Apprentice Lost in Parallel. Kevin Colbran

QANTAS, I parked the car, crossed to the back door and entered the kitchen.

      Mum asked, "I thought you said the car was gone, and you would have to take the train instead?"

      Puzzled because I hadn’t phoned, "Um, it was only a few spots over from where I thought I parked.”

      "Right, tea should be ready soon, I’ll call you when it's ready," Mum directed.

      “I’ll put away this stuff," Saying this I headed for my room. Contemplating the day’s events, I was trying to figure out how and if I should tell anyone. Suddenly the door flew open and in 'I' walked, mumbling, "How did the car beat me here?" Seeing me sitting on his bed, he demanded, "Who are you, and what are you doing in my room?"

      Surprised I responded, "Steven and it’s my room." Then guessing, “Oh 457,” pulling the net out of my pocket and sticking it on; puzzle lit up his face as it did on mine when the expected sight of me looking back was instead a Classroom at tech. Thinking 'Oops wrong lift,' then said, "Sit down, and I will try to explain, not easy as I am not sure myself." I had just finished relating the story when Mum came in and asked, "And how do we explain that now you are twins?

      I started to explain, but she told me it would have to wait till after tea before it was cold. So we followed her back to the kitchen to the dining table, it was amazing the looks we had from Dad and the others. "OK tea first, do you want anything Steve number two," Correctly guessing that I was an extra as I didn’t immediately sit down and eat.

      "I'm not hungry as it is only a couple of hours from breakfast for me." I just grabbed an apple from my bag as according to my stomach clock it was only 9 AM. Everyone else hurried through the meal so that I could relate the story.

      By the time, I had finished relating my adventure an hour had passed.

      "Well if you are going to get home today, we had better drop you back to Ultimo before it closes. It's been nice meeting you though not much different; so there must be little difference between your and our world." Dad said.

      Waving goodbye to my other family, Steve 1 and I climbed into the faithful old Morris Minor and headed back to town, hopefully for the last time. Having arrived at Ultimo Tech, I thanked Steven 1 for the help and walked up to the lift, putting my net back into position. Apparently, the net is the key because the lift doors slid open without pressing the call arrows, a lit lamp outside had indicated that it was on the third floor. The lift cubicle had the familiar #13 button, pressing this, followed by the now familiar twisting motion. The doors slid open onto the corridor, stepping out I first made a copy of the characters over the doors together with '= 267 +8 hours' to indicate the relationship to my world.

      Having walked the route from and to the last door mentally, I decided that I had been short about 3 or 4. Gathering my courage, I approached the third set of doors, crossing my fingers I hit the open button stepped inside activated the #M waited till the doors slid open then checked to see where I had arrived. You can imagine my annoyance when the lobby that I could see was unfamiliar. 'Well’ I thought as I consulted my watch 'It is still only the morning at home, why not explore?'

      Heading to what looked like the entrance, the sign on the doors read Heritage Building. No wiser I walked out to the footpath, the cars on the street were unfamiliar being lower and sleeker than what I was used to, some of the brand names I knew and some of the others I had never seen. I was nowhere near home, as the registration plates had QLD on them. Wandering up the road, I spotted a newspaper shop. The date on the local paper was 1993, 30 years later and the place was Toowoomba, never heard of it.

      So next step have a look at a telephone book, taking a punt I looked up my name, now either a coincidence or not, so checking the phone I found another difference the price was ten times what I was used to paying. Hating to part with that much money I rang the number. After a few rings, a woman answered, "Hello, Who's calling please."

      Improvising, I gave my Grandfather's name, Thomas, and asked if Steven originally from Sydney lived there.

      "Yes, Steven will be excited to hear from you, he is not here at the moment he works in Toowoomba. Where are you?"

      Glancing around, I located the Toowoomba Town Hall and conveyed this information. To which she gave me directions on how to get to the shop, approximately a 100 yards away. I said, "I had better check first. So that there is no embarrassment if I am wrong."

      After hanging up the phone, I headed up the hill and crossed the road at the traffic lights, passing a large church and then passing the Shamrock Hotel following the directions that I had received. I located the shop, this being for television repair; this didn't exactly reassure me that I was correct. I entered the central door, and the shop itself was the first on the left. Something alongside the door buzzed as I entered, and a thickset man somewhat reminiscent of Dad, came out to the front and asked if he could help me. I told a thumbnail story of my circumstances.

      He laughed and said, "Well I had a dream just like that a few years ago, even started to write a story about it. Wendy rang and told me I had a surprise visitor; you fill that description, though the hint was that it might be my son trying to find me."

      "I thought using my grandfather’s name would be less confusing." I supplied.

      "My first wife had the grand idea of naming him after his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father. So he rejoices to the name Thomas Samuel Steven. He and his sister returned to their mother about seven years ago. Last I heard he was in Adelaide." Steve three said.

      "Long story I suppose?" I asked.

      "Yes, perhaps I should hear yours first?" Steve three suggested.

      Recounting the events of the day, which I was getting good at by now, Steven three as I thought of him as announced that the end of trading time had arrived he would shut up shop and head for home. Asking if I might like to catch up some more and perhaps have some tea. I agreed as stomach time was approaching lunch that would be good.

      "I suppose I can bring you back a bit later; I had better call Wendy and tell to chuck another cup of water into the soup.”

      After locking the shop behind him, he escorted around to the back of the shop to a carport. There was a red minibus, the 'Trusty' Tarago he called it.

      Starting up, we drove out onto the road and turned right at the lights. There was a sign indicating Oakey. From the front seat, I could see the speedo run up to 60, after passing an airport, the sign indicated 80. Noticing my grip on the seat reassured me, "Kilometres per hour, about 47 miles per hour, A bit nippier than the old Morrie, Eh?”

      As we passed a 100 sign and the van surged up to that speed, I agreed it was, though the other cars were having no trouble keeping up. Traversing about 12 miles of country we climbed a small hill, entering a small town and turned right into the first street, another right then finally left, arriving at number 6 and where we parked the van.

      As we walked into the house together, Wendy met us and said, "Mm, isn't like I thought Tom would be, not blond, though he does look like you, poor thing."

      Steve 3 poked his tongue at her, replying, "Actually he is not Tom, he is a younger version of myself from another world."

      "God no!!" and then as we both rolled our eyes, let fly with some very unladylike language. "Sorry, one can be too much sometimes, but perhaps you haven't been corrupted yet."

      Assuring her that as yet I hadn't, I launched into my story on how I arrived here and my dilemma. Steve 3 reminded Wendy of the dream and story he had tried to write in recent times.

      "Oh yes, that one, poor Melynda only received a D for that." Wendy laughed.

      From Steve’s grimace, I guessed that this had been a family joke. "It was so good the teacher thought it was plagiarised and just rewritten by Melynda," Steve 3 said aside to me then asked. "When's tea, my sweet?"

      "Shortly, go and get changed,” Wendy said.

      "Can't, have to run young Steve back to town after tea," Steve 3 advised.

      "Okay if you must," Wendy accepted.

      The