James
Rebellious teen to driver for the Order of the Bee.
James
Young life
James was a rebellious young teen when he first encountered Andrew Gibson, the local policeman. He and some friends had been smearing dirt over shop windows. When Andrew caught them. His friends ran off but James ran into a streetlight and was thus caught. Instead of bringing him to the police station, Andrew made James wash the shop windows. Which at the time he thought was really unfair, as his friends all got away.
Troubles
When James was sixteen, his father died. His father was the local butcher, and the boar the local farmer wanted turned into ham had other thoughts about that and escaped, fatally injuring his father in the process. Andrew Gibson and his wife, Sophie Gibson, were at the funeral. “If you ever need anything, just ask James.” was what Andrew told him that rainy afternoon. What could James possibly want from that annoying police man?
Car theft gone wrong
Five years later, James remembered those words when he got to make his only phone call before being locked up for the weekend, for trying to steal a car.
“You’re not a really good thief, are you James? You keep getting caught.” Andrew’s words hurt, James didn’t answer.
“Where do you live now?”
James could only shrug. “nowhere. …. mom lost the house, when the butchery had to close after dad died. She moved back to grandma’s, but they kicked me out, told me to find a job.”
“Looking through your record here, the judge will give you a fine. Do you have the money to pay for it?”
“no.”
“I’ll pay it, and then I got work for you.”
Order of the Bee
That’s how he got involved with the Order of the Bee. A few days after that conversation with Mr Gibson. He had given him the keys to a rather nice Mercedes. No-one had ever trusted him with such an expansive thing before.
“Go to this address. Pick up a woman with a baby. And bring them to this address. You can get dinner there. Then bring the car back to my place, please.”
The baby’s name was Sussie, James remembered that, because the girl still lived where he had dropped them off, at Doorwerth Castle. He had been nervous the whole drive. Afraid to spot blue flashing police lights in his mirror, that it had all been some sick joke. But the woman had been so thankful, he barely knew what to do with himself.
He had become a member and soon after a knight of the order, and had been driving people and parcels for the Order of the Bee ever since.
Encounter with Rose
The weirdest interaction with Mr Gibson was when he called late at night. Whispering trough his phone like he was plotting a coup to take over the world. Very unlike the Mr Gibson he had come to know. But he did like he was asked, picked up a person at the back door of the police station. She only reached to his shoulder. He had never seen her before. And only the next morning he learned who Rose was. And James felt like he had helped rescue a ferocious kitten. A kitten grateful for the rescue, but suspicious of all the good, so ready to rip everything to shreds with her claws.
Ms Gibson tried taming her, but this kitten had tasted blood before, and longed for the wilderness. The next day he brought Rose to Doorwerth as well. She stayed a while. But the Magistrate couldn’t handle the wild cat in her either. At some point, she just left. James thought that life got a little bit more bored after that. And noticed his brain often wondered how that kitten fared in the world.
Duke of Gelre
Ofcourse James knew Karel, he was even aware that he had a crush on Rose. What he didn't expect was that Karel would ask his help to find her.
It took some digging, and the help of another member of the Order, Richard Janssen. Richard was a weird guy James thought, he never said much, James had no idea what the man did for his work or for the order, but he was good at finding out stuff.
So James did find out where the drowned kitten went. He brought Karel to the airport himself, like it was another job for the Order. The tankfullniss of karel reminded him of the first people he ever drove for the Order.
He made Karel promise to keep him informed about his adventures. James wasn't sure on how to deal with the Magistrate, but he thought that Mr Gibson would aprove.
Life just got a little less bored again.
Congrats on 10k! I like James. He sounds like a good lad really.
Thank you!