James Acorn was sitting at the back of the car, swollen with anger. He was resting his head on the window, looking at the trees skim by. June Acorn was by his side satisfied with reading the newspaper Alfred gave her. It was three days old but trust June she cant resist anything in print. As she read she made mental notes, peeping stealthily out of her glasses.
Unlike James wine hair, her hair was inky black, a beautiful lush of fur running down effortlessly down to her shoulders. She had a small oval face, eyes the turquoise of the ocean and lips the colour of ruby. Her face was smooth and freckle free. It was queer for her to be his twin, she looked nothing like James.
But she was his twin alright. Yes, a little bit adult-like and bookish in her behavior, but she adored her brother and would support him even if he was doing the wrong thing. When they told her of Collins and his gang, she had totally sided her brother.
"Do you have the foggiest idea how we are going to tell your Mom the extent of the trouble you are in?" Alfred said as he pulled into the lane that led to the Castle Acorn
"No idea. It won't matter she is never around anyway" James murmured
"But she will be in a few days. Telling her you got suspended for three weeks will get her mad. But a bill running into a thousand pounds? That's is going to bring down the heavens, trust me, I know your mother.
James shrugged "I am prepared to face her wrath"
"Why does it sound to me that you don't give a rat's bottom what just happened there. Owning a mistake is the first step of retribution young man"
"But it's not James' fault. That flat head Collins have been getting his way for too long. There isn't a soul he hasn't bullied in the whole school. The Principal is only protecting him because his parents are School Board members. It's good James taught him a bloody lesson" June said eyes glued to her newspaper.
"I know June, but we can't keep encouraging your brother to break schools rules can we? Even when we are right. Have I taught you nothing?"
June looked at Alfred from the mirror and shrugged.
There was a moment of silence
"I am sorry" James said
"Well you should. And taking off on me like that. We were just having a nice conversation and you complicated things by walking out on her"
"She shouldn't have said he was dead"
"Who was dead?" June said
"Dad. Dr. H said Dad was dead"
"Oh"
"But it's true. James I know it's hard on you, but you have to be strong for your sister. If you are acting like this what should she do?"
"We don't know that. People who are dead are buried. We didn't find his body. I don't believe he is dead"
"James, haven't we gone over this a thousand times? Your father is not coming back. It's best you accepted that At least you are a big boy now. Please stop acting out"
A sniff escaped June's troat and only then did James saw that she was crying. He pulled close and held her. From the mirror, James gave Alfred a see-what-have-caused-look but the cute man faced the road.
Charles Acorn was an internet tycoon, operating one of the biggest software programming companies in Central London. His company was at the pinnacle of operations preparing for a a date with the Stock Exchange when the unthinkable happened. A cyber attack!
The cyber attack was swift and deadly and its effects were absolute. Charles lost everything. The data, even the back ups of the data. It was like the virus had a life of itself and knew exactly were to attack. Charles high flying company came crashing down with a loud bang.
Losing everything got the better of the man and he developed a metal disorder. In his many eavesdropping sessions, James overheard his mother telling Alfred, her husband was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.
It's the internet that explained what the disease was. It's true. Charles became a total wreck. The man that once cared so much for his children didn't give a crap if they existed. He was always talking to himself or talking to people no one can see. Chatting unintelligent words and writing things down. To have total undivided attention to pursue his crazy adventures, he moved into the spare room forsaken his wife.
In James curiosity, he had snuck in the room one cold winter morning. He wanted to find out what his father can't stop drilling over. He found him asleep over a large stack of books from which he has cut out several pages.
He sat at the table, trying to make something of the gibberish in the pages. He picked one of the pages carefully and then he saw something interesting.
It was like a conversation, like two people discussing over social media. Although it was writing in the same writing, the conversations didn't come from the same mind.
...I have a wife and children now, I can't just come any longer. I don't want anything to do with that, please leave me alone...
...but this task is for the heir of the String alone. If you don't find a way to defeat The Grim, I am afraid, we are lost...Amerith is lost...
