by Eben Le Roux
Chapter 28
It was no normal Saturday for the people of Bolton. As busy as bees, they were running around everywhere. The factory itself was in full swing as their target was set for two hundred and fifty sets of curtains and bed sheets by noon. They worked swiftly and precisely and there was no doubt that they would reach their target on time. By the time Peter, Sean, and Andrew reached the Clayton’s place; a big tent had already been erected. About a dozen giant umbrellas formed a half moon on the side to the entrance. It was the most beautiful picture of the town its citizens had ever seen. People were still bringing tables and chairs to place inside the tent and around the umbrellas. Sean was the most impressed of them all, and he was showing his excitement. ‘Looks like Bolton is in for a feast today,’ he said as they were nearing the site.
‘Yes, and you better see that Evelyn enjoys every minute of this feast. That girl has never been outside the walls of that city.’
Peter was resting his arm on Sean’s shoulder to make him know he was not making fun of him.
‘You bet I’m going to, sir. I can’t wait for that bus to get here.’
‘Tell you what, young man, after all this is over, I will take the bus back, and you give her a ride home.’
‘I am not allowed to do that, sir. I’ve been told you are my responsibility.’
‘Sean, I am no longer under the instructions of Channel 91, or should I tell Evelyn you don’t want to ride with her?’
‘I would love to sir, but would you at least ask Bruce if . . . ?’
‘Sean, I am no longer Bruce’s little child who needs supervision all the time, but I will tell him.’
Sean knew then that he was definitely going to miss this man. This man was a book with no end in it. Every day was a new experience and a new chapter in his life.
It was nearly ten o’clock, when the four of them were roasting the meat on two separate fires.
‘Why so much meat?’ Peter asked Josh when they were busy with the third bucket.
‘There is a bus with ninety people on its way here. They all need to be fed.’
‘So many people. Whose idea was that?’
‘Bruce’s, he wants all those curtains and bed sheets sold today and he is making sure about that.’
‘From today, this town will be on the international map,’ Peter said jokingly to Josh.
It was then that Josh’s phone started ringing on a table behind them.
‘Peter, can you get that please? My hands are too oily to touch that.’
‘Hello, this is Josh Clayton’s phone,’ he said.
‘Josh . . .’
‘It’s not Josh. It’s Peter speaking.’
‘Oh, Peter, it’s Bruce. We are here at the tent. Where are you?’
‘We are at the back of Josh’s house preparing the meat. Are you coming this way?’
‘No, you guys carry on. I will be setting up the cameras. Look like we are one man short. Do you have an extra hand to help us?’
‘I’ll send Sean to you.’
‘Please tell him to hurry. The bus was only twenty minutes behind me. I need to get it on camera as it moves in.’
‘Okay, he is on his way.’
‘Thanks Peter.’
He looked at Sean before he put the phone down. ‘You had better hurry. Bruce needs you to help them set up the cameras. He needs you there in a minute.’
The venue was beginning to fill up very fast. Most of the town’s people gathered in front of a huge TV screen, which was fitted against the barn wall. Bruce was just beginning to sip on an ice-cold juice when he heard the news that the bus was entering the town’s main road. He took two fast sips and threw the rest in a dustbin close by. He took a couple of seconds to clear his throat, and then shouted to the camera operator, ‘Action!’
As soon as the camera started rolling, he slowly walked around the site while talking into the microphone. ‘Right now I am in a town called Bolton. I honestly never heard about this place until very recently. In fact, I was not even supposed to be here as this place was on the brink of complete collapse. Bolton was in fact supposed to be a ghost town by now.’ He walked four more steps before he continued. ‘Good afternoon to all our viewers. This is Bruce Ashton bringing you a special broadcast of Bolton; the town that refused to die. This story of this town and its people brought so much inspiration that Channel 91 decided to launch a new reality show from here. What you see here may look like we are celebrating the coming of the king. In fact, it is nothing less than celebrating the rebirth of Bolton, a town that was wholly dependent on farming and farms that already stopped operating four years ago. Not so long ago, a citizen from here was in the process of committing suicide.’ He was now moving towards the factory. ‘So what was all the fuss about? Why would a man try to take his life for a ghost town like Bolton?’ He was now entering the factory, and all you could hear was the buzz of twenty-five machines running at full speed. ‘What you see here is the magic of Bolton. When the citizens of Bolton realised it was not going to rain soon in their part of the world, they came together for a plan of survival. Bear in mind that even if rain was going to come, the lands were so dry that it would have taken another two years to produce crops from it. With the town on the brink of dying, they put money together. Every single person that could contribute rose to the occasion and created this – a factory for curtains and bed linen. Not just any bed linen, but products of the highest quality. It started as a huge success if you measure it by the orders they had. Unfortunately, their joys and hopes were short-lived. They were soon to lose everything in a hijacking, and all survival plans were lost beyond anyone’s imagination.’
