Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 12:19:54 +0100 From: Harry Anders Subject: Little-Harrys-Life-11 This is the sequel from my first book 'Little Harry', and I strongly commend you to read book one first! Thus you will enjoy book two even more. You may find book one on Nifty, or you may visit my new SITE: http://www.harryanders.com and read the elaborated book from there (recommended!). 'Little Harry's Life' >by Harry AnderS, the author of 'Little Harry'< Chapter 11. A new friend, and Harry gets his mask. We chased each other around the block for a while, trying to avoid bumping into each other. Then we decided to discover the neighborhood, and went a bit further. A couple of streets away a boy of around John's age was riding his skateboard and performing some difficult tricks we had never seen before. We stopped and looked, while the boy colored a deep red and secretly stared at my distorted face. I decided to help him a bit with his shyness, so I neared him: "Hello, I'm Harry, and I barely survived a fire. That's why my face is burnt all over. It doesn't hurt any more, but I know I look a bit creepy." I offered him my hand, and he hesitantly shook it: "I'm Davey, and sorry for staring at you..." "Nah, don't sweat it. Everybody else does..." John and Thomas stepped in, and introduced themselves. Then we rode off, and Davey joined us around the blocks. He seemed to be a friendly boy, with dark hair and deep brown eyes that looked a bit sad. I immediately liked him, although he continued to secretly stare at me. For a while he was very timid and didn't say much, but slowly he started to loosen up a bit and he even showed off his tricks. After I tried to imitate his double flip for the hundredth time he suddenly smiled at me: "Look, you have to put your left foot forward first, and then lean to the right. See?" Now I saw how he did it, and soon we all were busy with practicing while a beaming Davey directed and prompted us. We sat down for a rest, and now Davey openly looked at my burnt face: "Did it hurt?" He felt like a friend, so I started to tell him everything about our caravan on fire, my operations, and my new mask. Slowly Davey got tears in his eyes, and murmured: "And I thought MY life was difficult..." He wiped his eyes with a sleeve of his shirt, and now he really felt like a caring friend. At nine o'clock Davey's mother called him, Thomas went to his parents, and John and I went home. Dad was still looking at all sorts of information on his computer screen. What was he looking for all day? I told him about our making a new friend: "I never knew it would be so easy to make friends, Dad, even when you have a freaky face!" "That's because now you are proud of yourself!" John explained with a smile, "Come on; let's see what's on TV..." We went to the couch, and switched the set on. We looked at the cartoons for a while, until an advertisement popped up and John switched the set off with a bored face. We romped around for a while, trying to push each other off the couch. Then we went to Dad, to see what he was looking for during all those hours... Suddenly I gasped, and threw my arms around Dad's neck: "Are you really going to ADOPT me, Dad?" "Well... I'm looking at the possibilities, but it will not be easy." "Please, Dad, adopt me! I want to be your REAL son..." John leaned onto Dad's shoulders, and looked at him with yearning eyes: "Will you adopt me too, Dad? I want to be your real son too!" "That will be even more difficult, John, because you already have a real Dad." "I NEVER had a real Dad! That man never was my father. I never knew how a real Dad could be, until I met Jack two years ago. Jack let me feel what a real father is. He accepted me, he listened to me, he taught me lots of things, he teased me, and he comforted me. HE was my real Dad. But now Jack is dead, so I don't have a real Dad any more. Now you can adopt me, because I am FREE! I want YOU to be my real father..." "And I want John to be my real brother..." Bedtime neared, and Dad threw a couple of soaked wet towels in the dryer. We went upstairs, undressed, and Dad helped me blow a breach into John's plastic cup wall. Plastic cups and paperclips scattered everywhere. We cheered, high-fived, and promised John that next time I would defend the wall so that he could be the attacker. We tidied the mess, dried each other with the still damp towels, and went to Dad's bedroom. There John leaned into Dad, and looked at him with his best puppy dog eyes: "Dad, may I join you and Harry in your waterbed?" "Yes, Dad, our bed is big enough for the three of us!" I pleaded... "Well.... I don't know... if you really want to?" "Yippee! You are the best Dad in the whole world!" John and I jumped under the blankets, and impatiently waited for Dad to join us. He looked a