dutchrain
* der Weisheit
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2012
- Posts
- 12,542
I had been sitting on the stairs the whole night, only once getting up to go to the bathroom, I sneaked back into the room on my way back, got my rucksack and my coat, checked on Lola. She seemed to be sound asleep and I went out again. I dozed off once in a while, but never for long because my brain wouldn’t stop working.
With my head leaned against the bannister, pumping my light in one hand, I tried to read, but not even Reacher could keep the wheels in my mind from churning. Book and light landed beside me on the stairs.
Nothing was happening downstairs, once I heard some rumor further upstairs and I wondered if that was the group who was hiding there. Early in the night Peter had been wandering around. A few times someone came out off one of the rooms behind me and went to the bathroom, but all in all it was a very quiet night. Much quieter than I had expected. Except for the four SMS’ses I got from my daughters, my Ex and a friend …
Morning announced itself with some grey light. I started to write down the ideas that had been swirling through my head all night. As soon as people started to get up and wander through the library I got up and went to the bathroom. Washing oneself with paper-towels isn’t very funny, but I got it done and I dressed in my spare clothes. I asked myself why I hadn't put a deodorant somewhere in my rucksack. Everything else I had: mini flacons of my favorite shampoo and soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, hairbrush ... My undies I washed and didn’t know where to put them to dry. Most of the water I pressed out off them with some more paper-towels. Then I wrapped them loosely in some and put them in my rucksack. I brushed my teeth and combed my hair and I was ready for the day. Only then I realized how many towels I had used.
Max was handing out breakfast and I eagerly took a yoghurt and a sandwich.
“Meeting on the second floor at eight.” He had said and was on his way before I could say more as “Thank you”. I met one of the girls and a young man who had stayed behind yesterday evening. They never had introduced themselves to me and I asked them their names as we walked to the meeting.
“I am John.” He said softly. “John Mayers. Norah is my sister.” I must have looked quite astonished, he was about half a head taller than I am, his skin-color deep brown, and she was very petite, a head smaller than I am, and fair -the shade ladies from earlier times would have killed for- with Celtic reddish hair.
“We are both adopted.” Norah explained. She spoke so softly she almost whispered. They stayed with me, when we sat down I had to chuckle, John sat himself beside his sister, and I sat myself without thinking on her other side.
The meeting went well, I didn’t say much, we agreed on calling the Zombies, Zombies. Some wanted to go home. As if Peter had heard some of my thoughts of last night he initiated a meet and greet. Finally!
A teenager introduced himself as Kip, and a grown man as Cramer Grimes, an organic farmer. A woman was just telling something about herself, she seemed to be as good a cook as I am, when a helicopter made her stop.
“Stay Inside” was the message we got. Knowing what I knew, I knew that wasn’t really an option. Peter looked quite relieved though.
“Who’s next?” Peter asked after we had rejoined around the table.
“To a few of you I have introduced myself already.” I said. Again I told them my name and told them I was Dutch. “I am a middle-school teacher. My subject is history, the theme of my exam-project was “The defensive structures of castles in Gelderland in the fourteenth century.” I have some ideas how we quite easily could adept some of those proved old methods for this building. After we are done with the meet and greet, Peter, I have something to tell. I had contact with Holland this night, and I think there is something you all need to know. But that can wait until all have made their introductions. We have to know each other, because we are in this together. Think of it as a rope we are all pulling on. If one pulls suddenly a lot harder than his neighbor, or suddenly stops pulling, changes are big that that neighbor is going to fall. ”
Nobody said anything.
I looked at John. To my surprise it was Norah who started to talk.
Before she told them her name, she told them her brother and she both were adopted.
“I am two weeks short of my eighteenth birthday.” She then said. “I was planning on studying engineering.”
With a big grin John said he was her brother. If the unbelieving expressions and sounds were any indication of how I had looked I now knew that I hadn’t looked astonished but flabbergasted.
“I am half a year older than my sister, but we got adopted on the same day. So we also are twins somehow.” Not only I, nearly all giggled or chuckled at this revelation.
“My talents aren’t as practical as those of my sister. I like to work with fabrics. I designed what Norah is wearing.” He sounded very proud of himself as said that and I looked at Norah’s clothes as did many others. I hadn’t thought about her clothes before, she wore a jeans and a blouse. Like I did too. But hers were extremely well fitting I noticed now, not only color-wise but also the fit and style.
