Precious Things || Jensoo

Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

What do I tell my grandfather? How do I go about this? I know that there's going to be some friction over this subject, so I have to come up with the best way to approach it now, before I even begin.

I want him to let me go to Jennie's house.

I'm not sure that I'm ready to have her come to our house yet. I'm not sure I'm ready for her to see how I live. Plus, I have no idea how my grandfather would treat someone coming into our house that wasn't over the age of seventy. We don't exactly have guests very often.

He meets me at the gate two minutes after the bell has gone. I have five minutes to grab my stuff from my locker and meet him there. Mostly, I just pack my bag in the break between my last two classes so I don't need to worry so much. I spend two minutes making sure my clothes and hair are in order and I don't look like something 'the cat dragged in'.

"How was your day?" he asks as we stroll away from school.

"It went well, thank you," I reply formally. I don't have to be formal, but I do have to be grammatically correct and, in the end, they become the same thing.

"Very good." He's not paying attention to me. Not really anyway.

"Sir?"

"Hmm."

I look up at him.

"We received a new assignment in history today."

"Oh yes?" Now I have his interest. He likes history. It's one of the few things we can honestly share an enjoyment in. "What is the subject?"

"The seventeenth century." This was the time Jennie and I had been allocated. I was excited: it was a pretty neat century.

"Well, that's a rather broad topic."

"Yes, sir. I think we're to be more general than specific. We're to cover developments across all continents."

"My, that will be quite interesting." Yes, I watch him predicting and am vindicated when he adjusts his wire rimmed spectacles.

"Given the huge amount of work we need to cover," I take a deep breath, "it's a group project."

My grandfather says nothing but I glance up at him and see him purse his lips. I wait a fair amount of time, hoping he'll say something, but all I'm rewarded with is a small non-committal grunt that could mean anything or nothing.

"We're in pairs," I venture further.

He remains silent. I have no idea how to continue. Despite living with him for almost my whole life, I still find my grandfather completely inscrutable. For all I know he just has nothing to say, or he may be about to launch into a tirade against the school system.

We reach home and I take my shoes off, then set off upstairs to place my school bag in my room. I'll give myself some time to make my next move.

Downstairs in the dusty living room we barely use is my music stand and violin. One hour a day I stand in this room but otherwise it barely gets looked at. Believe it or not, I adore my violin. I like my lessons best of all because those days I get left alone by my grandfather. My teacher is actually a lovely old guy who thinks I'm his best student because I actually practice.

Today is a Thursday, and therefore a lesson day. Every other day I would spend this time practising scales and the pieces that Mr Whithers has set for me. On these occasions, my grandfather attends my playing, pointing out where he thinks I'm off tune and saying such helpful things as "More vigour, Jisoo!" or "More precision." Today, however, I am allotted an hour of grandfather-free time in which to listen to Mr Whithers rambling about his favourite pieces while I attempt to learn something new.