bit hesitant, but eventually also entered the bed. We crawled on both sides of him, and straightened the blankets. We wished each other a good night, and I switched the light off. I nestled against his side, put my arm around his chest, closed my eyes, and started to dream of a beautiful world full of love and happiness. I woke up with the sunshine streaming through a crack in the curtains. John woke up at the same time, and we both crawled onto Dad's stomach, grinning and competing for the best place. Dad slowly opened his eyes, yawned a few times, grinned, and put his arms around us. I tried to tease him a bit, as I had done before: "Hi, sleepyhead, I thought you would never wake up!" Of course John had to try a different approach: "Hi, Dad, I will always love you!" We cuddled for a long time, until we decided to neatly dress for our upcoming visit to Peter's shop. I had a joyful feeling, as if we went to a birthday party, and started to hum. Today I would get my new mask! John seemed to be extremely cuddly this morning. All the time he bumped into Dad, leaned against him, put his arms around him, and sat next to him as close as possible. I looked at him with curiosity, sitting at the opposite side of the kitchen table and still softly humming. We ate in silence, while John seemed to be more and more distracted. He even looked a bit worried now. What was the problem? After the meal we went to the couch, and John suddenly asked: "Dad? Are you very mad at me?" Dad looked amazed, and turned to John: "What? Why would you think so? What is bothering you?" "Well... Last night you told me that playing with each other's stiffies always should be mutual, and that you never should push another person to do things. But I didn't really listen, and then I tried to push you to do those things with me..." "No, John, you did exactly the right thing. You asked me, didn't you? You didn't force me and you didn't push me. And 'mutual' only means that you have reached an agreement, and nothing else! I hope you understand what I mean?" "Yes, Dad, thank you. I know you are right, and I love you so much for explaining all those things to me... But this morning I thought about what happened last night, and then I started to be afraid you would be disappointed in me..." John started to sob, and crawled onto Dad's lap. Of course I knew what I had to do, so I went to my big brother and embraced him: "Let it go, brother, don't bottle it up! In a few minutes you will feel better..." Again it helped! John cried his eyes out, and between his sobs he tried to tell us everything he had bottled up in his heart and in his mind. Most of the time I couldn't understand what he was mumbling, but I could clearly see he felt very relieved. I went to the kitchen, got him a glass of water and a packet of tissues, and tenderly helped him dry his eyes. Suddenly he grinned at us: "I am such a baby..." "We will buy you some nappies..." "You better buy me some extra tissues..." Dad started to tickle him, and John squealed and tried to tickle him back. Of course I immediately helped my big brother, and together we mercilessly tickled Dad until he fell off his chair and started to pant: "Stop, boys, because I am nearly wetting my pants..." "We will buy YOU some nappies!" After we promised to get back at him later on, I looked at the clock: "What time do we go to Peter's shop to pick up my mask?" Suddenly we were in a hurry, rushed to the car, and drove off. I was curious about what Dad and John did together while I was asleep, so I asked John: "Did you and Dad do the same things you and Thomas did together?" "How the hell do YOU know what Thomas and I did..." "You always keep telling me that I am very good at spying..." "Yes, but you were asleep; and we tried not to make too much noise." "You TRIED... but Thomas wheezed like crazy, and you sounded like a wounded elephant!" "Oh... well... sorry we woke you up!" "No need for sorry, I enjoyed the show. But did you and Dad..." "None of your business, that's private. But Dad explained a lot of things to me. Did I really make a noise like an elephant with Thomas?" "Of course not, silly. I'm only teasing you." "Oh... You're such a dork!" "Next time I want to join the fun!" Dad kept silent, but he colored all sorts of red. Obviously he still wasn't used to talking openly about those things... Soon we were in town, and Dad parked the car in the same place as before. I entered the shop, but couldn't see Peter. Where was he? Then a familiar voice sounded from the workroom in the back of the store: "Just a minute, please. Have a seat and I'll be right there!" Two minutes later Peter entered the shop, still drying his hands with a towel: "Hello, my friends, it's nice to see you again. I'm sorry you had to wait." Peter threw the towel into the workroom and