Chapter 7

When the phone was picked up I replied, "Hello Clarice. Is Mr. MacNeil free for a moment?"

After a few pleasantries with Derrick I asked, "What is your opinion on the Lasslo matter?"

I got my reply and the two men in the office strained their hearing to get the details.

Next I asked, "What about the school board?"

Now I could see the men pushing their hands down on the arms of their chairs to get a fraction of an inch closer to hear the reply. I gave them some very solemn "Mmmmms," as points were made.

I said, "Call the police and make a complaint, and tell them that I will be down tomorrow after school or they can see me here. I will need your presence because of my age. Ask for an additional million in punitive damages and file the affidavits today, if you will. Phone MacLean's, and tell them of the lawsuit, then phone the CBC about the matter. Tomorrow, phone the Minister of Education and inform him of the lawsuit. I imagine the Solicitor General will be informed by him."

I listened for Derrick's reply; then said, "A very good idea. I will think on that matter, too."

After hanging up the phone I said, "Thank you for the phone, sir. I did this in front of you so that you will understand how strongly I feel about my concern. I suggest that you man the battlements and clean up any loose and embarrassing garbage. I also have to warn you that I will subpoena documents, and if they are not forthcoming, they may be even more detrimental to your case. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get back to class."

I started to walk out of the room but turned and said to the incredulous men, "Have you agreed to my business proposition, or do I have to get private enterprise to make them? This venture will also show the world that the school board is responding to innovative solutions in education."

A still stricken Edwards said, "We will go along with this."

Mrs. Cranston gave me a note, and I was back toward the end of the second period of draughting. Before Mr. Clark could ask, I said, "The lawsuit is proceeding, and so is the building project. Would you be interested in coordinating the efforts? The remuneration is not much, but it is on top of your salary."

"I would like to try that. Now we only tie in with machine shop. Architectural work will be new to us."

"Then you got the job. There is a list of materials, and you have to coordinate for building space and labour. I am afraid you will be quite busy as site superintendent. I would give you a hand with the class, but I am afraid I will have to explain the facts of life to the tradesmen. They will not take us seriously until a few are fired." I handed him a cheque I had made out for the sum of four thousand dollars to get the project begun.

"Deposit this in a new joint 'or' account. Order the materials as soon as possible. Our work area has to be cleared, and the people involved have to be briefed on what their duties will be. If you wish, you can get the classes taking business involved in inventory, accounts, and even keeping our books. Everything will be completely open. They will learn from actual experience. Next year, we can either start a new business or continue this one."

Mr. Clark's eyes opened wide at the amount written on the paper.

The students were listening intently to our conversation, Mr. Clark said, "You seem to have quite a bit of experience in these matters." He folded the cheque and put it into his wallet.

"More in observations of what people respond to and what I think will happen. For instance, this class has a few boys who would go far in life, if they would get off their arses and get to work. These drawings take time to learn to do right, but they dawdle because they do not have to hurry. In business, they would be constantly pushed for more and more productivity. Those who cannot keep up will be let go. The world is changing, and the old ways of doing things will slowly change."

"What ways do you see, Alex?"

"Transportation has to get cheaper. Goods will be shipped all over the world. Tariffs and duties will have to go for this to come about. This also means that companies that cannot produce cheaply enough will go out of business. Low-wage countries will get many of our jobs. This is bad for us, but good for those regions. We have to find areas where we can produce things cheaply enough to keep the jobs we want. So we are really competing against the rest of the world when we sell our products."

"In the next few decades, industrial jobs will contribute less to the GDP and the service industry will take its place. That is of no use for the people presently prepared to enter the work force. Soon companies will demand more of their employees, and this will be reflected in their hiring practices. A grade eight education is not good enough. After a while, even a grade 13 will not be sufficient. The man using a shovel will be displaced by mechanization. The operator can do more in half an hour than a man can do in one day."

I turned to the class now and got on my soapbox. "Automation is going to disrupt every one in this class. It is a necessary evil, like the industrial revolution was. The only way to prosper in the coming years is to get a good education and to keep learning all through your lives. You will have to change jobs part way through, because the old jobs will simply vanish."

Mr. Clark asked, "What is a good choice for the boys here?"

"Current demographics predict that we are going into a population boom. Children will need teachers, health care professionals, and tradesmen to produce homes, schools and government infrastructure. There is actually a lot to do when the population grows so fast."

The bell rang and the people in the room didn't do the usual scrambling to get ready to leave. Mr. Clark finally came out of his thoughts and said, "Thanks, Alex. You gave us a lot to think about." He looked at the clock then said, "Oh, class dismissed."

