The Guardian's Protector: The Chamber of Souls (22 page)

‘So did we,’ Jack said, ‘but apparently if they can’t come up with
anything
it’s better than saying the fire was deliberate.’

Tom reached into his pocket and took out a card he’d made for Jack and Winston. He then handed it to Jack, who opened it and read aloud.

‘Good always comes out of bad, so please don’t ever be sad. Your life’s not the same, but a loss makes a gain, so just know in the end you’ll be glad. Wow,’ Jack said, ‘that’s unbelievable. Did
you
make this up, Tom?’

‘Yes,’ he answered, and then he looked confused. ‘Well, I think so. It came from out of my head anyway.’

‘Thanks, man.’

‘You’re welcome, man,’ Tom said, giving him the high-five that was offered. Adaizi and Mark exchanged a smile as Amy gave Tom a proud squeeze.

After their drinks, they began to talk about the café’s plans and what they were going to do with the money.

‘Listen guys, I’ve been thinking,’ Amy began. ‘Sadly, I don’t think I’m going to be able to wait four or five months for the café to reopen. I’ll have to look for another job.’ Winston and Jack looked at each other and gave a strange smile.

‘Well,’ Winston said, ‘maybe we could do plan B after all, then.’

‘Plan B?’ Amy asked.

‘It’s only a thought…and I still feel a bit funny about it all,’ Jack put in.

‘Nonsense!’ Adaizi interjected. ‘You’ll be fantastic. I have every faith in you. It’s like it was meant to be.’

‘Maybe Tom’s poem is right,’ Winston offered.

‘I don’t doubt that,’ Adaizi said, turning to Tom with a loving smile. Tom sat at the table, gaping at Adaizi. Even when the others were talking, he was still staring at her.

‘What?’ Amy asked loudly, trying to get Tom to turn his head and join in.

‘We’re thinking of opening a martial arts club,’ Winston said. ‘With this guy passing his teaching course and being a black belt in everything as well as all his weapons, I think it could take off.’

‘It would be a split partnership, being that Winston has the money from the café and Jack has the talent,’ Adaizi said, business-like, ‘and we think we’ve found the best spot. There are no martial arts gyms this side of town so if we could get that old building just outside the gate facing the skate park, it would be great.’

‘Get your weapons out,’ Winston ordered, patting Jack on the back. ‘You can show Aunt Adaizi what you can do.’ Jack looked embarrassed and unsure.

‘I wouldn’t mind seeing it again,’ Mark encouraged.

‘Seeing what?’ Tom asked, who’d just realised he was missing out on something.

‘Jack’s weapons display,’ Winston said. ‘Do you want to see?’

‘Yes please!’

Needing no more persuasion, Jack jumped up out of his seat and entered the hall. He opened the cupboard at the side of the entrance doors where all his weapons were stored and took out his staff. Mad-Doris was just walking down the main stairs, followed by Lucy.

‘Don’ try and chop me ‘ead off this time, boy!’ Mad-Doris shouted.

‘I won’t, Mad-Doris, but you have to try and not walk into the weapon as I’m doing it.’

‘Alrigh’,’ she croaked, twitching her way to the living room alcove and dragging Lucy with her.

Harold and George, who Amy hadn’t noticed beforehand, stepped from the table near the living room to watch.

‘Okay, if everyone stands back, I’ll show you this!’ Jack said, swinging it around his head and jumping, the hall providing ample room for the purpose.

Everyone cheered and clapped as Jack spun and jumped into many different and spectacular stances. Amy didn’t realise how good a martial artist he’d become; it was like watching someone from a big screen film. A few people Amy hadn’t met joined Mad-Doris and Lucy in the living room alcove to watch. They asked him to show them different things with each one of his many weapons and he happily obliged.

‘I think you should definitely go with plan B,’ Amy concluded. ‘It’ll be brilliant.’ She would miss working with them and the thought of not seeing Jack every day choked her beyond measure, but she knew how happy he’d be doing what he loved. He looked over the moon for her blessing, but at the same time just as sad for it being the end of an era.

