Sylvester's Morning Musing Continues...20:39 Apr 28 2019
Times Read: 441
Sylvester's Morning Musing Continues...
Sylvester eased down the skin below his right eye with the tip of his right forefinger and stared at his reflected image, in the hall mirror, thinking back to the conversation of the previous evening.
He looked to himself and thought back to Tabi's words the evening before, “Mai did say you looked younger now, than you did way back when...”
Sylvester gulped.
He hadn't considered her words then. Instead he'd been ruminating on whether or not to visit Aintree the day prior, having just noticed the winner had been announced on teevee. And, they were running short of cash, for day-to-day living expenses.
“Furthermore,” she added thoughtfully, “she also said that I look younger than I am.”
At the time, her words had not meant anything and, he'd his trip to plan...
“So the race was at...” Sylvester had muttered, looking at a paper folded and marked with the winners name ringed in red ink.
“Are you listening?” Tabi had snapped.
He had replied in turn, “Obviously...”
But he hadn't at the time; but he was now...
'So, he looked younger to Mai than he was supposed to look?' Tabi had said
'Well,' he mused, 'how old am I supposed to be?...”
He had lived in his own time period and travelled to others. So, although the question of his own physical age was of mild interest to him, it had become a curiosity, particularly in lieu of what Mai had said to Tabi and, what the mirror had said to him.
'Yet Mai had mentioned Tabi as well,' he concluded, 'an that means that whatever is affecting me, is also affecting her...'
Exasperated he sighed and said to the empty house, “I must talk to Tabi about this.”
If it were true, could he be reverting to the much younger man that he had been, before using the machine?
Furthermore, how would Tabbi react, when she found out that the 'old man' she had cared for, that first day she had found him, had not been an old man at all, except for his appearance.
The teen had looked after his every need, until the day he could look after himself and he owed her.
But, he couldn't help but wonder how his friend would have felt, walking around half-dressed as she did, if she had known that in reality, he was less than twice her age and not the 'old man' she thought he was.
He turned from the mirror, concerned for himself – and, his friend.
Sylvester couldn't help but think that Tabbi would feel betrayed by this omission of his... yet, until he sought out her wise counsel, Sylvester felt sure that his thoughts of the moment were naught but guesswork – and he sighed, “I need to talk to her.”
It was minutes later that he found the note, 'Gone to the bank' and he sighed again. If she were out at this time, then she might be out for the day and, that meant dwelling of an overt nature.
A coffee had been had, while Sylvester sat back on the old sofa, stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles.
He had the urge to do something, anything, that was... different. And that was the moment he decided to go back out again, to make a purchase.
Sylvester had rinsed his mug, then exited the house hurriedly, anxious to do as he needed, prior to his young friend getting home. He had made his way to The Strand and quickly found a chemist, located what he wanted, bought it then returned home.
It'd been several hours before Tabbi had entered the house herself and called out his name. And at the sound of her voice he'd made his own entrance, entering the hallway from his own room.
That was when Tabbi had dropped both the bags she had been carrying and had wanted help with.
“Your hair's orange,” she told him.
Her information was quite unnecessary it transpired, as Sylvester looked to her and with more than a little annoyance snapped, “I know, believe me I know.”
Tabbi made every effort not to smile and succeeded, long enough to ask, “Would you like a cup of tea old man?” There it was, the remark. 'Old man'.
“Tea would be good,” Sylvester conceded.
He sat quietly, hands between his knees, that he looked to, as Tabbi busied herself in the kitchen, putting shopping away, whilst she made them both a mug of tea.
Then, glancing the the open doorway to where Sylvester sat, she looked to her friend and made a quick decision.
From a cupboard she took out a half bottle of a single malt and poured a slug into his tea, which she then placed on a small tray with her own.
Placing the tray down near where she knelt, Tabbi took his hands in her own and asked gently, “C'mon old man, tell me what the problem is? No matter what it is, it can't be that bad...”
Sylvester looked up and briefly looked to her face, feeling more than a tad guilty.
He knew that he should have told her then, way back then, before she had taken him into her home.
Yet, he hadn't and now... he felt annoyed and upset, at himself.
“So c'mon Sylvester, why did you dye your hair?” Tabi persisted, drawing him from his reverie.