Andrew asked, "What other things will happen, Alex?" I used this question to explain about our immediate future, instead.

"In the next few days, the newspapers will talk to some of you about what happened at the fight. Some of you may even get your pictures taken for the Toronto papers. CBC might even have a few words about the court case I am making. And finally, the police will be asking questions about Nick. I am warning all of you to tell the truth and you will not get caught up. Only tell what you have witnessed."

Electricity and geography were next. After class I privately asked Rita to meet me at my locker and to act like her mother. She didn't seem to be offended by the remark, and came to me with her books, ready to leave.

At the locker, in front of witnesses, I asked her how her day was. She replied and slipped in that I was missed. I could see in my mind her mother saying those words. We discussed homework and I got her to talk as if it was necessary for our business. I slipped in about studying and she replied that she would concentrate on her weakest subject, math.

When the spectators started to get bored I stepped in and gave her a kiss. It was not meant to be a spectacle but to convey feelings for a couple comfortable with themselves.

We got a few groans from the girls and some catcalls from the boys. Rita pulled away breathless and with a blush that would compete with Rudolf's nose. Rita gave me a quick kiss back and left with the people of her growing clique.

Some boys from our grade, who previously had not talked, wanted to do so now. I only gave them a few minutes and left.

Auto was still open and I stepped in and saw a middle aged man sitting at a cluttered desk in a large shop. As I came closer he looked up, then squinted. "Hello, Mr. Sotola. My name is Alex Kramer. I believe you have been talking to Mr. Creighton about a product I want manufactured."

"Oh, you are the boy. You seem to have a great knack for getting this school shaken up."

"It is all for a good cause. I value education very much."

"What can I do for you?"

"Mr. Creighton is building a turbo charger for me, along with a special radiator to cool the compressed air. I now need a diesel engine for it to be put on. This also requires a real-life load, because we do not have the expensive machinery and test equipment to see how well it works.

"I want a large diesel powered bus, the larger the better. The vehicle needs to be stripped bare. The skin on the sides of the bus has to be removed and new metal installed. This shell will get many home furnishings. The engine, though, will get my device. Trips can be taken where the mileage and acceleration are compared to similar units. With good records I can sell the turbos and the intercoolers. The completed bus will be called a motor home and will be sold as well."

The man thought for a while and said, "I followed that, but what is the intercooler?"

"That is the device that cools the air between the hot turbo and the engine air intake."

"Never heard of that..."

"You will in the future. I plan on making a lot of money with all three ideas."

"What did you want of me?"

"Simple, I let you spend thousands of my dollars to find a bus. Then you work with a sheet metal worker and Mr. Creighton to put the two units together. If you want, you can talk of the job of spending many more dollars to make the inside of the bus like a very comfortable home. For this work I pay you and Mr. Creighton three hundred dollars to bring the bus here. For the engine work, I will pay one thousand total to get it working. Mr. Creighton will get reimbursed for his time in making the units. You and your students will get paid two thousand dollars, total, to completely rebuild the inside of the bus. I will pay for all materials and expenses."

Mr. Sotola said, "You can afford all that?"

"Easily! Are you in or out?"

"In."

I wrote out a cheque for three hundred dollars and another one for five thousand dollars. "Cash the lesser amount and look for a good bus to work on. I want quality and size. I am going for trips in it and could use the room. Quality is self-explanatory. Use the other check as a down payment."

The man looked at the two checks with very open eyes. "Are these good?"

"Cash one and ask the bank if the other one is while you are at it. Just remember, the totals I mentioned are for you to share with Mr. Creighton or your students."

I just shook the man's hand and he just stared at the two pieces of paper in front of him.

On the bike, I thought of Laura. She was a very beautiful woman. Part of my problem was that I thought her to be far younger than I was, even though I now had a thirteen-year-old body. Being sixty-six, I guess, had much to do with it. She was interesting, though, and I felt drawn to her for more than her looks. She was intelligent and very feminine. A twinge ran through me every time I recalled her face, and I did not even have the levels of testosterone to make it glandular.

I parked the bike at the front of the store and locked my bike to a steel post. The family would be coming home tomorrow and I wanted to make another meal for them. This way, at least dad's conservative views on new food would be superceded by his hunger.

I had my cart half full by the time I met a beautiful nurse pushing her cart through the aisles. I came up behind her and said, "Mmmmm, nice bum."

Laura turned around with an indignant scowl on her face till she saw it was I. "Should have known it was you."

"I may say that, but every man thinks that, and I think some women, too."

Laura looked panicked for a second and looked at me questioningly. I said, "Laura, I am sorry for saying that. But it happens to be true. Not everyone follows a predetermined stereotype. That does not make it bad, just different from most."

