gova

(Continued from April 27, 2010)

While Alphonse had gone to manipulate the controls for the massive gate, the two ladies and I remained at the table.  They were finishing their coffee and I enjoyed my second cup of tea.  After silently observing Alphonse’s automatic response to his first call of duty as a bodyguard, Aunt Dorothy exclaimed: “Amazing!”

“He had anticipated the office ladies’ departure,” I commented.  “This morning, before breakfast, he was perusing the bodyguard’s manual.”

“This is a wonderful way of hiring a new employee,” aunt Dorothy remarked.  “It is much more realistic than scrutinizing resumes, which often contain untrue or grossly exaggerated assertions.  For that reason, all those new workers undergo an initial three-months probation period.  A clause in the contract stipulates that a position can be terminated immediately during that time.  Of course, to protect the good reputation of our company, we don’t fire a worker for frivolous reasons.”

“Apparently, it is not unusual that agreements are made between workers and former bosses,” Thea pointed out.  “Acceptance of an immediate termination is rewarded with a favorable work report.  Sometimes, the supposed duration of employment is lengthened excessively.  With Alphonse, there has been no exaggerated praise from former employers.  Instead, we have been treated to a display of pretty positive actions.”

Seconds after Thea finished her discourse in praise of her adopted brother, he walked in, sat down and exclaimed: “That gate is a marvel; it moves swiftly and noiselessly.”  Alphonse then explained, with a chuckle: “As my long-time friend is well aware, I have an idiosyncrasy pertaining to malfunctioning doors, gates, windows, etc.  My former landlords profited from that hang-up.  In my rented apartments, I made all hanging and sliding objects smooth-functioning.”

“On the topic of smooth-functioning objects, I have a suggestion,” Aunt Dorothy asserted.  “Seeing that, at the moment, the weather is beautiful and the forecast for this afternoon is not so good, now is the right time for Alphonse to familiarize himself with Sam.  There are general directions about the use of the remote in the back of the manual.  While you peruse those, I will get the master key for Sam’s shed.  I have no idea where the guard keeps his copy.”

While he studied the instructions for the use of the remote, Alphonse was thinking aloud: “I must keep in mind that Sam’s cousins are much more advanced.  Therefore, if I notice a response that appears to need improvement, there is a good likelihood that the adjustment has already been made.  Nevertheless, I will make a note of any area where I would like to see betterment.  Then, when we visit the workshop, I will check on the cousins’ advancement in those areas.”

(To be continued)

(Continued from April 24, 2010)

The general consensus among us was that the chef’s omelets were delicious.  They were solid and lightly browned on the outside and slightly runny on the inside.  However, concerning those tasty creations, there was another detail that Elsie indirectly clarified: “Although one of these constitutes a complete meal for modest eaters, I will indulge in a second one.”  Everyone else followed her example.

Halfway through the second round of omelets, aunt Dorothy casually remarked: “The chef will also prepare a batch of his renowned pancakes.  They are very light and fluffy and contain chunks of all kinds of fruits.”

That piece of information discouraged all but Alphonse from ordering a third omelet.  The server returned with a messaged from the chef written on the back of my young friend’s leaflet: “Would you like large, regular or small?”  Alphonse chose the regular size.

The large dish that contained the pancakes had four compartments.  For each one, there was a tag attached to a skewer indicating the kind of fruit used.  The covered dish was sitting on a warmer.  Therefore, the pancakes were consumed in a leisurely fashion, along with gulps of coffee or tea.

Because of the pleasant ambiance that had permeated the area around the breakfast table, Alice and Elsie were in no hurry to get up and run off to work.  They both had an understanding boss; and, since they very seldom arrived at work after nine, they were not worried about negative repercussions.

Thea did not have a job.  She lived comfortably from what her late father had bequeathed her.  Aunt Dorothy’s accountant had helped Thea invest the large insurance payout and he had reviewed the investments that her dad had made in the past.  My daughter spent a lot of her time engaged in charity work.

I had occasionally considered becoming involved with one or two charitable organizations, but negative reports about the large sums that some managers pocketed, had held me back.  However, times had changed for the better.  My daughter and her aunt were already connected with organizations that had been investigated thoroughly.  I would be able to lend them a hand in their efforts.

