(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)