While Muffy endured Mr. Pryce-Jones' harsh criticism, the kids at Lakewood
enjoyed a leisurely recess. On one of the seesaws, Francine and Beat casually
rose up and down while discussing the situation with the trip to England.
"I should talk to your parents," Beat suggested. "Maybe I can get them to change their minds."
"I wouldn't count on it," said Francine. "This is one of those traditional family things that can't be touched."
"My family is the exact opposite," Beat told her. "Nothing's sacred to them. They think a holiday is nothing more than an excuse to take a holiday."
"What did you say?" asked Francine, confused.
"In England, the word holiday can mean a holiday, like Christmas, or a vacation. My dad's philosophy is, why waste two perfectly good days away from work by sitting around a fire and exchanging gifts?"
As she spoke, Alan walked up to them. "Either of you girls seen Jason?" he asked.
Beat quickly leaped from the seesaw, causing Francine to plummet to the ground. "Thanks for reminding me, Alan. He asked me to give you this note." She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Alan.
As the boy walked away, Francine came up to Beat, rubbing her painful rear end. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry," Beat apologized.
"Sorry, schmorry," said Francine. "You still owe me a new butt."
Not far away from them, Buster and Sue Ellen sat on swings, chatting about Buster's imminent departure.
"Organizing this party has been such a mess," Sue Ellen told him. "Muffy's the expert at this sort of thing, but she's not much use to us now that she's attending a new school. And I have to get the quartet ready for the concert on Saturday, so I just don't have time to host a party."
"It's okay," Buster reassured her. "You don't have to throw a party to show me that you care. Just hold me down and smother me with kisses, and I'll understand."
Sue Ellen grimaced. "You wish."
Seated on a nearby bench, Alan opened the note from Jason and began to read. The words filled him with surprise and anxiety.
"Dear Alan: Your fourth grade is the equivalent of my second grade, so I can learn nothing new by attending class. I have gone into the city to take care of some matters regarding my stay here, which may be extended. You and your parents were kind enough to give me room and board for an evening, but I do not wish to prevail too much on your hospitality. Do not worry abot me, as I have the means to provide for myself. I will come for my tricycle tonight, and at that time I will let you know where I am staying. Love, your cousin, Jason. P.S. You are absolutely right about the dangers of altering the past. Always keep them in mind."
Alan gripped the note tightly. "I can't let a kid from the future wander freely around the city," he told himself. "I've got to find him."
While Alan weighed his options, Jason meandered down the sidewalk next to Main Street in downtown Elwood City. In the midst of the various store fronts he found the one that he was seeking: Stephanie's Jewelry and Coins.
Through the glass door he could see a squirrelly woman in a blue dress, who was busily dusting some coins in a display case. He rang the buzzer. To his surprise the woman lifted up her tail, which had been hidden under her dress, and used it to press the door release button. Jason heard a clicking sound, and he pushed the door open to enter the shop.
The squirrelly woman smiled at Jason in a cutesy manner. She was Maria Harris, Nadine's mother.
"Hello, little boy," she said warmly. "Aren't you supposed to be in school right now?"
"I'm...er...home-schooled," Jason lied. "My parents have sent me on an important errand to help teach me responsibility."
"I see," said Mrs. Harris. "And what errand is that?"
Jason walked up to the counter behind which the clerk was standing, pulled off his backpack, and stuck his hand into the top. An opening in the fabric seemed to magically appear, allowing his hand to pass through. After feeling about for a few seconds, he pulled out what appeared to be a gold coin.
He placed the coin on the counter in front of Mrs. Harris. "How much will you give me for this?" he asked in a mature voice.
The woman picked up the coin and examined it curiously. It was unlike any coin she had seen before. On one side was an engraving of Jason's face. On the other were imprinted the words, REPUBLIC OF JASON, 2032.