walked to a corner, where he opened a small cabinet. He took a model of a head and carefully placed it onto the table in front of us, proudly grinning. In amazement I looked at a greenish copy of my head without any hair, the face covered with a flesh colored substance with openings for the mouth and eyes... "Is that me? I REALLY look like a green alien!" Carefully, I touched the substance. It felt like real flesh, and seemed to live when you moved it. Of course Dad and John also had to feel the material of the mask, and they too affirmed that it felt like normal flesh. Peter and I sat down in front of the mirror, and Peter let me see how I could remove the mask from the model and apply it to my face. At first I started to giggle a bit from nervousness, but then I seriously looked at myself in the mirror. I didn't recognize myself; what I saw was a stranger with a cheerful pug nose, slightly stuffed cheeks, and full lips. I liked him at first sight, and he smiled back at me. Only his nose had some fringe at the corner, and I pointed Peter to it. Peter got some equipment, and carefully removed the extra material. Then the lips didn't fit well enough, and again Peter made a small modification. Now I was really satisfied with my beautiful mask. Peter got a brown bottle filled with a sticky rubbery substance and a brush, and let me carefully paint the inside of the mask with it. He helped me apply the mask to my face, and suddenly I looked like every other normal eight-year-old boy. It felt like magic. I turned around... Dad and John both were stunned, and gasped. They needed a full two minutes to regain their breath and to compliment Peter and me. They both assured me nobody would recognize the severely burnt little boy I was before. Peter had done a marvelous job! Peter looked me over with a proud smile on his face: "Be careful not to wear the mask too long, because after a while it will become sweaty and itchy. Three hours will be the maximum, after that there's a risk that your skin will become swollen and inflamed. You will have to clean the mask carefully with water and soap every time after you wear it, and keep it on the model when it's not in use. The mask will last for about three months, because you are a young boy and you are still growing fast. After three months you will have to come back to get another mold and a new mask." I was so happy! I threw myself at Peter, and he took me onto his lap with beaming eyes. "Thank you, Peter! I am really, really happy with my new face. Now I can attend a normal school, just like John!" I jumped off Peter's lap, and threw my arms around Dad: "Thank you, Dad, for making this possible. You are the best Dad in the whole world!" I kissed him... and was severely shocked. I didn't feel anything with my lips... "I can't FEEL you any more, Dad... It's like my lips are gone..." "That's because the mask also fits around your lips," Peter patiently explained, "Your own lips are still there, but they are hidden behind your mask." I went back to the mirror, and painstakingly studied my new mask: "Of course, that's the reason. Sometimes I am not too clever... sorry." "You have to get used to your new mask," Peter further explained, "Within a few days the mask will feel more natural, and you will learn to allow for its restrictions." I nodded, still a bit confused and overwhelmed, and leaned into Dad. "May I ask you a private question?" Peter asked him. "Err... yes, of course... what do you have in mind?" "Well... yesterday I took the freedom to talk about your son to a friend who lives near a clinic that specializes in severe burns. He told me that during the last two years this clinic achieved astonishing results with skin cultures and transplantations. But they are very expensive..." "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Peter. Do you know the address of that clinic? I certainly will contact them, and of course I will let you know about the results!" Peter handed us a small card with the address of the clinic already written on it. Dad thanked Peter, put the card away in his wallet, and paid Peter for the marvelous work he had done. Peter packed the greenish model and two brown bottles into a box, and handed it to me. John offered to help me carry the heavy box, but of course I refused. This was MY model, and I would carry it all by myself! We all hugged Peter; and drove off to a big mall, to look for my new computer desk. I sat glued to the windows, and tried to wave at every living soul we passed: 'Look, I do have a new face now! Do you see I look like every other boy of my age? Isn't it beautiful?' Some people looked back and smiled; and once a lady even waved back: "Did you see that? That woman saw me, and she waved back at me!" Most people didn't look at all, and then I was disappointed. Didn't