Respecting Mr. Ravi

Story Text and Illustrations - Christopher Francis © 2020

CHAPTER SEVEN: The Invite

Alex recruits Henry and Daisy to be in his group for the Multicultural Fair. They decide to do it about India, but more specifically about Mr. Ravi. The problem is Alex needs to find a way to battle his nerves and ask Daisy to work on the assignment at his house over the weekend.

“Daisy stood ten feet away, spilling some story to Lisa Weatherly and Rudy’s twin sister Samantha about gym. He puffed out his chest and inched towards her. “Hey.”

“Oh, hi, Alex,” said Daisy. “What are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” answered Alex. He messed it up again. He was sure she was going to ask him how he was doing. He hated how nervous he was around her. Alex turned away and walked quickly back to his locker. He had to act fast. He desperately wanted to ask Daisy his two important questions, but he didn’t want to miss his bus. He couldn’t wait for Henry to return. All he had to do was ask her to join his group and to come over on Saturday to work on the assignment. Alex decided to quickly practice first.

Daisy, do you want to be in my group for the Multicultural Fair? No, um, hi, Daisy, do you want to be in my group with Henry for the Multicultural fair? We are going to research India because Mr. Ravi was born there, and we want to surprise him. We’re working on it this weekend at my house. Let me know what you think; it would be great if you could work with us. No, um, it would be extraordinary! Alex smiled to himself and took a deep breath. Okay, I’m ready. I can do this.

Lifting up his shoulders, he raised his head and walked back over to Daisy.

“Hi, Daisy,” he began. He reached into his pockets and pinched his thighs as hard as he could. “Do you want to come to India with me for the weekend? Henry was born with multicoloured hair. We want Mr. Ravi to be in our group, so we can research you. Let me know if you can think. If you can, it would be extraordinary.”

Daisy looked blankly at Alex. Her eyes widened as she tried to speak. “Um—”

Before she could respond, Alex turned around and ran as fast as he could down the hall, out the front door and onto his bus.

****

The rain poured down heavily that Saturday morning. Like rocks falling from the sky, the thick drops bounced off Alex’s bedroom window. A distant rumble in the dark skies did little to soothe his uneasy mind. “Let me know if you can think? Henry was born with multicoloured hair? I hate this. I totally hate this. Why do

I have to like her?”

Thoughts of the past summer returned to him. He pictured the menacing tornado that hit; its dark contorted shape lifting up the pines along the escarpment. He remembered the twigs and leaves pummelling the bedroom window, the image of the overturned tractors, and the farmhouse.

The farmhouse.

That family had their lives ripped apart in just one night. Maybe Dad was trying to tell me to respect the woman who died in the storm and not the storm itself, Alex thought.

His phone vibrated on the bedside table. Daisy and I will be there at one o’clock, Henry texted.

Alex’s eyes burned from the little sleep he had the night before. His thumb hovered over the text box. K.

Alex buried his face into his pillow and grunted. He closed his eyes. He couldn’t get Daisy out of his head.

At exactly 1:03 pm, the doorbell rang. When Alex opened the door, the rain pelted down on the porch. Henry ducked his head and stepped into the house. Behind him, covering her hair with a laptop case was—her.

“Hi, Alex,” Daisy said with a smile. Alex grunted and looked away. He invited them inside to come up with some questions to ask Mr. Ravi. As they sat at the table, Alex tried his best to share his ideas. However, he found it difficult to look at Daisy. His embarrassment began to turn into frustration.

Two hot chocolates each and twentythree questions later, they decided it was time to go. Alex’s mum dropped them off and told them she would be back in a couple of hours. The three ran up to Mr. Ravi’s front step and rang the doorbell.

Twisting vines crept up the stone walls leading to a small window below the roof. A face appeared through the glass—two eyes glowed in the faint light from the clouds. Alex rubbed his eyes and looked again, but there was nothing there. The winds pulled acorns and rotted leaves from the eaves trough. A massive oak tree creaked and moaned along a raggedy old fence.

A faint patter of footsteps bounded around the floor inside. The front light turned on. Mr. Ravi peeked through the side window. His smile beamed as he pushed open the door.

“Alex? Are you okay?” Mr. Ravi looked over at Henry and Daisy. His dog Sonny wagged its tail behind him.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Alex looked at his book bag. “We just want to talk to you.”

