Art, part two. Ch. 01
A man struggles to make a new life after a strange happening.
Mrs. Davis said, "Annie, is there anything I can do for you?"
I shook my head "no" for the umpteenth time and went back to staring at a book I just can't get into, and it's by one of my favorite authors. When we arrived at London's Heathrow Airport yesterday, Suzanne picked up the book to keep me occupied while she visited John Berger's laboratory. Mrs. Davis keeps looking at me like I'm supposed to want her to do something. The English company that supplied her probably has a list of things their "Nannies" are required to do and just sitting is not one of them. It's too bad I can't talk to her, I can think of a lot of wisecracks. How about,
"So you're an English nanny, can you fly around like 'Mary Poppins'?"
On second thought, this lady looks like former English Prime Minister 'Iron Pants' Thatcher, so I'd probably be afraid to wise off.
The nanny thinks I'm an undersized nine or ten year old girl named, Annie, but actually I'm a thirty five year old man that's been accidently shrunk to this size. Why I'm masquerading as Annie is a long story and if it sounds crazy to you, just think how crazy it is actually living it. I feel sorry for any nine or ten year old girl who looks like me, but after Suzanne shaved me this morning, she declared me passable. Oh, and I can't answer the nanny's questions because I don't sound like an Annie. Suzanne tells everyone I'm a very bright child with a speech impediment, but I'm capable of writing responses.
I'm afraid this very formidable English woman is going to march over here any minute and demand to know,
"Just what the bloody hell is going on here. You're no more a little girl than I'm 'Julie Andrews'."
Oh Suzanne, my Suzanne, where are you?
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Forgive me for interrupting the story, but I assure you all of the characters in this story are adults, even though the main character is currently posing as a young girl. His name is Art Jones and up until just recently, he was a nondescript average thirty five year old male of average height, average weight, and average looks. In fact, on the average, most people usually didn't give Art a second look. Art on the other hand is obsessed with the female body and has been known to not only give every female he sees a second look, but also a third, fourth and even many more, comparing them to the statuesque body of one Suzanne Joyce. The said Ms. Joyce has for some time been the object of Art's daytime and nighttime dreams. The story of Art is told in two parts and I invite the reader to read part one, but if you choose to go on, let me give you a quick recap of what happened to Art in Part One.
When Part One opened, Art is a skilled technician working for a brilliant scientist, who just happens to be a man the most delectable Ms. Joyce calls, 'Uncle Ben'. Ms. Joyce is the Chief Administrator of her father's research company and in that capacity she is responsible for the work of Professor Benjamin Waldo Jamison. The 'Professor', is a long time friend of her father and he's known her since she was a young child. The 'Professor' is working on the theory that the size of a living organism can be changed and he and Art have constructed the first prototype machine to test his theory. Art, without any formalized training, has an innate ability to construct highly technical devices and it's this skill that enables him to put together the machine envisioned by the 'Professor'. Art, orphaned early in life, and the elderly bachelor scientist, have formed sort of a family bond.
During a test run of their new machine, there's an accident, and Art is reduced from a man 70" tall to one under 40". The elderly scientist believes he has killed Art and the shock is too much for his weak heart. Suzanne Joyce is the first to discover the now diminutive Art Jones and is torn between the loss of her dear 'Uncle Ben' and the fear of how the impact of what has happened will affect her father's company. She's also well aware that as Professor Jamison's supervisor, she is directly responsible for what happened to Art. Art leaves it up to her to decide whether to inform authorities or cover up what happened. She makes the decision to hide Art in her own home until she can figure out what to do next.
Since he still looks like Art Jones and might be recognized, she decides to hide him a young girl including a shaved head and wig. Ms. Joyce hires a laboratory in England to continue Professor Jamison's work in the hope that Art can be restored to his original size. While the preparations are being made to go to England, Art is subjected to unbelievable humiliation at the hands of Suzanne's housekeeper and the housekeeper's married daughter, Suzanne's half sister. The only upside for Art is that he finds himself in the arms of the woman of his dreams only it's not the way he ever could have imagined it. The shared situation actually brings Suzanne and Art close together, although neither can figure what the future might hold for them.