A Tall, Handsome Stranger
Everyone was glad to see Danny back home, especially with his new attitude. Dr. Doppler was very excited about the fact that he could shower our son with information about the scientific aspects of the celestial bodies now that the youth had seen them firsthand. Captain Amelia was interested to hear about his abilities at the helm and in a longboat. B.E.N. and Morph were extremely happy to have their old friend back and did not hold back from showing it. Momma and Sarah both cried tears of relief and joy to see their grandson home. Momma often helped Sarah around the inn. Since Jim and I married, they had been catching up on their friendship after not seeing each other for years before. Therefore, we usually knew where to find both in one place.
Danny's half-blindness did not seem to show much. He looked alert most, if not all, of the time. Whenever someone was positioned to his left and Danny was looking straight ahead, that person would have to call him with his or her voice or make some motion almost directly in front of him to get his attention. Sometimes he couldn't see the motions because of his bangs, which hung in the way.
One day, Jim gave him a chance that I had not seen coming. Danny, Jim, and I were seated in the living room. Jim was reading the newspaper.
Jim started, looking up from his paper, "You really seemed to be interested in the solar surfer, Danny. You, uh, want me to give you some lessons?"
I started to object. "Jim-" He raised his hand for silence and winked at me. I knew then to let him handle it.
"Are you serious?" Danny sat up straighter on the sofa, looking excited.
"Absolutely." Jim replied with a smile.
Despite my trust in Jim, I couldn't hold it in, "Jim he's half blind. I assume you need all of your senses working perfectly to be able to ride that thing safely."
"Well," Danny defended, "most of the time the solar sail is covering your left side anyway. All my other senses are fine." To Jim, he said, "So are you gonna teach me all the tricks and maneuvers and stuff? So I can be as good as you?"
"Sure," Jim replied. "Of course, it took me a while." Jim returned to the newspaper.
Danny's smile faded. "How long would you say?"
"I don't know. I was really a beginner when I was eight. I got the most challenging maneuvers down when I was about fifteen."
"Seven years?'
"Approximately."
I knew Jim was trying to dissuade him.
"Geez. I'm not that patient." He gave a short laugh. "Are you sure?"
"Well, the amount of time shouldn't keep you from doing it."
Danny looked at me for a moment. I said, "He's right, honey. If you really want to do it, that's fine."
He looked back at his father. "You know, Dad, it's really nice of you to offer, but I don't think it's worth it at this point."
Jim sounded surprised. "Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, I guess I don't want to risk getting blind in both eyes. I'd probably get really impatient one day and try to do something stupid before I was ready. Thanks, Dad, but that's okay." Danny got up and left.
I looked at Jim with a slight smile. He said with a smirk, "I don't want him getting hurt either."
I had told Jim about Liz's encounter with the young man, Samuel Prentice, at Neblaria. He did not seem too bothered by it. She was home safe, and that was all that was important.
It a few day's later, I asked Danny to get the door after we heard a knock. He called us to the door after answering it. Liz stopped dead in her tracks when we saw a tall, young man with green eyes and nearly jet- black hair that seemed to go in all directions in an untidy way. He was a handsome man. He smiled when he saw Liz. It was a wide, bright smile, and he had a noticeable dimple in his left cheek.
"It's the guy from the inn," Danny informed us indifferently.
"Hi, Liz," the stranger said in a pleasant but confident voice.
"H-h-hello," she stammered back, apparently shocked.
"Well we can't just make him stand outside." No matter who it was, I knew we shouldn't be rude. "Please come in."
"Thank you, ma'am." He nodded to me and sounded polite despite his confidence.
Liz began the introduction. "Um. Sam, these are my parents Jim and Laura Hawkins, and you've met Danny. Mommy. Daddy. This is Sam Prentice."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Captain and Mrs. Hawkins. I've heard so much about you in my lifetime. All have been good things of course."
Jim and I thanked him. He ruffled Danny's hair in a friendly manner, obviously thinking it was all right because he had already met our son. Danny didn't look so delighted.
"I hope you don't mind me stopping by," he said charmingly, "but the solar cutter I was on had some technical problems, and we have to stay here on Montressor for a couple of days. I am staying at the Benbow Inn." He asked Jim, "Owned by your mother, right? I recall her telling me that you were her son."
"Yes," Jim responded, somewhat shocked himself. "Uh, Sam. Come into the kitchen. We'll talk there."