Mr. Ravi held on to Sonny’s collar and stepped back into the doorway. “Come in, come in.”

Alex rubbed his shoes on the torn welcome mat and stepped inside. “Thanks.” He turned back to Henry and Daisy and muscled out a smile. “Come on.”

“So what do I owe the pleasure of this surprise visit?” Mr. Ravi took Daisy’s raincoat. He wore a white shirt and a bright purple pair of slippers.

“We are doing a project in school,” Daisy began. “And we need your help.” She held the laptop case against her chest.

Henry leaned into Daisy, cupping his hand over her ear. “Don’t forget we don’t want him to know we’re doing this project on him.”

“Got it,” Daisy whispered back. Cardboard boxes filled the living room. Plastic garbage bags and old paintings lined the floor along the back wall leading into the kitchen.

“Have a seat, my friends.” Mr. Ravi pulled out a tray of pastries from a toaster oven. “I’m going to let these cool for a minute. I have extra plates somewhere in one of the boxes. I’ll be right back. Please make yourself at home.”

Alex, Henry, and Daisy stood at the table in the kitchen. Stacked by the sliding glass door were four wooden chairs. Cobwebs weaved around the wooden legs and frames. They lifted the chairs apart and sat down.

Leaves from the large oak slapped against the sliding door. Mr. Ravi’s dog paced back and forth between the living room and the foot of the stairs leading up to the top floor.

Muffled footsteps creaked around the floor above their heads. Daisy pulled out her laptop and turned it on. Her hair flopped over her eyes.

The microwave flashed 12:00 on the counter. The ceiling creaked and groaned.

A door opened through an archway on the other side of the kitchen. Mr. Ravi stepped out with some plates. “Found them,” he said with a smile. “I knew I’d find them down there.”

Alex tilted his head and rubbed his chin. “Were you just in the basement?” “Yes, I was.”

“Are you married?” Alex asked. “No. Got my heart broken, remember?” Mr. Ravi placed the plates on the table and then grabbed the samosas from the kitchen counter. “So why are you really here?”

Patches of red warmed Alex’s face. Daisy’s hand, just a few inches away from him, manipulated the mouse on her laptop. Her perfume drifted over to him. Alex cleared his throat. “We need your help with—something.”

Mr. Ravi pushed the dish towel of pastries closer to three. “Samosas?”

Daisy smiled, picked up one and placed it on the plate.

“Well, to be honest, we want to get some information from you.” Henry cracked his knuckles and helped himself to one as well. “We’d like to get some information on cricket, and we knew you’d be the best person to provide us with some. We’re doing an assignment in gym class where we have to teach our classmates a new sport. Alex here said you know a lot about cricket.”

“Um, yes. That’s right.” Alex replied. “Well, I know a thing or two about cricket,” replied Mr. Ravi. “What do you guys want to know?”

“Do you live alone?” Alex asked. A massive clap banged the clouds, shaking the house.

Daisy took her hands off the keyboard. “What does that have to do—”

Alex kept his eyes on Mr. Ravi. “Let me rephrase that. How many people live in this house?”

Mr. Ravi picked apart his pastry and looked around the table. “Just me.” He leaned over and petted Sonny on the top of his head. “And my best friend here.”

Blinding light sliced through the sky and into the kitchen. The winds howled, like a wolf crying out for its pack. Another crack of thunder shook the floors.

“Sounds like the sky has indigestion,” Daisy said, looking around the house.

“I have another question.” Alex closed his eyes for a second and took a big breath. “If you had a disease—or—a weird illness that you couldn’t cure, what would you do?”

Mr. Ravi shifted his chair and leaned into Alex. “You mean—like—for example, a problem with your heart?” “Yes.”

“Well—”

Daisy stopped typing. “Alex, I don’t think this has anything to do with—”

“No, no, Daisy, it’s okay.” Mr. Ravi looked out the window. The light and thunder continued to take over the afternoon sky. The fan on Daisy’s computer hummed as Mr. Ravi constructed his next series of words.

Henry took another bite from the samosa.

“Embrace every chance you get,” Mr. Ravi replied finally. “Make every second count.”

To Be Continued: Thursday, February 11