Ellie Elmore A Life Touched by Gods & Men

Episode 1 … First Encounter First Impression-3

‘Well, I’ve good news for you. I think?’ says Madge. ‘because I’ve found a young man, my paperboy, actually, and he has some friends who play music, I think. Plus, I’ve a hunch, it’s only a hunch mind, but I’m willing to bet real money these teenagers have something to hide. Just call it a mother’s intuition,’ says Madge.

‘That sounds a long shot to me,’ replies Eddie.

‘Think about it for a moment,’ says Madge. ‘My paperboy let slip that he and his friends were working on something, and he shut up pretty damn quick once he knew he’d let it slip. Now that suggests a secret to me. Now, think about your two teenagers. They were playing their music in an old disused car factory. That suggests to me that they don’t want people to know about them. Another secret? So, it all ties together … well sort of,’ adds Madge.

‘Anyway,’ continues Madge quickly, ‘last Wednesday, my paperboy agreed to bring his friends around here to have a look at my old shed. He said he’d fix it up for me if I paid him, and he’d ask his friends if they’d like to help so they could all earn some money, but I haven’t heard from him since.’

‘Yeah! It’s all a long shot all right.’ Replies Eddie. ‘But you could be right thinking about it like that. And you’re really gonna pay them to fix up our old shed?’

‘Yes, I said I’d pay them if they want to do it. And yes, it is a long shot, but you know what I’m like with my hunches,’ she adds.

‘Oh! I know all about your hunches,’ says Eddie. ‘So what happens now?’

‘I’m not sure, and I admit I’m a bit worried,’ replies Madge, nibbling at a single fingernail on her left hand. ‘I just hope young Johnny is okay … that’s his name, Johnny.’

‘I’m sure he’s okay,’ replies Eddie. ‘You know what these young boys are like these days. They never tell you anything until the last minute, and that’s if they tell you anything at all.’

Eddie and Madge continue their conversation for quite some time, talking mostly about the two teenagers that day in the old car factory. Then Eddie remembers something.

‘Oh, by the way, I won’t be able to visit next weekend. I have an important business meeting on Saturday afternoon which will likely run late into the evening, so I’ll phone you one night in the week next week to see if you’re okay or have any news,’ he says.

‘That’s fine. I’ll speak to you in the week then,’ replies Madge, not surprised at Eddie’s workload. ‘Bye for now,’ she adds, before hanging up.

***

Monday morning, Madge is up early and eating breakfast, and after she finishes, she starts her house work as usual. Madge is happily running her vacuum cleaner over her back-room carpet while listening to the tunes on her favourite radio station, when young Johnny pops into her head again.

Strange? thinks Madge, stopping her vacuum cleaner and standing still for a moment in the middle of her room. Four days now as well! she continues.

Johnny has been on Madge’s mind all weekend, and for the life of her, she just can’t fathom out why she hasn’t heard from him yet, and it’s beginning to bug her. So, after her house work is complete, Madge decides to go for a walk around her local area to ask her neighbours if they know anything about their young paperboy. Madge asks everyone and anyone she meets, but no one has a clue as to what’s happened to him. Not one single person. Until Tuesday evening that is.

‘Well, well, well. If it isn’t my ex-paperboy, young Johnny,’ says Madge on answering her front door.

Because there stands Johnny, loud and proud, and he’s all smiles because he’s not alone.

‘And I see it takes three to deliver a newspaper these days?’ continues Madge, trying not to sound surprised as she raises her eyebrows and turns side on to Johnny while folding her arms, making the young girl chuckle out loud.

‘I’ve quit my paper round,’ says Johnny, folding his arms across his chest. ‘So I can work on your shed,’ he adds, displaying a wide grin before putting his hands on his hips. ‘Anyway, these are my friends that I told you about.’

‘Hello to you both,’ says Madge, flicking her eyes back and forth between the teenagers.

‘My friends want to have a look at your shed,’ continues Johnny. ‘And if it fits the bill, you’ve got a deal. We’ll fix it up for you.’