“I'm an old man... who's getting younger, or so it seems... and, I felt conscious of my stupid two-tone hair,” he admitted ruefully.
“And so now you look like a troll eh? Smart move.” she said with a slight smirk.
Sylvester didn't respond to her jibe and, that made Tabi curious.
“C'mon old man, what's the problem?” She asked, concern in her voice.
“Old man...” Sylvester repeated, once twice and then thrice.
And Tabi looked to her friend, worried.
“I think we need to talk...” she told him, not matching the intensity of his voice, as he once more repeated her words.
Her concern grew...
Tabbi handed him him his mug and repeated “C'mon old man, tell me what the problem is?”
That was when he had wept.
And through choked tears, he told her all he had surmised, from his experience.
“And that's why the dye?” She asked with a light smile playing at her lips, “Because you're not an old man like we'd thought you were...”
“Yes...”
“And you've been thinking about this all day, haven't you?”
“Yes,” he admitted ruefully.
“And as usual, you'll have built this up out of all proportion...” Tabi scoffed.
“Look...” he explained, hands on his elbows and hands open and wide, “I never expected to travel here really. But I did. I aged, on the outside a lot and, you sort of felt safe with me, because of my age and I liked being here, so... I never let on...”
He was near tears as he spoke and Tabi wanted to do something more than comfort him, knowing he needed more than that. He wanted to understand.
“I think I understand what happened, erm... is happening... Sylvester...” she told him, her voice quiet and not too earnest.
“You do?” He asked leaning forward, intrigued.
“In a scifi show I watch they call it the time vortex; but from what I've seen it's more like a tunnel...” she began.
“Where's this leading?” Sylvester queried.
She waved her right hand, 'don't interrupt.'
“Well, travelling in the vortex or tunnel,” she explained, “in an unprotected craft, could very well have an adverse effect on the traveller, perhaps...”
Then Tabi paused.
She sipped thoughtfully at her nearly cold tea, then continued.
“You went forward decades into your future... and, somehow that journey turned you from young to old...” Tabi set down her mug, then continued talking: “My explanation fits what Mai thinks and what I can see... besides the orange hair, that is...” She added with a grin.
Suddenly her voice took on a quiet tone, as Tabi told him, “I've got to think on this.”
Then she added, “I've just got in and, this is a lot to take in, all-a-once...”
“I can't help what happened Tabi...” Sylvester explained in a sad voice, desperately wringing his hands together.
“I know,” she allowed, as she stood and made her way to the kitchen and the fridge.
Having located her objective Tabi retuned to the lounge, with a bottle of partially used heady Chilean Merlot and two glasses.
He watched her cautiously, as she sat in the matching armchair, crossing her legs at the ankles, as she did so.
Once in a comfortable position, she poured them both a drink.
Holding her left arm straight, with one glass held in her left hand, she began to drink from the other.
As she drank Sylvester rose, took the glass of wine from her and returned to where he'd sat.
A long and barrow, low glass-top table, nestled against his knees and, he placed his glass upon it, on a small round, black slate coaster.
Then Sylvester looked to Tabi, already pouring herself a second glass.
She caught him watching and continued pouring unabashed.
“It's medicinal,” she explained, “call it an anaesthetic for a tired body and encouragement for an overworked mind.”
It was the most she had said since he had spoken earlier and he felt the need to respond, however blandly. He answered simply, “Oh.”
“I think … that you getting caught in the maelstrom of the spiralling helix you... er we, travel in... did something to you, erm... us... and that's what Mai has picked up on,” Tabi suggested.
Sylvester was bemused by her reaction... by what she was saying and sat back and listened, as Tabi continued talking.
Once she finished, her understanding tore at Sylvester.
“I never told you...” he began, looking down to his hands.
“I never told you that I wasn't...” he wept, finally.
“You arrived here looking older than you are, so what Sylvester. It doesn't matter, not to me...”
She stood, setting down her drink on the glass table top before her... that bridged the distance between them.
Then Tabi walked forward a few paces, reached out and ruffled his fluffy orange hair.
“You know we'll have to do something about this, don't you?” She asked with a smile.
* * *
COMMENTS
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Crowscat
20:45 Apr 28 2019
I can't wait to read what happens next...I loved the way you've described the interaction of the two characters, and its drawing me in...
:::more please:::