A Gift or A Curse

Mrs Gideon settled on a chair which yesterday Jimmy used to put Blake on after she fainted.

“You don’t recognize me, Blake. But I’m your great aunt Tessie.”

She paused. Blake dropped her jaw and gasped.

“My great aunt – but mom said - “

“Yes dear. I died a long time ago. When you were still a baby.”

Blake froze right there. Her eyes bulged, her head spinning and she was about to faint but then Mrs Gideon spoke again.

“And Elmer Gideon is your uncle.”

“Wait, Elmer? Mr Elmer?”

The old woman beamed and nodded. “But he’s still alive.”

“Hah. No wonder he can’t see me. But I can touch him though.” Jimmy muttered to himself.

“Wait, you’re his wife? When he said that you’re being a-”

“Pain in the ass?” Mrs Gideon laughed aloud. “That old man never learns. I nagged at him to give you some of his savings. Did he give it to you already?”

Blake looked down at the 1000 cad in her hand. She nodded.

“Good. Use it well, dear. I’ve been coming in and out of this shop just to see how you were doing. And I’m sad to see you living alone like this.” She paused to get a good look at her great niece.

“Well, you and Elmer shared this ability. This gift. Or curse as some people call it. Only two of our generation possessed it. But Elmer can’t see spirits. He can just touch them, being nudged by them or even hear their voices. Boy that turned him grumpy alright.”

“I can – what? But why didn’t I notice this before?”

Mrs Gideon took a deep breath before answering her.

“Maybe because you weren’t looking, dear. You rarely have been out of this shop.”

Blake looked down to her feet. That was quite true. She was too immersed in her reading world that she just ignored the real world that evolved around her.

“See, dear. Spirits have destiny too, like all the living people in this world. Until they have done their deeds - fulfilling their fate, they will stuck with the person that they destined to be with. I’m not quite sure what my destiny is yet, but until I do, I’m stuck with Elmer.”

She chuckled, and smiled bitterly at Blake before turning to Jimmy.

“Maybe you’re here for a reason, young man.”

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Blake couldn’t believe herself. She can’t believe she was actually doing this, for a stranger. After her great aunt Tessie had spilled everything, she felt that helping Jimmy was the right thing to do. She didn’t have any customers anyway now that she knows her two only customers were actually related to her. All the books that Mrs Gideon bought somehow end up mysteriously back on the shelves. She didn’t even bother to check them before but it had always been there. Mrs Gideon never took it. All her money was actually the same every day. The same 20 cad and it never added to her cash register.

She glanced at Jimmy who gleefully teleported himself here and there, scaring people off. He even yelled “BEING DEAD IS AWESOME!!” but only Blake can hear him.

“Can you not do that? It’s creepy!” she whispered as Jimmy teleported back to her side.

“I can’t help it. I’m happy you’re doing this for me. You’re really a good person, Blake.”

She blushed and looked away. She’s afraid of heights but yet here she is, waiting for a flight call to California, United States.

“If you can teleport now, why don’t you just teleport yourself over to your friends?”

Jimmy raised his eyebrows at her. “Hmm. I’ve never thought of that before. Let me try.”

He closed his eyes. Tightly. He even squashed his long body, like he was ready to be transferred to somewhere far away. But nothing happened.

“I can’t. Maybe I can only do that with you around.”

“Shame I’m still alive.”

“Yeah.” Jimmy looked down to his feet.

Blake smiled watching him. She thought that he looked adorable when he was being frustrated. But then she realized that people at the airport were staring at her. She smacked her forehead softly. Of course people would think of her as crazy! They can’t see Jimmy!

“So, you’re excited to go out of the country?” Jimmy asked her, his tone sounded happy. He really couldn’t wait to see his best friends again.

Blake buried her face behind a magazine and whispered.

“I’m not. I’m afraid of heights.”

“Why are you whispering?”

“So that people won’t think I’m crazy you idiot.”

Jimmy looked around. People were ignoring them now.

“Pfft. Nobody’s looking at us.”

“That’s because they can’t see you.”

Jimmy narrowed his eyes and then teleported again. Blake was forced to peek over the magazine to see where he was going. He was practically all over the waiting room and appearing himself here and there. Behind a wall, in front of the stewardess, on top of the chairs, everywhere. He was yelling and shouting. Blake rolled her eyes. She can’t call him back now, she could end up in a psych ward. She wondered mindlessly, does he always like this? So carefree, so insane and didn’t care what other people think?

Suddenly there was a loud murmur coming from the entrance hall. Blake turned to look. A group of people came in with flashes of cameras following them halfway since this room is for passengers only.

A tall muscular guy, wearing an aviator and a backward baseball cap entered and waved at the cameras while holding on to his luggage cart. A beautiful long haired woman walked beside him, with her aviator on too. There was another muscular guy with black spiky hair, who circled his arm around another beautiful woman – who Blake can see that those women were twins – and he was chewing something in his mouth. Then a rather short guy in a mohawk pursued with his bag hanging onto his shoulder and he too was smiling to the flashes of cameras. Another guy came in too, with his hair combed to the side and Blake can see that they were all tatted, and pierced on their face. Just like Jimmy.

Jimmy. Where the heck is that man-child?

Blake scanned around. She saw Jimmy stood near them. He was frozen stiff, watching them went over to the VIP room just around the corner.

“MY FRIENDS!!!! BRIAN!! MATT!! JOHNNY!! ZACKY!!” he shouted. Blake winced and covered one ear hearing his stinging voice echoed through the room. She saw Jimmy was teleporting through them trying to make them see him. But they just ignored him and vanished into the VIP room.

Blake had guessed it right. That entourage was really Jimmy’s friends. Well it’s settled then. She doesn’t have to fly at all now! She was sighing in relief when Jimmy appeared beside her suddenly, making her flinched.

“Stop. Doing. That.” She scoffed, didn’t care that there were a few people staring at her again.

“They can’t see me. You have to help me Blake. Help me talk to them.”

“What? No! You said I only have to bring you to your friends. You didn’t say anything about talking to them. Besides, they looked-” she wanted to say violent, but that might have offended Jimmy. “– famous. I doubt they will listen to me.”

“They will! I promise you! Please Blake, you’re my only hope!” he clasped his hands together and widened his puppy eyes. He even blinked a couple of times, adding point to his adorableness.

Blake narrowed her eyes at him and then sighed.

“Ughh fine. What do you want me to say to them?”

Notes