Marcus sighed at that memory. Oh well, what was he to do? He was no Joey.
Still though, he finally got through the girl. She was quite chatty once they were home. She showed her toys, books, and colors…. Oh boy, that was another whole other adventure he didn't want to think about. But still, it had helped him get his mind off of things. Of his previous home, his foster siblings…. just everything.
He was even considering reading the books Nina showed him. The "Harry Potter" series she said. It didn't look much from its cover. A lanky boy with glasses standing there beside a black & red steam train. Backside though, was kinda interesting. An old man with a big ass beard and curvy glasses. The summary/intro was also intriguing.
He had asked Nina about it and she had gone on and on about a little orphan boy who came to know he was a wizard, how he went to the castle and all. It sounded kinda fun. Not too close to home or anything.
"Well," he thought, "first gotta haul this big load of mowed grass. And gotta get my money from those 2 cronies."
He then hefted the garbage bag near the trash can, cleared out the equipment, washed his hands under a hose, and then finally called the 2 residents of the house.
"Mrs. Wyrd! Mrs. Sweltan! I'm done with the lawn! Can I get some water?" he called inside the house. "I'm finally done with repairs and weeding the house area. It took 3 days of labor, but it's done," he sighed inwardly.
"Come in, Kane!" replied the 2 cronies, weirdly in sync.
He sighed. Now he would have to go in and talk to the weird ladies. The house kinda smelled musty, and the 2 ladies just got on his nerves. Also, their names were weird as heck.
As he came into the living room, the 2 cronies were sitting on their respective chairs.
"Cronies," wasn't quite the word to describe Mrs. Sweltan. She was a black lady, with shoulder-length, salt-and-pepper hair, moderate wrinkles on her face, a heavy-set body, but still surprisingly quite healthy. She always had that stern yet gentle look on her face.
Now Mrs. Wyrd though…. was a classic "ancient lady." She had a small stature with pale yet rosy skin. She had quite the wrinkles on her face and wire glasses on her nose. Hair in those "curlers," that were definitely dyed black. Her mouth was pressed in a straight line when she read, but she was quick to smile and…. curse.
"Finally here, you bantling!?" Mrs. Wyrd squeaked out in her "old lady" voice.
"Yes, Mrs. Wyrd." "—you old bat!" he replied and thought inwardly.
At that, Sweltan chuckled. She looked at him with her mean smirk and twinkle in her eye. He smiled back, a little confused and nervous. "Definitely old cronies," he thought.
"Come on, suga', you want water, right? Sit here, I'll get it for ya," said Sweltan as she got up.
"Oh no—," just as he was about to refuse, the other lady cut in.
"Sit yo' butt down, runt!" croaked Wyrd.
Well, what was he to do? So he sat his ass down. He didn't want to know more synonyms for a "rugrat." After some time, Sweltan came back with a big ass pitcher and 3 glasses. She sat in her chair and set down the utensils she brought with her on her table. She then proceeded to pour some sticky liquid from the pitcher into glasses.
"Um, Mrs. Sweltan, what…what is that?" he asked hesitantly.
"Something sweet. Don't you worry, suga', I'm not trying to kill you," she reassured him with a smile. At that though, Wyrd started laughing. Sweltan's expression immediately soured, and she glared at her.
"Ohohoho—ho—ho, my word! That's the biggest fucking joke of a millennia! Oh my word!" That was Wyrd, a "weird" combination of polite and slang. But why did she laugh? Did he unknowingly come into the house of some serial killer duo?
He nervously glanced at Sweltan. She didn't look like she could muster up any strength to kill anyone. Then what was it? Wait! He looked at the glass filled with sticky liquid. Poison-coated glass? He immediately started to sweat.
He heard Sweltan sigh. He immediately stood up. Why did she sigh? Was she losing her facade or something?
Sweltan looked up at him. "Suga', what's with you? Come on drink." She gestured at the glasses.
He nervously shook his head and was inching toward the exit. She then in return glared at him for a moment and sighed. "Suga', if I wanted to kill you, I could've done that much earlier." She glanced at his tensed posture, the still-laughing Wyrd, and humphed in annoyance.
"Alright, alright. You first sit and tell us which glass to drink from. Happy?" she asked calmly.
