Screw Pile Developments

Veldmeer High School

Tuesday — Morning Period

The bell rang and the general stampede of seat finding was underway. Lewis had already found a seat next to Hans near the front. Seb and Raven worked their way down the room and found seats together, towards the back. In the empty seat next to Seb, a blue heeler sat down. He clearly considered that school ties should be left alone to do their own thing, along with shirt tails.

He turned to Seb his mouth open just a little and his tongue in mid pant.

Seb turned in his seat and appraised the newcomer; it was the notebook swacker from yesterday.

Toby motioned his head towards Timo sitting next to him.

Seb glanced past Toby at Timo.

Timo, at the mention of his nickname, bared his teeth theatrically.

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Wednesday — Lunch

As the week progressed, the lunch table grew. Lewis and Hans were now a firm fixture at one end, discussing things in a language so alien that no one else had the faintest idea what they were saying.

Swack.

Timo nodded knowingly.

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Wednesday — Afternoon Period

Mathematics. It wasn’t that Seb didn’t understand, or was not interested in the topic of vector calculus and differential equations; rather, it was the old problem of what to do with his hands. So while the teacher was at the board explaining the various concepts, he reached into his bag and pulled out the notebook.

It was time for a clean page and he started to sketch.

As the lesson was drawing to a close and the students were starting to pack things away in their bags, Timo, who had caught glimpses of Seb’s notebook, decided he wanted to get a better look. He leaned across Toby, who was not at all in the least bit fazed by Timo’s space invasion, and tried to see what Seb was drawing.

Seb just smiled, folded his notebook and put it away in his bag.

Toby and Raven exchanged glances, sharing the same thought — ‘Yeah, Timo just got noped.’

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Thursday Evening Dinner — Headwall

At this Seb lifted his head up from his lasagne.

Raven added to the pitch.

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Friday Morning — Before Class

Seb was eager to find Toby and found him by the lockers. He caught a glimpse inside Toby’s locker and decided that it should probably have a bio-hazard sticker on the door.

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Friday Afternoon — The Hundeerwagon: Seb and Toby

Daan and Marta were waiting with the Hundeerwagons. They had already been to the primary school to collect Angus, Fergus and Hamish. Angus and Fergus were busy climbing over the back seats. The school bell sounded and a blue and gold tidal wave of students streamed out of Veldmeer High School, all eager to start their weekend.

Seb arrived at the Hundeerwagons and was looking out for Toby. Eventually Toby sauntered up, with just the one strap of his backpack over his shoulder. Right in behind Toby, came Timo, who immediately made a beeline for Daan and struck up some kind of animated conversation through the window.

Seb looked at Toby with a question on his face.

Everyone, including Timo, piled in.

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Friday Afternoon — The Drive Up the Valley

It was Timo’s first time in the valley and he couldn’t resist rolling down the window and sticking his head out, his tail a blur of kinetic energy.

Toby swacked Timo’s butt with his notebook.

Meanwhile, Hans simply looked at the mountains and then the sky, with the rings and the stars just visible if you knew where to look.

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Friday Afternoon — Arrival at Headwall: Jake and Hans

Jake and Bella were waiting on the verandah, just like they always did, for the boys to come home. The Hundeerwagon doors slid open and a wave of blue and gold blazers poured out, albeit on a smaller scale than at the school.

Jake spotted Hans first, it was not hard when he was already head and shoulders over everyone else.

The two Hundes exchanged polite sniffs.

Grandpa Jake smiled; good enough for now. He then caught sight of Timo, thoroughly over-excited, capering and sniffing around anyone and everyone.

Grandpa Jake caught Seb’s eye, who gave him a ‘yeah, it was news to me too, look.’

Just as they were all heading inside, Marta walked past pushing a barrow of chicken feed. When she saw Timo, she stopped for just a moment as a flash of recognition passed across her face. She then simply picked up the barrow and continued in the direction of the chicken coop.

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Friday Afternoon — First Hour: The Pups and Timo

There are times of syzygy in the known universe. It is the moment when three celestial bodies align in a straight line. Usually, it’s suns, planets and moons. Solar eclipses, that kind of thing.

Then, Timo met Angus and Angus met Timo; with a minor celestial body of Fergus.

Their meeting over double chocolate chip cookies went magnificently. In the case of Angus, it was if he had just found his perfect frequency match. Immediate equals in body, mind and spirit, with an immediate unspoken pact to operate accordingly. Seven year age gap? Completely, totally, and categorically irrelevant.

Fergus meanwhile, having observed this new alliance, looked on with the expression of someone whose position as second-in-command may be under threat. Pragmatic as always, he would adapt. He would be second, second in command.

Hamish very sensibly, decided to observe this new conjunction appropriately for exactly what it was, through the smoked glass of quiet, serious concern.

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Friday Afternoon — The Chicken Coop: Angus and Timo

Angus declared that he himself, Timo, and Fuggus, should go and collect the eggs. After all, collecting eggs was an important job, and one that should be taken seriously. It needed someone to be in charge, like him.

Hamish was about to point out that collecting eggs was actually his and Seb’s job, but then he just decided it wasn’t worth taking on the might of the Angus, once he had set his mind on something.

On the way Angus gave Timo a serious warning.

However, Timo did not take the warning seriously enough. Once in the coop Timo picked up an egg. It did not survive the transition to the basket. Angus was suitably indignant, his command had fallen at the first egg.

He spoke authoritatively.

