The Flex of the Thumb by James Bennett

Author:James Bennett
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781497683952
Publisher: Open Road Media Teen & Tween

Chapter Five

It was two weeks later when Vano’s father came to get him. Vernon eased the Town Car to a halt directly in front of the dorm, in the red zone, got out of the car, and went straight inside. Mrs. Kuetemeyer, the R.A., badgered him all the way to the elevator about the parking violation, but he simply brushed her aside.

Vano wasn’t in his room, but Vernon found him in the lounge. He came right to the point, and not gently: “Get your things packed; you’re coming home for a while.”

Since he was deep in, and since he wasn’t expecting his father anyway, Vano had no response forthcoming.

“I said get your things packed. You’re coming home for a while until we can get some of this stuff sorted out.” Without waiting for a response, Vernon left to wait in the car.

Vano felt a perplexity which triggered a short-term flickering. He went to his room to begin packing his suitcase. Robin Snook wasn’t there, but Arnold Beeker was. He asked Vano what he was doing.

“I’m packing my things. My father is outside in the car. He says he’s taking me home for a few days.”

“But why?”

“I’m not sure,” said Vano, after an extended delay. He was finished packing his clothes, and beginning to sort bathroom items. He made sure to pack Kon-Tiki and In My Own Way.

Arnold followed him down the stairs. “How long will you be gone?”

Vano’s answer followed a five-second delay. “It’s hard to say. Sometimes my father is unpredictable.”

When they reached the lobby Arnold told him, “Mary Thorne was here earlier. She said she wanted to see you.”

“Did she say what she wanted?”

“She said she had a lot of heat. What did she mean?”

Vano smiled before he answered, “I think it’s mostly a matter of hormones.”

“I don’t know much about women,” Arnold admitted, “But she sure is good looking. I hope you’ll be coming back soon.”

Vano’s father was behind the wheel, revving the engine impatiently. Vano loaded his suitcase into the trunk. He smiled before he said to Arnold, “Don’t feel bad. This may seem like a major problem but it really can’t be; space and time are vast.”

“You’re doing it again, Vano.”

“I’m not trying to do anything, though. Sometimes it feels like the words are just passing through me.”

“But passing from where? From the particle people?”

At this point Vano’s father began honking the horn. The honking intensified Vano’s hooommm before he was finally able to say, “I can’t be sure.” He got into the car and away they went. Vano watched his dorm recede in the passenger’s side mirror. From three blocks away, he could still see Arnold waving.

On the drive home, Vano’s father attempted to make conversation. He said, “Don’t think I’m in the dark about what’s been going on. I know all about your campus misadventures.”

So deep was Vano’s hooommm there was no response which he felt he needed to make.

“I knew it was a mistake to send you off on your own to college.

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