What is all that about?
"That's enough. Silly, silly, you silly" June said breaking through the boy's thoughts. She was not crying any longer and she wanted James to let go of her.
"Oh, sorry"
"You see you've almost ruined my newspaper!"
"Hold your horses, I was only trying to help"
"You help is not needed, brother, I can handle myself"
"Suit yourself"
There was another moment of silence.
"So what are you going to do with Collins video?" came June again "You are not thinking about uploading it on YouTube or are you?"
James smiled "You are indeed my twin"
"James? Won't that get you into more trouble?"
"We are in trouble already, we might as well make good use of the time to the fullest"
"Correction, you are in trouble, but I think you might be right. Let's show the whole world what a moron the tough looking Collins Andrew really is"
"You got that right"
"But how did you control those cockroaches, blimey Collins must have exploded had you not stopped them"
"Simple. With magic"
June looked at him like he had gone totally bananas "With magic? You expect me to believe that? Since when have you become Harry Potter?"
"Since when my letter came by Owl"
"Be serious and tell me how"
"What would you give in return"
"I will give you all my sisterly love and affection" she said and pouted.
"Off with that. I am going to take half of your supper for one week"
"One full week, ah, that's highway robbery"
"Do we have an agreement?"
"That's not fair. I will not let you blackmail me for something as unnecessary as that, no deal you silly"
"Suit yourself"
"You seriously want to collect half of my suppers to tell me a little thing? June looked sincerely surprised.
"Yes"
"I don't know you anymore, James Acorn"
"We are here" Alfred announced as they made the last turn into the lane that led to their gates.
The Castle Acorn stood majestic in the sunset, like a giant piece of sculpture from the hands of the Great Michaelangelo. Lawns spread unending, a swarm of swans swimming across the pond nearby. Butterflies fluttered over the meadow, drifting with the gush of evening breeze. Only one word can describe this place. Enchanting.
The Jeep waited at the gate, as Alfred talked to the intercom. The twins could hear Mario's voice over the radio.
"Santa Maria! mi familia are around. Biennonida, mi small Boss and Madame"
"Thanks Mario" the twins said in unison.
The automatic gate opened and admitted the car. A single driveway led to the castle. It broke a few yards before the door, the right one leading to the garage. Before the children could alight, a myriad of housekeepers have surrounded the car chatting animatedly in English and Spanish. They carried their luggage in.
"Miss Thompson!" June beamed at the site of a duck. It was leading a single line comprises herself and seven ducklings. She quacked several times "How so nice to see you again!"
"More like Mrs Thompson now. I see she had been busy making kids too" James said "Race you upstairs"
"Stop that James, don't you remember we are longer children"
"Last one is a bald parrot!"
"Oh no, not a bald parrot!"
At that James ran towards the mahogany front door. June doesn't want to run but she knew she won't live down the ridicule of James calling her a bald parrot if she doesn't try to race him.
"Be gentle children, don't hurt yourself!" Alfred called after them.
James ran into the house slamming the door behind himself. He could hear his sister complain as he darted across the tiled floor and up the stairs. The house was in order just like Mom instructed it to be kept.
Four cotton chairs lay in the living room facing a sixty inch television hanging over a chimney. The wall are polished bricks perfectly decorated with pictures of the family. By the closest window the portrait of June when she was five and up the stairs are a couple of all of them, as he brushes by he could see a picture of himself in his father's hold.
He stopped at once.
Oh Dad
He could hear June open the door and run up the stairs too. But he had lost all his drive and the fun in running. He stood there until his sister ran past him. She had got to the other stairs that linked the west wing of the house before she noticed her brother.
"What?"
James jerked out of his thoughts "Oh nothing, just miss Dad, that's all"
"Hey"
"You believe me right"
"Believe what"
"That he is not dead"
June came closer to her brother "You see in life people die. It might really hurt us, but that's the reality, there's nothing we can do about it, no matter how much we deny it, it's the truth"
"You don't believe me too?"