‘Can I see the rest of the home?’ Tom asked Mad-Doris, as if she was a tour guide.

She considered him for a moment and then asked, ‘Are yer mad?’

Tom looked at Lucy for help, who shrugged her shoulders. ‘I’m a bit of a freak,’ he offered, hoping that would be enough.

‘That’ll do. Folla me laddie!’ Mad-Doris crookedly made her way up the stairs, banging her feet unnecessarily hard. Amy shot a look to Mark, who signalled that he’d be fine.

‘So,’ Jack began, still out of breath from his demonstration. ‘Do
you
know how Ethan set fire to the place?’ Everyone went silent and turned to see.

‘No I don’t,’ Amy answered. ‘I just know he meant to!’

‘He certainly did,’ Winston asserted.

Adaizi gave Amy a kind smile for abiding by the rules. As they finished their drinks, Amy could see Jack’s mind whirling. It was obvious he couldn’t make any sense of it. After five minutes, Tom came back down the stairs, an excited look on his face.

‘Wow, it’s bigger than
really
big,’ Tom reported in amazement.

‘I think a thesaurus would be of interest to you next, Tom,’ Mark said. ‘Come with me,’ he added, holding out his hand. As Tom took it, Adaizi looked startled and Mark stopped. He turned, looked Adaizi square in the face and smiled like a naughty child. There was something Amy had missed. Amy’s eyes followed Mark as he led Tom into the room under the stairs—the one that must run behind the kitchen.

A moment later, Tom came out with a thesaurus in hand and an astounded look on his face. ‘I do like that room,’ he said. All those books stacked high and all those tables and chairs for people to sit in and read them.’

‘You’re welcome,’ Mark replied, shooting another cheeky look to Adaizi, who sat with prim disapproval. Amy hadn’t a clue what occurred but as she looked at her watch, she realised how long they’d been there.

‘We can’t leave David too long,’ she announced, then stood. ‘Tom, say goodbye to everyone.’

‘Bye everyone.’

‘See you Saturday, Mark,’ Amy said wistfully to Mark after she’d hugged Jack.

‘Can we come here again, Mum?’ Tom asked. ‘I like it here.’

‘You are welcome any time,’ Mark offered, beaming with pride. ‘David is welcome too,’ he added.

‘Thank you,’ Tom said. ‘I like this house and so will David. Do you know this house is as white as you?’

‘Err…thank you,’ Mark mumbled, meeting Amy’s eyes, a strange smile spreading across his face. Tom gave each person in the home a hug, including Lucy who, even though still timid, smiled and allowed him to.

Walking to the door, Mark suddenly took Amy’s hand. Her breath quickened from the warm sensation she felt travel from his hand straight to her heart, and she stared into his magnificent, teal eyes and found a subtle sadness behind them. He opened his mouth to speak but, as if he’d changed his mind at the last moment, he smiled.

‘I’m okay,’ she said, knowing he was concerned for her, which brought a lump to her throat. It was when he brushed a loose curl from her face back into her messy mane that Amy’s mouth fell open. It was a mindless action, like he’d done it a thousand times before, but to her it showed significantly that he was connected to her in the way she wanted. She held his gaze and longed to kiss him; she could see he held a longing of his own. If he wasn’t longing to kiss her, something else was frustrating him. He released her hand, but took in a deep breath as if sorry he had to let her go.

Walking down the path, Amy took a last look back at Mark, who stood at the door, waving them goodbye, and knew for sure there was something she was missing. She knew he cared deeply for her, but it was like he was trying to show her something. Her intuition told her it was dangling in front of her eyes. It was in his gaze, his expression, his whole manner—but again, it was something she just couldn’t put her finger on.

CHAPTER 15

THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER

As if the sun knew what day it was, the morning of Tom’s fourth birthday was a beautiful, scorching hot day. After Tom opened all the presents from Amy and the rest of the family, they were excited to set off to Mark’s. As they reached the archway to the Garden of Need, Amy let David off his lead.

‘He turns white when I stroke him, Mum,’ Tom said, watching him run down the hill.