It was obvious that Alice and Elsie would have enjoyed remaining somewhat longer at the breakfast table.  However, as responsible employees, they did not want their tardiness to go beyond an hour.  So, they stood up from the table, fetched their belongings from the bedrooms and, after thanking Aunt Dorothy heartily, they walked toward the exit door.  Alphonse followed at a short distance. His manual had taught him that the gate needed to be opened and closed.

(To be continued)

(Continued from April 21, 2010)

After cleaning my teeth, I checked on the number of covers on the bed.  On top of the sheet, there was a heavy woolen blanket; and, on top of that, a light spread.  Having determined that the room temperature was twenty-one degrees Celsius, I removed the thick blanket.

While I was carefully folding the large blanket, a feeling of extreme tiredness enveloped me.  It made me happy for it banished any lingering worry and it promised immediate restful slumber.  Not often am I blessed with such soothing sleep; nor, it appears, is the remainder of adult humanity.  Centuries ago, Shakespeare poetically referred to its unique magic as “…sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleeve of care.”

The next morning, the sound of distant clatter woke me up.  The digital clock on the nightstand informed me that it was six thirty.   I felt completely reenergized; and, since, the previous evening, seven had been bandied about as a good time for breakfast, I got up immediately.

I was the second guest to walk into the boardroom.  Alphonse was already sitting on a chair in front of his bedroom.  He was so focused on the contents of the bodyguard’s handbook, which aunt Dorothy had given him the previous evening, that he wasn’t aware of my presence until, almost in front of him, I observed: “I take it that you are considering the bodyguard’s rules and regulations as a hurdle to be crossed before you can get to the fun stuff.”

“You are right.  Although these details are quite interesting, I can’t wait to get my hands on robot Sam,” my young friend responded with a chuckle.

We could hear the girls moving about in their bedrooms.  Then, minutes later, aunt Dorothy and Thea walked in and the arrival of the hostess prompted the server to start setting the table.  She also placed, in front of each seat, a number of leaflets, which contained a list of fillings for the omelets that the chef would prepare.

On the top of the leaflet, in bold letters, was an advisement that was particularly pleasing for hungry folks: “You may want to try various different omelets.  For each one, please check the squares in front of the desired fillings.”

The hostess and all the guests were gathered around the table and the server brought jugs, containing a variety of fruit juices.  She then collected the leaflets for the first round of omelets and ten minutes later she placed the steaming dishes in front of us.  Aunt Dorothy, noticing our astonishment at the quick service, observed: “The chef has developed an extremely rapid routine.  So, for a small group, he can prepare them as fast as we can devour them.”

(To be continued)

(Continued from April 18, 2010)

Aunt Dorothy had been able to schedule the dance and gymnastics group on very short notice because she had promised them a substantial sum of money.  While he and Alphonse were carrying one of the heavy oak tables, the buoyant leader of the group told my young friend: “We have never before been compensated so generously for one of our performances.”

After the performance, Aunt Dorothy was very happy about the “splendid display of skills.”  She was also pleased that she had been able to give the monetary support directly to the group.  She explained that, in the past, she had donated large sums of money to arts organizations, which had promised to pass on most of the money to needy artists.  When her accountant had investigated, in minute detail, where the money had gone, he discovered that most had disappeared into the pockets of the managers.

The eventful day and evening had come to an end and a restful night beckoned.  All of us decided to remain on the estate.  Thea told me that she had her own bedroom in the main house and that she could easily arrange for me to stay there as well.

“That will be for a future occasion,” I responded.  I then added jokingly: “Alphonse would be alone with Alice and Elsie; therefore, I volunteer to be chaperone for the night.”

You are making a valid point,” my daughter observed.  “Aunt Dorothy will be pleased with that arrangement.  Your thoughtfulness will make a very favorable impression on her.”  Thereupon, she kissed me on the cheek, waved at her friends and her brother and joined aunt Dorothy who was waiting for her at the exit door.

The cook and the young server also remained on the premises.  The girl would overnight at the gardener’s and the chef would stay at the guard’s place.  In the morning, the two would present the guests with a “special breakfast.”

The small bedrooms that were attached to the boardroom were completely self-contained.   In the washroom, items pertaining to hygiene were neatly arranged on the marble-topped vanity.  Alphonse noted later that the shower door slid so smoothly that a feather could move it.  Stuck or mal-functioning doors had frequently annoyed him in hotel rooms.

