“Come And See”: Part Eight

~ beetleypete

This is the eighth part of a fiction serial, in 720 words.

All Jimmy knew about women was what he had learned from his one copy of Men Only magazine. In other words, he knew nothing at all about women. After thirty minutes with Lesley, he decided that the real thing was far preferable to a photo in a magazine, and she had also taught him more in that time than he had ever imagined. Following a short pause to finish the bottle of wine, she grabbed his hand and led him back upstairs.

“Your mum’s room this time, for the double bed. That tiny bed of yours will give me cramp otherwise”. Jimmy was tired long before his usual bedtime, and as Lesley curled her body around him and stroked his hair, he could feel his eyes closing. “Don’t worry, Jimmy. I am on the pill, so no little Jimmys to worry about. Not that I’m easy, you should know. There was only one before you, and he was a complete bastard”.

If she said anything else he didn’t hear it, as he was already asleep.

The next day at work, he felt awkward around her. She hadn’t bothered to make herself look nice that morning, so it was unlikely anyone suspected anything. Though on the way in, she had mentioned about packing a case again, and reminded him to get the key back from the neighbour. “And you really should ring the hospital today, and ask how your mum is”. He had almost forgotten about mum, so agreed he should do just that.

Mrs Wilby in the general office let him use the phone, and when someone was finally free to talk to him, he was told there was no change. That didn’t tell him much, but at least he had made the effort. Back in the laboratory, he told Lesley what the nurse had said. She seemed happy about that. “Oh good, I can come round tonight as planned then. I might just pick up fish and chips for dinner though, is that okay?” Jimmy was studying a slide under a microscope, so simply nodded.

Because Lesley had to go to her flat and pack, then queue for the fish and chips before she got to his house, Jimmy had plenty of time for reading when he got in from work. He was on the last chapter of the whole bible, The Book Of Revelation. Once he had finished that, he would have managed something few people have ever done. Read the whole of The Bible, Old Testament and New Testament too. Less the Minor Prophets of course, but they were probably best skipped.

He found a passage that really interested him, and read it twice.

‘And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.’

Now that was his kind of God. No messing about, take out a whole quarter of the human race, because he could. That was so much more interesting than parables, miracles, and all the ‘do unto others’ stuff he had put up with for years. A different reader might have interpreted that as a warning. Be God-fearing, or the fourth seal will be opened and Death will appear on a pale horse to punish mankind. But Jimmy wasn’t that sort of reader.

For him, it was a suggestion. Perhaps even an instruction.

When Lesley got back with her case and the fish and chips her hair was greasy, and she had no make-up on. Jimmy was hungry, and ate the food straight from the paper. She was a bit flustered, and looking at him with a worried expression. “What’s up with you, Jimmy? Sorry I’m not dressed up, but I’ve been busy. You didn’t even help with my suitcase, and I paid the taxi myself too. You have to learn to be a gentleman, to be kind. I’ve been very nice to you”. She didn’t like the strange look he gave her, when he turned round and said.

“Come and See”.

47 thoughts on ““Come And See”: Part Eight”

  2. Well, Lesley seems a bit needy and Jimmy hasn’t a clue about women…not sure what is on his mind whether it’s a repeat of what he learnt yesterday or bye-bye, Lesley…of to find out…:) x

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  9. (1) My friend Corky is trying to think of something that might resemble a bottle of white wine.
    (2) With respect to little Jimmys: “The compact version of the Jimmy, known as the GMC S15 Jimmy, was introduced in 1983. The full-size Jimmy became the Yukon in 1992.”
    (3) Lesley mentioned “packing a case” again. Here in the States, we’re talking about “packing the court” again.
    (4) Lesley planned to pick up fish and chips. Coincidentally, Jimmy was using a microscope to study microscopic fish on a chipped slide.
    (5) Wikipedia: “Pale Rider is a 1985 American Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the lead role. The title is a reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as the rider of a pale horse is Death.” It should be noted that Eastwood’s Remington was only a 6-shooter, whereas, in Revelations, Death packs a 666-shooter.
    (6) Overheard when opening the fourth seal: “Wow! Some food producers are really getting paranoid! Hardly anyone ever tampers with more than one seal!”
    (7) Also overheard: “Hey, Suzy! Come and see the fourth seal! This one can juggle three balls at once!”

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        1. The serial is called ‘Come and See’. Why is anyone surprised. 🙂 🙂
          I like you so much, Cheryl. I think we would get on, drinking wine outside that lake house with your husband, talking about all sorts of stuff.
          Shame we can’t do that. x

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