shadows

August was the coldest month (1)

Emil was a delightful seven year old. Certainly not the most handsome in all of the world. Not even the favourite boy of everyone all over. But none of that mattered. To his family, he was the best. To all who knew him, he was delightful.

And today was a big day.

“Are you sure you want to go to school?” Green asked.

“Yes, grandma,” Emil said, sounding so much cuter while trying to sound more grown up. “I am sure.”

He did get the words perfect. He could have fooled someone. If not for his voice. And if not for his size. He was a seven year old. An average sized seven year old. And nothing could make that any difficult to see.

“But it won’t be as fun as home,” Green cried.

Grandma was as old as the world itself, according to aunty Ray. Mummy didn’t say it out loud, but didn’t say that wasn’t true. And that was why Emil felt it right to believe it as true. And seeing his grandma who was so old crying like a baby tickled him to tears.

Green knew what the little boy was thinking. She couldn’t even frown, however. Because he was just so delightful. How could she get angry at him?

“Okay,” Green said, pulling a serious face, “then we will decide this over the roundtable.”

“We’ve already decided on it over the roundtable,” Emil shot back.

“We’ll decide it for sure today,” Green said unabashedly. “Call everyone.”

Emil sighed. Nodded. Took a deep breath. And hollered. And when he hollered, his voice was frighteningly loud. Everyone all across the house heard him perfectly clear.

“Roundtable.”

And so, everyone gathered around the perfectly round table in the room which aunty Ray called the drawing room even though no one actually drew anything in there. Grandma Green said they should call it for what it was. The roundtable room. Aunty Ray scoffed. One of those rare times when aunty Ray dared to do it, and didn’t have to stand on the receiving end of grandma’s fury.

Green was at the head of the round table. Emil was to her right. Ray to her left. Emilia was to Emil’s right. And the final chair was free. Owing to it being an impromptu meeting grandma Renee couldn’t make it. Not that it made a lot of difference. Her stand had been the same since the start. She was on Emil’s side, that he had to go to school. Of course, she would throw a fit, when she learned of the meeting. How could they have a meeting without her participation when it concerned her darling grandson?

Green cleared her throat. An action signalling the start of the meeting. And Emil spoke first.

“Grandma called this meeting to discuss, once again, school. I say the same. I want to go.”

Green glared at her delightful baby. That was right. He was seven, but Emil was still her baby. And that was one big reason why she wasn’t accepting of school. The glare couldn’t be any faker. Scared no one. Least of all Emil.

“I say it’s not necessary,” Green said next. “The reason is the same. There’s nothing he can learn at school that we cannot teach him. In fact, he would learn more from us.”

Ray nodded in agreement. This was one of those other times when she stood by her master’s side completely.

“I agree,” Ray said, surprising no one.

“But,” Emilia said, the start already surprising the others, “I have come to see it Emil and Renee’s way. He would make friends with children his age. That might be good for him. We never know.”

“Might be,” Green agreed. “Might not. Can’t say either for certain.”

Emilia agreed. That was the only point she had in support of the idea.

“I’ve got something else,” Emil said suddenly. All eyes were on him. He smiled, loving the attention. And spoke confidently. “Something new. I was on the internet. Two days ago, I found a new school. I think you would all agree to this school. Augustus academy.”

There was silence. Emilia hadn’t heard the name. She didn’t have an opinion. Green and Ray were different. They knew of the school. They knew it wasn’t easy to come across the academy on the internet. Certainly not as easily as Emil was making it sound. They were absolutely certain there was more to it. And if not, if Emil did find the academy entirely by accident, that was scarier.

And Green was shocked even more, because she felt it again. The ripple. Her eyes went wide. Glowing with the green sheen. The air thinned around her, throwing out almost invisible specs in all directions. She was having a vision.

Ray had grown a lot too. She was still not comparable to her master, but she was so much more than she was before. And, she felt it too. As if from a great distance. The ripple. And much more clearly she felt the effect the ripple had on Green. And her eyes froze on Emil’s smile. She had no vision though. That wasn’t how it worked for her.

“What is it?” Emilia whispered to her son.

Emil shook his head. Still smiling. Staring at aunty Ray and grandma Green. No different at all. He let out a giggle, after the longest moment.

Green came back. Shaken. Staring slack jawed at Emil.

“August,” she said slowly. And seriously. “How did you hear of it?”

“I didn’t,” Emil answered honestly.

“You didn’t?” Green asked.

Emil shook his head innocently.

“I didn’t. Really.”

And he wasn’t lying. He truly hadn’t heard of the academy. But that wasn’t the whole truth. And even though he showed nothing on his face, convincing his mother, Green and Ray weren’t convinced. They just didn’t know what to say, or how to proceed.

“So,” Emil said, breaking the silence. “Is Augustus academy okay?”