As he walked out of the factory, the bus was entering the premises. ‘On this bus are Kathy and Michael Atkinson with their little daughter, Mandy. Michael Atkinson could never overcome the loss of his twin daughters, Nicole and Nolene, who died together in a tragic car accident. This caused Michael to undergo a complete personality change. For Kathy and Michael’s friends, it became a nightmare to be around him. He changed from the best, most loving person to the most irritated husband, friend, and father. When “The Miracle Show” did not happen, Kathy turned to Peter Johnson for help. Remember, Peter Johnson was, according to some newspapers, “the hobo who hijacked the miracle event”.’ Bruce was now walking in between Kathy and Michael towards the tent. ‘Well, this is what Peter Johnson told the Atkinsons. He said, “Go and help the people of Bolton with their problem, and they will help you with yours. Bring the spirits of your daughters alive in that town and help them with what they so desperately need”. They did, hence the name, Twinns, with a double “n”, for Nicole and Nolene on that building. The miracle events may not have happened in your town, but they sure happened here in Bolton.’
Bruce noticed that the camera operator’s assistant was trying to turn his attention towards the sky. For Bruce, the timing could not have been better as he was already at the end of his story about Bolton.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, if you look east, forty-five degrees into the sky, you will see two black spots. Those are two helicopters heading here. They are carrying six millionaires who will be doing the same for six other towns as what the Atkinsons did for Bolton. Only they will be in competition against one another.’ The crowd erupted into cheers, cutting Bruce off completely with their loudness. He was not complaining, for this was the sign that this was going to be a hit. He shouted through the noise, ‘Keep up the cheers. We want them to walk into this beautiful atmosphere.’ With the noise of the helicopters too loud, he turned the TV viewers back to the studio.
As the two helicopters drew nearer, the shouting became louder and louder. Peter slowly walked over to where Sean was standing with Evelyn who started smiling when she saw him coming.
‘If you are capable of setting up six millionaires, then you must be good, if not the best,’ she said, still holding onto the smile.
‘What do you mean, I am setting them up?’
‘
Like you set me up with Sean?’
‘I am so sorry. I thought you liked him?’
‘Liked him? I adore him.’
‘Then why are you complaining?’
‘Would you two please drop it? Don’t you know you are discomforting me?’
Peter gave him a gentle smile and said, ‘You know, son, I am really going to miss you.’
Sean was trying hard to hide his own sadness. This man had been everything to him in the last month. He had never seen a man with so much courage. Sometimes, this courage would scare every nerve out of him, but he had learnt so much in this short time with him. This man was to him a father, a teacher, and a mentor. He always knew the end would come, and here he was facing it now.
‘Well, do not be surprised if I come knocking on your door more times than I am welcome.’
‘Does that mean you are no longer going back home?’
‘I am planning on finding a job in town.’
‘Evelyn, what did you do to this man . . . ?’
The helicopters came in to land, and as everyone rushed forward, they followed hurriedly.
Bruce was in front with the camera operator following. He told the crowd to stop and not to come nearer. He waited for the pilots to cut the engines, and when the noise level went down, he went live again.
‘We are now watching as our contestants are leaving the two helicopters. These are six of the richest men in the country, offering their time and money to help the needy. When we started this, we never thought it would ever be possible.’
As the six millionaires came walking towards the camera, Bruce led them to the platform they had constructed on the large lawn.
‘Gentlemen, get up there. I want you to be high enough for the world to see. Tonight, you are making history, and you should be damn proud of it.’
The men were enjoying the applause coming from the crowd and acknowledged it by waving back at them. Bruce wasted no time in addressing them as soon as they all were on the platform. ‘Gentlemen, I’m sure you must have donated lots of money before. How does it feel knowing you will be physically involved in your own projects now?’
Larry Dixon took the microphone from Bruce, and after clearing his throat, he said, ‘Yes, Bruce, we’ve definitely donated lots of money to different organisations. This event happening in Bolton is groundbreaking. You know with donating, you never know where your money goes or on who or what it is spent. I can only imagine how the Atkinsons feel seeing for themselves the happiness of so many people. I want to join in on that fabulous feeling. I want my own personal slice of it. Beating these guys will be my bonus.’
Bruce took the microphone from him very impressed by the words.
