Chapter 8

As they dined in the large dining room, Hanson cracked his voice and began to speak.

  "Young Simpson, I want to tell you a little story about myself."

  Andy looked up from his food and smiled, nodding in approval and attentiveness, mouthful.

  "I have never told anyone this, except my beautiful Elizabeth here," he pointed out.

  This time, Anderson's curiosity was risen. He knew this was very important, so he gulped the food piled in his mouth, asking, "Then why are you telling me this?"

  "Because I feel there's an adventure for you in this story, to help you achieve your goals."

  "Adventure?"

  "Yes, an adventure. I want you to listen very attentively. My wife and I have considered it, and we've come to agree we can trust you. We can, right?"

  Andy nodded. "Definitely."

  The couple smiled and exchanged glances.

  Andy immediately tapped on his SW to begin recording (this was unknown to the couple). He did this to make sure the information he was getting was accurate — if it was as important as they were making it sound.

  "Many years ago, while I was but a boy just out of highschool — about your age or so — my twin brother and I had earlier been working with our good friend, Nelson. We were working on something that would change the world forever, for either good or bad—"

  "What kind of project was it?" Andy interrupted. "A robot?"

  "Worse," said Hanson. "A Time Machine."

  Andy's mouth fell open. "That's impossible!"

  "You know the funny thing?"

  Andy shaked his head.

  "We did it."

  He frowned this time.

  "How could a bunch of teenagers create something the scientists have declared impossible?"

  He laughed, wryly, then said, "Young Simpson, I want you to picture yourself with some two others having better Intelligent Quotient, materials and connections; would there still be a doubt of impossibility when there's an equal, unshakable resolve to the project?"

  Andy gave it a thought. In a split-second, he began to picture the procedures of making one, and some of the highly prohibited technologies that would be involved to move time.

  "Hmm. . .I don't actually know what I think anymore."

  Hanson smiled.

  "Well, as I was saying; we succeeded in our project. But remembering the sweat, money, and connection it took us to get it programmed, we decided to keep it to ourselves. Not to mention it took us three good years to perfect.

  "Since we had decided the exact time to meet for practical—"

  "Wait. . .you mean like testing the machine by going through time?" Andy asked, cutting him wide-eyed.

  "Yes; so we met with Nelson who told us he'd already gone to the future and back with it. He was the one with the greatest brainstorms, so he housed the machine in his basement—" Andy smirked, thinking of his, "he explained how he passed the final year exam to us, that he'd gone to see the questions before writing the exam, so he could study on those particular areas.

  "It's true we felt it was not fair, because we all agreed to test it only in the holidays. He also told us what he'd noticed when he went to the past with any matter from the present. He said it was disastrous. For instance, he had a stone in his pocket when he went to the past. On arriving in the past, he threw the stone away, only to see it explode like a grenade when it landed." Andy's mouth fell open. "He did a quick study and realised that whatever exists now is not accepted by the nature of the past, because it never existed in the past.

  "He told us how he and his cousin had gone to the past with a high-tech that was in a form of a helmet which when worn, mind communication could take place."

  Andy laughed in complete incredulity.

  "That hasn't even been invented yet."

  "Exactly, he stole it from the future; I think he said the 30th or 40th century, can't remember which. He wanted something incredible, away from our time. And he got it. He actually got three, with us in mind."

  Andy nodded, billions of questions piling in his head.

  "After testing everything about how time worked, he came back and hypnotised his cousin so he wouldn't speak of it—"

  This left Anderson laughing hard.

  "The hypnotism was from what, a clock?" he asked.

  "Sort of, but a high-tech wristwatch from the future as well."

  He nodded, then looked down at his plate; he was already done with the Roast, so he washed his hands in a nearby bowl of water, then drank the remaining of the juice he was served. Next he wiped his hands.

  Meanwhile, Hanson was saying:

  "That was when our first adventure actually began. Nelson did some research about two annihilated clans in a West African country called Nigeria. The clans — the Avecs and the Kolowaris — annihilated over war, fighting over an ancestral land. Well, the plan was to stop them from getting to the war ground, which would be their death if they did; history said there were no survivers. So we embarked on the mission and, guess what happened—"

  Andy leaned forward, curiously. "You tell me."

  "We landed right in the middle of the war, but gracefully before it started. The Avecs on one side and the Kolowaris on the other. When we landed, they mistook us for gods because of their strong fear of deities—"

  "No way!" Anderson exclaimed. "Shit, that's magnificent!"

  "I know right?" said Hanson. "We were looked up in awe. I'd never felt that way in my entire life.

  "To cut the long story short, we saved the clans, beat some bad guys, and returned to the present, surprisingly, at our seperate homes."

  Andy arched a brow.

  "I'm not getting something straight, you said you travelled through time in a Time Machine, so how come you didn't mention landing in the past with it?"

  "Oh!" exclaimed Hanson, slapping his forehead, reminding Andy of Joce's popular gesture. "Forgive me for skipping that. When you go through time, the extradimensional channel takes the tesseract (the Time Machine), leaving you with just the wristwatch connected to it, strapped around the hand of the one in the front seat."

  Andy nodded.

  "Does that mean the tesseract has some kind of technological force or what?"

  "Yes, but I do not wish to start discussing formulas of old with you and how time flows," said Hanson, rounding up with his food.

  Andy nodded, then looked around and noticed Elizabeth had far left them. He tapped on his watch and saw that it was already past nine!

  Wanting to satisfy his major curiosity, he asked, "And how does all of this involve me?"

  Hanson smiled.

