A little later the whole gang sit in the sun on the stairs at the front of the house and drink syrup.
"But don't they tell others about you?" Dilan wonders.
"No, they know I like it here. As long as I like it and am fine they give me some food. They knew my parents, so I think that's why they want to help me. And they know my dad was the same. He liked it at the sea and wanted to live at the sea. And mum also of course. I am just like my dad, I want to live of the sea, that's how I like it. So I don't need that much food. Not in the summer at least. In the winter I get some more. But I usually save some things too. Like things that don't get bad that quickly.
They sit silent for a while and only the roar of the sea and the yelling of the sea gulls surround them.
"But what do we do if he comes?" Paula wonders.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Boy At The House (12)
Richard walks first, then Daniel and the others. They walk through the entrance hallway and look into the different rooms. The first room to the right is empty, there is a sofa and an old TV. Then a door to the left that is open. It leads to a little kitchen, and it is equally empty there. Then they come to a big living room. Many windows make the room bright. Here is a sofa, some comfortable armchairs, chairs and tables. But no human being. Richard stops and looks around, and so do the others. On the walls there are paintings depicting sea scenes - a sailing ship, a fisherman, sea birds and so on. Richard passes the others, towards the hallway again, and disappears up in some squeaking stairs.
"Wait!" says Daniel and follows him.
Soon the whole gang is on the second floor. Here are a couple of sleeping rooms with sloping ceilings, but no human being.
"He's not here", says Richard. The others look at him.
"Where is he then?" says Paula.
Richard doesn't respond.
"Probably he's gone somewhere", says Daniel.
"Wait!" says Daniel and follows him.
Soon the whole gang is on the second floor. Here are a couple of sleeping rooms with sloping ceilings, but no human being.
"He's not here", says Richard. The others look at him.
"Where is he then?" says Paula.
Richard doesn't respond.
"Probably he's gone somewhere", says Daniel.
The Boy At The House (11)
The gang and Richard trudge towards the house. The house is really worn and torn. No renovation here for a long time, that's for sure. On many places flakes of white paint hang down from the house wall so that the grey wood is seen. The front of the house faces the sea, towards the point of the cape, and is on the opposite side from where they landed with the boat. The whole bunch carefully sneak towards the corner of the house. Daniel walks first and looks around the corner.
"Come", he says and disappears behind the corner, and soon the whole gang has sneaked to the front of the house. Stairs of stone protrude from the front door. The door is closed.
"He was here when I left", Richard says.
"I suggest we spread out and look into the windows", says Daniel.
"How can we reach?", says Paula, who is the shortest.
They look around. At a corner ther are some old boxes of wood. That will do. Daniel, Gina, Paula take one side, and Richard, Luke and Dilan the other. Carefully they take the boxes and then sneak around the house on each side.
Soon everybody is back at the front.
"Seems empty, right?" says Daniel.
The others look at him.
"What's in that house?" says Gina and points towards the red outhouse down at the sea.
"Tool shed and toilet", says Richard. "I mean outhouse".
Gina walks towards the outhouse and the others stay and watch her. They see her approaching, stopping and listening. Then she walks to the side of the house and stands on her toes and carefully looks into what must be small windows. The others watch her disappearing behind the house, towards the sea. After a little while she's back.
Now they all stand gathered at the front of the big house again. Dilan looks towards the main door.
"I'm going in", Richard says.
"Wait", says Daniel. "Couldn't he be inside? We haven't seen all the rooms from the windows, have we?"
Richard looks at him. Then everybody looks at each other.
"We have to go in", says Richard finally.
"Okay, let's do it carefully", says Daniel. "Paula, Luke and Dilan, you might want to wait outside here meanwhile."
"Why? I'll go with you", Dilan says.
"Me too", adds Luke.
"Me too", Paula says.
"Okay, but Richard, me and Gina go first", says Daniel.
Richard walks up the stairs, towards the door, and presses down the handle. It is not locked. The door squeaks when he slowly opens it.
"Come", he says and disappears behind the corner, and soon the whole gang has sneaked to the front of the house. Stairs of stone protrude from the front door. The door is closed.
"He was here when I left", Richard says.
"I suggest we spread out and look into the windows", says Daniel.
"How can we reach?", says Paula, who is the shortest.