‘Isn’t that the spirit that we want? People of Bolton, isn’t that what they are going to get?’ There was a madness of excitement coming from the crowd. Bruce had to silence them before he could turn to the next contestant. ‘Mario Ballerino . . . Larry said that beating you would come as a bonus. What do you say?’
Mario, the oldest of them all, showed a confident smile. He was holding an unlit cigar in his left hand and spoke with a deep, husky voice, ‘I taught Larry to speak like that. That should tell you who is the master and who is the student. Let me . . .’ He was interrupted by the laughter and applause from the crowd. ‘Let me tell you something. You know when you are young; your wish is to have some money. When you have the money, your wish is to get rich. When you get rich, you dream is to become a millionaire. When you have millions, your dream is to multiply your millions. As one grows old with all those millions around you, you find that dream becoming a wish again. Now, the biggest wish of my heart is to die happy. If I can do what the Atkinsons did and get the same reward as this, then surely I am at the right place.’
His words had everybody speechless for a short instant, and suddenly a big burst of applause followed. Some of the women had tears in their eyes. These words astounded even Bruce.
‘Wow . . . Mario, you touched me with those words, and I think millions of our viewers felt your spiritual wish this afternoon. Be assured . . . you are guaranteed to find that happiness here. I saw that all the other contestants nodded at your words, so I now know how every one of you feels, and I am glad to know why you are here.’
Bruce could see that the atmosphere had a great impact on the Atkinsons. Kathy was biting her lip in trying to hold back the tears. He really wanted her to speak today, seeing her playing the leading role in this whole affair. Seeing her condition, he turned to Michael instead, ‘Michael, I want you to tell us in your own words how your family feels today.’
Michael took the microphone from Bruce, but it took a while before he was able to speak.
‘Well, Bruce, we used to think of Nicole and Nolene as somewhere in two graves. Now, we are thinking of them as being alive in Bolton. I can still remember that beggar on that stage that first night saying, “Who said you can’t be the miracle in someone else’s life?” Peter Johnson, I heard you when you told my wife’ “your blessings will be a thousand times more than mines” Today, we are running over with joy, and we are blessed to share it with so many. You are truly the miracle in our lives. I only hope that my blessings can also spill over to you…To your contestants I want to say; you will have to live this feeling to enjoy its true value. It is beyond everything I have ever experienced in my life. Thank you Peter Johnson and, thank you Bolton.”
Bruce could see that Michael’s emotions were getting the better of him. He quickly took the microphone away and again thanked him and Kathy for what they had achieved. The overwhelming applause from the crowd seemed to help in his recovery as he smiled broadly while hugging his wife and daughter. Bruce then turned his attention to Peter.
‘Peter Johnson, we are not done thanking you. Come up here and let everybody feel your presence one more time.’
Peter climbed the three steps of the platform to loud applause while shaking the hands of the contestants. When Bruce took his hand, he asked him, ‘For you, I have no questions. Just tell us how all of this makes you feel.’
Without any hesitation, his answer came immediately and fluently. ‘I see so many smiles, so much joy, laughter and even tears here today. Well, let this be the proof that there can be no greater happiness than to enjoy the happiness that you have created for others.’
This time, the roar was louder than that of the helicopters.
‘There you have it again, coming from the mouth of the Teacher himself. Nobody can say it as he does. Ladies and gentlemen, he came to us as a beggar, as a hobo . . . call it what you like, but this man is leaving us with more miracles than we can count. Give him the applause he so richly deserves.’ This time, Bruce had to wait very long for the applause to stop before he could carry on. ‘People across the country, I have in my hand a document with the names of ten towns on it. Watch Channel 91 this Wednesday evening when we will draw six names from there. These six millionaires cannot wait to become a godfather for you. Do not miss that action on Channel 91. We might just be sending a godfather to your town. This is Bruce Ashton of Channel 91 saying goodbye to our viewers, for it is time for Bolton to celebrate. Goodbye.’
As they were walking towards the tent, Bruce, who was walking with a stranger, called on Peter and pulled him to one side. When they were far enough from the rest of the people, Bruce then asked him, ‘Do you know this man?’
‘No, I don’t think so . . .’ There was a bit of doubt in his reply.
‘Three years ago, you became tired of living away from your family. That day, when you knocked on the door of your house, this is the man who told you the house was no longer yours.’
‘Oh . . . how are you, sir?’ Peter greeted, but Bruce could see by the facial expression that he was not happy being reminded about this.
