Echoing love

Chapter 2 part 2

Michael Robinson's PoV continued
Michael didn't enjoy holidays and weekends. Like yesterday he'd have preferred to be at work. Nothing pleased him more that the see loads of meals be prepared. To think of all his appliances lying idle made him restless.
There was however, one thing he'd been considering for a while now. He had gone to call on Gary Prince, a neighbour living near to the sea at Oakleaf house, and asked for his help. It had been an agreeable afternoon, and Michael had strolled casually, sizing up the other large houses near to the sea, comparing each in turn with his.
They made up a small authorisation of five genuinely middle class houses. Michael was sure that the way Kelham Island had developed over the years would have let down his parents. At best, the other householders could only be described as lower middle class, and amongst the occupants of the five houses there was no more offensive term than that.
Michael was painfully aware that some used this term to talk about Magda and her mother, but only behind his back. They also called him the 'onion king' because of his branded pickled onions, he hated that.
Prince commanded his own firm of accountants, a practice that was considered the best in Sheffield; and two of the other houses were occupied by a social worker and a car collector-which sounded very impressive, but his cars were old fashioned and wouldn't take to the road again and were only good for show. Next door to Michael, at Porock, lived Mr Castle. He was retired, but had earned his money as a sheep farmer, selling lamb and cotton. Michael knew from their snide remarks that they all considered making pickled onions to be a big joke, even though he made other stuff, And owned his own restaurant. To them he was below them.
But High Waves had the best front garden of the five,although he couldn't see what the other back gardens were like. Michael's house 'apparently' didn't look that impressive, but inside he was sure it was way better than any of the other houses.
He went up to the garden of Oakleaf house and rang the front doorbell. The front of the building was very attractive, it was set in a Victorian style, with a huge porch, but it lacked originality, it was the same as all the houses around it.
That was the one reason he'd had the office and the music room built for Sydney. It evened things up and offered the best accommodation of the five. Particularly since it didn't show from the front. None of his neighbours thought a gentleman should display his wealth.
The maid let him in and then went upstairs to tell her master that he had arrived. Michael hoped Prince hadn't gone to bed for a nap. Early afternoon was considered the correct time for the gentlemen of the five houses to call on one another.
Michael waited in the hall. It's exquisite oriental floral wallpaper made the hallway bright and fresh, he admired the light oak stand which had parrots carved into the front.
The scent of the princes' lunch dangled in the air. The maids were clanking dishes in the kitchen. He didn't get noises like that in High Waves. Gary Prince came darting down.
'Ah, Robinson. Nice to see you. Keeping well, I hope?' Gentlemen always called each other by there last names.Prince had a commanding presence. His grey eyes looked out at the world with absolute confidence. He was bald now.
'Come up and see my new phone. Wonderful instrument. I tried it down here in my study but I can take much better photos from upstairs.'
Michael followed him up the stairs. He followed Prince into what appeared to be a guest bedroom. It looked bare; the bed wasn't made up.
They spent some time looking through the thousands of available apps on the phone, he listened to Prince's favourite songs that he had downloaded, though he'd heard them before.
Eventually Michael was able to get round to the meaning of the visit.
'Take Kyle on?' Gary Price's eyes had locked on to his at that. 'To what aim? He's going to run your business, isn't he?'
'Yes, but he needs to grow up, mature a bit. He hasn't settled. A year or two spent in basic accounting would be a great help.'
Prince scratched his chin. 'I've two young men apprenticed to me at the minute, hard- working and enthusiastic. They'll make their careers in accountancy of course. Kyle wouldn't need to sit the examinations unless he wanted to. Though I'd advise it. Wouldn't do him any harm.
'Rather than think less is expected of him, I suggest he enters on the same terms. We could make it an informal arrangement between friends, though no need to tell him that.'
Between friends. Michael's back straightened at that. They may call him the Onion King, but Gary Prince regarded him as a friend.
'Thanking you. It will be time well spent for him.'
Prince was looking through his phone again. 'Look, this is a beautiful picture of a cloud it's what old Alan Morris posted of facebook.
'Yes,lovely' Michael replied.

Cast list:
Emilie voe: Lavender fray
Lena headey: Clara fray
Gerran howell: Kyle Robinson
Keith-lee castle: Michael Robinson
Ellis Ferry: Daniel gillies(any tvd fans out there?)
Tracy Ferry: Alice Evans
Clare (the maid): Clare Thomas
Magda: Donna Grant
Simon Robinson: Blake Andrew Johnson
Gary Prince: Simon Ludders

Sorry it's just a filler chapter, vote and comment :)