They look around. At a corner ther are some old boxes of wood. That will do. Daniel, Gina, Paula take one side, and Richard, Luke and Dilan the other. Carefully they take the boxes and then sneak around the house on each side.
Soon everybody is back at the front.
"Seems empty, right?" says Daniel.
The others look at him.
"What's in that house?" says Gina and points towards the red outhouse down at the sea.
"Tool shed and toilet", says Richard. "I mean outhouse".
Gina walks towards the outhouse and the others stay and watch her. They see her approaching, stopping and listening. Then she walks to the side of the house and stands on her toes and carefully looks into what must be small windows. The others watch her disappearing behind the house, towards the sea. After a little while she's back.
Now they all stand gathered at the front of the big house again. Dilan looks towards the main door.
"I'm going in", Richard says.
"Wait", says Daniel. "Couldn't he be inside? We haven't seen all the rooms from the windows, have we?"
Richard looks at him. Then everybody looks at each other.
"We have to go in", says Richard finally.
"Okay, let's do it carefully", says Daniel. "Paula, Luke and Dilan, you might want to wait outside here meanwhile."
"Why? I'll go with you", Dilan says.
"Me too", adds Luke.
"Me too", Paula says.
"Okay, but Richard, me and Gina go first", says Daniel.
Richard walks up the stairs, towards the door, and presses down the handle. It is not locked. The door squeaks when he slowly opens it.
The Boy At The House (10)
They row and row, and soon the tree-clothed cape is beyond them and a new cape shows up, but this cape mostly consists of rocks, and almost at the end of it is a white house with two stores.
"There it is", says Richard.
Just at the end towards the water is a red little outhouse.
Everybody looks tensely towards the cape and the houses to see if there is somebody there. A man. Or a dog. But no living creature is to be seen. Except the seagulls.
"We can land there", says Richard and points to the left. "Then we can't be seen from the house."
The oar forks squeak. But the seagulls yell pretty loud too.
Finally they reach land, and they fasten the stern to a pink buoy and the front at at minimal wooden jetty that is totally gray due to weather and wind. Luke pulls in the oars and cautiously puts them on the benches.
"Shouldn't we call the police instead?" Paula says.
"Are you dumb or what? There's no phone here", says Dilan.
"Now you are dumb, says Gina.
"Sorry", says Dilan and smiles at Paula. Paula smiles back.
"What shall we do?" Luke says.
Everybody looks at each other again. They become silent for a while, nobody says anything. All seem a little unsure of what to do.
"We have to trust God. Haven't we managed through a lot of other things before?" says Daniel.
"Yes, lots of... scary things too", says Paula.
"Exactly", says Daniel.
Richard goes on land and the others follow. They throw the life jackets in the boat.
"There it is", says Richard.
Just at the end towards the water is a red little outhouse.
Everybody looks tensely towards the cape and the houses to see if there is somebody there. A man. Or a dog. But no living creature is to be seen. Except the seagulls.
"We can land there", says Richard and points to the left. "Then we can't be seen from the house."
The oar forks squeak. But the seagulls yell pretty loud too.
Finally they reach land, and they fasten the stern to a pink buoy and the front at at minimal wooden jetty that is totally gray due to weather and wind. Luke pulls in the oars and cautiously puts them on the benches.
"Shouldn't we call the police instead?" Paula says.
"Are you dumb or what? There's no phone here", says Dilan.
"Now you are dumb, says Gina.
"Sorry", says Dilan and smiles at Paula. Paula smiles back.
"What shall we do?" Luke says.
Everybody looks at each other again. They become silent for a while, nobody says anything. All seem a little unsure of what to do.
"We have to trust God. Haven't we managed through a lot of other things before?" says Daniel.
"Yes, lots of... scary things too", says Paula.
"Exactly", says Daniel.
Richard goes on land and the others follow. They throw the life jackets in the boat.
The Boy At The House (9)
The motor that drives Gina's dad's boat is white and it says "Evinrude 10" on it. The boat is dark brown and smells tar. Now the whole Bible Gang is gushing forward over the sea in the boat. Richard instructs them where to go.
To be sure, the kids had told their parents they might camp out this night. Having done it so many times before and having come safely back, their parents usually allow them. But they always add "Now remember to listen to Daniel".
After about half an hour the gang approach a cape covered with trees.
