Twice Over

Chapter Seventy Eight - Precocious

precocious
adjective
1. having developed certain abilities or inclinations at an earlier age than is usual or expected
2. having developed at an earlier age than is usual or expected
3. flowering or fruiting earlier than usual

My fluffy headed little Jac-Jac woke up as we left the revolving restaurant. He asked to be let down so he could play with the lift buttons. The doors opened constantly. At. Every. Level. It would be much more frustrating if it wasn't my little brother doing the button pushing. When asked what he was doing with the lift buttons? His reply: "I'm expwermetting..."

"You mean, experimenting?" Carlie asked. The twins and Grant had joined my family and I in the lift.

"Yews, dat. Expwermetting." He nodded. Oh, cuteness overload. Carlie looked up at me, with that expression on her face that said her heart just exploded. Tears were welling up and all. She looked like she wanted to steal my little Jac-Jac home. Teresa took a hold of her arm to keep her in place, then looked at Wallace out the corner of her eyes. I really wanted to giggle.

We left the lift and met the Hotel manager and a few of his senior staff. I stood with Grant, Carlie and Teresa discussing whether or not we should book a KTV room or not. I was over the whole students getting drunk and singing really badly. I did it a lot during my uni years and at this stage of my nearly thirty mental years, I was kinda over the whole partying scene. I was trying to convince the twins that I just wanted to go home, but Grant gave me his big puppy dog eyes and patted my arm, like a needy little pet.

"Please? Come on, Boss. I want to see you sing." He smiled at me. I growled.

"OK, OK. Fiiinne." They cheered and Grant pulled out his staff ID and went to the hotel main desk to book a KTV room using his discount card. I then saw Jac-Jac shoot away from his mum and dad. I managed to catch him with a clothes line hook, lifting him off the lobby floor with his little legs still running as I raised him up.

"Where are you off to, my squishy squidlete?" I looked back to find Mum chasing after him.

"This is a new thing. He just suddenly bolts away to chase what ever takes his fancy. Thanks for catching my little wabbit." Mum picked him out of my arms, but the little toddler kept wriggling.

"I wanna play liffs. I wanna play liffs." Jac-Jac complained.

"You wanna play on the lifts?" I asked him. He nodded affirmatively. I looked up at mum and smiled at her. "I don't mind taking him for another ride. Wallace looks a little busy, how about I take him up and down again. Meet you back here?" I asked her.

"Yes, but only ONE lift up and down again. No more. It is way past your bedtime little man." She waggled a finger at him, but the smile at the corner of her lips gave her away. She would give him the world if he asked for it. My mum, she was an amazing mother, even more so to this little guy. I loved her a lot. And I loved my Angel a lot too.

"Owkaay, mummy." He nodded seriously.

"OK, good." She waved us goodbye for our lift ride and walked back to Wallace who was at the corner of the main reception desk. I waited until Grant came back before confirming our plans.

"Room 16 is booked for us at 10 o'clock. That gives us about twenty minutes." Grant said.

"OK, that gives us plenty of time. Jac-Jac and I are riding the lifts. Any one care to join us?" Grant waved us off, but Teresa and of course Carlie joined us on the elevators. I think Carlie was more excited about the ride than Jac-Jac was. Or maybe, she was excited for my little brother. It was fun any way. When we interrupted hotel customers on the first three floors, I think someone phoned it through as from the forth floor up, a smiling staff member was standing at the opening door keeping general public away. Then it became a game with Jac-Jac to see how many people would return his wave and hello when the doors opened.

At the top floor, Jac-Jac suddenly bolted out of the lift and we raced after him. He plastered himself at the glass viewing window in a little cubby lounge just nearby the lift lobby. He chatted away with Carlie for a bit, until I reminded him that we didn't have much time.

"How about we come back again another time during the day time and see how many planes we can spot in the sky? Come on Jac-Jac, time to go home to bed."

"Owwkay." He yawned and held onto Carlie's hand. He didn't push any buttons on the way down, which I think would disappoint a few hotel staff members. He climbed up into Wallace's arms once we met them back at the lobby front desk.

"Have a fun ride, Jack?" Wallace asked him quietly.

'Yup, yup. I diwd. Big Sis says she gownna take me up agaiwn one day to cownt planes in da sky."

"That sounds like fun. Did you know, we could also go to the airport and do the same there?" Wallace smiled at his toddler son. Mum and Wallace walked with Jack to the hotel exit, and since we had a few more minutes left before our room booking, I followed them outside as well, to see them off. I promised we'd call a driver from the estate to come and bring us all home, that we wouldn't drink too much, that we'd look after each other. Mum was getting a little fussy, but it was kinda nice.

I noticed on the way out the doors, various bell boys and security staff looking a little strange when they noticed Wallace, their boss. When we stepped through the large, ostentatious hotel lobby doors, we noticed straight away a vibrant blue sports car, a mustang by the looks of it. It was revving its motor, and Eyva just happened to be hanging onto the passenger window, leaning half inside the car. Her dress was hitched up her thighs and pulled down to uncover both her shoulders. I didn't even know her dress had a neckline wide enough to do that. Her make up was heavier, darker lip colour, darker eyes, and her family dinner hair style was all fluffed out and brushed over one shoulder. She actually would have looked fantastic if we knew she wasn't even eighteen years old yet.

"What's she doing?" I think mum asked the question on everyone's minds.

"Eyva?" Wallace called to her, but Jac-Jac wriggled out of his arms so his attention was split. Eyva looked over at us then quickly opened the mustang racer car door and got in.

"Ewyva! Biwg Sis!" Jac-Jac ran towards his big sister who was yelling at the driver, Wallace was pulling on mum's arm, but didn't see how Eyva was urging the driver to go, go, go.

Jac-Jac ran out onto the circular drive way, because it was the fastest way to get to his big sister, right in front of the revved up super car that was heading straight towards the short little guy. And when they say sports cars can move from zero to a hundred in eight seconds, they really do mean it.

Time slowed down, and everything, I mean EVERYTHING moved in slow motion, including myself as I ran like I've never run before. I seemed to see nothing but the curly haired cherub before me in the middle of the road, but for some reason I also saw Eyva's shocked, frightened face.

Jac-Jac screamed when he realised he was in danger, followed by Wallace bellowing behind us, mum's screaming, and sudden breaks just before I scooped my little brother up in my arms. I turned around, my back towards the car, hoping that when it hit, I could at least save my little brother's life.

I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for the pain from the impact to hit.