Abacus

person of your dad’s calibre entrusted me of all people to train his son. And I reckon you’ll be every bit as good as he was.”
    Randall stood up, held out his glass and clinked it aga inst Hobbs’s, “To Steve Hobbs, may you rest in peace.” He looked up at the ceiling and winked. “Don’t worry, mate, I’ll look after him, but it won’t be long before he is teaching me a thing or two.”
    Hobbs spent the rest of the evening enchanted by the stories Randall told him about his father. He couldn’t believe he had kept it a secret all this time. Even though he had passed away, his father sprung to life again through the myriad of colourful stories Randall shared with him that evening. From that time on an incredibly tight bond formed between the two. A bond that would last forever.

CHAPTER 24 – SEXUAL HEALING

    Randall’s early mark from work meant he was able to collect his kids from school and spend some much needed time with them. The bonnet of the old Merc warmed his hands as he patiently waited for the school day to finish. “Hi, Mr. Randall,” called a group of Tim’s friends as they rushed past.
    “Hi , boys,” he called just as they disappeared around the office building. The ding of the school bell sent a tsunami hurtling towards the waiting parents. The parents were quickly swamped, with just their heads visible above the sea of kids. Once things settled, he watched the parents and their kids interact. It was nice to see them greet each other with hugs and kisses. It was these simple, pleasant, everyday events that he rarely got to see as a single, working man.
    “Hi , Dad,” came the call from Tim.
    “Where is your sister? ” he asked, frantically looking through the pea soup of kids. Before he could respond, Jane arrived.
    “Hi , Dad.”
    Randall lifted the m both off the ground in his strong arms and gave them both a big hug. “So who’s up for ice cream?”
    “ Are we going to the beach again?” Tim asked.
    “ We sure are, but not just any beach, one of the best beaches in the world, with the best ice cream in the world,” he said excitedly. Randall drove the children on the twenty-minute journey to Bondi Beach.
    With ice creams in hand , they walked along the long promenade that fronted this beautiful stretch of Australian coastline. It was a beautiful afternoon and there were many backpackers and overseas visitors lying on the grassed fringes, and plentiful seating.
    Walking towards the northern end of the beach, Jane asked, “You want me to pick a shell again , don’t you, Dad?”
    Randall sucked on his ice cream, leaving a huge white ring on his moustache. His daughter laughed before wiping it off him with her finger. “Honey, you know that’s what we do here, we pick nice shells.”
    Tim complained, “But we do it all the time , Dad. What’s the go with all the shells?”
    Randall looked out to the placid ocean. “See those waves out there?” he said with his arms around their shoulders. “They are perfectly spaced and safe. On a day like today you can swim out as far as you want safely, nothing will happen to you. Waves are the pulse of Earth and on a day like today her heart beats in perfect rhythm.”
    Tim looked at him with a confused expression. “Pulse, what do you mean, pulse?”
    “But when a storm comes, the pulse is disrupted, waves get all messed up and things become dangerous. Rips form in the ocean and people can get into trouble quickly. This is the same as what happens in our lives.”
    Jane nodded , appearing to enjoy the analogy.
    “ When dad catches a bad man, I stop the storm, so people don’t get hurt. You pick the shells to remind me how many storms I have stopped and the people I have saved.”
    “So the shells are the bad men.”
    “Yes, they are, sweetie, they are the bad men.”
    Randall stopped at the northern end of the beach where he removed his shoes and socks, rolled up his trousers, and walked his children onto the brilliant white sand. Walking to an area adjacent to the northern rock escarpment, Randall pointed to an area where the sand met the rock. “Pick one, honey.” Jane looked around at the many shells on offer, and took her time. “Make sure it is an extra special one, love.”
    She walked over and opened her hand, to reveal a delicate pink shell in her palm. “Do you like this one?”
    “I love it , baby, it’s almost as beautiful as you,” he said, taking it from her and pushing it into his pocket.
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