Tom Finley
A strange story about a strange boy in a strange world
by
Per Jespersen
Chapter One
When Tom was born, he already had a two year old sister. He did not know
that, but quickly became aware of it, as she put her head down into the cradle,
yelling, "What's that?"
"Well," Daddy said. "That's a fact of life."
Tom also had a neighbour. Her name was Dolphia. Tom was unaware of that as
well, until she also put her head down into the cradle and gave Tom two
brushes with glaring red paint. "Oh God, and he has two legs," she yelled
enthusiastically. "How generous Nature is!"
Tom's father, James, was a teacher. He came in later, and did not go to the
cradle before he had checked in a couple of books on childbirth. Then he said,
"This has gone perfectly, right down to the letter. It always does in our
family."
Tom did not say anything. What can one answer to all that nonsense? He did
not utter a sound at all during the first six months of his life. People around him
said more than enough, and he got his meals on time and was changed
regularly. He did not cry during the night and turned up his nose, when people
made inarticulate baby sounds to him.
Dolphia was the only person, who could wrestle a smile from him – but only
when she had brushes in her hand and showed up in her delapidated smock.
Then Tom Finley smiled and filled Daddy and Mommy with so much pride,
that they immediately phoned the entire family to report about Tom's great
progress.
If they just had the slightest idea, what kind of boy they had gotten!
One day Tina, Tom's sister, was to look after Tom a couple of hours. In a way it
was not so difficult, because Tom did not say anything. Nevertheless, Tina tried
to put him on the floor and tossed him a couple of plastic cars.
Tom gazed at them with his six months old eyes, and all of a sudden he said,
"What am I supposed to do with that garbage!"
Quickly Tina got him up again and did not tell anybody, what had happened.
Mommy would only faint and Daddy would rush to the library to look up
under child rearing and other such naughty words.
Dolphia came very often – always in her smock and with two brushes with red
paint in her hands.
"How is my little Cutiepie?"
"He's cool," Tina said.
"Is that really so! Maybe you're right. I've got a gift for Tom today."
"Probably brushes," Tina said.
"How could you guess! First I was thinking about a smock, but the smocks I
have are far too big." She put the package with brushes down to Tom, who
smiled like an open mailbox. He ripped the package open with his four teeth
and started to paint wildly in the air.
"My goodness," Dolphia shouted with joy. "He's got the knack!!"
She did not really know, what dwelled in Tom Finley.
Tom only played with his brushes, and that was ok, but one day, when Mommy
came home from her shop, where she sold toys, she was shocked. When she
opened the fridge, it was filled up with socks, shirts, and pants. On the other
hand the closet in the bedroom was filled up with cheese, milk, meat, and half
the sandwich Daddy didn't have time to eat this morning.
"Tina, you nasty girl! I have told you ---"
"You tell me so much," Tina said. "I think Tom did it."
"Nonsense, he's just lying on the floor, painting in the air."
"What a lousy weather," Tom suddenly said.
They gazed out of the window. Oh yes, it was stormy and raining.
"Lousy weather," Tom repeated. "Give me my raincoat!"
Now Dolphia came in. "Oh God, has Tom started using words!"
"That's what they're there for," Tom said.
"Well," Dolphia said, somewhat amazed. "You don't start talking like other
children."
"I skip that beginner's nonsense," Tom answered.
"Take a look in the fridge," Liza said, showing Dolphia the socks and the
shirts.
"A little weird, I must say," Dolphia said. "But on the other hand –
who says,
that every day has to be alike"
"Dolphia, your influence on Tom is too much," Liza said.
"Is it? I only give him some brushes once and a while."
"Now Dad has to go to the library again," Tina said aridly.
"Sure," Dolphia said. "The connection between dirty socks and brushes.
Interesting subject!"
They looked out of the window and saw James pushing the car along the road.
But as he could not reach the steering-wheel, the car bumped into the
neighbour's fence.
In the very same moment Tom started to paint with his brushes in the air. And
then the car started, drove through the fence and smashed into the neighbour's
brand new sun room.
"There you see," Liza said.
"It's not my fault," Dolphia said. "I'm going home now. I am really
depressed."
"You'll get over it soon," Tom said. "That's the way it is with
depressions."
With a heavy sigh Liza began to put the things back to their right places,
wondering how it all had happened. When James came in, he kept telling her,
that he really managed to start the car.
"And what about the neighbour's new sun room," Liza asked.
"Oh, he'll be ok. He's fucking rich!"
"Or you'll have to visit the library again," Tina said sarcastically despite her
two and a half years.
"There's something with this Dolphia," James said. "Things begin to happen
when she has been around."
"And everything fail or break when you're around," Liza said.
"I'm not so sure. I am Tom's and Tina's father, after all."
Liza chose a heavy sigh.
