groundskeepergill-blog

[groundskeepergill-blog]

It Needs a Title?

Gill: Is it normal for all of those little windows to keep popping up? Am I breaking it?

Leslie (me): No. It’s the tutorial. You’re not breaking it.

Gill: Okay, good.

---

My dad knows this interesting guy, Gill, from work. When I say interesting, I actually mean, like, super strange. Sometimes he talks to people that aren’t there or suddenly disappears and every once in awhile things fly through the room or the TV stops working when my parents invite him over and he always says, “Oops! Sorry,” really quietly when it happens. Like it’s somehow his fault. Which it might be. Only seems to happen when he’s around. 

I ran into him at the library. It sort of surprised me because he’s not very bright. I didn’t take him for much of a reader. But he was sitting at a table reading Slaughterhouse 5, of all things. With a dictionary sitting beside him. He happened to look up and see me and call me over. He’s apparently been reading the book, a little every day, for about a week and a half. He’s about halfway done. He says he’s not the best reader, but he’s mostly enjoying it. He apparently doesn’t check it out because he can’t afford the fine if he forgets to bring it back. 

Then he got this funny look on his face. Like he was trying to remember something, but he couldn’t.

Gill: Do you know how to use a computer? Like Twitter?

Who asks a 19 year old if they know how to use a computer? See? Strange. Anyway, he said he wanted to write some things down so he didn’t forget them. And he wanted to do it in a place where people might see it. Like an online journal. So I suggested Tumblr instead of Twitter and we set up this page and a gmail account to go with it.

I had to keep telling him to come closer. He kept scooting his chair back. He says he doesn’t know how to type and has never used a computer. So I guess now I will do a good deed and hang out with this old guy. With a strange story that makes me feel like maybe I’m forgetting something, too. He’s back from the bathroom now. --- Gill’s Blog 1/7/17

I got this official looking letter in the mail about a week ago. It was weird because usually the only letters I get are from people trying to sell me car insurance. And bills, but those aren’t letters. And sometimes little notes from one of my bosses telling me where I should be when. Anyway, it was asking me to go to a meeting. A meeting downtown. In city hall. And I thought maybe I should or I might get into some trouble and I try not to draw too much attention because...I’m a little bit slow and, um...different. I don’t know if you’ve noticed. I got teased a lot growing up.

So I went. Um. This is all going to sound really weird and make-believe, but I need you to type it so I can remember it later.

The meeting was about magic. And there were wizards and wardens and paranet and this guy who can talk to the same people I can and there was this White Court vampire and I felt a little bit over my head at first. They were trying to define magic and say how to punish it and I got worried because I can’t always control it and I don’t know if that’s going to change and I can’t afford a fine or jail and I want my head to not be chopped off. So anyway, I was worried at first. But they were all busy arguing with each other. 

During a break, I went with the other guy who talked to Jacque and--well, we decided we should tell someone about the story Jacque told both of us. You don’t know Jacque. There was this person...now I’m trying to remember her name so I can’t. I kind of remembered it earlier when I was reading. I wondered where she went. Anyway, she witnessed the death of this other person. And then she didn’t remember. Like I can’t now. Maybe their names aren’t important. The important thing is that nobody can remember. Even people who really really should. It’s like they’ve been erased from everyone’s minds. It’s like knowing you know how to do a math problem, but not being able to recall the correct formula. Like knowing you’re smart but not being able to prove it. 

Anyway, we spent a lot of time talking about that. The ten minute break seemed to last forever. Then we went back to the meeting for an hour and a half. Only it seemed like ten minutes. Which is weird because meetings are usually very long and boring. 

Turns out, we were in a time bubble thing. This Warden came by and asked if anyone had tried to kill us before and I think I kind of lied by saying no, but I don’t think my past is what he was talking about because those people broke a law of magic and probably the Wardens already chopped their heads off. I don’t know though. Anyway, he asked because of the time bubble.

I talked to this ghost about it. Annalise Jenkins. She told me that a lot of meetings start this organic time field speeding up time inside or slowing it down. But that it usually doesn’t close all the way like it did this time. I asked her if she could get through it because we apparently couldn’t even get a sheet of paper through it and she said she could leave, but it would seem like hours to us before she came back in. She said it wasn’t put there by anyone, but grew around us.

So my new friend and me (I can’t remember names very easily normally unless they’re like Jacque and Annalise, so I don’t think I’m actually forgetting his name like I forgot those other names because I can actually picture the person I’m talking about and the other details aren’t fuzzy). Um. My new friend and me--we went to the Wardens and told them about it. 

It took awhile, but I thought a lot about what Annalise had said and came up with a theory. I was really proud of it because it just popped into my head! Maybe we just had to end the meeting and the building wouldn’t be so bored that it suspended us in a time bubble. Of course, that was silly. It wouldn’t be the building doing it. But I told the person running the meeting that maybe if it were adjourned we wouldn’t all suffocate in the city offices. I thought this because Annalise said it happened during all the meetings that happened in this room, but just didn’t fully form until this time.

That’s eventually what happened. The meeting was adjourned and the bubble popped (without exploding!), but I don’t think I probably will get credit for thinking of it. I’m not even entirely sure it was my idea. I’m not sure I can trust my memory. What if I’m not remembering the smarter person who told me?

Anyway, we hung around for awhile after to talk about what had happened, but without having an official meeting. I sat in a chalk circle and tried to remember...that one thing. I couldn’t for long. Something attacked the ward around me that was protecting my brain from the magic and brought it down. A person without magic who I talked to about Twitter also tried and she remembered for longer. I have her card somewhere.

So. I don’t know. Apparently time things and memory things are happening all over. And people are having early onset Alzheimer’s, but it might just be this. And I’m trying not to have hope that Dad might remember me again, but what if he does? What if it’s just this that’s happened to him?

I’m remembering more of my life before the accident. Like, not events so much, but knowledge. Does that make sense? I’m remembering how to do somethings and also...yesterday I remembered that Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay. Out of nowhere. I don’t remember learning that, but I must have. I looked it up to be sure. It’s right!

I’m not thrilled to have someone or something messing up my brains again. 

Oh! Also I want to look up epilepsy. Do you know how to spell it?

*end of entry*