‘So what are your names?’ asks Madge, now leaning gently against the framework of her front door while acknowledging Johnny’s comments and looking at the young girl.

‘Ellie Elmore,’ replies the girl, smiling politely.

‘Ellie Elmore,’ repeats Madge, now standing up straight. ‘What a lovely smile and beautiful, wavy, shiny black hair. Is your hair—’

‘Naturally black,’ replies Ellie, finishing Madge’s sentence. ‘Yes, it is.’

Ellie has beautiful hair just like her mother Eleanor had, and Eleanor’s mother was born in China, resulting in her passing down many of her Chinese traits, culture and features to Eleanor, who herself, passed them down to Ellie.

After Eleanor died, Ellie’s dad Jack promised to help Ellie trace her mother’s family tree using the Internet. He also said they’d visit China one day, but that was years ago, and they haven’t done either as yet.

Madge notices that Ellie is wearing a pair of sunny blue coloured, tight-fitting jeans, a black T-shirt with a rock band motif on it, and what looks to be a brand new pair of white trainers. Plus, Ellie has a purple coloured patch of dyed hair to the front left-hand side of her hairline, but apart from that, she looks like your average sixteen-year-old girl.

‘And your name, young man?’ asks Madge, turning towards the boy.

‘Mee,’ he replies quickly. ‘Short for Michael Edward Edwardson, and no, my hair’s dyed black. And I too have a purple patch, but it’s at the back.’ He turns to show Madge.

‘So you have,’ says Madge, bending forward to get a closer look at Mee’s purple tuft of hair. ‘And I’m pleased to meet you, both of you.’

Mee is dressed in jet-black skinny jeans, a black T-shirt, also with a rock band motif on it, and a pair of pointed black leather ankle boots complete with a chrome zip up the inside, plus a large, polished, square chrome buckle on the front of each boot for decoration.

‘Pleased to meet you too,’ says Ellie, seeming to take an instant liking to Madge.

‘Why, thank you, young lady,’ replies Madge. ‘And a deal, you say, Johnny? You’d better come and have a look at my old shed then,’ she continues, leading all three guys into her house and then through into her back garden and up to her shed.

‘What the— It’s—’ stutters Mee, eyebrows raised, eyes wide open and gazing straight at the shed.

‘Big,’ adds Ellie, tilting her head to one side.

‘Big enough, I think!’ says Johnny, putting his hands on his hips and nodding knowingly towards the shed. ‘Big enough for sure.’

‘Yeah,’ agrees Ellie. ‘Big enough is right.’

‘Would you like to have a look inside?’ asks Madge, glancing a smile towards Ellie.

‘Please,’ she replies.

‘I’ll just pop and get the key.’ says Madge returning moments later with the shed key in hand, and grinning because of Ellie’s gaze towards the shed.

‘Come on, young lady,’ says Madge, giving Ellie a gentle nudge, ‘let’s take a look inside.’ She unlocks the padlock on the shed’s double doors before throwing them wide open and leading Ellie and the boys inside the musty room.

‘Well, what do you think?’ asks Madge, scratching the back of her head while turning around to check out the inside of her shed.

‘Arrrggghh!’ screams Johnny, stepping back quickly. ‘I hate spiders.’ As a tiny little spider crawls up the shed wall close to where his hand had just been, making the other guys chuckle, even Madge.

‘Don’t be such a wuss,’ says Ellie, teasing Johnny as the laughter quickly fades.

‘It’s filthy in here,’ says Mee, now wiping his finger along one of the old wooden shelves fixed to the wall running along the back of the shed.

‘Dirty, dusty and most likely full of spiders,’ agrees Johnny.

‘It’s big enough, which means plenty of space to work and grow,’ says Ellie, her eyes bright. ‘It’s dry, not overlooked, and completely private. And I’m getting good vibes. I’m starting to tingle,’

‘And with a little elbow grease, this old shed could be the perfect place for you young people to do whatever it is you want to do. As long as it’s legal,’ says Madge, agreeing with Ellie, as Mee starts walking slowly around the shed, like an animal stalking its prey.

