Jonathan approached the bar carrying the empty glasses.
“Same again, Jonathan?”, said John from behind the bar, an empty pint glass in his hand.
“Yes, please, and can we have a couple of menus?”
John placed the drinks on the bar. “I’ll bring your menus over to your table. I’ll put the drinks on your food bill if you like.”
“Thank you,” said Jonathan as he picked up the drinks and carried them back to where Karen was sitting. Karen took a sip of her wine and started to speak as Jonathan sat down.
“So, your retirement. What do you want from it? Fame? Fortune?”
“Well, I’m living on the insurance money for the now but that will probably run out one day. I’m in reasonable shape for money for the moment and I can probably live the way I am doing for a few years. I would like to think that I had the ability to make some money to supplement my investments. It feels a bit strange, not going out to a job every day.”
“So money is not your main concern, “ said Karen, “at least for the moment.”
“No, not my main concern.”
John walked over to their table and handed them each a menu. “I’ll take your orders when you’re ready.”
Karen placed her menu unopened on the table. She didn’t want to interrupt Jonathan’s train of thought.
Jonathan continued, “I feel like I need some purpose in life.” He emphasized the word “purpose” noticeably. “I’ve spent most of my working life solving problems and inventing solutions and things. I need a mental challenge. I need a direction in life. It’s very easy to feel you have been put on the scrap heap of life when you are disabled and I don’t like feeling that way.”
“You’ve got a few physical limitations but you don’t have any mental limitations, right?” said Karen.
“Exactly!” said Jonathan. “I just have to work at my own speed and not try to move at the speed of the world around me.”
“Let’s order lunch, then talk about it some more,” said Karen and she picked up her menu and started to study it.
“I’m going to have a Ploughman’s Lunch,” Karen announced after studying the menu for a few minutes, “with Stilton Cheese and a pickled onion.”
“I’ll have the same thing,” said Jonathan, “but I think I prefer mature Cheddar.”
“Could we eat here, at this table, rather than moving into the restaurant?” said Karen.
“I’ll ask John to serve us over here,” said Jonathan as he picked up the menus and walked over to the bar to place the order for lunch.
When Jonathan returned to the table, Karen spoke. “Jonathan, tell me some more about the work you used to do, before the accident.”
“Well, I did special effects for the movies…sorry, films. All sorts of things. Simple flashes and bangs. Models. Green screen. All that kind of stuff.”
“What’s green screen?”
“That’s where you film the actors in front of a green background. Then later you replace the green background with a different scene.”
“Like when they’re playing Quidditch in the Harry Potter films, flying around on broomsticks?” said Karen.
“Exactly!” said Jonathan. “The actors were suspended on wires on a stage in front of a green screen. The Quidditch field was set up in a meadow in Scotland and filmed from a helicopter. Even the crowds of cheering supporters were put in afterwards.”
“Fascinating!” said Karen.
“Well, when you know how it’s all done, it does take some of the magic away,” said Jonathan, “but I like watching films that I haven’t worked on.”
“Yes,” said Karen. “I’ve often wondered how actors feel when they watch their own films and remember all the effort that went into them.”
Karen could see that Jonathan had an enthusiastic demeanour, talking about his previous work.
“I think the best special effects are the ones that you don’t even notice in the film,” said Jonathan.
“Such as?”
“Let me see…sometimes a scene will be filmed in the winter, when the trees are bare, but the script calls for it to be spring or summer, so we use special effects to put leaves and blossoms on the trees.”
“I would never have thought of such a thing!” said Karen.
“Things in the movies are never quite what they seem,” said Jonathan. “That was my job, fooling you into believing that something was there when it really wasn’t.”
Their lunch arrived, each plate carrying a generous serving of cheese, crusty bread, pickle and butter.
“I’m quite hungry after our walk this morning,” said Karen.
“Me too!” said Jonathan.
They ate in silence for a few minutes. Then Karen spoke.
“I’m not sure what it is, but something that you said has triggered a thought in my head. It’s floating around in there but I can’t quite grab hold of it yet.”
“What was it that I said?” asked Jonathan.
“You said something about things in the movies never being quite what they seem. I need to mull that one around for a bit.”
“Has it given you some ideas?”
“Well, it’s triggered something. Maybe a walk after lunch will get my brain cells working.”
“It’s an easy walk back up the road, or we could get a taxi if you want.”
“No, I would prefer to walk,” said Karen. “I need to walk off this lunch!”
They finished lunch, Jonathan settled the bill and he and Karen pulled on their overcoats and stepped outside. It was still cloudy but the wind had died down while they had been inside.
“Are you sure that you want to walk back?” asked Jonathan.
“Yes. The fresh air will do us good!”
Jonathan led the way and they headed off on the road out of town. A signpost in the centre of the village showed that the road led to the railway station a mile away.
Karen walked alongside Jonathan. After a while, she spoke.
“Have you ever thought about writing, Jonathan?”
“What sort of writing?”
“Magazine articles, books, novels, all sorts of things.”
“I’ve thought about it, but I’m not sure that’s really what I want to do with my time. At least not just that. I really need some outlet for my inventiveness, my problem solving skills.”
“You’re a tough nut to crack, Jonathan!” said Karen, and they both laughed and walked on together.
Chapter 6