Chapter five
I woke up to the sound of Gilliam whirring next to my ear. "Ugh. Gilliam, what is it?"
"We're almost there, Jim."
"Really?" I hopped out of bed, forgetting about my ankle.
"Jim, look out!!"
I fell to the floor with a loud crash. As I was moaning, Gene rushed to me. "That was awful loud, Jim. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I think so. Hey, who's piloting the ship? Don't tell me Aisha-"
Gene helped me up. "No, I put it on auto. What made you worry that I would ever give the helm to Aisha?"
He handed me my crutches as I replied. "Because she has no tact."
Gene gently patted my back. "C'mon, little man, let's go."
I hesitated. "What is it, Jim?" He questioned.
I slowly shook my head. "Aniki, you go on ahead. I.need a minute to recollect myself."
"Are you okay?"
I smiled. "Just a silly dream I had. I just need some time to completely wake up from it."
"Okay, Jim, if you insist." He left the crew's quarters as I sat down.
I rested my head on my palms as tears formed in my eyes. ".Dad."
* * *
Some minutes later, I slowly lowered myself into my usual spot with Gene's help. "Thanks, aniki."
He patted my back again. "No prob."
"Landing at the Transcending Sea, Gene."
"Okay, Mel. Set a docking course." He said as he sat down.
"Roger!"
* * *
After we landed, everyone went their separate ways. Gene asked if I would be all right going by myself. I told him I would be just fine, just needed to get out like everybody else.
"Okay, meet at back at the Outlaw Star in five hours!"
"Roger, aniki!" I waved as I hobbled off alone.
* * *
I walked about a nice part of the town and stopped at a bridge overlooking a widespread manmade reservoir.
"Are you okay?"
I looked about, then looked down at the owner of the little voice. It was a little girl with really cute pigtails. "What are you doing here, little girl? Where's your parents?"
She sighed as she clutched her teddy bear. "Mommy and Daddy are at home having a fight. I ran out of the house when I could."
"That's a nice teddy bear you have."
She smiled up at me. Her highest pigtail barely reached my elbow. "Thank you!" Then she noticed my leg. "Oh! You have an owie!"
"Huh?"
"On your leg! What happened?"
"I fell down the stairs." I explained, feeling embarrassed even admitting it in front of this little girl!
"What's that thing on your leg?"
"It's a cast."
"Oh! Can I sign it?"
I smiled at her. "Sure!"
She took a marker out of her pocket and signed "Jamie" on it.
"That's your name?" I asked.
"Yup! My mommy named me!"
"Really?"
"What's your name, mister?"
I chuckled softly and said, "Would you know it, my name is Jim."
"What's so funny about that?"
I explained. "My full first name is James. Jamie is the girl version of it!"
Now she was laughing shrill, little-girl laughter. "That is funny!"
"What's your parents' names?" I asked.
"My daddy's name is Tetsuya and my mommy is Michelle."
I felt like I just was hit with a ton of bricks.
"What's wrong, mister?" Jamie asked.
"It's just that." I went on ".My father's name is Michael. Michelle is the girl version of it."
She broke into hysterics again, when she noticed I wasn't laughing
along with her this time. "What's wrong, mister?"
"Nothing."
"Where's your mommy and daddy? Aren't they worried about you and your
leg?"
I looked again at the reservoir. That was something I didn't want to
answer.
"Jamie!!" A young woman of no more than 18 called out to her. "Coming, Mommy!" She looked at me. "Mommy promised to take me shopping. Nice to have met you, Mr. Jim!" She curtsied before she ran off.
I woke up to the sound of Gilliam whirring next to my ear. "Ugh. Gilliam, what is it?"
"We're almost there, Jim."
"Really?" I hopped out of bed, forgetting about my ankle.
"Jim, look out!!"
I fell to the floor with a loud crash. As I was moaning, Gene rushed to me. "That was awful loud, Jim. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I think so. Hey, who's piloting the ship? Don't tell me Aisha-"
Gene helped me up. "No, I put it on auto. What made you worry that I would ever give the helm to Aisha?"
He handed me my crutches as I replied. "Because she has no tact."
Gene gently patted my back. "C'mon, little man, let's go."
I hesitated. "What is it, Jim?" He questioned.
I slowly shook my head. "Aniki, you go on ahead. I.need a minute to recollect myself."
"Are you okay?"
I smiled. "Just a silly dream I had. I just need some time to completely wake up from it."
"Okay, Jim, if you insist." He left the crew's quarters as I sat down.
I rested my head on my palms as tears formed in my eyes. ".Dad."
* * *
Some minutes later, I slowly lowered myself into my usual spot with Gene's help. "Thanks, aniki."
He patted my back again. "No prob."
"Landing at the Transcending Sea, Gene."
"Okay, Mel. Set a docking course." He said as he sat down.
"Roger!"
* * *
After we landed, everyone went their separate ways. Gene asked if I would be all right going by myself. I told him I would be just fine, just needed to get out like everybody else.
"Okay, meet at back at the Outlaw Star in five hours!"
"Roger, aniki!" I waved as I hobbled off alone.
* * *
I walked about a nice part of the town and stopped at a bridge overlooking a widespread manmade reservoir.
"Are you okay?"
I looked about, then looked down at the owner of the little voice. It was a little girl with really cute pigtails. "What are you doing here, little girl? Where's your parents?"
She sighed as she clutched her teddy bear. "Mommy and Daddy are at home having a fight. I ran out of the house when I could."
"That's a nice teddy bear you have."
She smiled up at me. Her highest pigtail barely reached my elbow. "Thank you!" Then she noticed my leg. "Oh! You have an owie!"
"Huh?"
"On your leg! What happened?"
"I fell down the stairs." I explained, feeling embarrassed even admitting it in front of this little girl!
"What's that thing on your leg?"
"It's a cast."
"Oh! Can I sign it?"
I smiled at her. "Sure!"
She took a marker out of her pocket and signed "Jamie" on it.
"That's your name?" I asked.
"Yup! My mommy named me!"
"Really?"
"What's your name, mister?"
I chuckled softly and said, "Would you know it, my name is Jim."
"What's so funny about that?"
I explained. "My full first name is James. Jamie is the girl version of it!"
Now she was laughing shrill, little-girl laughter. "That is funny!"
"What's your parents' names?" I asked.
"My daddy's name is Tetsuya and my mommy is Michelle."
I felt like I just was hit with a ton of bricks.
"What's wrong, mister?" Jamie asked.
"It's just that." I went on ".My father's name is Michael. Michelle is the girl version of it."
She broke into hysterics again, when she noticed I wasn't laughing
along with her this time. "What's wrong, mister?"
"Nothing."
"Where's your mommy and daddy? Aren't they worried about you and your
leg?"
I looked again at the reservoir. That was something I didn't want to
answer.
"Jamie!!" A young woman of no more than 18 called out to her. "Coming, Mommy!" She looked at me. "Mommy promised to take me shopping. Nice to have met you, Mr. Jim!" She curtsied before she ran off.