She came out of her reverie and said, "That is ok, Alex. I just had a rough day."

"It sure was. The superintendent and the Principal tried to gang up on little old me. I called in to Derrick, my lawyer, and told him to proceed with the suits. This was done right in front of them. Derrick is also going to call the CBC and MacLean's about the suit. The Toronto newspapers will soon follow, and if I play it right, it will be more than one small story. The entire country will be reading about us."

I picked up some steaks and things that I thought I could leave at Laura's home without making her feel obligated to me.

"What is going to come of all this, Alex?"

"Perhaps a better society than there would be otherwise." She just looked at me again, wondering if I was speaking the truth or pulling her leg.

On the last aisle in the frozen food section I told her the joke about a man and his wife. He made wild and passionate love to her and finally pushed her over the freezer and entered her from the behind. The woman cried out in ecstasy and then so did the man. This resulted in both being banned from going to that market again. Laura started to laugh and put both hands over her mouth but couldn't help it. She burst out laughing and many women turned to see what was happening.

We both left with a lot of groceries. The bike was put in the trunk and we drove off. Laura said, "I still can't believe you told me that joke, and right there in the frozen section of the store."

"What better place to tell you."

Laura lived in a third story apartment. Below were apartments and on the ground floor were some retail stores. She made one trip and I made the rest, so she could start dinner. The perishables went into her fridge. She started to do some preparation and I asked to help.

She said, "No, I'm ok, Just rest. There is an old radio in the other room."

I found the old hexagonal Atwater Kent radio and turned it on. In a moment, after the tubes heated up, I selected a popular music station. Laura was humming to herself while she prepared the meal. It seemed that she enjoyed doing this. My previous wife had been the same way, so I did not read too much into it.

I looked around her small apartment. The furnishings were old and seemed to have been picked with care. They were sturdy and had lasted longer than the cheap furniture that was made at the same time. There were two bookcases and I looked at her choices. There were some serious novels and some romances, both in equal numbers. Her nursing textbooks were on the lower shelf and a few extra seemed to have found their way there.

A comfortable chair with a floor lamp behind it stood to one side. An age-darkened side table held an ashtray, but I had never smelt cigarettes on her breath. I looked in the bedroom and saw an old brass bed with a pink comforter on it. Two mismatched dressers were on either side of the bed. A closet to one side was open and I walked over and looked in.

There were more clothes than I thought she would have. Some were very nice, and I would like to see her in them. One caught my eye and I saw that it was for a much taller woman. I looked again, and found more clothes that did not fit Laura. Shoes on the floor were slightly different in size. Some were the same colour and style, as if a twin sister wore them.

Looking back around the room I found two small tables. One was on each side of the bed and one again had an ashtray. I wasn't about to peek in the drawers so, I just left to check the rest of the house. The bathroom looked to be basically for one person but there were some hints of a second person. The second razor and toothbrush were easy to see. I heard Laura come close so I turned on the water and started to wash my hands.

"Are you going to barbecue the steaks, Alex? I have a small porch where you can do it."

"I would love to, Laura. Just show me the way."

There were two small porches at either side of the house. Depending on the wind, either could be used. I got the charcoal going and stepped inside after closing the door. I took the steaks and used a meat tenderizer to do its magic. When done, I put them in a large bowl and put spices and vinegar over them. Laura was working at the stove and I came behind her and wrapped my arms around her chest just under her breasts. As my nose came close I inhaled. "Honey, you smell all woman and I love it. With testosterone-enhanced olfactory nerves, I doubt if I could resist you."

I got a chuckle from her and she said, "You seem to find the oddest but sweetest things to say."

My hands did not move till she had to get something else and I released her then. I put my hands back, but one was pointing up between her breasts, while the other was down across her abdomen. In a moment I started to rub her abdomen, but not hard or insistent; more like a gentle and natural movement. She moved closer to my hand wanting more contact, so I gave a bit more pressure. My fingers went down to her pelvis and pulled the skin up gently. Soon she was rocking in the age-old rhythm.

My other hand came up and held her shirt-covered bra. I worked very slowly. I had seen her fear many times, and I did not want to push too far or too fast. I took my cues from the way she responded to my touch. Her breathing increased. My fingers found her nipple, and it was rock hard and large.

My other hand worked one side to another, but it always pulled the skin, so the clit would get stimulated. In a moment she shook violently and I just held her tight to me and continued what I was doing. When she relaxed I started to slow down and eventually stopped. I put my head forward and kissed her neck and part of her shoulder. "I am going to put the steaks on now. We can continue this later."

