Chapter 19 -- the Johns'

One of the perks of working with Dr. Johns was that occasionally you were invited to his home for dinner, drinks and more importantly, to chat. Many previous fellowship recipients had made their big mental breakthroughs during those moments. Although Karson’s big moment hadn’t come from a chat with the good professor, it had come from his Orchid.

After leaving the campus, Karson had driven quickly and carefully over to the professor’s house, just ten minutes away. He now ran up to the front door of the house and knocked on the door.

The house was a beautiful old Victorian, painted white and in excellent shape. The professor was obviously a little handy around the house. It was located on a quiet mature tree lined cul-de-sac in Queen Alexandra, close to all that was important to the Johns’ – Whyte Avenue with it’s quaint cafes and shops, parks and of course, the University of Alberta. Out back, Karson knew was a large deck and stepping-stones that led to a small pond.

The sound of footsteps came through the door from the inside and momentarily afterward the door opened. A perfectly postured lady of about 60 appeared through the screen door. A tall woman already, her cream-colored straight-legged pantsuit made her appear even taller.

“Hello, Karson. What a pleasant surprise.” Phyllis Johns was a presence. “Philip didn’t mention that you would be stopping by.”

Although she appeared to look severe at times, her warm smile always melted that icy appearance away. That and the fact her height was at such odds with the professor’s shortness. They looked like the perfect odd couple, and yet within a minute of being in their presence, anyone would soon realize how they perfectly complemented each other. The only humor left about the couple was the alliteration of their names, which sometimes led to crass and immature jokes from students. The two that Karson thought were the most distasteful were, ‘The two pees’ and, ‘Pain and Pastry’, named for her severity and his weight.

Phyllis Johns smiled and without missing a beat, glanced down and noticed that Karson was concealing something in his left hand. It looked like the top of a small glass jar with paper wrapped around it.

“Actually, this is a surprise visit. I apologize Mrs. Johns, but I need to see the professor.”

After a moments hesitation, he quickly added, “It’s really important.”

“I should say so, my dear. You look like a kid who has found his sister’s secret diary.” Phyllis Johns followed up with a wink that let Karson know that it was all right. “He’s in his study. Why don’t you just go on in.”

Stepping past Mrs. Johns, Karson offered a quick thank you and went into the house knowing exactly where the study was.