they see I looked normal now? Didn't I have a beautiful mask, to hide my scars? Dad parked the car in a parking lot, and I jumped out of the car and proudly looked around. Nobody paid me any attention, nobody pointed at me, nobody laughed or called me names. All they saw was a normal eight-year-old boy with a slightly stuffed face and a cute pug nose, who broadly smiled at everybody... I started to feel a bit disappointed. Didn't they see I had a beautiful face now? We entered the mall, and Dad asked a security officer for computer desks. The officer pointed to the furniture department without even looking at me. I tried to smile at him as nicely as I could, but he just totally ignored me. That was mean! Now I would ignore him too! I walked upfront, and tried to make eye contact with everybody I saw, but nobody reacted. One man stared at me, slowly brought his hand to his crotch, and caressed his thing. Yuck, his aura felt like syrup; and now he even tried to smile at me, but I didn't trust him at all! I put my new pug nose high into the air and totally ignored the man; much to John's relief who had stepped in between the man and me. We entered the furniture department; and I gave up smiling at everybody and just shuffled to the computer desks, where I started to look each desk over one by one. I carefully deliberated before I made my choice. Finally I pointed to a nice looking dark wooden desk, not too big, with a lot of drawers and little doors; and, of course, with a sliding keyboard shelf in the middle: "This one, Dad! This is the desk I like most." The salesman handed me a receipt for the stockroom with a smile on his face, but he didn't say a word about MY beautiful new face. I think he didn't see it at all, and again I felt disappointed. Why did nobody LOOK at me? We went downstairs and headed for the stockroom, and I handed the receipt to the attendant with the broadest smile I could muster. He walked away without even looking at me, and returned with the unassembled desk in three enormous packages. Dad paid him with his credit card, and we took the packages with us on a cart to the parking lot. The packages were way too big for the trunk, so Dad and John carefully tied them onto the roof of our car with a few ropes John helpfully fetched from the stockroom. I helped them by giving advice. Suddenly Dad turned to John and asked him: "I suppose you are living with us for at least a couple of weeks, so wouldn't it be nice for you to have your own desk in your own room?" John thought for a moment, and then he turned to me: "What do you think, Harry? I will probably only be living with you and Dad for a few days..." "You're afraid I will be jealous, because you are getting a present too... But I've already got my mask as a present, remember? I think Dad has an excellent idea! Of course you need your own desk, because you are going to live with us for a long time." "How can you be so sure?" "I just know..." "I really hope you are right!" We returned to the desks department in the mall, and I helped John by letting him see all pros and cons of the various desks. In the end John decided to choose the same desk as me: "Wow, little brother, you are more technical than I am. Thank you for your advice and help!" The smiling salesman handed John his receipt, without looking at me. John and I put our arms around each other and walked shoulder to shoulder to the stockroom. Again we took three heavy packages with us on a cart. We tied all six packages carefully together on the roof of our car. I took the cart back to the stockroom; and we drove home, loudly singing along with the music of our car radio. On the way home I noticed a small drive-in restaurant along the road: "There, Dad! There we could get something to eat and drink!" And maybe I could show off there my new face to one or two people who were REALLY interested in me... Dad parked our car in an empty space, and we entered the cozy looking restaurant. We took a table in front of the restaurant, and Dad ordered us something to drink and munch on. I smiled at everybody, but again nobody paid me any attention. I looked around and waved at all the people around us, trying to smile as invitingly as I could, but nobody reacted... I was very disappointed now, and started to mope... until John suddenly forcefully poked me in the ribs: "When you really NEED all that attention, why don't you peel your mask off for a while?" Huh? What? Why did John tell me that? Now even John wasn't nice to me any more, but why? What did I do wrong? I was shocked, and stared at my feet for a long time. Slowly the meaning of John's words entered my mind. Was it so obvious that I was looking for attention? I rose from my chair and silently left the restaurant, without looking back. I wanted to be alone for a