Chapter 05

The Weekend Party

Chektar Farm

The Chektar family farm is about eighty kilometres from View Port and near the base of the Amir Mountain Range in a wide set of folds that go deep into the range at its widest point. The range almost seems to makes a ninety degree turn at that point. The main part of the farm extends into this fold and it runs into the foothills which make up three sides of the farm boundaries. The mountain jungle transitions into thick mountain forests for the last few kilometres before the open plains. The main house and farm buildings are ten kilometres from the edge of the mountain forest. Most of the foothills are narrow ridges of jungle or forest separating the grassy meadows where cattle, sheep, and horses graze. Much of the area in the folds is plains that have been turned into open pastures. These mountains are the home and range of many animals, mostly monkeys, birds, rodents, and mountain lions - a local variant of the leopard which is a bit bigger than a cougar. The monkeys and big cats usually stay in the higher, denser, and rougher parts of the mountain jungles which are about thirty kilometres away from the farms and at a much higher elevation. No big cats have ever been seen in the farm area or this far down the mountains. The Amiri tribe have been living on this land for nearly two thousand years, and many generations of the Chektar family has lived in this area to work the land for almost all of this time.

The farm grows grain crops, cattle, and sheep as its main income source, but it is best known for the breeding and training of high quality riding and work horses. The current farm has been owned and worked by this branch of the Chektar family for over six hundred years. The Chektar are a very large clan of the Amiri tribe and they manage many farms in the area, with this as the largest and best known farm the clan has.

The Plan

The youngest girl in this specific Chektar family, Deanna, is turning fourteen on the weekend. Her parents have agreed to let her have her closest school friends visit for a weekend-long sleepover. It’s a holiday weekend with no school from noon Thursday until 9:00 a.m. Tuesday. They’ll spend the whole weekend on the farm because it’s a long drive into View Port. The girls will have a number of fun activities at the farm. The family is borrowing a four wheel drive mini-bus to transport all of the girls to the farm. At 1:00 p.m. on the Thursday they’ll leave View Port as one group, and return at 6:00 p.m. on Monday evening. They’ll have all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for fun activities and good times.

Deanna has invited all of her close friends, including her best friend: Isobelle Amir. But Deanna isn’t sure if Isobelle will be there. Mrs Chektar has given approval for Isobelle to bring her young brother, Gordie, but five other guests said they won’t come if there’s a young ‘brat’ coming along. They claim he’ll spoil things. Deanna, Isobelle, and Mrs Chektar don’t think Gordie will spoil the party. They think he’ll add to the fun because he has a very different way of looking at things and a way of thinking of fun things to do. However, Isobelle is thinking of not going as she’s worried about spoiling the weekend for her good friend because of trouble with the five other girls due to her taking Gordie with her for the weekend.

Isobelle is a very responsible fourteen year girl who often has to care for her younger brother who’s an eight year old genius. His supervision is shared by all of the adults and older children. However, the roster has Isobelle down to supervise his care Saturday morning as well as Monday afternoon, and she can’t organise for someone else to take over for her. Arrangements have been made to adjust the roster for Isobelle to share Gordie’s care with Mrs Chektar for the whole weekend, and Isobelle will have other chores reduced for this extra time supervising her young brother. However, that’s now in doubt because of her decision to not go and possibly ruin Deanna’s weekend.

Gordie is a high genius who’s been studying martial arts for years. He’s now eight years old and he’s well advanced in the training. For security reasons all of the clan children are taught the use of various weapons at a young age, and Gordie is already an expert marksman with a light rifle, pistol, bow, and extremely good with a knife. He’s not your average eight year old boy.

The security team’s plans for protecting Gordie and Isobelle at the farm are to go camping on the edge of the Chektar Farm. This way they’ll be handy to intercept any trouble makers heading toward the farm due to the limited access way, but out of the way of the farm staff and the party group. Nor will they be readily associated with the farm or the party group there. However, this will also put them about thirty minutes away from the farm if they’re needed for trouble on the farm itself. Due to what they know about the farm, the residents, and workers this isn’t expected to be an issue requiring the security team to be needed at the farm itself.

Thursday

Thursday morning Gordie arranges for his mother to send a note to school to allow him to have the whole day off. This isn’t a problem because his main reason for school is social interaction with his peers. Gordie does most of his real studying at home due to being well in advance of the regular school work for his age. While carrying a shoulder bag of clothes Gordie walks from his clan home to the View Port shopping centre which is about a thirty minute walk for him. Arriving at ‘The Salon of Outrageously Lovely Hair’ at 9:30 a.m. he’s shown into a back room by his sister, Francine, and the salon owner. They both study him well, and then they shake their heads no. He frowns for a moment.

Smiling at them he says, “Just a moment.” He strips to his singlet and shorts before putting on a borrowed floral dress. He says, “Now you can get a better idea. I was thinking a change of hair colour, bring it forward over the ears, and shorten it. I should pass for a nine or ten year old girl.” Both women have pensive expressions.

Suddenly the owner smiles as she says, “Darker hair, say honey blond, and tight curls may work. I’d have to look at the finished product. The curling should shorten the hair enough to fool most people.” She leaves, and she shuts the door behind her. With a soft giggle Francine sits Gordie in a chair and washes his hair. While dying the hair from its natural very fair (almost white) colour to a honey blond colour she adds a chemical to help it keep the curled shape when dry, and she uses a thin curling wand. About an hour later Gordie no longer looks like a thin faced, over tall, eight year old boy with long snowy white hair because he now looks like a square faced ten year old girl with short curly, honey blond hair.

Walking back into the room the owner gives Gordie a long look, then she gives a slow nod yes, “This may work. Let’s see how you walk.” Putting on a different set of shoes Gordie walks around the room. While smiling the owner asks, “How did you learn to walk like a girl?”

Geordie has a big grin as he replies, “Simple, I watched my sisters and female cousins. Especially those near my own age. Then I practised for a few hours each night for two weeks, but only in my room with the door locked.”

The grinning owner says, “Right, Francine, take your friend out and help buy her some clothes. It is your day off.” A smiling Francine and Gordie leave the beauty salon after they both get a manicure.

An hour later Gordie has a suitcase full of new clothes for the weekend which they just bought. With Francine’s advice the clothes are selected for style and colour to suit the new female Gordie. The reasons for each choice are explained when they’re selected. Thus Gordie knows the best way to mix and match them for different looks, if he has to. Francine pays for everything, clothes and hair salon, from the wallet of money Gordie handed to her at the parlour.

Thursday Afternoon

At 12:15 p.m. Gordie and Francine are sitting in an eatery waiting to have lunch when Isobelle joins them. Entering the place Isobelle sees Francine sitting with a young girl. She walks up and sits down while saying, “I’m surprised you’re buying me lunch because you’re such a tight-wad. So, what’s up?”

A smiling Francine waves at Gordie while saying, “I believe you know my young friend here.”

Isobelle glances at the young girl and says, “She looks familiar, but I can’t place her.”

Francine giggles while she says, “I think this will actually work. Are you sure you don’t know this person?”

Isobelle looks harder before saying, “She looks a lot like Gordie. Is she a cousin I haven’t seen for some time?”

Gordie stands and he goes to the counter. He orders and pays for five meals, luncheon specials. On returning he sits down while saying, “For this weekend call me Grace, Issy.”