Part 4. Education

Part 4. Education

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Jack was walking along the paths of the park. A week had passed since that day when he…Oh, he didn’t even know whether he had dreamt or not – the match, the vision of the girl of his dreams, the blow into his chest and pain going away under the soft touch. When he found himself in the hospital he immediately began to ask everybody about the girl with such a strange name – Lainie. Jack even missed classes as he constantly wandered around looking for his dream girl. At last George received a letter from the dean telling that Jack was playing truant. In a firm voice the father told his son that if he dropped out of college without a degree because of some romantic nonsense he would have to apply for a job at Fantasy Inc. - as a cleaner – a good way to clean his brains.

But nothing mattered for the young man in love. Even in the park Jack kept dreaming. Suddenly a shudder went through his back when he saw six people approaching him: a man and a woman in their forties, three identical little boys, maybe 8-9 years of age and…his dream-girl. Jack gasped. Hardly knowing what he was doing, he rushed to them and took off his cap.

-  Jack Tompson, - he introduced himself to the man. – It seems to me that I – that I met your daughter. Of course, Lainie was his daughter: the children and the girl looked very much like the adults.

Jack didn’t notice that Lainie and her parents exchanged a quick glance and then they all smiled.
-  Dam Kelverin, - the man introduced himself in return. - This is my wife Failie, my triplet sons - Kam, Pam, Tam and my daughter Lainie – you already know her.

-  I…we…she…cured me. – mumbled Jack.

-  Yes, Lainie told us about meeting with you. By the way, are you the son of George Tompson, the president of Fantasy Inc. who every day makes his employees fear that they will be fired in a minute and is so nervous about his company that has a heart attack every week?

How could he know?! Only Jack and his mother knew about George’s recent illness! But Dam hurriedly explained:
-  I got work as a sci-fi writer at your father’s business. In your world one needs to do something for a living. All p-people have to earn m-money, that’s – that’s why very often you take on jobs you don’t like.

-  Eh…but it’s normal for everybody to work… - Jack didn’t know what to say.

Before he found a reply, one of the triplet boys began to speak:
-  Papa, can we already leave school?

-  No, Kam. On this planet it’s not normal to enroll to the university at your age. – the father replied.

-  But we know everything. We’ve already proved it to the teacher of physics.

-  And what happened to the teacher? – Jack wanted to join the trick.

-  She was taken to the hospital after we had written her the formula of star gravitation. – explained one of the trio.

-  Hush, boys, I’ve already explained that your studying at secondary school is temporary.

-  But they don’t have tutorials in energy management, – the boys looked devastated. - They don’t have this subject at all.

-  Excuse me, - at last Jack seemed to understand something, - do you mean that your sons are not in primary, but in the secondary school?

-  Yes, they are.

Jack thought that, perhaps, the blow had been too hard for his brains.
-  You are OK, Jack, - suddenly he heard the familiar musical voice, - my father sometimes forgets that he is not writing a book at the moment.

-  Oh, I am sorry. I just feel a little ill. – Jack really felt dizzy.

-  If you want we can talk tomorrow. Here, at 11 a.m., OK?

-  Of course, - Jack couldn’t believe his ears.

-  And be careful, look at your watch and don’t be late. – Dam laughed.

Jack laughed too without even thinking how Dam knew about his typical absent-mindedness. But when he stopped laughing he was shocked to find himself alone in the park. The mysterious family had disappeared.


Speaking Minimum Words:
to miss classes - пропускати заняття
to play truant - прогулювати
to drop out of - вибувати з
degree - ступінь
to apply for a job - влаштовуватися на роботу
to be fired - бути звільненим
to do smth for a living - заробляти на життя чимось
to leave school - залишати школу
temporary - тимчасовий
tutorial - лабораторні заняття
primary school - початкова школа
secondary school - старша школа

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