Mee looks the shed over in great detail from top to bottom. Then, he stands still, just looking around. ‘I think you could be right, Ellie. There’s plenty of space, and with a bit of work—’ He begins walking around the shed again. ‘Yeah! It’s got loads of potential.’

‘Right, Madge. It sounds like you have a deal,’ says Johnny excitedly.

‘Great,’ replies Madge, feeling butterflies in her tummy as she realises a deal’s about to be hammered out. ‘What’s the deal then?’

‘You pay us to fix up your old shed, and we’ll—’ says Johnny, starting off his pitch.

‘NO!’ shouts Ellie, interrupting her friend. ‘No, Johnny, we’re not doing this just to make money.’

Johnny looks at the floor and takes a step back while putting his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

‘Sorry, Johnny,’ continues Ellie softly while giving him a warm smile.

‘Is it okay if I call you Madge?’ says Ellie, turning her attention towards Madge and looking her in the eye.

‘That’s my name, young lady,’ replies Madge, impressed with Ellie’s polite manners, even if she’s taken aback by Ellie’s defiant interruption of Johnny.

‘To be honest, Madge, we don’t want to take any money off you,’ says Ellie, ‘but we will help you if you help us. So, if you supply the paint and materials to fix up your shed, we’ll provide our time and labour for free. If you agree, that is, once we’ve finished, you’ll let us use your shed for as long as we want and for free. Is that a fair deal?’ asks Ellie.

‘Sounds like a fair deal to me, young lady,’ replies Madge as her butterflies start to subside. ‘And thank you for your honesty. It will make for a good working relationship.’

‘What! You mean we don’t get paid? No money, none?’ says Johnny, unable to hold his tongue any longer to moan as if someone had just ripped his heart out.

‘That’s right, Johnny,’ replies Ellie, turning to look at him. ‘Madge will supply all the materials, and we’ll provide our time and labour. That way we get to use the shed for free whenever we want, within reason. Now don’t you think that’s a fair deal?’ asks Ellie, nodding at Johnny.

‘Jeez! No money. We’re not getting paid, and I gave up my paper round. What’s my life coming to? All work and no money, that’s what,’ he continues, moaning.

‘Cheer up, Johnny. It sounds like a good deal to me. Just think of all the practice time we’ll get, and with all this space to do it in,’ says Mee as he looks round the shed again.

‘But working for no money, Mee. It’s not right,’ mumbles Johnny. ‘Just not right.’

Everyone is happy the deal is now complete, except for Johnny, as he continues to mutter his disappointment, but mainly to himself now.

‘Are you sure about this, young lady?’ asks Madge, looking at Ellie.

‘I’m sure. Very sure,’ replies Ellie, giving Madge a knowing nudge of the arm. ‘Aren’t we, Johnny?’ she asks, smiling at him.

‘Oh yeah, we’re sure,’ agrees Johnny.

‘There’s one rule, though!’ says Madge abruptly as her face expresses a serious look. ‘The deal’s off if any of you bring me any trouble. I won’t let you use my old shed ever again if you bring any trouble around here. Understood? No trouble or else,’ she adds.

‘No problem, Madge. We’re not troublemakers,’ says Ellie, making eye contact with Madge. ‘We’re just your average teenagers who have a dream.’

Madge feels assured by Ellie’s comments, and she’s happy because everything seems to be going extremely well. Plus, she’s getting a warm feeling about her hunch concerning Ellie and the boys being right. But it’s going to be a big let-down for all involved if Madge is wrong or she has to change her mind about the guys using her shed.

‘And you know what? I think we’re all going to get along just fine,’ says Madge, changing the subject slightly while looking at Ellie and the boys.

Ellie walks out into the garden and stands to look at the big old oak tree rooted firmly in the opposite corner of Madge’s garden. Then Ellie stretches her arms out to her sides. ‘You see that old tree?’ says Ellie to everyone, who are now all standing beside her. ‘Just sitting beneath an old tree like that on a warm summer’s day could give a girl a whole host of ideas and inspiration.’ She continues swaying from side to side mimicking the tree’s branches as they move gently in the breeze.