Far From Home

Chapter 2 - Sirens

The following day was going to be one like any other, it was summer, so the sun would shine bright and the birds would sing all in their glory. Adams parents were away on business, which meant that he would spend most of the summer with his babysitting grandmother, or Schneena as most people liked to call her.

Adam was usually up after his Schneena, but this morning was different. This morning Adam woke up to the sound of sirens wailing as police cars zoomed past his bedroom window. He sat up, his eyes squinting in the darkness of his room. Adam was afraid, he felt guilty.

He walked over to the light switch and flipped it, drenching the room with brightness. The Mickey Mouse clock that stood proudly on his night stand, right next to his dads emergency-only phone, read 5:18, his eyes darting from the clock to his bag which lay at the foot of his bed.

He knew what he had done and was afraid that the sirens were the police here to get him. As he ripped open the bag, peering into its dark abyss-like hole, he saw it, in a corner next to the apple his Schneena had given him, was the book, The Displaced Baby. Overcome with curiosity he had taken the book from Ms. Hodge when she wasnt looking, because surprisingly he found no other copy of it on any of the shelves in the book shop at the corner of Evergreen and Millview.

"Im sorry Ms Hodge, I promise to return it as soon as I finish it," Adam whispered to himself.

Grabbing it away from the darkness of his backpack, Adam quickly flipped through its pages; his mind racing with all the possibilities and adventures that such a tiny book could contain. Wanting to complete the book as soon as possible, he switched off the light, jolted to the bed, grabbed the phone from the nightstand and pulled the covers over his head.

Guided by the light of the phone, Adam read through the book. He laughed, he cried, and he rejoiced as the story went on. Just as he was finishing the last page of this magical, and yet borrowed book, Adam heard footsteps outside.

Throwing the cover off his head, Adam was almost blinded by the bright light of the summer sun. He glanced over at the Mickey Mouse clock, 7:21. The footsteps were of his Schneena getting up to fix breakfast.

Soon enough the whole house was filled with the sweet aromas of Schneenas amazing cooking. Adam quickly finished the book, content with how the story ended, with peace reigning throughout the war-torn land and the baby princess safely back in her own kingdom, the tale taught a lesson of perseverance and there being no place better than home. As soon as he placed the book silently back into his bag, he ran straight to the dining room. Schneena was already sitting at the table reading the days paper with a plethora of eggs, French toast, orange juice and, her special cup of tea, which always had a dash brandy, stretched out in front of her.

"Morning, Schneena!"

"And a lovely morning to you too, Adam", Schneena replied, her eyes peering from behind the paper. "What is with all the rush? You gave me quite a fright, running through the house like that."

"Oh nothing, I just couldnt wait for breakfast," Adam lied; he was in a rush to return the book to the shop," Theres nothing to be afraid of."

Schneenas lips made a little twitch which she was famous for; it meant that she did not approve of something, "Now Adam Care to repeat your words?"

"Oh, Im sorry umm.... There There is nothing of which to be afraid", Adam said, correcting himself.

"Now that is much better Remember a good posture only lasts for a while, but an excellent grammar...''

"Lasts a life time", Adam replied.

He was always annoyed by the fact that his Schneena had been a Language Professor in her early years, only because she was very strict when it came to proper adequate grammar. A Grammar-Nazi as some might say.

"May I eat now?" Adam asked, making sure he was correct this time.

Schneena gave her, also famous, nod of approval and went back to reading her paper.

Adam loved Schneenas breakfasts; he loved to indulge in the scrumptious eggs, get lost in the flavors of the French toast and swim in the river of orange juice, but today he had no time for indulging. He had to return the book, he had to apologize to Ms. Hodge and he had to do it as early as he could.