Meeting the Team

It took about an hour to drive though town and a bit farther out, into a middle-class suburb. Tobias drew up a long driveway to a large building to the side, bordering an open field. He parked the car outside a garage door and turned off the engine. He and Patrick had been chatting all the way, and it was the first time Patrick really had talked to anyone at length before. As a loner he didn’t trust anyone, but now, suddenly, all that changed.

Tobias was forty-three years old and Patrick sixteen, but still they talked like good friends. Tobias told him about his wild youth when he learned his magic tricks by pick-pocketing and engaging in other scams such as in card games, and Patrick for the first time opened up and told about the loner life he was living. Tobias didn’t try to hide that he already knew some of Patrick’s history, explaining that one part of his mission was to initiate contact.

These people, the Team and the Community, as Tobias explained, were in the process of expanding, and they were looking for people who might fit in and would like to join them. Patrick didn’t mind learning that he had been spied on—that didn’t matter to him now—and Tobias didn’t seem to hold back about himself either, so Patrick felt safe.

However Tobias didn’t tell Patrick much about the Team and the Community people; he wanted them to be a surprise. He said that he wanted Patrick to meet them first to form his own opinion. But as Tobias also said, “They’re very friendly and will gladly tell you about themselves, no problem.”

Before they stepped out of the car Tobias leaned over and said, as a bit of last advice, “Think of this as a magical moment when you first meet these people—like, consider that nothing is what it seems. They are all very basic people, but their magic as persons is constant.”

Patrick smiled back and tried to prepare himself, but for what?

They stepped out of the car and walked up to the main entrance. Tobias smiled widely and opened the door like it was always unlocked.

“I’m home!” he called out when they both were inside and he had closed the door behind them.

It took only a couple of seconds for the first one to appear, a short woman with a mongoloid look.

“Oh, there you are! And you brought Patrick with you. Welcome! Welcome!” she burst out, seeming to be particular happy when she laid eyes on Patrick.

She hurried to them with an odd gait, like a too-fast walk. First she hugged Tobias quickly around his waist and then she turned to Patrick and did the same without hesitating. Patrick was surprised, but he acted like Tobias and hugged back gently. It was more than a few seconds before she let go of him, like she wanted to really feel him through that hug.

“This is Eve,” Tobias briefly informed Patrick as she grabbed hold of him.

Then more and more people started to show up, one in an unusual wheelchair, and the variety in their handicaps stunned Patrick. But he did like Tobias and hugged them all, answering politely when they asked how he was, if everything had gone well, and other polite questions.

It was obvious to Patrick that they all knew about what had happened at the school, like they all had been in on it. But how…? Patrick became increasingly puzzled. These people? Only just one or two looked and seemed to behave normally. All the others had some kind of visible disability, or disorder, or something that made them stand out. Who were they and why were they all together?

Tobias smiled back at Patrick as he occasionally glanced at him, bewildered.

They were invited into the house, with many of the little people staying close to Patrick, obviously very keen to get to know him. They passed through a wide hallway to a staircase that rose up three floors and down one to what appeared to be the cellar.

Leading them to the stairs was a big man walking with a limp, followed by the person in that strange wheelchair. There was an elevator, but everyone ignored it. The big man started up the stairs with ease, as if he were floating up them, and then the person in the wheelchair started up as if he were sliding, never leaving the chair.

Tobias said to Patrick, “Don’t bother asking. Not just yet, anyway—it’ll be explained later.” Patrick had paused when the wheelchair seemed to leave the ground.

They all rose up the staircase like that, one by one, and Patrick felt something lifting him up, as if each step up were ordinary walking.

It was a very happy, chatting bunch who floated up the stairs to the first floor and entered a big room with a dining space at the far end. There were tall windows along both walls. One row of windows looked out over the driveway where Tobias and Patrick had arrived, and the other overlooked some kind of back yard. For the first time the shorter people let go of Patrick so that Tobias could guide him to one of the backyard windows.

“You see, we all live here, for the most part. This house was first a mental institution, and dilapidated at that.  With a bit of magic and the genius of Ms. Nodi we kind of bought it to be our home,” Tobias explained while showing Patrick a beautiful backyard view of flowers, a pool area, benches and tables… well it just stunned Patrick into silence.

“As you can imagine, there have been a lot changes and renovation work done here, but we have kept a low profile to avoid suspicion. To ordinary people outside this is still a mental ward, but private and for people with special needs, so to speak. So outside I’m regarded as some kind of doctor going back and forth, and some of the others are too. Obviously though, it’s not what it seems, and no one here is any mental case whatsoever.”

Patrick listed intensely while looking out the window. It all looked so inviting, with more of these people outside, sitting under trees reading, swimming in the pool, talking at the tables under umbrellas.

“But…,” Patrick tried to ask after a while.

“Hush…,” Tobias smiled, stopping Patrick. “The magical moment is not over yet—there is more.”

The people who had left them alone had gone over to the dining area to a big oval, richly laid table. Tobias made Patrick let go of the backyard view with a slight “Come on” push to his arm. He explained that it was time for lunch, and at the meal were some people who were waiting to greet him.

“But we need to clean up first. Come on!” Tobias said with another smile, and he pointed to a door near where they had entered that might be a restroom.

Patrick followed Tobias. There were no “Ladies” or “Gents” signs on the door, as if that didn’t matter, and right now Patrick felt excited about whatever awaited him. Everything about this place was so strange, yet friendly.