while... I crossed a terrace and sat down next to a big tree, looking at the ducks in the water along the road, with my head in my hands. I stared into the water and kicked small pebbles to the ducks, who thought it could be food and in vain tried to catch them. What was the problem with me? Was I really needing the attention? Yes, I was... I seemed to be craving for it, but why? I kicked the next pebble to the ducks, careful not to hit them. I could feel Jack around, and that reassured me. He didn't say a word and kept a distance, letting me feel I had to come to terms with myself all on my own. I was grateful he let me have my own space, just as Dad and John did. They seemed to understand me... Why did I need all that attention? I thought back, and saw myself in the mountains as their little blonde and blue-eyed gypsy prince. Everybody was fond of me and wanted to be my friend. Then my little friends took me with them into the woods, and soon I was their leader, one of the best trappers, and their chief cook. On my sixth birthday I was the youngest snow scooter rider in the universe, and they even told me I was the best. I was USED to being the centre of attention wherever I turned up... Then our caravan burnt down, and again I had something SPECIAL. Again I was the centre of everybody's attention, and everybody looked at me. Slowly I realized this was the first time in my life I was no longer special. I was now degraded to a NORMAL human being, and I wasn't used to it... That's why I did almost everything possible to get some attention... I started to cry, and kicked the next pebble without looking where it went. Fortunately I didn't hit an innocent duckling. Was that why I needed my burnt face in this life, to learn to be NORMAL? Was this the lesson that was concealed in all that name-calling? Did I actually have to be grateful for having my ugly face? To my own surprise I discovered I really started to be grateful now. This was an invaluable experience, that freed me of a lot of arrogance and certainly would make me to be a much better King in the future! Now Jack approached me, and let me feel he embraced me: "You DID it! I am proud of you! Go back to your Dad and your brother, and behave as a normal human being from now on." Slowly, I returned to our table, where I sat down and looked at Dad and John with tears in my eyes: "You were right! Perhaps it may sound stupid, but I missed all the special attention... Wow, you saw right through me! Thank you!" We cuddled for a long time, oblivious to the rest of the restaurant, until we decided to go home. I was back on earth. I no longer needed all the special attention. I even seemed to have grown up a bit. I could feel myself sitting more upright in my seat, and looking around with more self-esteem and with less dependency... "Will you phone that clinic today, Dad?" "As soon as we are back home, son." "I hope they will help me to have a real face... Of course I am happy with my mask, but now it starts to itch and it feels sweaty inside. As soon as we are home I'll take the mask off, scratch my face, and wash it with lots of water!" "But what about Harry's hospital appointment?" John suddenly asked, "He has to go back there in a few days for his next surgery." "Well, let's first phone that clinic, and listen to what they have to say." I tried to scratch behind my now very sweaty mask: "It's really itching now! I will be happy to peel it off and wash my face." We entered our driveway, and John grabbed the keys out of Dad's hand to open the front door. I followed him, rushed inside, and tried to peel the sticky mask from my face: "Will you help me, Dad? It's sticky, and I am afraid I'll tear the edge." Dad helped me to peel the mask off, and with a sigh of relief I put my head under the tap and turned the water on: "That feels better!" I dried my face, filled a bowl with warm water and soap, and painstakingly cleaned the mask. I took the greenish model out of the box, and carefully draped the mask on it, to keep it in shape. I put it on a corner of the dresser, in plain sight: "That's me, the green alien, freshly cleaned up!" John looked at the mask, and chuckled: "Sounds like the title of a creepy film." ------------------------------------------ A few excerpts from the nice emails you've sent me: NO EMAILS THIS TIME. NOT A SINGLE ONE... Don't you like my story any more? Or do you want me to stop? Thank you for reading my stories, and please send me an email... harry@harryanders.com Visit my NEW WEBSITE, and maybe read from there ALL my stories: http://www.harryanders.com And, please, write something in our new FORUM... I wish to thank the Nifty archives for hosting my stories. When you have a few spare dimes, donate them to Nifty! They are doing a marvelous job. (Yes, I've donated them my euros too)