‘Sir . . .’ Bruce said to the man, nodding at him. The next moment, the man handed Peter an envelope, and Bruce added quickly, ‘Peter Johnson, I hope this will make you happy because it will make everybody
at Channel 91 and also, the Atkinson family very happy. These are the papers to your house, sir. It is yours again. We bought it back for you.’
Peter was staring at the sealed envelope, unable to say a word. ‘What?’
‘Is something wrong?’ Bruce was not sure what to say.
Peter’s eyes were staring at the envelope. Slowly, he turned to the stranger and then to Bruce.
The surprise and the happiness were too much for Peter. His eyes were wet when he said, ‘You know Bruce, by wishing to have that house back one day, I thought I was pushing my luck with God a bit too far. Do you know what this means to me? How can I ever thank all of you? Are you sure you want to do this Mister?’ he said as he turned to the man standing with Bruce.
The man looked at him with a smile and said; “Well, I made some minor changes... I hope nothing you won’t like. I think I will miss the bird-feeding bowls the most. It became part of my daily routine.”
This brought out a smile on Peter’s face as he responded with a lot of excitement. “The feeding-bowls...are they still there?”
Oh yes, just remember those birds are spoiled. They will wake you up very early if they found it empty.”
Bruce could see he was completely forgotten, as the topic between the two seemed endless. He had no choice but to break into the conversation.
‘Before I forget, James wants to see you at the office on Tuesday.’
‘Did he say why I should be there?’ Peter asked suspiciously.
‘All I can say is just make sure you are there. You will need money to maintain that house. Now, if you will excuse me, I want to be inside that tent. I do not want to miss out on one moment of these joyous celebrations.’
Peter’s heart was so jubilant that he could not stop staring at the documents in his hand. The man had left to join the people in the tent and he was still smiling when he saw Andrew pushing a trolley with neatly wrapped parcels on it. All of a sudden, all his joy was forgotten as he realised that Andrew was the start of the reasons he was here. He wondered how Andrew was feeling, knowing that this was all because of his failed suicide attempt.
‘Andrew!’ he shouted. ‘Do you have a minute for me?’
‘Definitely,’ he said with a smile, almost happy that Peter had called him. ‘I still want to thank you for all of this. Mostly for me still being alive to witness all that what happened today.’
There was no sorrow or regret in his voice, just genuine appreciation. Peter detected that immediately, and his respect for Andrew doubled at that instant.
‘Well, then I can ask you with much more ease about how you are feeling right now.’
Andrew smiled before he answered, ‘Just like you, Mr Johnson, just like you. Not happy with what I tried to do with my own life but most definitely happy you came along.’
‘That must be the best damn paradox I have ever heard in my entire life. Not even in my teaching career could I have thought of an example like that, but I am truly happy I could be there for a man of your calibre. What is that you are pushing around?’ he asked signalling to the parcels on the trolley.
‘Speaking of which,’ Andrew said seriously, ‘We have to be inside that tent with it. They are most probably already waiting for us.’
‘No, you go ahead, Andrew. I have had enough excitement for one day. I think I can bask out in my happiness under that tree.’ He made a gesture to a tree next to the barn.
‘Teacher Johnson, don’t let me lecture you in your own backyard. You should know that nothing is over until the fat lady has sung. The people of Bolton want you inside that tent, and this is not a matter of choice. It is a definite must for you to be there. How do you want them to thank you? Send you an SMS?’
The manner in which Andrew spoke to him made Peter feel the intelligence of the man in front of him. He smiled as he pulled him by the shoulder and said; ‘I am too scared to put up an argument with you. I might just end up second best. You won. Let’s go.’
Entering the tent, Peter was surprised at the cool temperature inside. Only when he looked around did he see the two portable air conditioners at each end of the tent. Everyone was already seated as Andrew walked him to the table reserved for the Atkinsons and Channel 91. Next to them were the six millionaires, John Gleeson, and the two newspapermen. Bruce was looking at a computer screen as the event was being recorded. Andrew walked straight to the front and stood at a small table designed for a speaker. Immediately, he started addressing the people inside the tent.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, please accept this message as one from all the people of Bolton. You know that God can create a plant in the driest of areas and out of it will bloom the most beautiful flower you will ever see. I can honestly say He has done that with Bolton today. From what I heard from that stage today, gave me joy to know that this flower will bloom in another six towns. Blessed are those humans whom God will use to plant those seeds. Mr and Mrs Atkinson, it would be wrong for us to welcome you in our world as you had already welcomed us into yours. The tables that are laid in front of you are all because of your eagerness to help. As the Teacher had said, today we are all enjoying in the happiness created by you. To the team and the candidates of the “Godfather” project, I am not going into detail of the joy that is waiting for you. There would be no better people than the Atkinsons themselves to explain that to you. Today, I have seen more tears of joy than in my entire life. We in Bolton feel that only a thank you would not be enough, so we decided that a reward would be better. We will make sure that the name Twinns will do justice to what is happening in this town today. Every item that would leave that factory will rank amongst the highest quality in the world. Not a single piece of cloth will ever be dispatched without that logo on it. So, should you look at anything in any store that does not read Twinns, be sure it is not from Bolton. This promise we make for as long as the name Twinns will be upon that wall and it definitely will be on there forever. As a token of our appreciation, I would like Mr Atkinson to please come forward.’ Michael had a big smile as he walked towards Andrew amongst the applause from the guests.