Laura was still shaking and I waited till she was sure of keeping her balance. I was happy to see that little Alex was responding to this lovely woman. It didn't go down till the steaks hit the grill. Ten minutes later I brought the steaks back in, and found that Laura had set the table and pulled the drapes. Two candles were lit and illuminated the table.

I stopped with the tray in my hand and said, "Now, this looks nice." The radio station had been changed and soft music by Tommy Dorsey came to my ear. Laura stood, a bit fearful, close to her chair wondering if I found something wrong. "Laura, I love the setting and you have nothing to worry about." I pulled out her chair and she hesitantly sat, and I wondered what was wrong.

When I pushed her chair in, I bent over and sniffed her hair and neck before giving her another small kiss. She turned her head and I held her head with one of my hands and gave her a very tender kiss. She gave me one of her own and I could see she was feeling better now.

We ate our meal slowly while we talked about many things. I tried to stay away from the school and concentrated on politics of the time, even though I had not done very much study on this subject the first time I was this age.

When the meal was finished I thanked Laura by telling her how good I thought it was. We put the dishes in the sink but Laura didn't want me to do even that. A slow song on the radio gave me the idea for an equally slow dance. Laura smiled when I asked, and readily came into my arms. She was just a bit taller than me but it didn't seem to matter.

During some of the dances I kissed her hand and fingers. She laid her head on my shoulder and just seemed to feel at home in this position. When the news came on, we rested on the couch and I began to kiss her more in earnest, but I still did not push. She returned the kiss and eventually her hand stole to my leg and up to where little Alex was standing at attention.

She played with him for a few moments before trying to undo my zipper. I took her hand in mine and said, "We would be more comfortable in the other room, darling."

She seemed to agree and got up first. Hesitantly, she looked at me. I got up from the couch and I took one of her hands and walked to the bedroom. She stopped close to the bed and said, "I need a moment, Alex."

"Take your time, but each second will be an hour."

She got a smile and went to the bathroom and closed the door. I went to my pack and got out a fairly new pair of pyjamas that thankfully did not have some childish designs on it. I pulled back the covers and looked in one side table for some lubricant if it was needed.

Instead, I found a thick package of letters addressed to Laura. I did not read any of them, but I did see that the return name was Ms Bouchard. The letters were scented with the same perfume that Mademoiselle Bouchard wore. I just closed the drawer and lay in bed thinking of what I had found and all the little hints I had been given by Laura.

While thinking I went back to the dining room and took the two candles and brought them to the bedroom. When the water stopped running in the bathroom, I waited a half-minute and said through the door, "Bring out a soft towel when you come, Honey."

Laura finally came out dressed in a diaphanous negligee. Her hair now hung down her back in a fabulous cascade of brown. She stood timidly as if waiting for permission. Her hand held a small towel.

"Come here, Laura. I want you."

She came quickly, and then slowed down at the side of the bed, still waiting for direction. This was unusual for a nurse. They had to be so self-reliant at most times that they were usually aggressive when I managed to take some to bed.

I took a chance and sat at the head of the bed. A pillow was behind me to protect my back from the metal rungs. I spread my legs wide. I took the towel from her hands and spread it, still folded, before me. "Come here, little girl, and sit between my legs."

She smiled now and scrambled onto the bed. As the bed tossed and turned I held her negligee and pulled it up a bit just before she sat. Her bum now was only on the towel and her clothing was bunched behind her. Laura snuggled close to me and I held her tight and again smelt the woman I thought so much about. I kissed her shoulder and said, "Are you comfortable, little girl?"

"Yes Don... I mean Alex."

"That is ok, little girl, I get confused with him all the time." Now I had to wonder who Don was.

My hands again caressed her front through her negligee. I went slowly and tried to gauge her reactions to what I did. She let out a few groans of pleasure, and her hands held my arms to keep them from leaving. Ten minutes later my hands were working harder. I pulled her skin more forcefully, and the sounds coming from this beautiful woman's mouth got louder. My hands went lower, and I could feel her pubic hair through the material. It was not as coarse as most other women had. Her legs spread to give me room and I moved lower, but I did not go beyond the crest of her pubic bone.

Her nails started to painfully squeeze my arms and her pelvis thrust for a phantom phallus that was stimulating her. She slid down on my body, but I kept my hands to the side of her pubis. Her head went from side to side as if looking for escape, and then suddenly she stiffened and screamed her joy. With one hand still on her abdomen, I gently muffled the sound with my other hand, when the second scream escaped her lips. One more was all she could do, and she quieted as if just completing a marathon.

