MELINOE

Over a new leaf

Chapter - 16

My right cheek felt numb as the finger left my face. The foggy figure with its weird voice roared in the frosty room, "Dad and me moved here hoping for a new beginning." As my teeth kept rocking against each other, the voice continued..

"..I was looking out of the car windshield while twirling my pendant with right hand fingers, that used to be Mom's most treasured possession, other than me. I always kept it close to myself ever since she left all of us. "I like this town. Everyone around looks so much at peace and in joy. I don't think you'ld have much of a job to do here, Dad," I said. Dad adjusted his shades. "Indeed. With all the lovely people around, we will fit right in. If there are no crimes to solve or stop, I'll be the happiest person on Earth," the new Chief Commissioner of Avalon grinned. We reached our new house and started unpacking. While we were positioning the giant sofa in the centre of the hall, dad asked, "Rayan, you really like the place right?" "Yes I do. It is quiet and pleasing," I replied. After helping dad arranging the hall, I started looking around the rooms in the ground floor, none of which was much fascinating. There was a huge antique clock in one room, that was probably going to be dad's room later. The pendulum of the clock made a ding-dong every hour, that echoed in the entire house. The rooms had pale yellow curtains, that were huge and seemed bygone yet beautiful. However, I decided to explore the atmosphere upstairs. Even first floor rooms did not appear to be much of my comfort zone. I climbed the stairs further up, next to the terrace. There was this medium-sized room and the view from the window,that made me take this room. The blue sky, the green fields, the colorful and diverse plants scattering to distances, the chirping of the birds in the terrace and the sound of the Catholic kids singing in the Church, little distant from the house, amazed me. I went down to inform Dad that I have got my room, took my luggage and carried all of them up to my room, one by one. They were heavy with huge books and also, my all pumped up basketball. After sorting all the things a bit, I went out to the farm. There was a well just behind our house. I kept walking ahead, into the farm. There was a funny-looking scarecrow,that would barely be scaring off any crows! I got to hear dad's footsteps and turned back, "So, are we all good and settled now?" Dad asked, holding me by the shoulder with his huge broad left arm. His age-old brown blazer felt warm. "Yes Dad," I replied, taking off his shades and trying them on me. "Okay, so I've to go to the Police Station right now and sort out all your transfer certificates and other forms for your new University," Dad said patting me mildly on the back and was ready to leave. "Okay, bye Dad." I said, and just then a loud hour-bell rang, that sounded different from the clock in Dad's room. "What's that, Dad?" I asked. "Oh that's in that Church," Dad pointed towards the small Church that I got to see from my room's window. "I totally forgot to tell you, we've to go and meet the Father there, everyone who's new here does that," Dad added. "What's the name of the Father, Dad?" I asked. "Father Andrew," Dad said and left.