Jim and Danny took him to the kitchen area. Liz pulled me aside.
She whispered loudly, "Mommy, I had no idea he'd come. I-I didn't even think-"
"Shhh. Honey, calm down. It's all right. We'll just have to treat him as our guest."
Liz fumbled with her long braid, which she did when she was nervous. "Are you mad at me? You know, for having dinner with him and telling him who I was?"
I sighed. "Liz, you didn't see this coming. It isn't your fault. He had to have your name for a room at that inn. But he probably knows a little more than he should about us."
"I'm sorry. Let's-let's just kick him out. I don't really even know who he is."
"Liz! He's our guest. We don't need to be rude. Just cautious."
We went into the kitchen to join in on the conversation.
Sam stayed overnight at the Benbow Inn. During the next day, he and Liz spent a lot of time together. They always had laughter in their conversations. Liz's apprehension seemed to disappear. Jim was worried that she might be becoming interested in men at too young of an age. I reminded him of how young we were when we met and that she wasn't necessarily interested in him in that way. Maybe he was just an acquaintance. He reminded me that our friendship had grown to love, and it could happen the same way with Sam and Liz. I told him not to be concerned. Liz was smart and sensible and should be trusted.
Sam was very polite to us, and even Danny lightened up toward him (once even referring to him as "cool"). Morph was thrilled that a new person was in the house and became attached to him right away (of course he became attached to nearly everyone, but Jim would always be his favorite). The repaired solar cutter came to the edge of the dock outside the Benbow Inn that night. We decided to see Sam off. Before he left, he gave Liz a small token to remember him by in case they wouldn't meet anytime soon or ever again. It was a lovely gold bracelet with what looked like four Quelecquian jewels (which were extremely rare) on it. It struck Jim, Danny, and me quite suddenly when he kissed her directly on the lips. As quick as it was the kiss was, it left even Liz pretty stunned. She turned to us with wide eyes as we stared back. We heard the rockets of the cutter ignite but didn't look up as it lifted away from our planet. Our eyes were still locked with Liz's eyes.
Author's Note: To be continued. It will get more exciting and more adventurous in a few chapters (not many chapters; don't worry). PixieGirl13: Check your "Jim's Angel" reviews again.
Everyone was glad to see Danny back home, especially with his new attitude. Dr. Doppler was very excited about the fact that he could shower our son with information about the scientific aspects of the celestial bodies now that the youth had seen them firsthand. Captain Amelia was interested to hear about his abilities at the helm and in a longboat. B.E.N. and Morph were extremely happy to have their old friend back and did not hold back from showing it. Momma and Sarah both cried tears of relief and joy to see their grandson home. Momma often helped Sarah around the inn. Since Jim and I married, they had been catching up on their friendship after not seeing each other for years before. Therefore, we usually knew where to find both in one place.
Danny's half-blindness did not seem to show much. He looked alert most, if not all, of the time. Whenever someone was positioned to his left and Danny was looking straight ahead, that person would have to call him with his or her voice or make some motion almost directly in front of him to get his attention. Sometimes he couldn't see the motions because of his bangs, which hung in the way.
One day, Jim gave him a chance that I had not seen coming. Danny, Jim, and I were seated in the living room. Jim was reading the newspaper.
Jim started, looking up from his paper, "You really seemed to be interested in the solar surfer, Danny. You, uh, want me to give you some lessons?"
I started to object. "Jim-" He raised his hand for silence and winked at me. I knew then to let him handle it.
"Are you serious?" Danny sat up straighter on the sofa, looking excited.
"Absolutely." Jim replied with a smile.
Despite my trust in Jim, I couldn't hold it in, "Jim he's half blind. I assume you need all of your senses working perfectly to be able to ride that thing safely."
"Well," Danny defended, "most of the time the solar sail is covering your left side anyway. All my other senses are fine." To Jim, he said, "So are you gonna teach me all the tricks and maneuvers and stuff? So I can be as good as you?"
"Sure," Jim replied. "Of course, it took me a while." Jim returned to the newspaper.
Danny's smile faded. "How long would you say?"
"I don't know. I was really a beginner when I was eight. I got the most challenging maneuvers down when I was about fifteen."
"Seven years?'
"Approximately."
I knew Jim was trying to dissuade him.
"Geez. I'm not that patient." He gave a short laugh. "Are you sure?"
"Well, the amount of time shouldn't keep you from doing it."
