The Business of Time Travel Tourism

Chapter 21: The Reunion

 June 30, 2014. Monday.

Only four days had passed, but for George it felt as if it was eternity because only after an eternity or more he would start missing his mother. Of course, when he opened the door of his room, she was going to scream and shout at him. But it did not matter, only that everyone was safe mattered. He would think of a lie or two to soften the situation if needed be.

He unlocked and opened the door quickly in the peculiar heroic posture, hand on his hips, and was about to say a few words but did not get the chance. The first thing he saw was a white blanket held high and extended wide coming his way. He got wrapped, hugged and taken down to the ground.

Then, in the darkness he heard John's voice, "I'm holding him, run, run, run."

George identified at least three people passing him by, the last one being his mother who said, "Here you go, you scum." and kicked him in the head.

"Don't wait for me!" John shouted to the group running down the stairs.

"Damn, John," George mumbled. "You're so heavy. Let me go."

"Who are you monster, and why do you suddenly speak English so well?"

"What monster, you blind douche? Look at my size, look at my shoes, recognize my voice."

"Oh!" John stared at the size of his victim. "Oh!" He turned behind and identified George's shoes then lifted up the blanket and saw his friend's face. "Oh!"

"Yeah. Oh," George said and sat down on the ground scratching his forehead where a big red bump had just grown.

They got up and went to the kitchen, where a crowd of people was shaking hands, introducing themselves. The only person nowhere to be seen was Zoop. Perhaps it was not a bad idea for him to stay away for a while, George figured.

An elderly couple, he had never seen before, sat beside Sandy and told her their story. The man scratched his bald head, while his small wife, wearing a red shiny kerchief and a neat coat of the same color, explained that they had used all their savings to come to this place for the vacation of their lifetime.

Mother was watching over the heating teapot with her hands crossed, smiling, radiating menace, which only George could sense. As he approached the mother with his heart sunk, George caught a few old lady's words.

She spoke, "The creature with the black glasses had suggested us to use the time-traveler's belts and go home, but we refused to. You wouldn't imagine how expensive the time travels are. Thank God you saved us."

George came to the mother and all sounds inside the room dimmed to the background.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine, sonny, just fine," she said with the wide smile that frightened George. "Could have told me something, anything. It all came as a surprise. Surprises... You know how I love surprises." She sighed, came to the table and pushed one of the chairs away, then kindly said, "Sit down. We can talk about this later."

When George did as asked and mother padded his shoulder, shivers ran down his spine. To think less on the upcoming gloomy days, he decided to join the conversation.

He addressed the couple, "I bet John and Sandy could show you the city while we clean up the place."

"Yes, please go and have a fun time. You deserve it," the mother said and padded George's shoulder once again. "George has a lot of mess to clean up doesn't he? All those rivers of poo in our corridor are not going to clean themselves. Are they? I bet his co-worker from the tourism agency,"— she turned to Sally,— "would like to do something about the little sleeping clients."