He thinks his talents not as practical as those of his sister, I thought. That will change in no-time.
With my head leaned against the bannister, pumping my light in one hand, I tried to read, but not even Reacher could keep the wheels in my mind from churning. Book and light landed beside me on the stairs.
Nothing was happening downstairs, once I heard some rumor further upstairs and I wondered if that was the group who was hiding there. Early in the night Peter had been wandering around. A few times someone came out off one of the rooms behind me and went to the bathroom, but all in all it was a very quiet night. Much quieter than I had expected. Except for the four SMS’ses I got from my daughters, my Ex and a friend …
Morning announced itself with some grey light. I started to write down the ideas that had been swirling through my head all night. As soon as people started to get up and wander through the library I got up and went to the bathroom. Washing oneself with paper-towels isn’t very funny, but I got it done and I dressed in my spare clothes. I asked myself why I hadn't put a deodorant somewhere in my rucksack. Everything else I had: mini flacons of my favorite shampoo and soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, hairbrush ... My undies I washed and didn’t know where to put them to dry. Most of the water I pressed out off them with some more paper-towels. Then I wrapped them loosely in some and put them in my rucksack. I brushed my teeth and combed my hair and I was ready for the day. Only then I realized how many towels I had used.
Max was handing out breakfast and I eagerly took a yoghurt and a sandwich.
“Meeting on the second floor at eight.” He had said and was on his way before I could say more as “Thank you”. I met one of the girls and a young man who had stayed behind yesterday evening. They never had introduced themselves to me and I asked them their names as we walked to the meeting.
“I am John.” He said softly. “John Mayers. Norah is my sister.” I must have looked quite astonished, he was about half a head taller than I am, his skin-color deep brown, and she was very petite, a head smaller than I am, and fair -the shade ladies from earlier times would have killed for- with Celtic reddish hair.
“We are both adopted.” Norah explained. She spoke so softly she almost whispered. They stayed with me, when we sat down I had to chuckle, John sat himself beside his sister, and I sat myself without thinking on her other side.
The meeting went well, I didn’t say much, we agreed on calling the Zombies, Zombies. Some wanted to go home. As if Peter had heard some of my thoughts of last night he initiated a meet and greet. Finally!
A teenager introduced himself as Kip, and a grown man as Cramer Grimes, an organic farmer. A woman was just telling something about herself, she seemed to be as good a cook as I am, when a helicopter made her stop.
“Stay Inside” was the message we got. Knowing what I knew, I knew that wasn’t really an option. Peter looked quite relieved though.
“Who’s next?” Peter asked after we had rejoined around the table.
“To a few of you I have introduced myself already.” I said. Again I told them my name and told them I was Dutch. “I am a middle-school teacher. My subject is history, the theme of my exam-project was “The defensive structures of castles in Gelderland in the fourteenth century.” I have some ideas how we quite easily could adept some of those proved old methods for this building. After we are done with the meet and greet, Peter, I have something to tell. I had contact with Holland this night, and I think there is something you all need to know. But that can wait until all have made their introductions. We have to know each other, because we are in this together. Think of it as a rope we are all pulling on. If one pulls suddenly a lot harder than his neighbor, or suddenly stops pulling, changes are big that that neighbor is going to fall. ”
Nobody said anything.
I looked at John. To my surprise it was Norah who started to talk.
Before she told them her name, she told them her brother and she both were adopted.
“I am two weeks short of my eighteenth birthday.” She then said. “I was planning on studying engineering.”
With a big grin John said he was her brother. If the unbelieving expressions and sounds were any indication of how I had looked I now knew that I hadn’t looked astonished but flabbergasted.
“I am half a year older than my sister, but we got adopted on the same day. So we also are twins somehow.” Not only I, nearly all giggled or chuckled at this revelation.
“My talents aren’t as practical as those of my sister. I like to work with fabrics. I designed what Norah is wearing.” He sounded very proud of himself as said that and I looked at Norah’s clothes as did many others. I hadn’t thought about her clothes before, she wore a jeans and a blouse. Like I did too. But hers were extremely well fitting I noticed now, not only color-wise but also the fit and style.
He thinks his talents not as practical as those of his sister, I thought. That will change in no-time.