He nodded and then sat on the sofa. Then he pointed at 2 random glasses and just looked at them. She nodded back at him and then passed the glass to Wyrd. They both then knocked down their drinks in one go and looked at him. He looked back at them and then took the glass.
He also knocked down the whole glass in one go. Next moment he was literally coughing his throat out. After a moment of internal panic about imminent death, he realized he was alive but kinda woozy…. and very happy.
The 3 looked at each other and immediately started laughing. He laughed till he was gasping and holding his stomach.
"That was funny!" he slurred.
"Fucking funny!" Wyrd laugh-croaked.
Sweltan just smiled. "Told you, it was sweet, right?"
He just nodded and gestured for more. They nodded and held up their glasses. They went on drinking glass after glass, until they had 3 or 4 drinks. The cronies asked about him and his story… he just went along and told them about it all.
Wyrd and Sweltan got so emotional, they sat beside him and patted him on the back while blowing their hankies. They laughed their eyes out when he told them about his new temp home and his foster sister's antics.
"Can't even get some pu**y, what a whelp!" Wyrd cackled.
"Ey crone, ain't no my fault she doesn't swing that way!" he replied, slurred, getting red in the face.
"Now now, honey. Here get some to calm down. The old bat doesn't know about kids these days," Sweltan said consolingly as she poured him some more of the stuff from the pitcher.
"What's it anyways?" he muttered as he downed another glass. It wasn't bothering him much now. Everything was light and fluffy. He got such a kick talking with these cronies—no ladies!
Suddenly, Wyrd shouted, "Drat!"
"What's the matter?" he asked, vision getting kind of hazy.
But she was looking at Sweltan with wide eyes and her finger was pointing at her shaking. "You beldam! You served him directly?!" she asked loudly.
"Ay Mrs, Wzzz, thaz razist! I'm not raz..razist!" he slurred at Wyrd. "Weird," he thought.
"Everything is hazy… so heavy…. " He was slowly leaning back on the sofa.
"Told you, Jaegar was a bad idea, you old bat! Stuff keeps happenin' around you, Fate!" shouted Sweltan.
"My fault!? Dead people are your territory! And since when does Death serve anyone!? My fault she says!" bellowed-croaked Wyrd-Fate.
"You ska—" Sweltan or Death was about to argue, but was cut off by Marcus's giggling.
"Mrsssss Wyrrrrd, you're looking sooooo 'wy-rd'!" slurred Marcus and dissolved into fits of giggles.
The cronies were caught off guard as they nearly forgot about him.
"Well? DO something about him!" Wyrd gestured at him.
Sweltan slowly shook her head. She had a resigned expression on her face.
"Bah! So much for the powerful and the inevitable!" scoffed Wyrd.
The trio then sat in silence—except for Marcus's rambling and giggling. As time trickled by, the sun rays died down, it was clear that the cronies had caused something inevitable. Death. The giggles and ramblings slowly died.
"W-Why is it so dark…. Mrs…Mrs… I…go back… read ha…y potter… need..ney…" Marcus was muttering faintly, as his vision went dark and his breathing slowly eased to a stop.
Sweltan slightly sniffled. Wyrd gently patted her back.
"So, Jaegar was a bad idea," said Wyrd after a while. Sweltan glared at her and wiped her eyes.
"Old as time and still like this, Sweltan?" Wyrd asked.
"I am who I am, Wyrd. Aren't you the same? Didn't even catch a tear in your eye," Sweltan retorted.
"Fair enough." Omniscience was a burden after all.
"So, where did he go now?" asked Sweltan quietly, looking at Wyrd.
"Wherever fate takes him, I suppose. Wherever he is needed and in place of someone who couldn't survive," replies Wyrd, opening her book.
"Wyrd! Hasn't he suffered enough? Why again as an orphan?" asked Sweltan frowning.
"He will be fine, Sweltan. Now, let me read my book in peace," replied Wyrd as she turned the pages of her book, amidst Sweltan's grumbling.
==========
"CHAPTER ONE: THE BOY WHO LIVED
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious…"
During their conversation, Marcus's body turned to light, and the light particles had floated out of the house, into the wind as they floated past the Andrews' house where Nina was waiting for her tickets, floated past Eli and all the foster siblings, that were now again reunited at another group home, but together…. and the light particles—Marcus vanished into the night, leaving the land of mortals.