Tobias continued to explain as they entered the bathroom. “You know, people in the area leave us alone and never ask questions. But they keep their children away from us and this place, and some of them even moved away when we moved in here fifteen years ago. It’s strange that some people moved when we arrived, since it had been a mental institution before. But that was then, and whereas those mental patients were locked in and never came outside these walls, we do.”

Tobias laughed. “You should have seen some of their faces when we moved in, running around like crazy. And some of us—well, you’ve met them— approaching the curious neighbors outright who were watching from the other side of the street, with big generous hugs. For instance, Hans is a huge friendly guy who looks retarded—he’s very child-friendly, nice, gentle and all—but when he crossed the street to hug and greet people, they disappeared in a hurry. God that was fun to watch!”

Patrick laughed too; now that he was starting to meet these people he could imagine the sight well.

Tobias washed his face at a sink, removing some light makeup that had added to his dramatic magician look, and Patrick washed his hands before they went out to join the others at the dining area.

Patrick was realizing that what had happened at his school had been a scam, but were all those efforts just so these people could meet him? Hmm… he had to think about that some more. Although he felt confident all his questions would answered, he kept dwelling on “Why? What could they possibly want with him?”

At the table he once again was surrounded by all sorts of people, and he was offered a seat in the center of a long side. Now when he and Tobias sat down next to each other, everyone else was quick to take their seats. On Patrick’s left was the woman he first met who hugged him for so long, looking up at him with a smile that sought approval, and Patrick was quick to smile back a confirmation.

Opposite him a very strange character had placed himself. He seemed old and crippled in all kinds of ways. He could stand, although crumpled, and he could speak, although his voice didn’t work properly: it was reduced to a mere mumble, though sharp. Patrick didn’t understand a thing, but many of the others did, and Tobias translated for him.

“This is Mr. Zed, and he welcomes you at this table. He also, in his way, expresses a wish that you will find the company here worthwhile and that you eventually will join us.”

“Mr. Zed represents one of the four powers in our community, and you could say that he, together with the other three, runs things and make things happen. You could also say that he’s my boss, but that is not entirely true and I will tell you more about that later,” Tobias continued .

“But now let’s eat, and afterward I’ll more properly introduce you to everyone. Later this afternoon we have to get ready to collect some money, and I hope you’ll want to stay and watch it. If you feel like you need to go home or something, just tell me.”

“No problem, I have nothing to do at home, really, and I’d like to stay if I may?”

“You definitely can stay as long as you want, and I’ll explain how that could be a reality, and show you too,” Tobias replied.

A light meal was served by yet more strange people, mostly offered from a rolling cart. Tobias advised Patrick to try some special dried ham with some cheese, a bit of salad and some homemade bread. “Try our water too—it’s different and tastes really good,” Tobias urged. Patrick had never eaten or seen food like this before. It was special Italian ham and cheese, Tobias explained, and it was all carefully displayed for his enjoyment.  This food was a world away from the scraps Patrick’s aunt and uncle had given him and what he had scrounged for himself.

Now, after he and Tobias had been served, his curiosity had grown a bit too much and he just had to start to asking, whatever—something?

“What money are you going to collect? What are you going to do now?”

Tobias suppressed a burst of laughter.

“Glad you asked. We’re going to collect the reward for locating that purple car I stole. You see, the owner of that car, Mr. Cantini, just went crazy when his car got stolen. He regards that car as a symbol of power or something, an untouchable symbol, which he alone has control over. Strange man.

“So Liam, sitting over there,” Tobias pointed a bit to the right across the table, “was the one who called Mr. Cantini to tell him where the car was parked, and this evening he and Eve (she’s sitting next to you) are going to Mr. Cantini’s—the city’s fanciest, most expensive nightclub—to collect that reward. It’s fifty thousand dollars; can you imagine offering money like that just for a car?”

“But… but…?” Patrick’s questions increased exponentially as he looked at the two people Tobias had pointed out to him. Eve smiled back at him and nodded to confirm what Tobias just had told him. And that other person, Liam…?

“But… but how can that be possible…? That Cantini guy is seriously no good—I’ve heard about him and you saw his guys taking care of Shaggy and his boys—they’re serious. Actually, they’re real mean guys. How can you let them, Liam and Eve, go there? And… and Liam, he seems… what should I say…?”

“No problem, Patrick, say it! We’re all aware of ourselves here, and we have no problems with ourselves or the others, no offence taken. It takes a while to adjust, and everyone here knows that. You’re welcome to use the words you know to describe us; we don’t mind, really—everyone else outside does. Meanwhile you’ll learn other ways to address who we are, including disabilities and abilities—what we can do. No problem—you’ll see.”

Patrick took a deep breath. “Liam looks so… kind of retarded. Can he really manage? And Eve…,” Patrick said turning to her. “These guys are the worst kind of criminals; they actually kill people.” Patrick touched Eve gently on her hand.

Eve answered with a smile, “No problem, Patrick. We have Mr. Zed and his magicians and elves helping us. We’re safe.”

Tobias chimed in, “Right you are, Eve! And we’ll never ever abandon any of Ms. Nodi’s Nitwits and Slyboots, or anyone else for that matter. You’ll see.”

Patrick’s head was spinning. “What the… Good God, what were they up to now?”

…

To be continued next Friday.