My own erection was poking her back, but I still felt good to have brought such joy to my woman. Even the term I used brought me joy, for I wanted her more than ever. She had some personal problems, but the depth I found in her countered this. Little Alex subsided as I just held Laura. It felt like this was the place I should be, to protect and nurture 'my little girl'.

A few minutes later her hands caressed my arms through my pyjamas. "Oh Alex, that was nice."

"I liked it, too. Holding my little girl like this is satisfying in many ways."

Laura snuggled a bit and asked, "How?"

"You have many good attributes. You are intelligent, talented and of course beautiful. You also have so many secrets. Some hurt you, while others have changed you, but did not damage you psyche. You have a depth and substance to you that compels me to try to find your limits. Even the twists and turns of your soul make me want to find out more."

"Alex, I am not ready to tell you much." She said solemnly. Whatever it was she had buried deep.

"That is ok. I am not asking. I have many years to plumb your depths and search for what is really you."

"Alex, you want me for that long?"

"That long, and longer; Boys and girls are usually fickle but I am not. No matter what you think, I will be steady. You have yet to find my course, though."

"Where are you heading Alex?"

"To change the world, if I can. I need people to help me do that, and I hope that you will be one. I am afraid it will be a life-long quest, and for all I know, it will bring us to space."

"Space... , like the stars?"

"Eventually, but we will not be around when that really gets going. Our children, or grandchildren, may see by the light of a different star. This means that we have to get Humans to work closer together to accomplish this goal. Along the way people have to get much more education to pull themselves from the Malthusian spiral."

"Malthusian... ?"

"He was an early economist and clergyman. He argued that without the practice of 'moral restraint' the population tends to increase at a greater rate than its means of subsistence. This results in the population checks of war, famine, and epidemics. Space, my love, will give us room, but we have to have already come to an accommodation with our fellow man, or we will just take the four horsemen with us."

"How are you going to do this, Alex? Nobody can even come close to your goals."

"Convince families to have fewer numbers, and reward those who comply with gifts of technology. Unlike the commitment that automation implied, I will work hard to make sure the promise is kept."

"Alex, I am fairly well educated; yet I do not understand very much of what you are talking about."

"Ok, honey, This is the way I see it, manual labour is pretty standard now. Soon, more and more machines will be made. One man can do the work of many with a machine to assist him. This means that people will have more money to buy more things. This also has a limit. Men will be displaced and have to find other jobs when the demand is filled. Soon, all of the old, manual jobs will be full or gone.

"Some people will say that the labour-saving ideas will give everybody leisure time, but it will really mean that we all have to work more. Stress will be raised, and the utopia we want will recede even further from our grasp.

"I want people to enjoy life; and that means all the people on the planet. Many, now, die of starvation or disease. If they become educated, they will see the hole they are putting themselves in. A smaller family can mean that there are more resources that can be spent on each member."

"I can see those ideas Alex. How did they ever come to you?"

"You have many secrets, Laura. I have many of my own. Yours are kept to protect you from ridicule. Mine are much more serious. They can get me into an awful lot of trouble. If you are going to be mine, you will have to know more."

"I can share some of mine, Alex."

"Thank you, Honey. My secret is that when I was struck by lightning, I was given many visions. Some are very clear and show me the way I might go. In one vision I knew where gold could be found. I went there and found lots of the metal. The mine belongs to me and is worth many millions of dollars. If I sell the mine in a few months, I will get most of that in cash. Even that amount of money is only a drop in the bucket for what I need to pursue my goals. My other visions show my foster sister dying of an infection. My father was shown getting hurt at the mine, and then drinking and smoking himself into an early grave. Mom became so distraught that she followed her husband soon after."

"Did you see me?"

"No, I didn't. I only saw some high points of this time. Some images are of the future. If people heard of my visions, they would take me and put me in a room and do nothing but question me till I died."

"No, they wouldn't, Alex," Exclaiming in disbelief.

"Laura, I have the visions, and I know that this is what would happen. Only my family knows about this, and now you have to be in my family."

"I would love that, Alex. My own family life was not as nice."

I just waited without talking and soon she said, "When I was ten, my brother Dan started to do things with me. He was about your age when he started. I loved him more than anybody, and I guess he loved me back. It started with me using my mouth to make him happy. He tried to get inside me, but I was always too tight. After a year, though, he used Vaseline and put it into my bum. When I got used to that, I found it enjoyable."

"He died with my mother one day, and dad started to drink. He would beat me, as if I were the blame for the accident or for holding him back from moving on. I have been afraid of men ever since."

She remained quiet, and then I said, "I know it must have been difficult. Thank you for sharing part of your secret with me, Laura."