Chapter 4
The School
Jake got home and told Tasha about the shoddy, worn-out man walking past the bridge. Tasha and Jake was adopted by a host parent, whom they called each other ‘darling’ like husband and wife, but Jake knew they are just pretending to be family for their sake. Although they are legally married, he knew the woman in the house is just a housemaid hired by the skinny man. The skinny man works at some poor elementary school, teaching little children and writes a play for the school. Although adopted, Jake didn’t call them mom and dad. Tasha didn’t either, because the man and woman always got really awkward and uncomfortable, and they didn’t know how to react whenever Jake called them like that. Jake thought calling her a ‘maid’ was considered rude so they just called her by name, Diana. At first they called the man a teacher but they just called him Alvin later on. They lived in a big, rusty, haunted-looking house over the hill, little distant from the urban landscape. Jake couldn’t figure out how Alvin could afford Diana, but Diana just seemed like she liked living here so he didn’t think too much about such matter.
“Well, I think I’ve seen the guy before. Does he wears the crumby gray hat that you want to say to him, why bother wearing it?” said Tasha, after Jake told her a story about the shabby man he saw under the bridge, whose eyes were like a hawk.
“Yeah, so you know! Is he a bad person?” asked Jake.
“I don’t know, Jake. He got that fancy watch too! All I know is that I tried to snatch it one day,” said Tasha, her arm crossed.
“I haven’t seen it, but go on.” Jake insisted.
“But unfortunately, when I got close to him, he noticed me and leered at me with that bestial look. So, I just stopped there, looking at him, and he snorted and walked away,” she said, twitching her lips.
“Huh,” said he.
“Aren’t you supposed to take that to Alvin, Jake?” said Tasha, pointing at the lunch box Jake was holding.
“Oh, right… yeah, see you later Tasha,” said Jake, hurriedly waved at her and galloped away.
Jake is now going to the elementary school which Alvin teaches. Diana said he forgot his lunchbox again, complaining that he is doing this on purpose. Jake ran through the red brick buildings and the grey concrete walls. He smelt a delicious scent from a street vendor. Jake went over the fence and went up to the old wooden building. The children were playing balls in the field.
In the school office, there were a group of teachers having a lunch break. On the corner, there was a kid who was being punished after he threw the chalk into the big pots of soup in the kitchen.
“Well, my friends, there are so much in this world that you are missing out, a early bright sunrise and gloaming sunset in the ocean, seagulls in the sky and fishes gliding in the sea. If you are stuck, you can just go out and enjoy the beautiful day! And I thought I could never become an environmentalist,” Alvin chuckled at the group of teachers in the office. They were complaining about the school that they are underpaid.
They were always mad at Alvin for his lack of effort to follow the rules. The funding came from the social workers from the foreign countries and most of the workers at school are from the city itself, merely working there because they did not want to beg on the street.
“Well, I’m going to lie down on the grass. Hey you! Come with me,” Alvin pointed at the kid raising his arm in the air. The kid smiled happily and followed Alvin outside. There were inflamed gazes from the teachers, but Alvin doesn’t seem to care much.
However, they didn’t say anything because they were afraid of him. They’ve heard the rumors in the street that Alvin was working under the infamous Nina Polchinski. In fact, almost everyone in the school believed that he was an undercover agent implanted by Nina.
Alvin, feeling little hungry, went near the lake where the sun brightly sparkled against the water. The kid ran toward the water cheerfully.
The cars passed by on the other side of the lake, and there was one man who was standing in the middle of the street. He didn’t seem like he was originated from this city; his stature seemed round and looked like some mascot at the amusement park. Alvin stared him vaguely without much of interest and he just lay back on the grass. The kid held some watery mud in his palm and appeared before Alvin.
“What’s up with that dirt, kid?” asked Alvin, snorting.