  "You're not thinking you can beat all those life-long scientists without a helping hand, are you?"

  Andy's mouth parted.

  "You're not — you're not suggesting I use the Time Machine, are you?"

  Hanson didn't answer that, he only pulled himself off his seat, standing full height. "I didn't say anything, you just did."

  Andy equally stood up.

  "Where can I find this machine?"

  Hanson smiled.

  "We could both do a little trip to Portsmouth, what do you think?"

  Andy's smile was as of a little boy who'd just been told he was a superhero.

  "Pick a day, and send me a mail. It was nice having you over," he extended his hand which Andy received, firmly.

  Elizabeth was descending from the stairs.

  "You're going already, dear boy?" came the elderly woman's voice.

  He nodded.

  "I really enjoyed the meal, ma'am. Thanks a bunch—"

  "No, thank you."

  Smiling, Andy asked, "For what?"

  "For joining us for dinner. We don't get any visitors, you know—"

  They exchanged some more pleasantries and left Anderson to part from their company. He went home with an adventure in mind.

* * *

  Jake and Amanda were seated before a table in The Central Restaurant. Jake was wearing a jean jacket over a blue top. His hair was spread over his forehead as he let the the guitar strapped around him exhibit a beautiful serenade; gently stricking the strings with his long finger nails. Amanda smiled — both palms spread on her cheeks — as she nodded her head to his spoken lyrics.

  She was in a plain, pink gown that made her seem to "sparkle" before everyone. All eyes were on their table. She felt on top of the world at that moment.

  Jake's so sweet!

  He continued playing the love song. She was totally in love with Jake, and she told him this, when he was done with his business of entertaining her.

  "Thank you," he replied with a dashing smirk.

  "How did you learn to play the strings so well, I mean. . .that was awesome!"

  He grinned.

  "My dad was into a band when he was alive—"

  She noticed the emotion he used in saying that. She knew there must have been strong intimacy between Jake and his dad.

  "I'm sorry for your loss."

  He smiled warmly at her.

  "May I ask your motivation for continuing his legacy?" she asked, wanting to know more.

  He smiled again. Then he looked down at the guitar slunged across his shoulder, on his stomach.

  "Dad played the strings for me as a kid, every bed time—" he smiled and looked away, then continued, "he always played with much emotional 'proximity', or should I say 'intimacy', that even after he died this string, here, moved everyone to tears.

  "If my dad ever had a fan, I was his number one."

  Amanda smiled at him in awe, her eyes growing misty.

  He leaned closer and said, "Can I tell you a little secret?"

  She nodded, curiously.

  "This is the tool he'd used to trap my mum to himself," he said, pointing to the guitar.

  Amanda giggled, gaily.

  "Oh, really," she said with a big smile, her hands still on her cheeks.

  He nodded, "Uh-huh."

  He was fiddling with his guitar to avoid locking gaze with her.

  "Well, I think you just got me with this."

  He raised his head. His face was not exhibiting an excited expression, but that of surprise. To cover it up, he nodded. The moment was ticking and they weren't saying anything, so he had to break the loud silence. "How was the meal?"

  "It's magnificent here! You know my whole family comes here for get-together once in a while. Their meals are just spectacular." She emphasised by kissing her joined thumb and middle finger, simultaneously.

  He smiled.

  "I've seen you and Jocelyn here, before."

  Her expression changed, instantly. Not that of anger, but that of sadness. She nodded, trying to quickly cover it up with a smile.

  "Is something wrong?" he asked, trying to get her look him in the eyes.

  "Wrong? No, nothing's wrong. Why would you think something's wrong?" her voice was unstable.

  He frowned.

  "What actually happened between you and Joce?"

  She didn't want to embark on this train of words, especially on their first date.

  "I don't think you'll understand."

  He peered closer to her, such that she couldn't avoid looking at him. "You wanna try me?"

  She looked at his assuring eyes and smiled.

  "Okay, then. I don't even know how to say this."

  "Just say it any how it comes out of your mouth, I assure you I'll understand. I might even be of help. Who knows?"

  She smiled.

  "She has this issue with trust. I mean...not like she doesn't trust me, but — there's this guy she likes—"

  "Andy."

  She nodded. "How did you know that?"

  He smiled, "Isn't it obvious? It's written all over her."

  She nodded with a smirk.

  "Well, she doesn't trust anyone around him. I mean anyone—"

  "But they're not even dating—" he pointed out.

  "Yeah, she has this phobia of, of loosing him."

  He nodded.

  "So is that why you're no longer friends?"

  "That's what led to it," she replied, already feeling her pulse rising.

  He didn't say anything, obviously waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, he asked. "So what actually happened?"

  "Can you imagine she broke off our six years lasting relationship, just because she saw me with Anderson?!"

  Jake beckoned to a nearby waiter to get two more glasses of juice.

  "What were you doing with Anderson?"

  "Learning Chemistry!"

  Laughter popped up Jake's throat like hiccups; this caused Amanda's face to turn read. She squeezed her face and folded her arms across her chest.

  When he noticed this, he chuckled and covered his face with one hand, muttering, "I'm sorry for laughing," extending the other hand at her as if it could wave her anger off.

  She smirked. She could see him suppressing more laughter.

  "I can see why she's angry, now."

  Amanda was surprised by this.

  "How is that?"

  "You were practically learning Chemistry with her 'boyfriend'," his cacophonic laughter continued.

  She raised a questioning eyebrow.

  "Imagine me teaching Joce music, privately, everyday. I'm sure you'll feel okay by it," he said, less sarcastically.

  She sighed, getting the point now. . .