Chapter 5: Exploration of a New World

Saturday, July 16, 2011 7am

It was with relief that Jesse woke on Saturday morning without the horrible experience of the nightmare to deal with. In fact, he had slept well and without disturbance throughout the night. He knew he would be the first to rise, but selecting his clothes for the day, he proceeded to the bathroom to conduct his morning ritual. He felt good. He felt almost ... optimistic. Some of the weight on his shoulders had dissipated and he noticed the difference. Perhaps, with luck, he could make his way in this new world.

He’d become a coffee drinker in the short time he’d been in the apartment. Just one cup, and only in the morning, but he noticed the affect the caffeine had on him. What he wasn’t so sure about was how he would spend his time during the day. He had no obligations. There was no lawn to cut or car to wash. No ball game to get ready for ... and no date for the evening. He needed some activity to make his day worthwhile. He looked out the window at the beautiful sun shining down on the city and decided he would go for a walk. He needed the exercise and this was the best time to get started.

He scribbled a note for Eve to let he know where he was and, pocketing his new cell phone, he laced up his sneakers and headed out the door. The air felt fresh and clean with a breeze off English Bay as he headed toward the Burrard Street Bridge with the intention of ending up at Granville Island. A few cyclists and walkers were out for their early morning exercise and he smiled and said hello as he passed them. He felt a good deal more invigorated than he had in the past few days. He stopped on the bridge to look down over the outlet to English Bay and gazed at the freighters at anchor in the outer harbour.

His city had changed. As he looked over toward the North Shore and his former home in West Vancouver, he wondered how it had become so big. He’d always known it as “The Village” and now it was something altogether different. A twin-engine seaplane flew over his head, obviously having just come from the inner harbour. The trees in Stanley Park hid that part of Burrard Inlet as well as the city waterfront.

He found his way to Granville Island and spent an hour wandering around the various shops, including the market. He was overwhelmed at the variety of items on sale. A shop featuring scuba and other dive gear was sitting alongside a ship chandlery. Tiny passenger ferries shuttled from one side of False Creek to the other, carrying people from the city side to the market side. He made a note to himself that this would be the quick way back to the apartment. For now, he was happy just to wander and gaze at the amazing collection of businesses on the island.

A glance as his new watch told him it was nearing 8:30 and it was time to head back to the apartment. He approached the little ferry dock and soon discovered there was a fee for the short ride. Without a penny in his pocket, he began the trek back the way he came. A half-hour later he entered the lobby of the apartment and summoned an elevator. A man and women stepped off when it arrived and he gave them a polite nod before entering. Pushing the button for fourteen, the doors closed and the car began to rise.

He was surprised that the elevator had barely begun to move when it stopped on the second level. He stepped back into the cabin as the doors opened and low and behold, a vision in a shiny, tight, colourful outfit stepped in. There was no mistaking the blonde hair and the physical presence of this young woman. It had to be Kirsten Gustafson. When she pushed the button for his floor, his guess was confirmed.

“Good morning,” he said. “You must be Kirsten.”

She looked at him in surprise.

“I’m Jesse Peterson,” he announced, hoping to quell any worries about him. “I’m living in 1401 with Doctor Mikeska and her son. I just arrived on Thursday.”

“Oh ... uhhm ... yes ... I’m Kirsten. Did Doctor Mikeska tell you about me?”

“Yes ... in a way,” he grinned. “She said you were quite an ‘impressive’ young lady. I can see what she meant.”

Jesse wasn’t always a forward or aggressive personality, and he wondered immediately if he had stepped over the line of politeness and spoiled his introduction to her.

“You were out quite early this morning,” she said, not looking at him but facing the door. She’d rather he didn’t see the flush of embarrassment on her face.

“Yes, I went for a walk. I haven’t had much exercise in the past few days, so I wanted to take advantage of the good weather.”

“I do most of my exercises in the fitness room. That is where I was.”

“Oh, I didn’t know there was such a room. Am I allowed to use it?”

“If you have a key card you can.”

“When is it open?” he asked, happy that she was at least communicating with him.

“Anytime. If no one is there, just turn on the lights. Your key card will record which apartment it belongs to in case there is a problem.”

“Thanks,” he said as the doors slid open on the fourteenth.

“You are welcome,” she said, giving him the briefest of smiles before heading down the hallway.

He watched her go, admiring the shape of her ass and legs in the skin-tight blue and gold outfit. The material seemed to be glued to her incredible body, stretching as she moved. She had a towel around her neck and a loose-fitting t-shirt obscuring her upper torso, but he couldn’t imagine it being any less perfect than the rest of her. For the second time since he’d recovered in hospital, he could feel a stirring. That was one thing that hadn’t changed. He could produce an erection at the swing of a pretty butt or the bounce of a generous sized breast.

“You’re back,” Eve smiled from the kitchen as she heard the front door close. “How was your walk?”

“Good. I went over to Granville Island and wandered around. That is an amazing place. I was going to take the ferry for a shortcut but I didn’t have any money, so I walked back.”

“Oh, thank you for reminding me. I have a spare debit and credit card you can use. You’ll need some cash and I can show you how easy it is to use the debit card. It’s like an instant cheque. We’ll do that this morning after you’ve had some breakfast. I’ll make some scrambled eggs, if that’s okay with you.”