‘Mr Atkinson, I feel it appropriate that you should hand over the very first set that came off the production line to your wife, and this second set, you will then hand over to Peter Johnson. Please, sir, the honour is yours.’ He gestured for Michael to go ahead.
Michael had the broadest smile as he walked to his wife with a full bed set and matching curtains. Kathy awaited him with the same joyous smile, and Amy could not hide her own happiness activated by her parent’s joy. He got a very long hug and kiss from his wife after which he lifted his daughter over the table to him. He called on his wife to join them as they walked to collect the sets that were meant for Peter. Everybody rose to their feet, applauding as the Atkinsons started their walk towards Peter.
Andrew waited until they finished the handover, then said, ‘Mr and Mrs Atkinson, to you, it is mission accomplished. Candidates of the godfathers, your journey starts here. To everybody in Bolton, let no one disturb you any further. Your party starts now. Thank you very much.’
The moment he left the desk, Peter called him to join their table. ‘If anytime you want to break away, this is my address. As long as you can stand the noise of grandchildren, I can offer you bed and breakfast for free,’ he said to him after he had taken up a chair.
‘When you need to break away from all that noise in the city, you can come here anytime to enjoy our silence,’ Andrew answered him cheerfully.
‘Let’s drink to that,’ Peter said as he lifted his glass of champagne from the table.
Shannon was sitting with outstretched legs on her couch, watching every minute of the broadcast from Bolton.
She did not know what to think, but she knew she really wanted to be in Bolton. Every person on that platform had said something that had touch some moral fibre that was still hiding inside of her. She was now convinced about the mistake she made. It was hurting her for ignoring Bruce’s suggestion to air the h
obo for at least one night. Since that day she had spent with his family, she had realised the big impact he had made on her. She reached over to her handbag, took out her phone, and dialled his number. When Peter greeted her on the other side, she started to speak without greeting him, ‘I have to admit that man is a master at what he is doing.’
Peter was caught off guard, and he tried to figure out what this person was trying to say.
‘What? Who is . . . ? Shannon, is that you?’ When he realised the excitement in his voice, he quickly looked around for anybody who could have heard him. Luckily, he was no longer in the tent and had taken up a seat at one of the umbrellas. He stood up and walked to the platform, which was now deserted.
‘Yes, and I was watching the show. It was good, very good,’ she said.
‘I agree. That man’s got a talent for television.’
The guilt coming from his words made her change the subject. ‘What about you? Are you happy now that it’s over?’
‘Happy is not the description, young lady. I just got my house back.’
‘That is fantastic. Am I still considered family?’
‘It is all up to you, little girl. Nobody in my family has complained about you.’
‘Well, Kim has invited me for next weekend, and I just like the sense of humour in Gina.’ Peter could swear he heard soft laughter the background.
‘Is there somebody with you?’ he asked.
‘You won’t believe it. Heston is here, and he is telling me everything about you.’
‘Tell him I said he should have better things to talk about whenever he is with a lady. I should not be a subject when there is so much to talk about.’
She giggled before she could answer him. “I find the story about you very fascinating Mr Johnson. Somebody should write a book about you.”
‘A book about me? Who do you think will want to read such a dull story?
‘You will be surprise Teacher and I most definitely will be first to buy it.’
‘Enough about me now, you tell Heston to stop talking about me and to rather take you out.’
‘I will tell him, and you take care. There is still a lot I need to learn from you, so keep a space in your diary for me.’
‘Well, if you put it that way, why not?’ he said as he ended the call.
As he placed the phone back into his pocket, he had a broad smile on his face. Slowly, he started a walk towards the deserted stage. Once he was on the platform, he lifted his eyes towards the heavens and said, ‘So many wishes granted with one stroke! Yes, my God, nobody does it as good as you.’
The end