John Charles Fiddy - On The Go

July 04, 1778

XV - VI

At the front of the door of his house, Jack, son of Bartholomew Brandford and Lenneth Crescent, stands there, sitting along his cousin, Daniel Brandford, also known as Dan, or 'Gappys' by his nearest cousin, the same Jack that is as bored as his. Bored because they had nothing else to do.

Before reaching such an unexpected conclusion, they played some marbles, yet they still feel such boredom, like a stranger from another land also feels when it comes to such land without a shining sun in its full glory. There are things a boy can only do on its own, or when together by same boys. Jack and Dan had done many of these things, and some they are still awaiting to do, either because they are only children, or because only an adult has the height enough to do such thing.

Even with such low height, these kids can climb a tree, thanks to the claws they were born with, and the energy kept into such tiny bodies. Someday, they might climb onto something, or someone else, but until there, they keep playing some marbles, because that's one of the things they thought to do first.

There is no winner, or loser yet. A game of marbles is usually played with more than two players, but since only two of them got along, and with no sight of a third or fourth player anywhere else, they keep playing the same game. While both keep hitting the marbles of each, blue for Jack, and green for Dan, they think for themselves.

XV - VII

Time used to go away when these kids played with each other, or when they thought for a moment about something of their interest.

There are other boys playing with marbles, and others playing with other balls. At home, or in the distant yard, covered by mud or rain, some kids play a game with only one ball, and eleven boys, while Jack and Dan play a game with many balls, and only two boys. No girls are allowed to play or interact with such games and balls for boys. They never tried, but insisted on playing, or else they cried and later came back with mommy, still insisting to be allowed to play such a game.

Unlike girls, mothers are serious beings. To think some of them were once as childish as their daughters, thought Jack, remembering of the day a girl, instead of calling her mother, called his own, only because he didn't allow her to play a game for boys. T

To call a mother belonging to yours is a thing, but to call Lenneth, whom he refers to fondly as 'Lennie', was a cheap trick. And how cheap it was. Jack never told his mother, or Lennie as he calls her by, and keeps insisting so, what kind of game he didn't allow that girl to play with him and others like him. When you are a boy, other boys check you out, so Jack lied and said it was marbles instead, like now.

Life is a pop of cherry, or so Dan said to his, and of course it was the father of his who said it once, or many times, since many of the children learn from patterns, from repetition, because everything repeats, or insists so, like these cherries eaten or soon to be ate, or what the heck do 'pop' means, or sounds like. Jack still is wondering to this day, as he uses to wonder with everything as well, and what kind of life his uncle Clyde did lead, and if its the same one that belongs to his father as well. Maybe not, he thought.

Speaking about fathers, they usually were there to give them advice on what to do. Jack often would hunt some Basilisks with his father, whereas Dan would do the same as well with Clyde, the father of his, also Jack's uncle. Not the only one, but a kind of uncle, an individual they call by 'unique', 'special' to denote such individuality, however Jack only calls Clyde by 'uncle' or 'funny' than such terms. These aren't enough to describe his, he thinks, as he once thought of the same before.

Today, they don't feel such a need to kill Basilisks, even if maybe that would be fun, but the fun they are willing to search needs to last, for a bit longer.

XV - VIII

So Jack and Dan keep playing marbles, throwing a ball on another, and seeing how they move above a surface of stone, the same where they stand sitting, or laying down, as Jack had moved, unquiet of standing in the same position.

He ain't a statue, though statues are given more attention than an ordinary as his. Lenneth went to the market, and sooner or later she will get back home; either way, even if the day would find a way to progress with her comeback, it still stood still, as much as it insists to remain so. That's why people seek a way to break with the habits, do something new, or else, life becomes such a boredom, like the game Jack and Dan insists to keep playing, unlike adults.

Besides the task given to take care of Jack, Lenneth now found herself to be pregnant, still awaiting for the arrival of the newborn and also for the one who was crucial for its production. So does Jack, for his father, and only. Because there is no such a thing like a kid with two, or many fathers, or so Dan says otherwise, referring once again to 'Mrs. Bindweed', a lady neighbor of his that had gotten many sons, belonging to many fathers, though her house ain't an orphanage.

'I'm not interested', or 'shut up', as Jack uses to say to Dan, and his 'bullshits', or 'shits', either with the mind of his, or with the lips of his. The mind spoke at the moment, and how often his lips used to... Moving on.

Not that Jack didn't want another brother. Maybe if the brother of his grew up, or so do Jack thought, then he and Gappys would be playing together on these days of marbles. While Jack would taught his brother some words, Dan would share of his Basilisk Hunter techniques, as much as his father had told his how to do.

Jack also would be there to teach his young brother about the world they live, and how everything is not funny when it comes to claws, as a good old brother must do, in order to assure the youngs one strength, both physically and mentally, to endure such situations where a fist seems to be the only way to decide answers. Yes, that would be funny and even an act of responsibility, but what if his father didn't come back? If Bart, daddy, hypothetically failed, and died in sequence.

Such a humdrum blew into his mind. Daddy would never fail with his, Jack thought, as much as he won't fail to his. That's a major reason that justifies why he didn't attempt to abandon Lennie. Only a coward would let a female, girl or woman, on their own when they need another at their most, or so uncle Clyde said to him, sounding like his own father.

But why did his father leave? He ain't a coward, Jack thought with conviction, with absolute truth, or so what he knew about his father. He may be a fool who stood with Lennie instead of mother, but he had his own reasons, unlike Jack. Too young to understand, or too old to be treated as a young one, Jack isn't daddy, or daddy isn't Jack. Though they are father and son, a kid and adult, they still are different, or rather similar, in the way they do live.

Well, if daddy never would come back, even if he had all that strength to his alone, it was hard for Jack to believe in such a possibility, but heroes do die, someday or everyday. They are either hidden under or between hats, or exposed like statues for them all.

Kain, Frigg, Gizamaluk, Cyan, Magnus, Phaedra... those were the names Jack thought, as much as the ones whom Dan said when asked by his cousin names of Kings, Queens and legends that resisted against time, and only. They are dead, but they are known even by an infant like his, or Dan, or his other cousins. Even the surname of his, Crescent, was known by other people, associated with a substantial amount of legends, enough to be recognized by the masses.

All of the Crescent known by others were once Dragoon Knights. Now they are either a few statues, or mainly spears of what they used to be, or unknown relatives from past centuries, buried like any other belonging to the same place.

Tombstones are recognized by family members, and only, who learned from the old about their location, like a secret treasure map, whose treasure can't be dug however, unlike statutes, who are constantly fixed from time after time, day in and day out for those belonging to Kings and their wifes, the Queens, a few of them who are knew for far more than their beauty. Jack's grandpa, the Major Brandford, also had gotten a statue to his, and a tombstone made of silver, that can be found near the Burmecian Palace, where other majors bodies and ashes rests as well.

Sometimes, his daddy is known by others as the Major's son, like Dan's father as well. Jack wonders if his father, who shares the same name as his gramps, will come back, soon or later.

Still awaiting, patience often gone to be back another day, the only thing Jack knew about the future was that his brother would be there soon, on the same crib he once used to sleep, to play with that sane doll brought by mother to his, and to be told some lullabies when it comes the time to put an end to be awake.

Jack wishes for Lennie to bring a brother to this world, even if she had plans to give the name 'Bart' to him, instead of a sister. Girls aren't funny to play with, either because they are annoying, or because of their mothers. Dan thinks otherwise about the previous quote of his cousin, but Jack doesn't care, as he tells him to shut up and keep playing marbles...

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