When I chose the bedroom that was second from the end, Alphonse automatically moved into the end one.  “This is a good arrangement,” he told me after the girls had gone into their individual compartments.  “With my room adjacent to one of the girls, I would probably interpret any kind of noise as a knocking on the wall to get my attention.  That would affect my much needed slumber.”

(To be continued)

(Continued from April 15, 2010)

Of course, aunt Dorothy duly approached Alphonse regarding the temporary bodyguard position.  Having previously struggled with an obnoxious fellow, who every day managed to create new problems, aunt immediately realized that my young friend was a godsend.

Alphonse accepted readily; he instantly became aware of the fact that his day had gone from very good to marvelous.  The demonstration with Sophia had been set for a week later.  That had seemed like a long time to my young friend.  “I would prefer to get my hands on another robot much sooner,” he had whispered to me a few minutes before the gardener brought the news.

Alphonse’s duties, as the temporary bodyguard, would include becoming familiar with robot Sam.  “Tomorrow, after perusing a list of duties, you can play with the robot in the yard,” aunt Dorothy said with a laugh.  “Familiarizing yourself with that little gadget as soon as possible is very important.”

I had a feeling that Alphonse would make the contraption move at top speed within a short period of time.  It was a talent that my young friend had displayed on numerous occasions, well before he got his hands on the Sophia remote.

The change that had taken place in aunt Dorothy’s demeanor was remarkable.  Immediately after she had received the disturbing news from the gardener, the expression on her face was one of deep concern.  However, as the idea of Alphonse as the bodyguard came to her mind, her features relaxed noticeably.  And, when my young friend enthusiastically jumped at the opportunity to become a temporary bodyguard, aunt became the normal wanting-to-please individual again.

She stood up and announced that the entertainment portion of the evening was about to begin.  In her introduction, she explained: “About tree weeks ago. I had the opportunity to view the group that you are about to see.  In my opinion, the members show the same potential as did those of Cirque du Soleil at the beginning of their amazing rise to fame.”

Alphonse and some sturdy young fellows of the dance and gymnastics group moved two of the three heavy oak tables to the back.  Apparently, the remaining one would become part of their program.

The gymnasts performed remarkably well.  They flawlessly displayed a series of spectacular contortions.  Their final act, the formation of a human tower on top of the oak table, made Alphonse assert admiringly: “My body could never be conditioned into that kind of flexibility.”

(To be continued)

(Continued from March 29, 2010)

Concerning the use of his cell phone, Alphonse clarified: “Not only is the cost substantial when one is a frequent chatterbox; but, often, time can be spent much more profitably.  In many instances, a face-to-face conversation is more effective as well as more enjoyable.  Anyway, in the case of Bob, circumstances prohibit a future friendship.  That suits me well because he and I have little in common.”

Alice had changed her cell phone number immediately upon getting word that Alphonse had the guzzler in his sight.  Apparently, her predecessors had also cut telephonic communications before he had been aware of their total disappearance out of his life.  One would think that, after three similar scenarios, he might well suspect a conspiracy of sorts.

Seconds after my mental review of Bob’s elimination from the world of my coconspirators, the gardener came to inform aunt Dorothy that the Bodyguard had become ill and that an ambulance had been called.

There was no discussion about the seriousness of the illness.  Aunt Dorothy remarked: “The fact that he went along with the calling of an ambulance is enough proof for me that the emergency ward is the place for him to be.”

Immediately a range of issues came to the foreground, the most important of which was that a replacement for the guard had to be found on short notice.  Thea, beside whom I was standing at the bar, informed me that the man who had filled in, on a previous occasion, turned out to be more of a problem than an asset.

When I saw Aunt Dorothy looking intently at Alphonse for a prolonged spell of time, I could imagine her thought process.  So, I said to Thea: “I think that your aunt has gained a very favorable impression of your brother and I would be very surprised if, at this very moment, she is not considering proposing that he become the temporary substitute for the body guard.”

“I think you are basing your surmise on her lengthy glance toward him.  I also caught that and I am virtually sure that she will make the proposition.  Alphonse has the physique as well as the quickness of mind.  It was fabulous to see him operate that salad bar so smoothly without any previous practice.”

“I imagine that there is a file, somewhere on these premises, which sets out in detail the duties of a bodyguard.”

“There is and it is locked away in aunt’s vault.  And, it just occurred to me that Alphonse would be able to do his first salad bar demonstration and function as the bodyguard at the same time.  I mean aunt and he will be together.”

(To be continued)