Happy things in this chapter! Whee!
*****
After Doppler's lecture, Jim went to lunch, then had an hour of free time afterward.
Doppler stayed for lunch and they talked, remembering and reminiscing. Doppler told Jim about
his family, Jim's mother, and how the Benbow was doing. Jim talked about how he missed all of
those things. Doppler listened sympathetically.
"I just don't really feel like many people are going to. . . open up to me," said Jim
dejectedly. "Nobody seems to know where I'm coming from, you know?"
Doppler considered Jim's words while pushing the food in his dish around, and replied
reassuringly, "Jim, my boy, you'll find that when somebody worth talking to comes along, you'll
know. If you don't seem to fit in here, it doesn't mean that you don't fit with them. It's that they
don't fit with you."
Jim smiled down at his plate. "Thanks, Doc."
"My pleasure, Jim. And you know, if you want to peak some people's interests, why not
try something that they can relate to a bit more than academic superiority?"
Jim paused, his hand holding his glass of water stopped halfway to his mouth. "You don't
mean. . . You *can't* mean. . ." He started to show a grin of disbelief. "Doc, you didn't bring it,
did you?"
Doppler sipped his water in mock nonchalance. "Out in my carriage," he said formally,
hiding a smile.
Jim jumped up from the table obviously itching to run outside. "Doc you're serious
can I?!" Doppler nodded and let the smile out.
Jim laughed out loud and rushed through the halls past two groups of students and one
bewildered teacher. He paused at the carriage pasts and scanned for Doppler's. He then realized
that he wasn't looking for Doppler's carriage from Montressor; Montressor was a long way away,
a week on a ship at least. He proceeded to look into the carriages furtively, hoping nobody
noticed him. Finally he saw it. A very long, very large, flat object was wrapped in brown paper
with brown twine tied around it. There was a letter on top, slipped in under the twine. Jim saw
his name written neatly on the envelope and any previous doubt was gone. Jim slid the letter out
from under the twine and tore it open. He read eagerly. /p
'Dear Jim,
How are things going? We're all very proud of your last report, and we miss you very
much. We would say that the Benbow is quiet without you, but we'd be lying. B.E.N., Morph,
and the Doppler children are providing all of the noise that you took with you, and more.' (Jim
smiled at this.) 'However, your teachers have all reported one concern: your lack of enthusiasm
when it comes to making friends.' (Jim's smile disappeared.) i 'We all decided that you need
something to take your mind off of school for a while, Mister Over-achiever. Be sure to tell Dr.
Doppler 'thank you'.
Love, Mom and everyone at the Benbow.
Jim folded up the letter. He couldn't believe it was really true. It was true: You never knew
what you had until it was gone. He suddenly whirled around as he heard Doppler approaching.
"Nothing stops you, eh, Jim?" chuckled Doppler. "It's your old one. I stopped by the
impound lot with my hopes low, but they still had it after all these years." He considered. "You
know, they seemed glad to be rid of it, actually. Said it was taking up space in storage."
Jim lifted up the brown package, then set it down again. "Gimme a hand, Doc?"
"Of course, Jim! Always happy to be of assistance. . ." He came up next to Jim and lifted
one end of the package. When they set it down, Jim tore open the paper and stood back, tears
suddenly streaming down his face. His old solar surfer blinked cheerily up at them in the sun.
"Doc. . . *thank you*, Doc. . ." He used the back of his hand to wipe the tears away and sniffed.
"Ah, Jim, don't mention it! Just be sure to write a nice letter to your mother. By the way!. .
." He looked down into his pocket, taking his eyes off of Jim. "I've got a note from your
headmaster. He wants to talk to " Doppler looked up again with a folded slip of paper in his
hand, to see only the brown paper on the ground. "-- you." He looked up and saw Jim, already a
speck in the sky. ". . . But it can wait." He slipped the paper back into his pocket and walked
back inside the Academy.
*****
Hey, how 'bout that? Jim got his solar surfer! I wonder what wonderful happy magical
adventures he'll find on it?! And what could Doppler want?!! I JUST! DON'T! KNOW! Wait. . .
yeah, I do. Huh. Well, don't worry. Maybe Silver will show up, hm? (Doppler = best character
ever!)