A suitable pause.

Angus nodded slowly. He had seen and done things in this coop and he understood completely.

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Friday Evening — Dinner

A table set for twenty-three. Angus had immediately claimed the seat next to Timo, with enormous territorial energy. However, Fergus was ready for him this time, ensuring that the three-legged stool was on immediate standby for deployment at his corner of the table.

The table was what it always was. Full, warm, and loud with the combined energy of fifteen boys and three pups.

Jake’s grace was simple.

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Friday Evening — The Bridge: Hans and Lewis

After dinner Lewis took Hans to the bridge, to show him the telescope. Hans folded himself down double to look through the telescope at Orion.

The rings as usual shone silver overhead and Jake sat quietly on the wall nearby, watching it all, pleased with what he saw.

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Saturday Morning — Early: Charlie and Timo

It was still dark, but Charlie was already in the kitchen preparing the scrambled eggs.

Timo, never having been one to waste the day, had awoken early and was making his way downstairs in the dark. He saw the kitchen light at the end of the hall. Very quietly he made his way down the hall to the open door. There were smells in there, and the closer he got the stronger they became.

His nose quivered in anticipation; the hunt was on.

He carefully nosed his way through the door. Someone was there, standing at the large table with his back to him in the middle of the room cracking eggs. Timo made his advance in stealth mode, announcing his presence, nose first, directly into Charlie’s rear end.

Charlie, not expecting anyone else in the kitchen at this hour, jumped in fright.

The egg in mid crack, ended up on the floor. Timo looked at the egg and then looked at Charlie.

Timo then dealt with the broken egg on the floor, the way any self-respecting Jack Russell deals with a dropped egg at six in the morning. Efficiently. Completely. In about four seconds.

Charlie had only seen Timo from a distance. This was his first up close and personal encounter and he decided that this particular butt sniff had sufficient contextual factors, that it may qualify for bonus points. He would have to consult with Samson for a definitive ruling, later at breakfast.

Charlie picked up another egg.

Charlie pointed in the direction of the sink.

Back with suitably sanitised paws, Timo tried his first egg. Most of the shell went in the bowl.

Charlie looked at the bowl and then at Timo.

Charlie showed Timo how to crack an egg properly with the egg in the bowl and no shell. Timo, being a Jack Russell was smart. He also learned by doing, and after three tries, he got it right. Charlie simply smiled and handed Timo another egg.

Timo cocked his head to one side considering this with more seriousness than he had applied to anything all morning.

Charlie considered this for a moment before handing him the bacon.

Timo connected the dots.

It was the beginning of a complicated yet ultimately functional relationship.

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Saturday Morning — The Workshop: Marta and Timo

After breakfast Timo trotted over towards the workshop. Marta was at the huge whetstone that slowly turned in time with the waterwheel outside. She was carefully drawing the edge of an axe back and forth across as it turned. She didn’t turn around.

Timo stopped mid trot.

Marta turned slowly still holding the axe, the light glinting off the still wet blade.

Timo gulped.

Someone he had never met, saw him clearly for exactly who he was. Was she judging him? Or was she merely stating a fact? It was a surprisingly unsettling experience for a thirteen-year-old Jack Russell with zero filter.

Marta put the freshly sharpened axe down on the bench.

For the first time in his life he did exactly what he was told. He didn’t touch anything.

The axe was still shining lying on the workbench.

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Saturday Afternoon — Angus and Timo: The Chicken Scheme

By Saturday afternoon Angus and Timo could be seen in deep discussion about something. Nobody knew exactly what it was about, but Daan had his suspicions that it may or may not involve the chickens again. Grandpa Jake while mildly aware, chose for the meantime not to investigate too closely.

That evening at dinner, Rebecca made a small adjustment to her planned menu.

There was one extra roast chicken on the table.

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Saturday Evening — After Dinner

The boys were deposited all around the large living room. Some by the fire, some on the couch and others on the floor playing the card game with the ever expanding set of rules.

On a comfortable chair in the corner, Seb quietly continued to sketch in his notebook.

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Sunday Morning — The Bridge: Toby and Raven

Both Toby and Raven had found themselves together on the bridge. It wasn’t planned but they found each other easy company.

Raven unconsciously touched his necklace.

Raven pointed down and along the river.

They both went back to looking at the flow of the water chattering over the rocks and stones in the riverbed.

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Sunday Afternoon — The Return

One Hundeerwagon was waiting to take Timo, Toby and Hans home to Veldmeer.

Grandpa Jake and Grandma Bella just nodded and smiled back.

The sliding door of the Hundeerwagon closed, and Timo, Toby and Hans headed home down the valley.

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Sunday Evening — The Notebook

The house, even with only three boys less, was somehow quieter now.

Seb in his usual corner with his notebook, still drawing.

The valley. Post-harvest. The headwall, with the Greyfalls threading down, the stone bridge, and the house with chimney wood-smoke. Bare autumn branches and windfall apples on the orchard floor; the ladder still leaning against the tree.

And right there in the foreground, the swing. Empty and still.

Hamish, already upstairs asleep.

Raven came over to Seb’s chair with two mugs of hot chocolate. He was careful to keep them away from Seb’s notebook. He sat on the arm of the chair and offered Seb a mug. Seb put down his pencil and accepted.

Raven didn’t say or ask anything directly about the drawing, but he couldn’t help but notice. It was obvious what it was.

—And Seb, didn’t close his notebook.

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