"I'll be right back," said Mrs. Harris. She turned and went into a back room, where she found the store's proprietor, Stephanie Poulos, who was examining a diamond ring through an eyepiece. "You'll never believe this," she said, placing the coin on the table in front of Stephanie.
The store owner, a middle-aged duck woman, held it up to her eyepiece for a few seconds. "It's gold, all right. Some kid's been minting his own gold coins."
Mrs. Harris leaned over Stephanie's shoulder. "How much do you think we should pay him for it?" she asked.
Stephanie handed the coin back to her. "Offer him half the market price. Nobody's gonna buy a coin with a date in the future, except to melt it down."
While Jason was browsing a display of 19th-century stamps, Mrs. Harris returned with the coin. "Since this isn't a standard-issue coin," she explained, "I'll give you half the market price for it. Two hundred dollars."
Jason looked up from the stamps. "I accept. Can I have that in cash?"
Mrs. Harris opened the register and started to count out twenties. "Did you make this coin yourself?" she asked Jason.
"It has my face on it," Jason replied.
Mrs. Harris grasped the money in her hand as if unwilling to relinquish it until Jason answered her questions. "Why did you put the year 2032 on it?"
"I'm a time traveler," Jason explained. "I come from a future age where gold is synthesized and plentiful."
Mrs. Harris chuckled. "You have quite an imagination. Where are your parents?"
"Outside, waiting for me," Jason answered.
"Where do you live?" the clerk asked.
"I can't tell you that."
"Why not?"
"Because you're a stranger."
Mrs. Harris chuckled again, and handed the money to Jason. Without a word, he turned and exited the store.
As the intrigued Mrs. Harris watched him go, Stephanie came out of the back room, eyepiece in hand. "We got him on the security camera," she said. "I'll email the local schools tomorrow and hopefully find out who he is."
About half an hour later, Jason strolled up to the receptionist's desk in the Mairzydoat hotel. By standing on tiptoes, he was able to reach high enough to ring the service bell. Shortly a uniformed teenage boy came to the desk. "How can I help you?" he asked.
"I'd like to rent a room for the night," said Jason. "I'll pay you in cash."
(To be continued...)
"I should talk to your parents," Beat suggested. "Maybe I can get them to change their minds."
"I wouldn't count on it," said Francine. "This is one of those traditional family things that can't be touched."
"My family is the exact opposite," Beat told her. "Nothing's sacred to them. They think a holiday is nothing more than an excuse to take a holiday."
"What did you say?" asked Francine, confused.
"In England, the word holiday can mean a holiday, like Christmas, or a vacation. My dad's philosophy is, why waste two perfectly good days away from work by sitting around a fire and exchanging gifts?"
As she spoke, Alan walked up to them. "Either of you girls seen Jason?" he asked.
Beat quickly leaped from the seesaw, causing Francine to plummet to the ground. "Thanks for reminding me, Alan. He asked me to give you this note." She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Alan.
As the boy walked away, Francine came up to Beat, rubbing her painful rear end. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry," Beat apologized.
"Sorry, schmorry," said Francine. "You still owe me a new butt."
Not far away from them, Buster and Sue Ellen sat on swings, chatting about Buster's imminent departure.
"Organizing this party has been such a mess," Sue Ellen told him. "Muffy's the expert at this sort of thing, but she's not much use to us now that she's attending a new school. And I have to get the quartet ready for the concert on Saturday, so I just don't have time to host a party."
"It's okay," Buster reassured her. "You don't have to throw a party to show me that you care. Just hold me down and smother me with kisses, and I'll understand."
Sue Ellen grimaced. "You wish."
Seated on a nearby bench, Alan opened the note from Jason and began to read. The words filled him with surprise and anxiety.
"Dear Alan: Your fourth grade is the equivalent of my second grade, so I can learn nothing new by attending class. I have gone into the city to take care of some matters regarding my stay here, which may be extended. You and your parents were kind enough to give me room and board for an evening, but I do not wish to prevail too much on your hospitality. Do not worry abot me, as I have the means to provide for myself. I will come for my tricycle tonight, and at that time I will let you know where I am staying. Love, your cousin, Jason. P.S. You are absolutely right about the dangers of altering the past. Always keep them in mind."