"Promise me something and I will tell you the truth"
"What is that?"
"How you made those cockroaches obey you"
"June!"
"Is it a deal or not, twin brother?"
James ran his hand through his hair, it's not like it's secret, so why not. And he really wanted to know if June believed him.
"This is it, they are not real. They are remote controlled rubber cockroaches made by Nikita"
"Nikita Lee?" June made a face.
"Yes, Nikita Lee, why"
"So you have started collaborating with your girlfriend. I didn't know she's into tech"
"Nikita Lee is not my girlfriend"
"Liar, liar, pants on fire"
"Very funny June, I don't wear pants"
"Liar, liar, boxers on fire"
"Shut up, potato head"
"Silly, silly, you silly"
"Lobster Head"
"Crab face"
"Orge"
"Goblin"
"Elf ear!"
"Ah, how dare you say something like that to me, take that back now. Worm legs!"
"Caterpillar"
"Who is calling another person names in my house!" someone said
The twins looked in the direction of the voice
"Mom!" they said in unison.
~~~~~~<>~~~~~~
Lilian Acorn is a tall lanky woman with the face of a goddess. Many times Alfred had taunted her she was the incarnate of the Roman goddesses of Love, Venus. Of course she says she was just an average Briton that was an obvious lie. From class to composure, to countenance and finances, Mrs Acorn was swimming in the high echelons of society with the elite.
Her husband's unfortunate circumstances put a dent in her lifestyle and have changed her as a mother. Before she was always cute and cuddly and always there for her kids. Now she was barely home, traveling from one continent to the other, promoting her fashion designing works. Why she was home in the middle of summer, the kids can't imagine, maybe her show got canceled or she caught a fever.
The kids ran into the room and she stopped June from hugging her with a wave of the hand. She was on the phone. Her freckled face glowing in a mismatch of anger and concern.
"Okay, I understand....affirmative...they just arrived...that is quite unfortunate...I will take care of it...totally...that won't be necessary I am assuring you...my apologies for the problems he might have caused you" She smiled, it was fake "Alright then, I am sincerely grateful for your concerns, thanks"
Phone cuts. Mrs Acorn turns around like a mechanical robot.
"Mom!" June jumped into her mother's embrace. It wasn't warm but the teenage girl would take any fragment of her mother's touch.
"How do you do June" she said with the slightest of affection, then her eyes were on the boy.
"James Elias Acorn, what is this I hear you did in school? Since when did my son started beaten people up. Since when did he become a bully?"
"Mom, I didn..."
"Be quiet when I am talking to you. I just received a call from Mrs Higginbotham complaining about your behavior. Why did you to totally destroyed the laboratory, when did you stopped being such a dear and become so roguish?"
"But Mom he started it first. Collins is the bully not me. I was only trying to defend myself and my friends. Ask June she will tell you"
"Ah, by injuring your fellow student and running me into a thousand pound dept! What is wrong with you? If someone was bothering you, why can't you report him to the authorities? And June why can't you keep an eye on your brother?"
"I...er..hmm..."
"You are twins for God sake. You got to look out for each other"
"He didn't tell me of his plans mother, you know I would have talked him out of it"
"Ah, you this children are killing me. First I have to square with that loony Mr Stuart then I have to deal with my shi being canceled then your father remembrance, and then you are giving me problems too!"
June was shocked at her mother's scream. She took a step backwards.
"He is not dead, Mom" James whispered
"What did you say?"
"I said he is not dead"
"Who is not dead. You are getting more complicated per second"
"Dad is not dead"
Mrs Acorn looked her son like he had gone insane
"You have gone totally bananas!"
"I am not mad, mother. They didn't see a body, they didn't see his plane either. If he had crashed like they told us, at least we should see his corpse"
"Enough of this rubbish, go to your room now. And never come down all summer. Until you start to think straight again, you are not going anywhere, you daft thing!"