Odyssey of a Prodigal Stepson Ch 06

Previous Jamie and his family went to the beach. Deacon and Jamie went back to being on good terms with eachother, and his stepmother's scorn had eased. It is now much later on the same day and Jamie has been told by his stepsister that his Katriana wants a word with him
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-Living Down the Road from Alice-

“Melisa says you wanted to see me Mum?” said Jamie in a hesitant tone.

“Yes, Jamie. Have a seat,” she replied.

He slumped down on the chair opposite his stepmother. The calm affectionate expression she wore at the beach had been replaced by one of scorn. The table between them was partitioned by a bowl of plums. A small brown envelope and a 200 gram block of Whittaker’s Berry & Biscuit chocolate sat on his side, whilst his faded Levi’s jeans and Digital Timer Clock sat next to Catarina.

“Am I in trouble Mum?”

“Why would you think you’re in trouble?”

“Most times you want a word with me it’s about something I did that I shouldn’t of or something I didn’t do that I should of.”

“I see. I thought you might like to know that Mrs. Burgess and I are back on speaking terms.”

“You are; that’s fantastic!”

“She tells me she’s been painting her front gate,”

“She has?”

His eyes shifted from her deadpan expression to the chocolate, then over to the timer and finally back up at her. He was getting mixed messages from the objects and felt uneasy about what the bad news may entail.

“Yes. I want you to have a good look at these jeans and tell me if they are yours?”

“Yeah they’re mine….you patched the knee, remember?”

“There’s a green stain on them.”

“Could be grass stains.”

“Not grass stains Jamie, paint; pickle green to be exact. Can you guess what colour she painted her gate?

“Ummmmm, Pickle Green?”

“You went over there and spoke to her after and brushed against the gate whilst the paint was wet.”

“Someone had to be the peacemaker,”

“I specifically forbade you to go over there.”

“Yeah I know; but you said you and Mrs. Burgess have been best friends since like forever.”

“And don’t think I am not grateful. The chocolate’s my way of rewarding your good deed. However, your disobedience cannot go unpunished. You’re getting a timeout and limited Wi-Fi privileges until further notice. Go stand in the corner by the china-cabinet.”

“Harvey and Deacon and Koromaru are in the living room waiting to watch The Dragon Pilot with me. Can’t I do my timeout after that?”

“No you’re going to do it now. They’ll have to watch it without you. Now go stand in the corner like I told you to.”

**********

“I’m really not sure that’s such a good idea, Aunty Alice” said Jamie, leaning against the white picket fence with the pickle green gate. “Mum’d do the haka if she found out.”

“She doesn’t have to know, and it’s only your Wi-Fi she is limiting, not mine,” said Alice Burgess, straightening the collar of Jamie’s Crusader’s rugby top. “Besides, if you ask me it was an overreaction to a minor transgression. A timeout would have more than sufficed.”

“What about Koro? He needs his walk to do his business and stuff.”

“I’m sure Deacon won’t mind walking him on his own, just for once.”

“I use’ta do it like all the time,” said Deacon, scratching the top of Koromaru’s head. “I’ll take real good care of him.”

“I don’t doubt that,” replied Jamie “It’s just…um…I think something’s bound to go wrong and I’ll get into trouble and you and Mum will stop being friends again.”

“And you’ll miss out on your treats from me during walkies,” added Alice, smirking.
“I really don’t want to get into any more trouble with Mum. She’s angry enough at me as it is.”

“Please Jamie,” begged Deacon. “I’ll just go once around the route and come straight back…come on, I owe you for not snitching on me to Sebastian and Mum.”

Jamie’s denial wavered at Deacon’s brimming tears. Choosing the most responsible course of action required the sort of stolid resolve he simply did not possess. Yet he could not shake the uneasy feeling to impending doom that vexed him.

“Okay,” he said at last, his better judgment. “But if you mess-up it’ll be the last time you ever take Koro walkies; you hear me?”

“Sir-yes-sir” said Deacon, saluting his older stepbrother with a cheeky grin.

They both giggled then parted ways.

“I wouldn’t really stop him from joining me on walkies, ya know,” said Jamie as he followed Alice inside her house. “It’s just what Dad calls an empty threat.”

“I know,” said Alice, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. “Now let’s see if we can get your game sorted out on my Laptop.”

-To be continued-

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