The forgotten World

10. The Reunion

As I lay on the bed with my staff next to me I could hear people talking, something deep down told me I was about to have a pile of question thrown my way. So I figured I would close my eyes and enjoy the calm before the storm. I’m not sure how long I was lying there before the first doorbell rang. And them Mum and Jim and the gang arrived in the door way of the downstairs room. Here they come, the questions, and probably a vice like hugs. But before I knew it Emily jumped on me knocking the wind out of me and hugging me at the same time. I made the painful sound that people make when they get the wind knocked out of them. And somehow I managed to sit up and shack my assailant off. “Hello, I bet you all got a lot of questions, well I’ll answer them all latter, for now let’s wait for the rest of the people to arrive, I have a feeling Aislyn might have called you, would I be right?” Jim nodded “I answered the phone, Aislyn was sounding super happy” I was about to reply when the doorbell rang again and the only thing that came to my mind and out of my mouth was “I told you there would be others coming, go to the lounge room, I’ll answer all the questions there once I’m sure everyone is here” they left the room and I heard voices, raised voices at first, the calmed down quickly, dad must have been the one to arrive. Probably less than fifteen minutes later I heard the next car door and the doorbell again. It went like this till about midday when Aislyn walked in and said “everyone who is going to be here is here” I sat up “explanation time?” Aislyn nodded and walked out.

I stood up and grabbed my staff and made my way to the lounge room, as I looked around I noted that dad was not here, he must have been away with work. I flung the staff over my shoulder and slapped it on my back where it stayed. “Ok. Hello people, I’m back, I know you thought I was dead, I know you all grieved, and I know you were all surprised when you heard the news” I spent the next I don’t know how long explaining what had happened. When I looked out the window next it was almost dark. I realised I had been answering questions for hours. Once everyone had finished hugging me or asking me questions and was happy with the answers I gave. Somewhere in the middle of everything that happened I had found I agreed to stay for dinner, apparently we were going to have Works Burgers for dinner. I also found out that my possessions, my house and land had been sold. I was not expecting to hear any news about my car; it got scrapped the same day as the accident. While we were all standing around I asked if anyone had a spare car or something along those lines and Grand-Dad told me I could use there, he explained that he was too old to drive anywhere anymore, Grand-Mum didn’t argue.

And before anything else had time to happen I felt the world tip and I found myself lying on my back on the floor, I rolled over and stood up and then the world flipped again and I was pulled backwards and landed on my back again, I looked around at Aislyn, Emily and Ricky who were looking at their hands confused. “What the heck did you three try doing just then?” Aislyn spoke first “I tried to take the staff of your back” then Ricky spoke “I tried to take it off the second time because I thought that the way you landed on it might have hurt.” I looked at Ricky “I’m lying on it now aren’t I?” Ricky nodded “yer” I started standing up “well I didn’t even feel it, but I could defiantly feel the floor” I had finished standing when mum spoke up “how do you take it off? It seems to be stuck nicely” in response I reached over my shoulder and gripped the staff and pulled my arm over my head to avoid the hitting the roof with the staff as I brought the staff with it around to the front of me. “Does that answer that?” that question drew a lot of nods and a few yeses. As I went to put the staff back on my back I had an idea, I flipped the staff around and smacked myself in the side of the shoulder with it and let go, it stayed there and I moved my arm and the staff stayed vertical, I smiled at my own discovery and walked to the kitchen to get another glass of tank water. My head was throbbing, and they were still talking.