Saturday 7 April 2012

Dennis Raveley - chapter 4

This second time, Dennis is not so lucky to avoid falling in surprise; he tumbles down an incline he thought wasn't there and rolls quite a while before coming to a stop on his bum. The lower ground Dennis finds himself sitting on rises a short distance towards the mansion, which is built on a low hill, and he is at the bottom of it.
'Did I surprise him that much?' The deeper voice speaks. Dennis does not rise to his feet, he sits there, letting the damp morning dew in the grass soak into his pants, and stares at the bazooka carried on the shoulder of the new arrival, a young man near his twenties. Though the expression he wears speaks otherwise of a much younger and less mature age; an expression of a mixture of bemusement and malice, topped with an air of arrogance found prevalent in upper class preps.
Addy motions with her hand to the rocket launcher perched on his shoulder, which until then he seems to take no notice of and has forgotten it is still there.
'Oh, this thing. I didn't know I carried it with me.'
Addy gives him a looks that asks, 'has your brain capacity reached a new low?'
'Just kidding, this thing is actually pretty heavy, I can't forget two sacks of flour on my shoulder right? I'm not that insensitive.'
Addy makes several rapid gestures with one hand. The young man nods in understanding. A grin split his face as if Addy had told him a joke that is particularly funny.
'Okay, okay, so I'm getting there, but I really have to show you this,' he refers to the bazooka, now holding it with two hands gripping each end, 'I found this in the dungeon, and believe it or not, I think it still works. It looks old but I bet it can take down president's car no problem.'
Addy points to Dennis, who has sat through the conversation without interrupting.
'Oh! Hey buddy, forgot you for a second there, sorry I startled you and all.' Saying this, the young man drops the bazooka which makes a clink upon contacting the pavement, he makes his way down in the incline and pulls Dennis to his feet without a moment of hesitation, he shakes Dennis' hand without letting go of it. 'I'm Raymond, you can call me Raymond Francis Allen Jackson Miles Wyatt.'
Dennis has a befuddled look on his face, even his gray eyes have lost their cool.
'Just kidding,' Raymond says with a wink, 'you can call me Ray or Mon, or Raymond, I have many names and I accept all of them.'
'I'm Dennis.' Dennis says.
'Ah, so that's your name! You know, I've been trying to recall it since this morning, Addy told me last night, but I soon forgot since I was busy indulging within myself.' Raymond walks Dennis back up the incline, and to the side entrance from where he had exited. Without an indication, Addy begins to propel her wheelchair forward, parallel to the wall, towards the back of the mansion. It is at this instant when Dennis realizes that Addy is in a wheelchair.
'Are you a cripple?' Dennis exclaims, forgetting that Addy is deaf, but she hears him anyways, for the laptop never closed on her lap, and he never did drop the talkie either, miraculously rather.
Addy takes the chair to a halt (Raymond and Dennis stop in their tracks also behind her), she types into the laptop. 'Is it too great a tragedy to be handicapped in two ways?' The supposed voice of Addy speaks.
'Believe me, I've tried many times to point that out to her. It does nothing for discouragement.' Raymond counsels solemnly.
'Wait,' Dennis turns to face Raymond, 'when I asked where am I, I thought I wasn't going to get an honest answer and it looks like you confirmed that when you surprised me down the hill.'
'That's correct, now we're talking business I see,' Raymond says, looking down on Dennis, who is a good head shorter than he.
'Yes, and I think if I can't know where I am, I deserve to know one thing.'
'And that is?' Raymond says, expecting the question.
'Do you people work for my father?'
'No,' the voice is not Raymond's, it comes from the talkie. Both Raymond and Dennis stares after the wheelchair, which has stopped again. Without turning back to look at Dennis, Addy types, 'on the contrary, he works for us.'
Dennis does not say a word.
'Come, Dennis, there is a lot to tell.' Addy's voice says. 'And Ray, you've forgotten your bazooka, if you will.'

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