Cici, and that she is back to living in Lenard Harp's house her father's in Fort Greene?" asked Jamal. He asked the questions as directly as possible. The team looked on, with the look of "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" It was too late. Jamal had to ask those questions.
"Cecelia? Lilly died I thought and moved to North Carolina what on earth would Cecelia want to come up to New York?" Chuck grasped his chest as if he hand the wind knocked out of him with the words that just came out of this young man's mouth.
"She was the only grandchild of Lenard's mother. So in her will my grandmother ended up inheriting the house. My Grandmother went to college in New York, met my grandfather here too, and settled down. She had three children, my father Reginald is one of them. The other resides in Detroit with my cousin Casey. The third one is in England marred to a navy man."
Chuck grabbed his chest as he heard the whole story. How the boy in front of him named Jamal was a direct descendent of his dearest of friends a long time ago. Rob looked up and Lenni, who replied with a hazy gaze. Her thoughts said it all. She was just as emotional for Lenard as everyone else in the room. Lenard took his hat off and held it to his chest.
All of a sudden ghostwriter flashed. The gang looked up, at ghostwriter flashing the words:
: II :
: ESSEX:
Lenni looked at Rob puzzled. There was more. Ghostwriter fled to the computer and continued his messages.
:Passport Number: A3420009555009PL:
:Destination: London:
:British Airways:
Chuck rubbed his eyes. He stood up so quickly that he almost lost balanced. He squinted to the computer screen, but he couldn't exactly see the words, or whatever it was that was lighting up. The team looked up at Chuck. Could he see ghostwriter.
"Sir Can you see that?" asked Rob.
"Well I mean Lenni's computer monitor is glowing bright yellow can't anyone see that?" replied Chuck.
"How about what's written?" asked Tina.
" What's written? Oh I can't see anything from here. Ha-ha! Well I'd have to go to a closer look with that."
The team almost unfolded their group like the red sea, parting the entry for Chuck to go towards the monitor. About to see his long lost friend in the form of mere letters.
Chuck read aloud, and then asked "Lenni you going to travel or something?"
"Chuck- you can read that?"
"Of course- I'm not blind I just have old eyes for Pete's sake!"
The team chuckled. He could see Ghostwriter, but could Ghostwriter sense him?
"I still have the trumpet that my great grandfather played, Chuck. Would you like to come to my house to see it?" asked Jamal as he got up and approached to Chuck on the couch.
Chuck whimpered and could only respond in tears. He then looked up to find flashing words on Lenni's computers screen.
: LONG TIME CHUCK:
Chuck rubbed his eyes as he looked on to the computer.
"Is this some 20th century technology trick you kids are trying to show me?" asked chuck.
Gaby held his hand to calm him, replying "no Chuck, it's not a trick. If you can see this then you're special. You can see something not everyone can see."
Chuck placed his fingers on the computer screen tracing the letters Ghostwriter had made. Over the next 15 minutes the team began to narrate the usual explanation of whom ghostwriter is and where they found him. Not a lot of people can see him. However this explanation was different, as Chuck knew who Ghostwriter was long before they did.
"So you're telling me my dear friend is trapped in this ghostly form of letters? May I type back?"
The team smiled and nodded.
"But first let me just write these clues in our casebook. The passport number and all- it might be vital information to our case," stated Tina.
Chuck smiled up and touched Tina's arm, "Tina, can you type for me? My fingers are not like they use to be."
Tina smiled, "of course Chuck. Tell me what to say."
"Oh wow, gee. Well I know it's like a conversation but I feel like I can only write in a letter," stated Chuck. Chuck finally told Tina what he'd like to write.
: Dear Lenard, It's great to finally see you again though you are in another state of life. Do you see Lilly there too?:
The team looked at each other worried. They were dreading asking Ghostwriter this question as they knew this might cause some angst for ghostwriter. LILLY- the forbidden words was finally stated by a person who deserved to say it.
All of a sudden a flash went out of the computer. Swirls escalated around their bodies. All of the members began to float. Chuck was now not sitting but standing, his feet two inches above the ground, his cane had fallen.
Meanwhile in Venezuela, a young boy playing handball in the back of his house began to chuckle. He served hi and thwacked at the ball so fast, that it ran away from him into a forest of banana leaves.
"Guess I have to go fetch it, " said Hector.
Hector looked under the rich greenery of Venezuela to finally find his ball hidden under a small tropical bush of flowers. The blue ball peeked so brightly. All of a sudden, Hector was paralyzed. He realized he wasn't moving.
Casey finally dragged all the big trunks from Detroit into to Grandma Cici's basement. She couldn't wait to surprise the other team members of her unannounced arrival. Casey headed toward the stairs. As soon as she was about to take the first step on the staircase she froze. She looked below and her feet were off the ground. She tried to speak but nothing was coming out. She saw the swirl around her, she was screaming, but no one would be able to hear her.
In London a younger brother and older sister were brushing their teeth about to hit bed. London was five hours ahead of New York. It had been a busy day at their bed and breakfast. As they went into their separate bedrooms, the each closed their own door behind them, but not one of them went to sleep that night. That whole night, Becky and Sam never made it to their beds. They too, were two inches above the ground.
Catherine Canellan coming from the library opened the key to her little home. She placed her purse and keys onto the dresser, next to the picture of her beloved Frank. She bent down to kiss the photo, held it her arms and all of a sudden felt dizzy she looked below. She dropped the photo of Frank, just as the swirl came up to her hands. Now her whole body was completely frozen. "Is this what a seizure feels like?" thought Catherine to herself. She began to think that maybe it was finally time she would be with Frank. Life is over, it was sweet, time to meet my sweetheart she thought. Little did she know 13 others were already feeling this exact same way.
The 14th one that got paralyzed occurred by chance at the JFK airport. Ghostwriter zooming through the airport found a badge of "CRAIG MITCHELL". Now in college, Craig was working part time as a ticketing officer, and also helped with baggage claims. Craig loosened his vest. Underneath he could see the ghostwriter pen Jamal had given him ages ago. He still kept it. Time to time he would write to Ghostwriter, just to see what would happen. Of course, Ghostwriter would respond, but Craig kept such interactions to a minimum. Craig had moved so beyond Brooklyn he never kept in touch with the rest of the team and didn't feel as if he had the right to communicate with Ghostwriter like they did. He went to the wash room to splash some cold water on his face. Looking in the mirror he could see a swirl take over his body. Rubbing his eyes Craig washed his face this time a bit more thoroughly. Feeling fresher he was about to go out the door, when all of a sudden Craig felt a little queasy. Thinking he was going to be sick he closed his mouth with his hand running to a stall and closed the door behind him. Nothing happened. False alarm? Craig gave a sigh of relief. He was about to vacate out of the stall when all of a sudden his feet were not touching the floor.
14 are in the air- why you might wonder? Well….they are seeing something…something you could never imagine.