Rick fumbled with his bowtie. The amount of annoyance of wearing a tuxedo was nothing compared tying a bowtie. He tried again and he ended up with a knot around his neck. Evie came out of the bathroom in a long red dress and saw the trouble.
'Here, let me. Why can men never tie these things?'
'Probably because it's silly. Who wants a bow round their neck like a puppy?' Rick asked.
Evie tweaked the bowtie, which now looked like a bowtie. 'Oh, but you are a very handsome puppy.'
Rick grinned. A kiss was shared and then, 'Mum! I can't tie this thing!'
Rick's grin grew even bigger and Evie sighed. She walked down to Alex's room, where he, like Rick, had ended up with a knot around his neck. He looked sour. He, like Rick, hated tuxedos.
'Oh Alex,' Evie said as she fixed his bowtie. 'Don't be such a sourpuss. You get to see your cousin tonight. You like seeing her.'
'Yeah,' admitted Alex. 'I just don't see why we have to dress up. Why can't people just wear whatever?'
'Please don't start that discussion again Alex,' pleaded Evie. 'I cannot wait until you finish being a teenager. It is unbearable at times.'
Alex stuck out his tongue, which received a frown from his mother. He felt bad and smiled, reassuring his mother that he would be good and speak when spoken too. Evie shook her head, but she was smiling too.
'Come on,' she said.
They met Rick at the bottom of the stairs and the trio got in Rick's newest car. When they weren't tramping around Egypt, Rick could be found polishing his car. Evie told Alex it was a side effect from when the mummy guards had destroyed his old car.
The car stopped outside the red carpeted steps. The museum was covered in lights, which made it glow like a beacon. It also lit up the sign 'The Golden Ankh of Ra'. Evie and Alex waited on the carpet as Rick argued with the valet.
'Please sir,' said the exasperated valet, 'I just would like to park your car.'
'Oh yeah? I can park my own car!'
'Rick,' called Evie, 'just let him park the car.'
Rick reluctantly handed over the keys and glared after the valet driving his car away. His wife took his arm, trying to comfort him. Meanwhile, Alex walked ahead and met his cousin the curator at the doors.
'Hi Laura,' he said with a grin.
'Hey Alex!' she grinned back. 'I hear you and your parents had quite an adventure.'
'Sure did. Is Uncle John here?'
Yeah, he arrived a few minutes ago.' Laura leaned in. 'Do me a favour and keep an eye on him, ok? It's not that I don't trust him at all, it's just that I don't trust him full stop.'
Alex winked. 'No problem.' He headed inside and could hear people behind him saying, 'Mrs Vincent, a pleasure,' to his cousin.
In the middle of the main hall was the golden ankh, surrounded by a glass case, sitting on red velvet and propped up in a vertical position. People oo-ed and ah-ed over it. On the walls hung posters of Ra, Sekhmet and the myth concerning the two. Waiters walked around with trays of cheese cut as an ankh on crackers and other Egyptian-themed appetisers. He spied Uncle John talking to a raven-haired girl by the golden ankh. He moved closer to them. Uncle John sounded a bit tipsy, waving his wine glass about him.
'Did I tell you that I fought a mummy, in fact, ten mummies? Or was it more?' he said.
'Yes, you did' said the girl, bored. 'And before it was five mummies.'
'Well, you wouldn't think it by looking at me but...' Alex decided to rescue her.
'Hi Uncle John,' he said.
'Oh hello again Alex,' his uncle said happily. 'I was just telling Merisa here...'
'That you were just leaving?' supplied Alex.
'No, no I don't think it was that...'
'Oh but it was,' said Merisa earnestly.
'Really? Right then, must be off.' And he wandered off, slightly confused.
Merisa turned to Alex. 'Thank you so much.' She was sincere.
Alex shrugged. 'He's not so bad, once you get to know him better.'
Merisa didn't look convinced. 'I suppose. So you're his nephew. How old are you?'
'I'll be sixteen next month.'
She raised an eyebrow. 'So you're fifteen?' She smiled. 'Me too.'
Alex was surprised. She looked older. He looked around. 'Where are your parents?'
She shook her head. 'I don't have any. They died when I was young.'
Alex tried not to show his embarrassment. 'Oh, I'm sorry.'
She dismissed it. 'Don't be. You didn't know. So, you and your parents found this?' She gestured at the ankh.
'Yep,' said Alex proudly, 'but I was the one who first found the other version of the myth.'
'Oh, the one that tells of the priests and the Golden Ankh of Ra?'
He eyed her suspiciously. 'How did you know?'
'Your cousin told me.' She answered without hesitation. Her eyes were still on the ankh.
'Alex!' His father came over. 'There you are.'
'Hi dad. This is Merisa.'
Merisa held out her hand. 'Nice to meet you, Mr. O'Connell.'
'You too.' He shook her hand and turned back to Alex. 'You were meant to be watching Jonathan.'
His son opened his mouth to make up an excuse, but his father stopped him. 'Don't worry, I took care of him. I sent him home in a cab. Look, your mother and Laura are about to speak.'
And a hush did cover the crowd as Laura mounted the pedestal. 'Thank you all for coming. The Ankh of Ra is a great discovery and addition to this museum. Now, as I have to use the bathroom'- laughter at this well-known habit -'Mrs. Evelyn O'Connell will give the account of its finding.'
Evelyn looked radiant as she took the pedestal. 'Thank you Laura. The original reason for the dig was from a myth read by my son, Alex.' Alex smiled proudly. 'It gave an alternate version of the myth of Sekhmet. In it, it stated that Sekhmet was subdued by the Ankh of Ra and the priestesses became so enraged that the priests of Ra were forced to hide it. They hid it in the underground temple of Sekhmet at Memphis...'
Alex leaned over to Merisa. 'How cool is that!' But there was no one there.
NOTE: have never been to British Museum, so now there is a big hall in the entrance. If there really is, then in the words of Alex, 'Cool'.
