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Chapter 4:
The Stalinksy's finally arrive at their holiday home on the Pearl Ocean Island resort after a long and restless drive.
"So Lennon, what are you going to do first?" his Mother queries. "Swimming? Sight seeing? Perhaps you'd like to go fishing at the lake? You used to love doing that when.."
"Forget it Mom'', he interupts, "I'm just gonna stay here where nobody can see me and watch TV"
The Stalinksy's finally arrive at their holiday home on the Pearl Ocean Island resort after a long and restless drive.
"So Lennon, what are you going to do first?" his Mother queries. "Swimming? Sight seeing? Perhaps you'd like to go fishing at the lake? You used to love doing that when.."
"Forget it Mom'', he interupts, "I'm just gonna stay here where nobody can see me and watch TV" "Lennon? We don't have a TV here, we've never had a TV at the holiday home. That isn't what vacations are about".
"Whoa you have to be kidding me Mom, what I'm supposed to do all weekend? This blows" he snaps. "Now don't be ridiculous son, you didn't come here to watch television! You can do that at home. You're on Pearl Ocean Island now! Make the most of it.
If you're stuck for something to do why don't you take your sister to the beach? She could do with burning off some of that energy!" "Can we, Lennon? Can we go build a sandcastle together?" "Pleeeeease, pleeeease!!!!?"
Autumn looked up to Lennon, her big brother and only sibling. She thought he was great.
The feeling wasn't mutual.
He didn't have very much time for her, she was a nuisance as far as he was concerned; an annoying little sister who liked to tag along after him. He had little patience for her talk of horses, poetry and tales of what she had done at school that day.
Deep down he knew he should be a better brother but he never made much of an effort. His answer was similar to what he always said when asked to spend time with her:
"No Autumn. Go entertain yourself, I don't wanna build a lame sandcastle. Leave me alone!"
Off he stomped, leaving his sister standing. She wasn't offended, she'd gotten used to him by now, luckily so.
Two hours later:
"Lennon, why are you just sitting in here when the sun is shining out there? Quit moping around! I am growing mighty tired of your self pity party my boy!"
"Dad, people stare at me. No I'm happy right here. I'm going nowhere'' he protests. But sitting around doing nothing begins to take it's toll on Lennon as the boredom grows. "Dad?" he asks, "can I use the computer?"
"No, you can't! I'm trying to fix a problem at work" his Dad replies, growing ever agitated. "The delivery company left us six bags of sugar instead of salt, you can only imagine that disaster that ensued. We've just lost a truckload of ingredients and probably a lot of custom because of this. I'm trying to get in touch with the delivery men right now and I'm not having much success so you had better quit nagging in my ear Lennon.
I wish I could go outside and enjoy the sunshine and bask on the beach, I wouldn't be sat in here wasting the day away like you are if I could. Unfortunately being an adult and a business owner carries with it responsibilities. Oh how I'd love to be in your shoes right now."
"I'm wearing sandals" Lennon replies sarcastically.
That was the final straw. "Go on, off you go, outside!! Take yourself out of here! I mean it. Outside this minute!" his Father warns. Forced outside, Lennon sneaks around, trying desperately to be unnoticed. It has gotten to the point where his confidence has all but gone, he feels extremely self aware and often wishes to be invisible.
At one time he adored how people looked at him, how he stood out from the crowd. Now he hated it; he stood out for all the wrong reasons.
He eventually opts for a look inside the gift store. "Hello and welcome to Pearl Ocean Island gift store. Feel free to have a browse around. We stock handmade wooden crafts, perfect for a souveneir for Grandma! We also supply homemade coconut and almond snacks for those with a sweet tooth. Don't forget to have a look at our goodluck charms, jewellery, gems and stones!"
On entering the store he finds his sister.
"I told you my brother is awesome at these games!" she proudly tells the other holidaying kids, "he can make one measly quarter last for hours. Watch! Watch this"
Able to relax a little he begins to show off his expertise, people gather around. Pinball machines were a favorite of his. He'd been bought one for his 10th birtday, six years earlier, he knew every nook and cranny of the pinball machine.
Finally, it felt, people were paying attention to him for reasons other than his unsightly appearance. He was wrong.
Unfortunately his looks were indeed still attracting negative attention. And there it was, that all too familiar sound that Lennon had inevitabley become accustomed to lately;
Cruel laughter. "Autumn, come on, your turn" Lennon prompts, he hates to admit it but he is actually enjoying spending time with his little sister. "Autumn?" he repeats, oblivious to the conversation that has just gone on between the two kids stood a couple of feet away from him.
"Just.a.moment, bro!", she replies through gritted teeth. Lennon may have missed what was said, but Autumn hadn't. "Now you wait one pippin' piping moment! That's my brother you're whispering about. Yeah his face looks funny, but so what? What harm is he doing to you?
Kids like you two make me sick, you don't even know him, he's the best big brother ever so just keep your horrid little comments to yourselves next time, got it?