*****
After Doppler's lecture, Jim went to lunch, then had an hour of free time afterward.
Doppler stayed for lunch and they talked, remembering and reminiscing. Doppler told Jim about
his family, Jim's mother, and how the Benbow was doing. Jim talked about how he missed all of
those things. Doppler listened sympathetically.
"I just don't really feel like many people are going to. . . open up to me," said Jim
dejectedly. "Nobody seems to know where I'm coming from, you know?"
Doppler considered Jim's words while pushing the food in his dish around, and replied
reassuringly, "Jim, my boy, you'll find that when somebody worth talking to comes along, you'll
know. If you don't seem to fit in here, it doesn't mean that you don't fit with them. It's that they
don't fit with you."
Jim smiled down at his plate. "Thanks, Doc."
"My pleasure, Jim. And you know, if you want to peak some people's interests, why not
try something that they can relate to a bit more than academic superiority?"
Jim paused, his hand holding his glass of water stopped halfway to his mouth. "You don't
mean. . . You *can't* mean. . ." He started to show a grin of disbelief. "Doc, you didn't bring it,
did you?"
Doppler sipped his water in mock nonchalance. "Out in my carriage," he said formally,
hiding a smile.
Jim jumped up from the table obviously itching to run outside. "Doc you're serious
can I?!" Doppler nodded and let the smile out.
Jim laughed out loud and rushed through the halls past two groups of students and one
bewildered teacher. He paused at the carriage pasts and scanned for Doppler's. He then realized
that he wasn't looking for Doppler's carriage from Montressor; Montressor was a long way away,
a week on a ship at least. He proceeded to look into the carriages furtively, hoping nobody
noticed him. Finally he saw it. A very long, very large, flat object was wrapped in brown paper
with brown twine tied around it. There was a letter on top, slipped in under the twine. Jim saw
his name written neatly on the envelope and any previous doubt was gone. Jim slid the letter out
from under the twine and tore it open. He read eagerly. /p
'Dear Jim,
How are things going? We're all very proud of your last report, and we miss you very
much. We would say that the Benbow is quiet without you, but we'd be lying. B.E.N., Morph,
and the Doppler children are providing all of the noise that you took with you, and more.' (Jim
smiled at this.) 'However, your teachers have all reported one concern: your lack of enthusiasm
when it comes to making friends.' (Jim's smile disappeared.) i 'We all decided that you need
something to take your mind off of school for a while, Mister Over-achiever. Be sure to tell Dr.
Doppler 'thank you'.
Love, Mom and everyone at the Benbow.
Jim folded up the letter. He couldn't believe it was really true. It was true: You never knew
what you had until it was gone. He suddenly whirled around as he heard Doppler approaching.
"Nothing stops you, eh, Jim?" chuckled Doppler. "It's your old one. I stopped by the
impound lot with my hopes low, but they still had it after all these years." He considered. "You
know, they seemed glad to be rid of it, actually. Said it was taking up space in storage."
Jim lifted up the brown package, then set it down again. "Gimme a hand, Doc?"
"Of course, Jim! Always happy to be of assistance. . ." He came up next to Jim and lifted
one end of the package. When they set it down, Jim tore open the paper and stood back, tears
suddenly streaming down his face. His old solar surfer blinked cheerily up at them in the sun.
"Doc. . . *thank you*, Doc. . ." He used the back of his hand to wipe the tears away and sniffed.
"Ah, Jim, don't mention it! Just be sure to write a nice letter to your mother. By the way!. .
." He looked down into his pocket, taking his eyes off of Jim. "I've got a note from your
headmaster. He wants to talk to " Doppler looked up again with a folded slip of paper in his
hand, to see only the brown paper on the ground. "-- you." He looked up and saw Jim, already a
speck in the sky. ". . . But it can wait." He slipped the paper back into his pocket and walked
back inside the Academy.
*****
Hey, how 'bout that? Jim got his solar surfer! I wonder what wonderful happy magical
adventures he'll find on it?! And what could Doppler want?!! I JUST! DON'T! KNOW! Wait. . .
yeah, I do. Huh. Well, don't worry. Maybe Silver will show up, hm? (Doppler = best character
ever!)