The kid didn’t say anything; he just smiled and put it on Alvin’s shoes. The boy kept walking back and forth from the stream with a watery mud from the stream. Alvin just laid back and stared at the sky while kid just put the mud into his shoes over and over again. Eventually Alvin took off his shoes threw it away. His barefoot felt the warm moist grass, Alvin closed his eyes, enjoying the breeze.
The boy came back and cheerfully put the mud on Alvin’s feet, he looked at the boy.
“Do you like riddles, my little friend?” said Alvin. The boy shook his head, smiling.
Alvin glimpsed the kids playing soccer in the field and said. “Go on little guy, play some balls,” he chuckled and tapped the kid’s shoulder; the kid ran towards them, let out his nutty screaming. Alvin closed his eyes, wiggling his toes.
A little later, he heard a soft thump against the grass.
“Hello Jake,” said Alvin.
“Diana said she’s going to chop you off for the supper,” said Jake.
“I’m sure she will,” Alvin laughed, grabbed the apple from the lunch box and took a big bite.
“Alvin? Have you ever been up on that hill?” asked Jake, looking at Alvin.
“You mean that one or the one in the north?” Alvin crunched the apple, glimpsing at one of the hill in front of him.
“I don’t know. That one,” Jake pointed behind, toward the north side and Alvin gazed at it. It was a huge bulky metal structure with pudgy metal bars shining around it. It was the institution where Veron’s officers and other important political figures send their kids for an education.
“Veron’s institution. Hmm… that isn’t school Jake; it is more of a madhouse. People who work there don’t call it school either, because they want to distinguish themselves from the rest of us. All they do is institutionalizing the kids so they can use them conveniently,” said Alvin.
“The rich kids go there,” said Jake, little discouraged.
“Well, you can’t bind the souls forever Jake; the wisdom comes when we are free, and flourish when we do something good with it,” said Alvin, finishing off the apple and threw the rest away. “So, do whatever you want to do Jake, because it is closer than you think.”
Jake stared at him, feeling little better, nodding.
“By the way, did you do your homework that I gave you?” said Alvin with the perky tone.
“Yes, all of it,” said Jake with a dull tone.
“Well, I see your ambition there, Jake, do you want to be a great scholar?” asked Alvin.
“No, I want to be a strategist like Nina Polchinski,” said Jake, speaking abruptly. Alvin got little surprised, raising his eyebrows. He grabbed the sandwich from the box and took a huge bite; his stomach grumbled.
“You do think I can do it, right Alvin?” said Jake, his eyes beaming. Alvin stared at him for a moment, sighing.
“I hoped that you would walk a different path…” mumbled Alvin, coughing; his throat is stuffed with food. He opened the water bottle and start gulping.
“But…” said Jake, nervously.
“But there is no stopping you, isn’t it?” Alvin wiped his mouth with his sleeves. “The world of schemers, huh… I can tell you it is far from the boring world Jake. If you get famous, everyone in this city will try to kill you.”
Alvin chuckled, and took another bite at the sandwich.
“… But if you are that good, then you know how to survive, right Alvin?” said Jake, unsure.
“Nope, no one can, not even Nina Polchinski,” said Alvin, grinning. “But, I might be able to teach you the basic.”
Jake was excited, muzzle himself f
rom jumping around. And they sat for a while, chatting about the other topics until Alvin finished the meal; Jake wasn’t hungry as he already ate. Jake glimpsed at the institution occasionally during the conversation.
“Jake?” said Alvin, giving Jake an empty lunchbox.
“Yes?” said Jake, receiving it.
“That forest, surrounding those big ugly building, is a mine field. So, there is no hope going through without giving up your leg. However, I do remember there is an old abandoned building which used to be crop storage. It has a parking lot that leads to the underground tunnel through the field,” said Alvin.
Jake was staring at Alvin, confused.
“It’ll be right next to the water tower. So, off you go now, Jake, I’ll see you at the dinner,” Alvin lay back on the grass, grunting. Jake ran toward the house.