"Drive around that cape and you will see it", says Richard.
"Is... he there now?" Paula asks.
"I don't know." "But actually, what do you have in mind doing?"
"Maybe it's best that we turn off the motor", says Daniel and turns it off. So far they don't see any house or anything else interesting because of the cape that is in the way.
"We have to take forward the old oars", says Dilan. "We've used them before!" he says and smiles at Richard.
Dilan and Luke prepares for the rowing and soon they have started. The oar forks squeak a little.
"Shouldn't we have some kind of plan?" Gina wonders.
To be sure, the kids had told their parents they might camp out this night. Having done it so many times before and having come safely back, their parents usually allow them. But they always add "Now remember to listen to Daniel".
After about half an hour the gang approach a cape covered with trees.
"Drive around that cape and you will see it", says Richard.
"Is... he there now?" Paula asks.
"I don't know." "But actually, what do you have in mind doing?"
"Maybe it's best that we turn off the motor", says Daniel and turns it off. So far they don't see any house or anything else interesting because of the cape that is in the way.
"We have to take forward the old oars", says Dilan. "We've used them before!" he says and smiles at Richard.
Dilan and Luke prepares for the rowing and soon they have started. The oar forks squeak a little.
"Shouldn't we have some kind of plan?" Gina wonders.
The Boy At The House (8d)
"Here!" Gina shouts. She gets up from the ground, brushes some sand off herself and approaches them under the leaves. She reads loud.
"If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."
"Okay, okay", Dilan says smiling and looks at Richard.
"Caring for orphans in their distress", Daniel repeats and looks at the others. They look at him. Daniel, Gina, Luke, Dilan and Paula look at each other as if they had a secret code to communicate only with a facial expression.
"This can only mean one thing", says Daniel.
"Let's go!", says Gina.
"If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."
"Okay, okay", Dilan says smiling and looks at Richard.
"Caring for orphans in their distress", Daniel repeats and looks at the others. They look at him. Daniel, Gina, Luke, Dilan and Paula look at each other as if they had a secret code to communicate only with a facial expression.
"This can only mean one thing", says Daniel.
"Let's go!", says Gina.
The Boy At The House (8c)
"Richard, this is how it is -" says Daniel and smiles. "We usually try to find something in the Bible that tells us what to do in different situations."
"And then we usually find a way", says Paula.
"In the end", says Dilan.
"Okay", says Richard.
"Somebody has a suggestion where to read?" Gina says and opens the Bible randomly.
Everybody stands silent.
"Richard doesn't have any parents. Isn't there anything about that?" Gina says. "Kind of like to help them or something?"
Daniel smiles.
"Wasn't there anything about orphans in the text we read last week?" says Dilan.
"Psalms, was it?" says Daniel.
Gina starts to browse. She browses forth and back through the Psalms.
"Here I found something we read last week", she says.
She reads the text intensely.
"Father to the fatherless, defender of widows - this is God, whose dwelling is holy" she reads.
"But that isn't what I thought of", says Dilan. What I thought of is in Jacob, I think."
Gina browses and finds Jacob's letter.
"Wait", she says and walks away and sits down on the ground a couple of yards away and reads.
Daniel smiles and looks at Richard. "This is more or less how it usually is", he says.
A tiny, tiny smile breaks through in Richard's face.
"And then we usually find a way", says Paula.
"In the end", says Dilan.
"Okay", says Richard.
"Somebody has a suggestion where to read?" Gina says and opens the Bible randomly.
Everybody stands silent.
"Richard doesn't have any parents. Isn't there anything about that?" Gina says. "Kind of like to help them or something?"
Daniel smiles.
"Wasn't there anything about orphans in the text we read last week?" says Dilan.
"Psalms, was it?" says Daniel.
Gina starts to browse. She browses forth and back through the Psalms.
"Here I found something we read last week", she says.
She reads the text intensely.
"Father to the fatherless, defender of widows - this is God, whose dwelling is holy" she reads.
"But that isn't what I thought of", says Dilan. What I thought of is in Jacob, I think."
Gina browses and finds Jacob's letter.
"Wait", she says and walks away and sits down on the ground a couple of yards away and reads.
Daniel smiles and looks at Richard. "This is more or less how it usually is", he says.
A tiny, tiny smile breaks through in Richard's face.
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