Alan gripped the note tightly. "I can't let a kid from the future wander freely around the city," he told himself. "I've got to find him."
While Alan weighed his options, Jason meandered down the sidewalk next to Main Street in downtown Elwood City. In the midst of the various store fronts he found the one that he was seeking: Stephanie's Jewelry and Coins.
Through the glass door he could see a squirrelly woman in a blue dress, who was busily dusting some coins in a display case. He rang the buzzer. To his surprise the woman lifted up her tail, which had been hidden under her dress, and used it to press the door release button. Jason heard a clicking sound, and he pushed the door open to enter the shop.
The squirrelly woman smiled at Jason in a cutesy manner. She was Maria Harris, Nadine's mother.
"Hello, little boy," she said warmly. "Aren't you supposed to be in school right now?"
"I'm...er...home-schooled," Jason lied. "My parents have sent me on an important errand to help teach me responsibility."
"I see," said Mrs. Harris. "And what errand is that?"
Jason walked up to the counter behind which the clerk was standing, pulled off his backpack, and stuck his hand into the top. An opening in the fabric seemed to magically appear, allowing his hand to pass through. After feeling about for a few seconds, he pulled out what appeared to be a gold coin.
He placed the coin on the counter in front of Mrs. Harris. "How much will you give me for this?" he asked in a mature voice.
The woman picked up the coin and examined it curiously. It was unlike any coin she had seen before. On one side was an engraving of Jason's face. On the other were imprinted the words, REPUBLIC OF JASON, 2032.
"I'll be right back," said Mrs. Harris. She turned and went into a back room, where she found the store's proprietor, Stephanie Poulos, who was examining a diamond ring through an eyepiece. "You'll never believe this," she said, placing the coin on the table in front of Stephanie.
The store owner, a middle-aged duck woman, held it up to her eyepiece for a few seconds. "It's gold, all right. Some kid's been minting his own gold coins."
Mrs. Harris leaned over Stephanie's shoulder. "How much do you think we should pay him for it?" she asked.
Stephanie handed the coin back to her. "Offer him half the market price. Nobody's gonna buy a coin with a date in the future, except to melt it down."
While Jason was browsing a display of 19th-century stamps, Mrs. Harris returned with the coin. "Since this isn't a standard-issue coin," she explained, "I'll give you half the market price for it. Two hundred dollars."
Jason looked up from the stamps. "I accept. Can I have that in cash?"
Mrs. Harris opened the register and started to count out twenties. "Did you make this coin yourself?" she asked Jason.
"It has my face on it," Jason replied.
Mrs. Harris grasped the money in her hand as if unwilling to relinquish it until Jason answered her questions. "Why did you put the year 2032 on it?"
"I'm a time traveler," Jason explained. "I come from a future age where gold is synthesized and plentiful."
Mrs. Harris chuckled. "You have quite an imagination. Where are your parents?"
"Outside, waiting for me," Jason answered.
"Where do you live?" the clerk asked.
"I can't tell you that."
"Why not?"
"Because you're a stranger."
Mrs. Harris chuckled again, and handed the money to Jason. Without a word, he turned and exited the store.
As the intrigued Mrs. Harris watched him go, Stephanie came out of the back room, eyepiece in hand. "We got him on the security camera," she said. "I'll email the local schools tomorrow and hopefully find out who he is."
About half an hour later, Jason strolled up to the receptionist's desk in the Mairzydoat hotel. By standing on tiptoes, he was able to reach high enough to ring the service bell. Shortly a uniformed teenage boy came to the desk. "How can I help you?" he asked.
"I'd like to rent a room for the night," said Jason. "I'll pay you in cash."
(To be continued...)