Amy wasn’t fully listening to Tom. She kept turning her head from side to side as usual, always on guard.

‘You know, like you do when you love me…or when you’re near Mark?’

Amy’s attention now taken, she turned to take notice. ‘What?’

‘I think people who are feeling love or are being loving can turn white. David loves it when I tickle his belly. I’m white all the time. That’s because I’m special, just like Ethan is black all the time because he’s my opposite.’

‘You see people as colours?’ Amy asked, suddenly remembering what had Rose told her years ago.

‘They’re not really colours, they’re more like dark and light. When a person is being nasty they turn darker and when they’re being nice they turn lighter. When they show love they are actually bright white like me. If I see an actual
black
person I get scary feelings inside me and then my body feels like it’s filling with light.’

‘By black person, you obviously don’t mean skin colour, right?’ Amy clarified.

‘Of course not,’ Tom said like the question was preposterous.

‘I thought not because you love Adaizi, don’t you?’ Amy smiled.

‘That’s because Adaizi is white,’ he said. ‘I think Adaizi is like me,’ he added, looking at Amy for some kind of confirmation.

‘Yes,’ Amy said. Allowing the confirmation to come out of her mouth made her feel odd. ‘So people turn white when they show
love
, do they?’ Amy asked.

‘Yes,’ he smiled knowingly. ‘Mark lights up blinding when he’s near you.’

Amy blushed, absorbing the fact that Mark loved her as if his words had come from the man himself. She felt relieved to have the obvious spelt out to her. Mark offered to do Tom a birthday party at his home just because he loved it there. She knew Mark loved Tom. Now she knew he loved her. Tom loved him, Amy loved him, he loved them—it should be so simple. She just needed to know what was stopping him.

Tom ran to catch up with David who had run up the path. He then knocked on the door before Amy reached the bottom step. The door opened abruptly.

‘Are yer the reason for all these balloooons, laddie?’ Mad-Doris screamed as she opened the door. David barked at her.

‘Yes,’ Tom replied. Amy could hear the excitement in his voice.

‘Well yer bedda come in then!’ Mad-Doris said, letting him enter. David cowered beside him.

Amy was surprised for a moment when Mad-Doris looked at Amy and smiled, but then soon realised what was behind the smile when her crafty, boggling eyes shone with mischief as she slammed the door shut. Just as Amy thought she would be left with the scorching sun as her only company, the door reopened.

‘Thank you, Mad-Doris, for always inventing new ways to please our guests,’ Mark said, his hand out to Amy. Amy beamed up at him as she entered.

Walking into the hallway, Amy saw how much effort they had gone to. A huge banner across the balustrades of the second floor read ‘Happy Birthday Tom’. There were giant helium-filled balloons tied to the central staircase and a four-tiered cake stood in the centre of the huge kitchen table.

‘Wow,’ Amy said, grabbing Mark’s hand, ‘you shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble!’

‘Nonsense!’ he retorted, squeezing her hand, a sparkle brightening his teal green eyes. He then turned to Jack, who stood in the alcove hugging Tom. ‘Jack, could you put the kettle on while Winston brings Tom’s present out of the classroom?’ Mark asked.

‘Sure,’ Jack agreed with a salute as Winston walked to the room under the stairs to the right.

‘Classroom?’ Amy asked.

‘Yes. It’s where they used to teach the orphans because they didn’t go to school. I use it myself when kids come to stay. It’s full of books on everything you could imagine, a few of which Tom’s already had the pleasure of reading. I’ve been teaching Lucy while she’s been here because we’ve not sorted her a school to go to yet.’

‘Here we go,’ Winston said, wheeling out a bike with a big blue bow and stabilisers. ‘Happy birthday, man!’

‘Wow!’ Tom shouted with tears of joy. ‘Thank you so much,’ he added, his stunned face turning to look at them all with appreciation. He mounted the bike and pedalled. David chased behind, trying to bite the wheels.

‘Thanks guys,’ Amy said to the three of them.

‘Make yourself at home,’ Mark offered, pointing to the living room. ‘I’ll bring you a drink.’