Or...or...I'll pour sand in your shoes and then I'll pop your inflatable beach toys with the biggest pin I can find!!!" "What the...Lennon! Where are you going? We haven't finished our pinball game..." Completely humiliated that an eight-year-old should have to fight his corner, Lennon runs from the store and back towards the lonely safety of his holiday home.
How had it come to this?
He felt utterly pathetic. As evening sets over the Island he looks out over the bay from the security of the balcony.
He decides a long walk may be a good idea, maybe it will clear his head. He needed to be alone without his family coming upstairs every 5 minutes to check if he was bearing up okay. He walks the length of the shore several times, asking himself what has gone so wrong in his life. He rocks back and forth solemnly on a hammock wondering how he can put it right again.
This is about more than his change of appearance. He knows it. He knows he's ugly on the outside, he can just about live with that, struggle through it, maybe even accept it some day soon, he hopes. He knows it won't be forever.
But on the inside he knows he is even uglier. The vast ammount of time that he has spent alone of late has given him time to think. To think of all the people he hurt, who he laughed at, who he had humiliated. He knew how it all felt now and he was slowly but surely growing ashamed of his past actions. He lights a fire. He had learned how during his days as a boy scout. Boy scouts, yet another place where he had picked on the weaker of the pack and made their lives a misery.
The guilt was growing inside. Then suddenly a figure appears out the dark. Lennon gasps at first, he wasn't expecting anyone to be here. Soon he recognises him, the man from the gift store.
The light illuminates his face and his eyes burn into Lennons. "You mind if I join you?" he finally asks, in a soft tone, but one full of wisdom, " It gets kinda chilly out here at night"
"You look like you're a bit troubled'' he adds, "you know what they say? A problem shared is a problem halved" "Me? Huh? I'm fine" Lennon lies.
"I saw you earlier, I saw what happened'' the store keeper replies, ''it doesn't make you any less of a man to admit you have problems. We all have them. No person who walks this earth has ever lived a problem-free life, we all get the blues at some point or another'' "I guess.." Lennon agrees, followed by a long sigh.
"I've lost everything that made me who I am- my place on the boxing team, my looks, my friends, and worst of all my girlfriend. I loved her, I really did. I still do. These have been the worst weeks of my life, I have nothing left. Nothing"
And there he begins to tell his new aqaintance his story. No stone is left uncovered. "Nothing? You have everything you need. Right under your nose, you just can't see it. Didn't you see what your sister did for you today?
Don't you see how your family feel about you?
The people who mock you? They don't matter. Why do you care about those who don't care about you? But you push away those who do?
You're very richly blessed in this world if you have people who care for you. I always wanted a sibling, I never had one, but if I had a sister I'd cherish her" "...........You're right'' Lennon finally mutters after a dreadfully long silence, he lowers his head.
"I won't give my sister the time of day. I'm rude to my parents. All my life I've treated people with such disrespect.....I've hurt a lot of people, and until lately, I never knew how that felt.
......Who the heck do I think I am?"
Lennon is filled with a deep remorse.
He knows he has to change.
He can't go on living the way he has. "Now you see. Now you understand.
I was the mean kid at school too, many many moons ago. You know where that got me? It left me in a very lonely place.
But it's not too late for you to put things right.
Your face will return to normal soon enough, it will change back to its old form. Don't let your personality do the same." "We have a Native American proverb'' he continues, short and simple, but so true;
'We will be known forever by the tracks that we leave'
Yes it's true. Do you want to be known in ten, twenty, thirty years time as someone who walked all over people, thought of only himself and his only interests, who never had any consideration for others?
Or do you want to be known as one who saw the error of his ways and was wise enough to change? One who felt sorrow for his acts and strived to be different?
I think you know the answer.
Now go home, your family will be wondering where you are"
Lennon thanks the wise stranger for his advice and sets off across the beach, euphoric, at peace, filled with optimism, and for the first time in weeks, feeling good about himself again. Under the stars he passes, admiring them as he goes.
He quickly makes a wish as one darts through the cosmos, sparkling in all its brilliance.
Things are finally looking up, the light was finally visible at the end of the tunnel. It was dim and it was distant, he had a long way to go still, he knew, but it was there.
And his wish? That he will win Zara back, of course.
Will the heavens be on his side?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read Chapter 5 to find out. Thanks for reading, I hoped you enjoyed the story.
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4 Comment(s) posted so far
On Nov 12, 2011 AudreyMay wrote:
I'm glad Lennon has seen the error of his ways.
His father seems pretty grouchy and stressed out most of the time and he's not around much for his family. Maybe that was part of the reason Lennon was so mean to others.
On Nov 13, 2011 jarlet wrote:
I hope Lennon improve his behavior now he has seen the bad sides of his self...anyways great story!
On Nov 16, 2011 evi wrote:
Great story!
On Nov 25, 2011 urm0m wrote:
Good for Lennon!