Malcolm (chapter 2)

CHAPTER TWO

“Ralph, I’m home.”

Bonnie arrived home as usual, 7:00 pm. Her 9:00 to 5:00 had turned into 9:00 to 6:30 since her husband’s death. Bonnie needed the extra hours to make ends meet.

The house now seemed somewhat empty and a bit colder with her husband gone, sometimes Bonnie dreaded stepping through the door knowing that Rick was no longer there to greet her. His warm embrace and gentle sweet kiss were now just memories.

“I really should think of selling the place.” Bonnie spoke to herself.

“Ralph, are you here?” Bonnie called once more.

Ralph stepped from his room making sure to close the door behind him. “I’m here, I’ll be down in a sec.”

Ralph peered into his bedroom one last time before going downstairs. “Stay put Malcolm. I’ll be back up with some food and water. First I have to have dinner with my mother, so I may be awhile.”

“As you wish, young magi. I’ll wait for your return.”

Ralph entered the kitchen where his mother stood by the stove preparing the evenings dinner. “What’s for dinner ma?’

“Just something quick for tonight, I hope you don’t mind?”

“Smells like sloppy joe; that fine with me.”

“Actually I’m throwing together pizza burgers. Will you grab me the hamburger buns from the shelf?”

Ralphie brought the buns to his mother and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She ‘d been working awfully hard lately, and Ralphie tried his best to do his share.

“By the way, Adara called for you. I told her you would call her back. I was on the other line, and it was important.”

“Thanks, ma, I’ll give her a call after dinner.”

Ralph and his mother sat at the kitchen table exchanging small talk about each other’s day. This was a nightly routine. No longer did they sit at the dinning room table where the family would gather nightly while his father was alive. The kitchen table had become an unspoken routine, it felt right. The dinning room table was too big for the two of them, not to mention it felt empty without his father’s presence.

“Adara is a very pretty young lady.” Bonnie said.

“Well, she just happens to be Becket’s girlfriend.” Ralph replied.

“She’s always stopping by looking for you, I think she may have future plans for my Ralph.” Bonnie shot Ralph a playful grin.

“ You know the four of them are always over here. I think Silvio is getting a little tired of the remarks you make about his hair, but I agree; that mane needs a good clipping.” Ralph and his mother both broke into laughter.

“What do you guys do out in that clubhouse for hours?”
“I told you, mom. We play D&D.”

“Well what exactly is D&D, you never once explained it to me. Plus I heard rumors that it’s satanic. Is this true?”

Ralph just about fell on the floor with laughter, bits of pizza burger flew from his mouth.

“Mom, please. You can’t believe all the nonsense you read or hear about D&D. It’s just a game; there may have been a few bad apples that thought the game was real, but that was their fault. They must have been messed up in the head to begin with. As far as the church denouncing the game, they seem to be against everything to begin with, from rock-n-roll to mini skirts.”

“ Please Ralph, don’t talk bad about the church.”

“I’m just being honest mom.”

“How do you play the game, Ralph?”

“If you’re that interested, ma; I could give you the Players Handbook to mull over. It might make interesting bed time reading.” Ralph chuckled.

“I think I would like that Ralph, I would like to see what it's all about.”

“I can tell you this much; It’s all based on problem solving and much of the back ground is based around fantasy books I have read, such as the Dragon Lance books and books from the Forgotten Realm series.”

“I think I’m finished. I’ll pick up the dishes and clean the kitchen. You go ahead and take your shower and get ready for bed.”

“Thanks Ralph.”

“By the way, the pizza burgers were so good I’m going to take two or three with me up to my room while I work on my homework.”

“That’s fine. Oh, don’t forget to call Adara before you go up stairs for the night. I don’t want her thinking I’m not relaying messages.”

“No problem ma, its under control. I’ll drop off the book in your bedroom when I’m finished down here.”

“O.k. Ralph, I’ll say good night then.”

With that said Bonnie made her way to her bedroom to grab her sleeping clothes and anything else she would need after getting out of the shower and left Ralph to clean the kitchen.

“Hello, is Adara home?” asked Ralph.

“Just a second, I’ll see.”

Ralph could her Adara’s mom yelling for her and with in seconds Adara voice leaked through the phone.

“I got it mom, you can hang up the other line.” Said Adara.

“Hi Adara, its Ralph.”

“I know who this is silly.”

“I’m returning your call, what’s up?

“I called to see when we were playing again. I have some great ideas I would like to add to my sorceress skill list.”