But her sighs would become even heavier. Especially the day Tom began to
walk. He never entered the crawling phase. Tom stayed in his small bed, until
that day in May, where he at breakfast all of a sudden got up, saying, "I'll take a
look at the garden. I guess it needs to be watered."
The whole family gazed in disbelief at the small eleven months old boy, who
without hesitation walked out into the garden, starting the irrigator.
"Has Dolphia been here yesterday," James asked.
"Sure," Liza said.
"I see. That's why."
"What?"
"Oh nothing," James said. " I suggest that some of us will stay home
today."
"I haven't time for that. I have my customers to take care of."
"It's nothing but toys," James answered.
"Nothing but toys!! Children have to play to develop themselves in order to
cope with the frets of life."
"Now Daddy has to go to the library again," Tina said.
"You're right. The college, where Daddy studied, really didn't invent the
wheel."
In that very moment Tome came in, saying, "It should never have been
invented."
"You can't drive a car without wheels," James said wisely. He had been doing a
lot of thinking on this issue during the past months.
Tom lied down in his bed with a sigh: "One gets really tired after all that
gardening. It shouldn't have been invented either. It's deeply superfluous to
invent. Completely superfluous!"
"What kind of a boy have we got," Liza said in despair.
This was not the last time she would say that.
Tom had days, where he behaved like other children – so many actually, that
James and Liza found themselves forgetting all the oddities surrounding Tom.
Usually the weird happenings took place, when Dolphia had paid them a visit.
But as they came closer to Tom's first birthday, odd and weird things took place
more and more often, also when Dolphia had not been in the house. Tina was
close to three and a half, and she believed that some children had special gifts –
"except Daddy when he was small, of course," she added.
"Tina," Liza said. "You are only three and a half. What do you know about
that!"
"I simply know. Tom has taught me a whole lot."
"Her comprehension is somewhat slow," Tom said from his bed. "I suppose
she'll learn one day."
Tom was like other children his age in many ways. There was always
something in his diaper, when he was changed – or almost every time. On the
rare occasion that Liza found it empty she would say, "My goodnesss, Tom –
your diaper is empty! Is something wrong with your stomach?"
Then Tom answered immediately, "I was running short of time, but I'll see to it
now."
And then he filled up the whole kitchen table, and Liza was in despair.
The Finley Residence made everything ready for Tom's birthday party. Family,
neighbours, and Dolphia were invited.
"I'll bring a couple of brushes," Dolphia said happily. "I promise to wrap
them
up. Then my sweet Tom can't see the contents."
"He knows anyway," Tina said laconically.
"What the f….. are WE going to get him," James exploded.
"Toy cars – that must be the thing," Liza said ingeniously.
And Tina added, "Maybe Daddy could bring home some schoolbooks. You
really need to wisen up!"
"What are you gonna give him," Liza asked.
"Roller blades."
"He's only one!"
"He needs to see more of the world," Tina answered.
"What kind of kids have we got in this family," James said resigned.
"They're
not like the kids in my class."
"Luckily," Tina said.
Finally the big day dawned. Liza had been out of bed since five to finish the
layer cake for the great celebration. At seven she went in to wake up Tom.
But his bed was empty. In horror she called James and Tina: "Tom is gone!"
"Well," Tina said casually. "Then we have to eat the cake ourselves."
"But the candle," Liza said.
"Well, you can't eat that. Look, there he is!"
They rushed to the window and saw Tom booming down the street on his
skates.
"I gave them to him yesterday," Tina said. "He knew what my present was
anyway."
"Has he been skating all night?"
"No, he just had time to leave a message for you on his bed."
Liza and James raked off the covers on Tom's bed and found themselves
glaring incredulously at the big paper on the sheet. It read: Science is the root of
all evil. Nothing should ever have been invented.
"No misspellings," James said with pride – but later somewhat surprised:
"How can h ---?"
Then they discovered Dolphia hanging her brushes to dry on the clothesline.
They opened the window, shouting to her what had happened and what Tom
had written.
"Oh yes," Dolphia shouted back. "The voice of the innocent. The truth must
be
heard from the unknowing."
"She's heard about Socrates," Tina said.
James was paralyzed and decided to hitch the trailer to his car. He simply had
to bring home a pile of books from the library.
"The more books he reads, the more stupid he gets," Tina said.
"You don't speak about your Dad like that!"
But James did not hear her words. He was too busy taking off for the library.
Still, he found a split second to eat the candle of the birthday cake.
Tom Finley, 1
Engelsk for 8. klasse
Skole-forum.dk
Opgaver
How would you describe Tom Finley?
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Is it likely, that a boy could be like this? Explain:
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Science is evil, Tom says. What do you think?
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Nothing should ever have been invented? What do you think?
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Opgaver til Tom Finley, 1
Engelsk for 8. klasse
Skole-forum.dk
