Bank Redemption Day - Zero Hour. Late Afternoon, Jerusalem, Israel.
“Here you are Mr Davies!” Owain uncoiled himself out of the Fiat onto the footpath and stretching as he stood up. He nodded to Yuri, “Thanks for sure Yuri!” Yuri grinned his thanks, with his black moustache hanging over his top lip like some great creature sunning itself at the front of its cave.
Owain watched the Fiat speed off then turned back to Marion Rosen’s guest house. Ai, No Good Boyo, he said quietly to himself mimicking his favourite character from Under Milkwood, what a couple of days it’s been. Righto lets see to this lot then!
He opened the doors of history and the room full of noise stopped in it’s tracks and turned to look at him. Owain continued through the doors trying not to add to much of his own history to it’s pattina. Samara came over to him smiling and he was thankful she didn’t possess the familial sized mouth and lips.
“Ignore this lot, Owie”, she said using Lawrence McDonalds aussie term of endearment for him. “Auntie Marion has told everyone how lovely you are and I’m fending them all off with a smile!” Samara tilted her head slightly and crossed her eyes at him as she said this and Owain bit his lip so he didnt laugh at her sarcasm. “… and just a warning Owain dear,” she added taking his arm and leading him toward the dinning room, “do not show one gram of interest in me or they will start buying baby clothes for us!”
Owain caste a surreptitious glance around the room full of potential in laws and said a silent prayer to which ever ancient welsh god was in charge of fending unwanted family!
“Ah Owain, wonderful, wonderful … Now let me introduce you.” Hiram Maxim, president of the International Peace Arts Committee, shook Owain’s hand more vigorously than was needed then turned them to greet the three other guest seated around the main dinning table. Samara poured tea for Owain and placed a selection of Marion’s famous cakes onto a small plate nearby.
“Owain, this is Krystian van Groote.” Owain shook the long fingered hand that was remarkably stronger than it looked. “Krystian is our European vice president, and Clara Spritman, our North American vice president!” Owain shook her hand which she held softly and he had the impression she would have allowed him to kiss it! Perhaps next time if it appeared the correct thing to do.
Owain was struck at how Americans had changed over the past couple of decades. No longer was there any pretension at equality and the good ol’ pioneering spirit. Privilege and the wealth divide were all too obvious now, perhaps even more so than in Europe. There the EU had allowed the mingling of peoples from east and west and north and south and a renewed sense of we can do this was pervading the continent. It was now the longest period of peace that Europe had experienced since the Roman empire and Europeans were fiercely protective of that peace. Even Russia’s maniac president Putin wasn’t able to intrude.
Owain had a fleeting thought that perhaps it was one of the European defense agencies that were responsible for the Djinn Lightning Interventions. He shook off the thought. No what I’d experienced wasn’t man made. It was beyond anything he had ever seen or researched since returning home!
Owain sat and sipped his tea as Hiram outlined the progress they had made in Owain’s Dream of an International Peace Arts Festival in Jerusalem. Clara went through the list of artists that had so far agreed to travel to perhaps the most dangerous capital city in the world and Krystian described the organisational hurdles still to be overcome in supplying the necessary materials for the artists to create their proposals.
Owain nibbled at a piece of Marion’s fruit cake while Clara outlined the nominated sites so far accepted by the Israeli and Palestinian authorities. He smiled at the cakes richness and wealth of flavour while doubts about this whole affair flooded his mind. Samara whispered to him that Marion had got Yuri to scour the web for recipes after hearing that fruit cake was his favourite. He made a mental note to thank her while fibbing to her that he did have a wife back in Cardiff.
A memory of the Barrier wall with the painting of the curtain to the sky crowded out the worries in his mind and he looked up just in time to meet their collective eyes as he realised the question he’d been asked. Owain rubbed his right Temple, “sorry, still get the occasional headache! What was the question.”
He saw them all smile and nod, “now don’t you stress over any of this Mr Davies,” Hiram placated. “You have done so much for our project just by your presence. If not for your backing the Israeli government wouldn’t even have considered this!
“Thank you Hiram, Clara, Krystian. If my notoriety, as such it is, aids this one step towards peace here then I will do whatever I can to assist.”
Owain felt his phone buzz in his pocket. It was the pattern he’d selected for his parents in Cardiff. “Please excuse me my parents, “Dafyd, yes I’m fine thanks, just in a meeting but never too busy to talk to you! You what? Really! Well I’ll be … Yes sure, give my love to mum, I’ll ring later and find out more, love you both!”
Everyone was staring at him as he swiped his phone screen to sleep then realised he was the focus of the silence. “Ah, apparently some one has hacked the international banking system and restored lost money to GFC victims. My Dah lost most of their savings when the Bank of Scotland collapsed!”
Everyone was nodding and grimacing as they remembered how the crash had affected them and theirs. Owain continued, “we thought we might get some sort of compensation when ANZ took over the BoS but those aussie mongrels were slick bastards and no-one got anything. … but now apparently everyone has! It’s most amazing!" and he looked from his phone to now expectant faces.
Owain watched them all take out the phones and tap out texts to friends and family. Very soon every one was chatting to happy relatives about returned savings and investments!
Samara looked at him, and then the others. A tingle went up her spine as she thought she saw an extra shadow or outline just behind Owain. She surreptitiously took photos and a video. If the Djinn had returned she was going to need proof before she published!