Ralph became silent remembering Malcolm sitting up in his room.

“Ralphie, did you hear me?”

“Sure I heard you.” Ralph whispered into the phone.

“What’s wrong Ralph? you sound strange all of a sudden.”

“Yea, something is wrong. It’s something you and the others will have to see for yourselves.”

“Why can’t you just tell me?”

“Trust me Adara, you’ll want to see for yourself. I don’t want to say too much on the phone. My mom may hear and I don’t want to upset her. She’s already asking strange questions about the game. This would send her off the deep end.”

“You want us to come by tomorrow after school?

“Yea, that would be cool. Tomorrow after school bring everyone. I got to get off the phone; I have to give my mom the Player’s Handbook then get upstairs to do my homework.”

“Give your mom what?” asked Adara quite surprised.

“She wants to read the Players Handbook and see what it is we do for hours in the back club house.”

“Wow, this conversation really has taken a strange turn. I’ll see you tomorrow after school. I’ll bring the guys with. Take care. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Ralphie hung up the phone and made his way to the refrigerator. Reaching in he grabbed two cold bottles of water and an apple. Satisfied with his raid, he proceeded to the kitchen counter and grabbed the plate he stored the three pizza burgers upon. Quickly he made his way up to his bedroom with the bundle.

“Young magi, I feared you would not return.”

“I told you I had to eat dinner with my mother.”

“Yes, but its been some time.”

Ralph turned to face the old wizard after he eased his door shut.

“My god, Malcolm, why are you naked?” cried Ralphie.

“You said I should clean myself, so I discarded the robe and washed myself. I hope you don’t mind?’

“Washed yourself? With what?” asked Ralphie.

Ralphie looked to his desk and seen a once clean t-shirt balled up and resting there.

“I used a shirt from the closet and a little spittle, did the job right young man.”

Ralphie nearly dropped the food to the floor.

“No, no, that’s not the way we bath here.
Ralph cleared the filthy t-shirt from the desktop and made room to set the plate and water down. The apple he tossed to the wizard. Malcolm tore into the apple like a wild animal, before Ralphie could blink; the apple was gone core and all.

“We need to get you dressed Malcolm. We can’t have you walking around naked.”

“I thought that was the plan young magi; clean me up, clothes and all.”

“That is the plan, but you’re far from clean. I can’t give you clean clothes to put on until you’ve taken a proper bath. Then we have to cut that hair and shave your beard.”

“Good god, boy! Have you gone mad? A wizard of my standing wouldn’t be caught dead without a beard. I’ll see you turned to stone before you raise a knife to cut my beard.”

“Malcolm, be reasonable. That beard is a twisted mess not to mention a haven for fleas and lice. How about we trim it down a bit and make it look nice?”

“Ah boy, I’m a man of reason. Reasoning is what I do best. Thy beard shall grow back eventually; you may trim it if you must. I warn you, young magi, no slip of the blade. A beard of some ilk must remain. Deal?”

“I can live with that.” Ralphie replied.

“We have to keep our voice down, I don’t want my mother to hear you up here. Her bedroom is downstairs, but voices tend to travel.”

“Yes they do, young lad. That they do indeed.”

Ralph walked to his bookshelf and found the book he was looking for, the Player’s Manual 3.5 edition.

“Malcolm, I have to bring this book to my mother. I’ll be back shortly, then we’ll decide what to do about clothing you.”

“This time try not to take so long, I believe I’m catching a chill.”

“I didn’t to tell you to toss your robe, you decided that yourself. Please do me a favor, put it back on until I return.”

“I cant, boy. It truly is a filthy mess, not to mention I washed myself.”

Ralphie looked at the old wizard and shook his head in disbelief. “Washed yourself? I’ve seen alley cats looking cleaner.”

Ralph made his way out the door and down to his mother’s room. Knocking gently upon the door he called for his mother.

“Mom, I brought the book.”

“Come in Ralph, the door's open.”

Ralph entered his mother's spacious bedroom and made his way to her bed where she lie flipping through a magazine.

“Here mom. I hope you find the book entertaining. I was going to bring you a pouch of dice so you could roll up a character for yourself, but I figured I’d wait to see how you responded to the manual.”

“Thanks Ralph, I’ll skim through it tonight. I’ll let you know about the dice or anything else I may need tomorrow.”

“That’s fine mom. I need to get up to my room and finish my homework.”

“O.k. Ralph, how about a kiss goodnight?”

Ralph bent over and kissed his mother upon the cheek.

