The Brothers Tuerl & The Staffs of Zeus - 3

Chapter 3-The Tuerls’ Abode

As they walked, Idus could not help but receive an entirely different image of the man before him.  At the first sight of him Idus had been frightened at the state of the man, but he had noticed something in his bright blue eyes seemed to emit certain warmth.  Now as he looked searchingly at the man he got a completely different opinion of him.  Idus noticed now that the man was tall, and well-built.  He also noticed the stranger had a calming bass voice even when it spoke of urgent matters, and now Idus seemed to notice he looked shabbily dressed not because he didn’t have money to keep his clothes in good condition, for in fact his clothes looked rather well cared for.  But it appeared to Idus that he dressed this way on purpose.  It looked as though he WANTED to look poor.

This idea blew Idus away.  He could not fathom why someone would want to look poor.  After all, his whole life he had tried to avoid appearing underprivileged.  He had taken great measures as a young man to ensure that only those people who were truly his friends would find out where his house was, or what it looked like.  He had fought against his poverty his entire life and yet here, standing before him, was a man who WANTED to look poor...

Suddenly they came to the small drive which led into the Tuerl’s even smaller house.  The stranger, not noticing Idus’ embarrassment at the sight of his house, walked undeterred with his long stride up to the front door of the house and knocked, but not only did he knock but he added the words “Jennifer.”  Idus stood bewildered at how this man knew his mother’s name.  “Open the door.”  He paused before adding “I have news about your husband.”

Suddenly Idus’ thoughts were interrupted yet again; this was twice that the stranger had managed to completely shatter his train of thought.  But this time it was a feeling of shock which accompanied his new blank mind.  His mind was shattered for a moment before the fragments of his thoughts suddenly began to swirl in his mind again, and he began to realize what the stranger had just said.  His father had just been spoken of by the stranger, a father-whom he had never met.

His Mother had told the two brothers that he had been killed by an avalanche while skiing one bitterly cold winter’s day.  She had shown them articles about the accident, which she kept in a little shoebox under the foot of her bed, and the two brothers had often snuck into the bedroom to look at the pictures she had hidden there.  Idus had looked at the articles many times and he knew it was a verifiable fact their father was dead, but why then did this man speak as though news had just come from their father.  What “news” could really be dug up from a man who had died some 15 years ago?

Suddenly the door was opened and a very pretty woman in her late 30’s opened the door.  She had an anxious expression on her face and the careworn lines which engulfed her face seemed to show the constant stress she was under.  However, all these years of constant stress, from being the only one to look after these two boys, had not completely driven away her former youthful beauty.  She still had the same domineering look which made people feel as if she could read their minds.  She also had the same flowingly silky black hair, and she also had the velvet green eyes which Irgen had inherited.

“May we come in Jennifer?”

“Of course, Blackington.”

Once again Idus’ thoughts enveloped him.  How could she know his name?  How could she know this man whom, in Idus’ entire life, he could not ever remember seeing?  Not only that but why was she giving him such an eager and appraising look as though she was waiting for a scouting report from a long-expected general.

They entered the small entryway and the door closed behind them, although Idus’ could not tell who had closed it.  He looked around dolefully at his diminutive house.  Right now they were in the small entryway and away to the left a little, was a cramped little kitchen where a minute table appeared to have just squeezed in between the stove and the wall.  Directly in front of them there was a skinny hallway hardly wide enough for a broad-shouldered man to walk through.

At the end of this small hallway stood two doors, inside one was a large and spacious room. (At least compared to the rest of the house)  This was where the two brothers slept.  There were bunk beds pushed up against one of the walls leaving enough space for two drawers pushed up against the other wall and a slight space in the middle of the room which acted as another hallway to the door at the other end of the room which was the bathroom.

The bathroom contained a very small shower with a toilet right next to it, showering the person sitting there with a kind of claustrophobic feeling of being in too tight of a space.  The room on the other side of the hallway was another very small room which did not seem to have enough space for the small twin sized bed that filled it completely.  This was where Jennifer slept.  And this was where the Tuerls lived.

“Well Blackington, you said you had news about my husband?”  Jennifer looked quizzically at him.

“Yes, Jennifer I have news about him although I am afraid it is not good news.”  He paused before continuing.  “And that is why I am here on such short notice, and that is also why I need to talk to both of your boys as quickly as possible.”

“But they’re not yet of age, you know that.”  Jennifer’s sharp reply confused Idus.  “Not of age” what was that supposed to mean.

“No not yet, but it’s time that they knew what they are… and once you find out was has happened to your husband you will want them to know as well.  Besides they have already shown to have an astonishing aptitude for what is about to be thrust upon them.”  What they are?  Talking about his father as though he were present, what did this all mean?  If anyone was to be asked it wouldn’t be Idus, for he could not make heads or tails of the situation.  He simply stared with a slight opening in his mouth at the two adults.

“But it is not time yet…”

“You’re husband appointed me to be their protector and I believe it is time, and there will be no further arguments.”  There was a slight silence during which Idus’ mind continued to blur, although now he was having trouble trying to comprehend what was going on outside of him.  “But I must find Irgen before I begin.”  He looked anxiously at Jennifer.  “Right now we are in a danger such as we have never been in before; I must find Irgen.”  He repeated himself with more conviction this time.  “My comrades and I will only then be able to protect you.”

“Alright… if you’re sure.”  Jennifer gave a slight sigh and sat down in one of the chairs around the cramped table.

“Idus where was the last place you saw your brother?”  Blackington asked.

Idus stared blankly at Blackington’s question before finally replying with great effort “Saw… At… School… He…”  Blackington’s sharp voice cut in:

“Thank you Jennifer.  Idus come with me; hopefully…” He paused searching for words “we’ll be right back.”

With these words He opened the door, and he and Idus walked out of the house into the cold blanket of night, leaving just as fast as they had come.  At another time Idus might have found something humorous in how often he did this tonight, but now he merely bleakly followed the man out the door into the blanket of darkness.

Chapter 2            Chapter 4

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