“Oh yeah! That would be great,” he enthused. “I met Kirsten this morning. She was getting on the elevator at the second floor. She told me there was an exercise room on that floor that I can use as long as I have the apartment key card.”

“That’s right. I didn’t think to tell you about that either. It’s great when the weather isn’t,” she smiled.

“I haven’t seen it yet, but I’ll scout it out later today. My walk was long enough for one day. I don’t feel like I’ve got all my usual energy back yet.”

“I’m not surprised, considering what you went through. Don’t overdo the exercise, Jesse. Move into it gradually. You’re pretty fit as it is, so you don’t have far to go to get back where you were, I suspect.”

“I hope so. I’m glad I don’t have to climb the hills in West Van right now. That was a fitness test all by itself.”

Jesse made short work of Eve’s breakfast and sat back with a satisfied smile. He rose and helped Eve with the few dishes and pans that didn’t go in the dishwasher.

“Here are the cards I mentioned, Jesse. I’ll get you a personal pin number for them both so only you can use them. Sign the back of the credit card in pen. Just make sure you bring me the bank slip or receipt for any amount you take out or purchase. I’ll make sure there’s enough money in the chequing account to cover your needs. If it’s anything special or expensive, let’s talk about it first. Otherwise, I trust you to use this responsibly.”

“I can’t get over how you trust me,” he said, looking at her intently. “You hardly know me and you are giving me access to a lot of money. Why?”

“I go by my instincts sometimes, Jesse. I know you better than you think. Remember my profession. I read people and I know how to find out what kind of person they are. I have confidence in you ... and I doubt you’d betray that confidence.”

“Did some of what you learned about me happen when I was under hypnosis?”

“Yes. But even without that information, I had a sense you were an honourable person. The values that your parents gave you and how you felt about what was going on around you were indicators of who you are.”

Jesse sat, staring off into the other room before he turned back to Eve. “I don’t know what to say about that. I won’t betray your trust, Eve ... I promise. You’ve been too kind and helpful for me to do something like that.”

She smiled. “That’s enough said for now. Let’s talk about how we can find things for you to do during the day. The paperwork necessary to get a job is a few weeks away, but that doesn’t mean you have to sit in the apartment and watch TV all day. It’s summertime and there are plenty of activities for young men like you. You know where Kits Beach is, I’m sure, and Spanish Banks as well. You could bike there. I have a bike in storage that you can use. Don’t worry, it isn’t a ‘girly’ bike,” she laughed when she saw the look on his face.

“That would be great, Eve. I could get out and do some exploring. I know the territory, but everything has changed, so it will be interesting to see it again.”

“Just be careful, Jesse. The drivers these days are not always very mindful of cyclists. And, you have to wear a helmet; that’s the law. Did you have a bike before?”

“Yes, but I didn’t use it much after I got my driver’s license. I do know how to ride and I know the rules of the road, so I should be okay.”

“Well, I suggest we go up to the Gustafson’s’ store and find a helmet for you. By the way, you’ll need one for skiing as well. That’s also mandatory on Whistler and the local mountains.”

“Huh. Makes sense, I guess. Hitting a tree or a tower can be painful,” he grinned. “I try to avoid them at all costs.”

“I do too, but more often the collisions are between skiers or snowboarders. They can be just as dangerous, especially with the speeds they can get to on the steep slopes.”

“Mica showed me his snow board. It’s like a little surf board for snow. He says most kids like to snowboard rather than ski.”

“How are you getting along with Mica?” she asked. “He was a bit cool at first meeting.”

“Better. When I asked him to show me around the computer last night, he was happy to do that. I didn’t understand everything, but I think he was glad he was good at something I wasn’t. I told him I’d like to come to him when I had a problem and he was happy that I asked. I think we’ll get along just fine when we get used to each other.”

“I’m glad,” she said in relief. “He’s a nice kid ... just not familiar with anyone else in the apartment.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything else from someone you raised,” Jesse said with a genuine smile.

Eve blushed, then thanked him with a hug.

It only took a phone call for Eve to arrange for Jesse to use her VISA card, and a quick visit to the local bank to set up a pin exclusive to him. Jesse chose to use his old address number for the debit card and the last four digits of his old phone number for the Visa pin. He was amazed when he used the cash machine at the bank for the first time. It was so quick and easy to use. Eve warned him about letting others know or see his pin numbers. Jesse was smart enough to realize others could use the card if he was careless.

The next stop was Gustafson’s’ Number 5 sporting goods store. He was surprised at the size of the store. On one side were winter items and clothing, while on the other were summer wear and sports equipment.

He had no trouble finding a helmet that would be suitable either for skiing or biking. When they approached the front counter, Eve introduced him to Anika and Tomas Gustafson, their neighbours, letting them know Jesse would be living in her apartment. She explained that Jesse was suffering from some memory loss and had just been released from the hospital in her care since he had no living relatives. Anika looked shocked, but said nothing at that time.

Jesse wandered about the store, first in the ski department, then over to the baseball section. He tried out a couple of gloves and wondered how long it would take him to break one in. They were stiff and larger than he was used to. The outfield gloves were the largest, but the infielder gloves were still noticeably bigger than his old Gil McDougald signature Wilson glove. Still, the quality of the glove was impressive. Perhaps when he had a job, he could save enough to pay for one like this. That is, until he saw the price tag: $175! Perhaps he could find something cheaper at The Bay or somewhere else.