Blink {Featured}

Chapter Nine

John knew his younger self was sitting with Dad on the sofa just a few feet away from where he now stood. He dropped the envelope into the mailbox, snickered, and looked around for the star that would take him back to his own time. In a blink he was gone.

#

The front door slammed shut, and John and his Dad jerked as if becoming aware of things outside the television again.

'Those blooming shops,' Mam said. 'They were packed, Dan.'

John looked on as his father, his live, moving, and very real father got up from the sofa. It was fucking surreal!

'You Di,' said Dad, 'look beautiful.' He moved some stray strands of hair from her face and kissed her on the forehead.

Mam blushed and Dad wrapped his arms around her waist. 'Bloody charmer.' She hugged him back.

'Daddyyy!' From behind Mam, John heard his Tasmanian devil of a sister come running and watched her jump and latch onto Dad's leg.

'Well,' Dad said, 'I guess this is a group hug.' All three looked at John, who still stared in wonder at the sight before him. In a dream-like state, he got up and wrapped his arms around his parents, crushing them against him, wanting for the moment to be real, forever, perfect.

Mam laughed. 'Blimey, Dan what have you done with our teenage boy?'

Both of John's parents looked at each other and shrugged. John didn't let go. Maybe they thought he'd changed, but the truth was that they had changed. Everything had changed thanks to the Blink. God, he was so thankful for the Blink.

'Right,' Dad said after a couple minutes and pried each family member from him one by one. 'My throat is as dry as an Arab's flip flop. Who's for a cup of tea?'

'Oh yeah' --Mam kicked off her shoes and collapsed onto the sofa-- 'I'd kill for one.'

Dad looked at John with a question in his eyes, and John shook his head. 'No thanks, Dad. I've got some stuff to sort out.' He went to walk out of the room, but the door wasn't where it was supposed to be. What the fuck? John stopped and looked around. The door was to the right instead of where it was supposed to be, and a stern faced little girl stood in it with her arms folded. 'Tigger!'

John smiled, bent down, and kissed her on the forehead. 'Of course, Charlie.' 'Come on Roo, jumping is fun.' He bounced off, but Charlie didn't follow.

Instead she scowled at him briefly and turned on Dad. 'Tigerrr!'

Dad laughed. 'Okay, into the kitchen then,' he said, 'and you can have some milk and biscuits.' So Dad had replaced him? Or had he replaced Dad before Dad had come back from the dead? Mam giggled and picked up the paper, and the trio bounced into the kitchen singing the Tigger song.

In the kitchen, John lifted Charlie up onto the counter and watched with her as Dad made the tea. Life would never again be as miserable as it had been, even if Acko the Bastard got him on report again, even if Samantha Grimes never dated him. 'Don't make such a fuss Dad,' John said smiling. 'It's only a cup of tea.'

'Ah, yes,' said Dad, 'but if you're going to make something, why not do it right?'

John's eyes welled up with tears as he watched Dad and remembered the conversation he and Mam'd had just the other day in the kitchen. A morbid, sad conversation. Tea hadn't been as wonderful then. And come to think of it, the kitchen looked different. Had they remodelled it?

Mam walked into the kitchen holding the paper, a frown on her forehead. 'Dan, have you read this?'

Dad looked to what she was holding while his hands were busy with the tea making. 'Yeah Di, read it earlier. It was on the news too. Words can't express.'