XXIX: In Which Colin Meets Sam's Mother

Colin approached the front door of the simple blue two-story house and rang the bell. Despite the apparent ease of this task, he was nervous as heck. He was by no means a practiced liar and usually preferred not to if it could be avoided. But of course, this was a special case.

The door opened to reveal a woman who looked to be in her early forties. “You must be Mister Park. Hello, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Mrs. Blum, Samuel’s Mother. You can call me Sara.”

“Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Blum.” Colin began, but she shook her head firmly. “Sara.” He corrected.

“Oy! Where did I leave my manners? Do come in. Samuel! Mister Park is here!” She called inside.

Colin entered, taking off his shoes at the threshold. The house was nice and well kept. Not as fancy as Zachary’s, but better than Colin’s apartment by far. At Sara's insistence, he took a seat on a comfortable couch in the living room.

“Colin! You’re here!” Sam came bounding down the stairs.

“Samuel Elijah Blum! How many times have I told you not to come down those stairs so quickly? You’re liable to break your neck. Now sit down so we can talk to Mister Park about this party you want to go to.” She shook her finger at him.

“Please call me Colin.” He told her and Sara nodded. “Well, as I’m sure he’s told you, Sam joined our little Community Youth Group a couple of weeks ago.”

“Youth Group? Samuel told me it was a Book Club.” Sara asked, suspicious.

“Well, yes one of the primary activities of the group is reading and sharing from our current novel.” Colin improvised. “We’re reading Flowers For Algernon right now, but we also do other activities such as board games and homework tutoring. Our goal is to allow youth to socialize in productive ways that stimulate their intellects and keep them out of trouble.”

“What a pleasant group. That’s something Samuel needs in his life to keep him from rotting his brain on that internet all day.”

“Mom!”

“Shush! You know as well as I do that you spend too much time sitting at that computer.”

“Well we certainly have many other offline activities for Sam and the others to do. Which brings me to the reason for my visit. Can he attend our upcoming events next week? He said you’d have to meet me before you’d give permission.” Colin mentally crossed his fingers.

“Remind me what the events were again?” Sara asked, shrewd as a snake. He could see very little getting past this woman.

“Well firstly we’re having a Halloween party on the thirty-first. Just the community group to give them something to do other than waste eggs and toilet paper. Costumes, refreshments and party games.” This part came easily as it was barely a lie.

“As long as he’s home by ten. It’s a school night, but I’ll extend his curfew a little so he can spend time with wholesome friends.”

“Well, that may complicate the next event.” Colin’s pulse quickened. There’s a midnight exhibition at the college planetarium the night of the second…”

“Midnight?! On a school night? Absolutely not! How irresponsible of you to even organize something like that! Keeping children out until all hours when they have their education to worry about in the morning. I have half a mind to forbid Samuel from the party as well if this is how you operate.” Mrs. Blum stood to her full five feet, hands planted firmly on her hips.

“Those were exactly my thoughts when Mister Caldwell proposed the idea, but I was voted down. I have a feeling that enough parents will react the same that we’ll just cancel the event entirely.” Colin hoped that was a smooth recovery.

“Well, I hope so! Very well, Samuel can go to the party on the condition that you are his chaperone. If anything happens it will be your head, understood?”

“Understood.” Now what?

“Mom, can I show Mister Park my costume?” Sam interjected.

“Sure, but don’t stay up there too long, I need you to set the dinner table before your father gets home.”

Sam’s room was rather cozy, mostly dominated by the bed, desk and dresser, but other than its remarkable cleanliness was typical of a high-school boy.

“Okay so you look in the closet while I look under the bed. Ready? Go.” Sam dropped to his knees and laid his head on the floor, while Colin opened the closet and looked in.

“Anything?” Sam asked.

“Colin pushed aside clothes on their hangers and moved a shoebox. “Nope. Nothing.” As he said it, he felt a bump from the floor beneath his feet, then another. “ I felt something underneath me. I think it travels through the floor.”

“Impossible.” Sam said, standing up. There’s no way to get under the floorboards from either place.”

“Well, whatever it is, it may not follow the same rules we have to.”