AZOTUSLAND chapter four
Jeremy was a striking lad of only 23. He had a charisma and the good looks to go along. He was also funny and a bit of a pirate. If Johnny Depp was channeling Keith Richards, Jeremy was channeling that Johnny Depp.
He was a young thin writer who liked the whole Azotus atmosphere and had lobbied Jim hard to find a place for him.
"How are you with kids?" Jim asked one day.
"Kid's I love'm!" Jeremy said nervously.
"Look it's easy," Jim said glumly. Just be your inner child all the time...or between 10 a.m. and 1, and then again between 6 and 8. There will be some special events every week too. So you'll get forty hours a week and still have afternoons off for whatever."
"How much?"
"To watch kids and play?" Jim said. "$9 an hour and free access to all services."
"Bene's?"
"No drugs allowed" Jim said stone-faced.
"Very funny Jim," he smirked.
"Hey, talk to the Gov." he said "which reminds me, I heard Jonathan practicing his 'Arnold' imitation while he was washing off the floor mats. I suggest you not miss tomorrow's performance."
"I won't," Jeremy said. "So show me this kid's area?"
While they walked down the three full flights down to the bottom of the complex a small herd of deer ventured into the top hillside and feasted on fresh leaves. The white clouds flashed overhead like bright pillows sown sloppily end to end and the valley seemed at peace.
At the bottom of the hill there was an imposing rampart that guarded the whole complex. Jim referred to it affectionately as his "Helm's Deep".
In the renovation he had, at considerable expense, tunneled into the mountainside under the auspices of creating a private wine cellar. Instead there were two doors off the main path that winded around the bulwark.
The first was a bright blue door that led to "The Batcave", a children's play area that Jim had dreamed up with his younger sons and daughter. The other door, farther North was the entrance to the small theater where the Azotus Movie Nights were held as well as other events. It was also Jim's second place to sleep. It was not uncommon to find him at 6 a.m asleep in the front row in some stage of disarray.
The theater itself was a piece of work.
It seated 24 in comfortable staggered rows of orange padded chairs. Deep blue lights in the floor guided people in and out when the lights were out and the show was on. The technology behind it was extremely advanced, designed by his good friend Anthony, a man of considerable imagination and unwilling to take no for an answer. They had pushed every envelope and while they went over-budget by $80,000, Jim was satisfied with all the "special modifications" they had made in the process.
But that door was closed this week to the public until Thursday night at 8.
Jeremy tucked his head under the door. "Sorry about that" Jim said. "We're looking into that. I have already lost at least 300 thousand brain cells smacking that think. It was built for hobbitses."
Jeremy didn't laugh and Jim moved on.
He moved to an instrument panel on a small rise and hit a few switches.
The place lighted up in subtle fashion. On the left there were glowing bat cut-out gels and a considerable array of toy action figures segregated into several areas. Marvel, D.C. Star Wars. In a separate room there were small tables with puzzles and art stations. There were two sinks and a rack of art supplies. Later, Jeremy would become accustomed to the other areas of the Batcave that were unusual and highly playful, but for now he was kinda blown away.
"You wanna work here?" Jim asked.
"Why me?"
"Trish quit...going back to school in Santa Cruz. I need someone I can trust."
"I just play with kids?"
"No, you do that and you log them safely in and out. You report any problems immediately to either Roo or myself and we contact the parent. Any problem. I mean you can wipe a nose, but just be a good and safe big brother. They will love you J."
"okay."
"Oh and one more thing Jeremy" Jim said seriously. "No hitting on the young mothers. Understood?"
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"NO MILFing dude."
"yeah, understood."
He was a young thin writer who liked the whole Azotus atmosphere and had lobbied Jim hard to find a place for him.
"How are you with kids?" Jim asked one day.
"Kid's I love'm!" Jeremy said nervously.
"Look it's easy," Jim said glumly. Just be your inner child all the time...or between 10 a.m. and 1, and then again between 6 and 8. There will be some special events every week too. So you'll get forty hours a week and still have afternoons off for whatever."
"How much?"
"To watch kids and play?" Jim said. "$9 an hour and free access to all services."
"Bene's?"
"No drugs allowed" Jim said stone-faced.
"Very funny Jim," he smirked.
"Hey, talk to the Gov." he said "which reminds me, I heard Jonathan practicing his 'Arnold' imitation while he was washing off the floor mats. I suggest you not miss tomorrow's performance."
"I won't," Jeremy said. "So show me this kid's area?"
While they walked down the three full flights down to the bottom of the complex a small herd of deer ventured into the top hillside and feasted on fresh leaves. The white clouds flashed overhead like bright pillows sown sloppily end to end and the valley seemed at peace.
At the bottom of the hill there was an imposing rampart that guarded the whole complex. Jim referred to it affectionately as his "Helm's Deep".
In the renovation he had, at considerable expense, tunneled into the mountainside under the auspices of creating a private wine cellar. Instead there were two doors off the main path that winded around the bulwark.
The first was a bright blue door that led to "The Batcave", a children's play area that Jim had dreamed up with his younger sons and daughter. The other door, farther North was the entrance to the small theater where the Azotus Movie Nights were held as well as other events. It was also Jim's second place to sleep. It was not uncommon to find him at 6 a.m asleep in the front row in some stage of disarray.
The theater itself was a piece of work.
It seated 24 in comfortable staggered rows of orange padded chairs. Deep blue lights in the floor guided people in and out when the lights were out and the show was on. The technology behind it was extremely advanced, designed by his good friend Anthony, a man of considerable imagination and unwilling to take no for an answer. They had pushed every envelope and while they went over-budget by $80,000, Jim was satisfied with all the "special modifications" they had made in the process.
But that door was closed this week to the public until Thursday night at 8.
Jeremy tucked his head under the door. "Sorry about that" Jim said. "We're looking into that. I have already lost at least 300 thousand brain cells smacking that think. It was built for hobbitses."
Jeremy didn't laugh and Jim moved on.
He moved to an instrument panel on a small rise and hit a few switches.
The place lighted up in subtle fashion. On the left there were glowing bat cut-out gels and a considerable array of toy action figures segregated into several areas. Marvel, D.C. Star Wars. In a separate room there were small tables with puzzles and art stations. There were two sinks and a rack of art supplies. Later, Jeremy would become accustomed to the other areas of the Batcave that were unusual and highly playful, but for now he was kinda blown away.
"You wanna work here?" Jim asked.
"Why me?"
"Trish quit...going back to school in Santa Cruz. I need someone I can trust."
"I just play with kids?"
"No, you do that and you log them safely in and out. You report any problems immediately to either Roo or myself and we contact the parent. Any problem. I mean you can wipe a nose, but just be a good and safe big brother. They will love you J."
"okay."
"Oh and one more thing Jeremy" Jim said seriously. "No hitting on the young mothers. Understood?"
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"NO MILFing dude."
"yeah, understood."
posted by Obi-Mac BakDon | 11:00 AM
1 Comments:
batcave--i love it!
and the johnny depp reference . . sweet. we just watched that flick last weekend. :)
but really. i'm hooked on the story . . .
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