Danny looked at me for a moment. I said, "He's right, honey. If you really want to do it, that's fine."
He looked back at his father. "You know, Dad, it's really nice of you to offer, but I don't think it's worth it at this point."
Jim sounded surprised. "Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, I guess I don't want to risk getting blind in both eyes. I'd probably get really impatient one day and try to do something stupid before I was ready. Thanks, Dad, but that's okay." Danny got up and left.
I looked at Jim with a slight smile. He said with a smirk, "I don't want him getting hurt either."
I had told Jim about Liz's encounter with the young man, Samuel Prentice, at Neblaria. He did not seem too bothered by it. She was home safe, and that was all that was important.
It a few day's later, I asked Danny to get the door after we heard a knock. He called us to the door after answering it. Liz stopped dead in her tracks when we saw a tall, young man with green eyes and nearly jet- black hair that seemed to go in all directions in an untidy way. He was a handsome man. He smiled when he saw Liz. It was a wide, bright smile, and he had a noticeable dimple in his left cheek.
"It's the guy from the inn," Danny informed us indifferently.
"Hi, Liz," the stranger said in a pleasant but confident voice.
"H-h-hello," she stammered back, apparently shocked.
"Well we can't just make him stand outside." No matter who it was, I knew we shouldn't be rude. "Please come in."
"Thank you, ma'am." He nodded to me and sounded polite despite his confidence.
Liz began the introduction. "Um. Sam, these are my parents Jim and Laura Hawkins, and you've met Danny. Mommy. Daddy. This is Sam Prentice."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Captain and Mrs. Hawkins. I've heard so much about you in my lifetime. All have been good things of course."
Jim and I thanked him. He ruffled Danny's hair in a friendly manner, obviously thinking it was all right because he had already met our son. Danny didn't look so delighted.
"I hope you don't mind me stopping by," he said charmingly, "but the solar cutter I was on had some technical problems, and we have to stay here on Montressor for a couple of days. I am staying at the Benbow Inn." He asked Jim, "Owned by your mother, right? I recall her telling me that you were her son."
"Yes," Jim responded, somewhat shocked himself. "Uh, Sam. Come into the kitchen. We'll talk there."
Jim and Danny took him to the kitchen area. Liz pulled me aside.
She whispered loudly, "Mommy, I had no idea he'd come. I-I didn't even think-"
"Shhh. Honey, calm down. It's all right. We'll just have to treat him as our guest."
Liz fumbled with her long braid, which she did when she was nervous. "Are you mad at me? You know, for having dinner with him and telling him who I was?"
I sighed. "Liz, you didn't see this coming. It isn't your fault. He had to have your name for a room at that inn. But he probably knows a little more than he should about us."
"I'm sorry. Let's-let's just kick him out. I don't really even know who he is."
"Liz! He's our guest. We don't need to be rude. Just cautious."
We went into the kitchen to join in on the conversation.
Sam stayed overnight at the Benbow Inn. During the next day, he and Liz spent a lot of time together. They always had laughter in their conversations. Liz's apprehension seemed to disappear. Jim was worried that she might be becoming interested in men at too young of an age. I reminded him of how young we were when we met and that she wasn't necessarily interested in him in that way. Maybe he was just an acquaintance. He reminded me that our friendship had grown to love, and it could happen the same way with Sam and Liz. I told him not to be concerned. Liz was smart and sensible and should be trusted.
Sam was very polite to us, and even Danny lightened up toward him (once even referring to him as "cool"). Morph was thrilled that a new person was in the house and became attached to him right away (of course he became attached to nearly everyone, but Jim would always be his favorite). The repaired solar cutter came to the edge of the dock outside the Benbow Inn that night. We decided to see Sam off. Before he left, he gave Liz a small token to remember him by in case they wouldn't meet anytime soon or ever again. It was a lovely gold bracelet with what looked like four Quelecquian jewels (which were extremely rare) on it. It struck Jim, Danny, and me quite suddenly when he kissed her directly on the lips. As quick as it was the kiss was, it left even Liz pretty stunned. She turned to us with wide eyes as we stared back. We heard the rockets of the cutter ignite but didn't look up as it lifted away from our planet. Our eyes were still locked with Liz's eyes.
Author's Note: To be continued. It will get more exciting and more adventurous in a few chapters (not many chapters; don't worry). PixieGirl13: Check your "Jim's Angel" reviews again.