“I’ll see you tomorrow mom.”

“Goodnight Ralph.”

Ralph hurried back up the stairs to the naked wizard. Upon entering the room he found Malcolm sitting upon his bed with bits of food scattered about him.

‘Good God, boy! Do you not have proper food, a wedge of goat cheese, and a hunk of hard bread? I know not what I ate, but it does not sit well within the pit of my stomach.”

Ralph walked to the desk and grabbed a bottle of water. After opening the bottle he handed it to the wizard.

“Here wash it down with some water.”
Malcolm took the water and gulped heavily from the bottle.

“Feel better?” asked Ralphie.

“Give me a moment, my boy, I shall be fine.”

“I think I’ll turn the radio on to help cover the sounds of our voices.”

“Radio?”

“Yea, it plays music. Look I’ll show you.”

Ralphie moved to a nearby shelf, which he kept his boom box on. He turned the knob and his bedroom filled with the sound of heavy metal music. Malcolm nearly jumped out the nearby window in surprise.

“My god, boy. You have bards trapped in that box!”

“Bards, trapped in a box? what are you talking about? That’s called a radio; nobody is trapped in there. The music is transported over airwaves, enters the box and sound comes out of the speakers. Kind of like the computer. Remember what I told you about electronics? Same principle with the radio.”

Malcolm approached the box. He looked at it carefully, he tried to see inside and make sure no bards were there. He picked it up gently, rocked it to and fro in his hands, and then set it back down.

“Another mystery. Your magic is potent, young magi.”

“Its not magic. Every home owns a radio. They’re very common.”

“I truly don’t understand this place, young magi. You must get me back.”

“I’ll do my best. Perhaps we can all put our heads together and figure this out tomorrow.”

“We?”

“Yes, I forgot to tell you. There are other people involved in the game.”

“How many others?”

“Does it matter?” asked Ralphie.

“Yes, my young friend. There is a saying among my kind. ‘A circle of five brings magic alive.’”

Ralphie’s jaw nearly hit the floor. “What did you say?”

“ ‘A circle of five brings magic alive.’ We wizards of the realm practice in circles of five, hence the phrase.”

“Our gaming group holds five.”

Malcolm’s naked form stood in the middle of the room, his hand raised to his chin stroking it slowly.

“This truly is a step in the right direction, young magi.”

“This is all very strange, Malcolm. Very, very strange.”

“Indeed, my boy. Magic has a tendency to be strange and unpredictable.”

Ralphie stood near the radio staring at the wizard, thoughts swirling through his head like a hurricane. This can't be happening.

“We need to get you onto the shower Malcolm.”

“Shower? You speak of rain?”

“No, I speak of bathing.”

“Oh, I see. I have a feeling I’m due for more strangeness.”

Malcolm followed Ralphie quietly down the second story hall to the upper bathroom. Entering first, he turned on the light (yet another marvel to the wizard) and adjusted the shower for Malcolm.

“Simply step in, get yourself wet, and make sure you scrub with soap and water.”

Ralph handed Malcolm a bar of soap and a washcloth. The wizard took the items but stared at them strangely.

“That block of white is the bar of soap, the cloth is to scrub with.”

“I know about the cloth, I just have never seen a bar of lye so white and pretty before.”

Ralphie shook his head. “That’s not lye, its called soap. Get wet and rub it on your body. It’s much better than lye. When you’re finished dry yourself on one of these towels”

Ralph shut the bathroom door and waited for the wizard to finish with his first shower. “Don’t they believe in personal hygiene where he comes from?”

The two made they’re way back to Ralphie’s bedroom. Ralph eyed up the wizard for size.

“How tall are you Malcolm?”

“Why I stand six hands if I stand one” replied the wizard.

Malcolm’s answer didn’t do much good. Ralphie stood 5’10 and the wizard appeared to be just a bit shorter and thinner than him. He figured he could easily fit into a pair of his old jeans and a T-shirt. Digging through the closet he found a pair of old torn jeans and an old Alice In Chains concert t- shirt.

“Here, put these on.” Ralph handed the wizard his old clothes.

“The wizard was familiar with breeches and had no problem getting the pants on. Next he pulled the t-shirt over his head.

“Now you fit in. All I have to do is cut some of your hair and trim that beard.”

“As you wish young magi, lets get this over with.”

And so the clean up proceeded. Nearly two hours later Ralphie had the old wizard looking like an old hippie. Not bad Ralphie thought, perhaps I could introduce him to my mother as an old D&D player.