Volume 3: Olive Tree

 

Yesterday After Leaving Wintour International.

Outside Wintour

 

Jason digs his hand into the folds of his jacket, pulling out his smartphone, scrolling through his contacts and stops at James. Pulling up his details, it reads:

 

Full Name: James Snow

Organisation: Wintour International

Job Title: Junior Consultant

 

He calls putting his other hand into his front pocket

"You have reached the voicemail of James Snow; I am currently in a meeting. Please leave your message at the end of the beep, and I will get back to you as soon as possible."

“Hey James,” he said as he brought out the “glass slipper” from his pocket bringing it to his face “do you mind doing me a favour?”

 

 SWISS COTTAGE LEISURE CENTRE

ADELAIDE ROAD, CAMDEN 

LONDON – 6:51 AM

 

Jason lay in a sleeveless shirt on a bench doing his last set of an inclined chest press - hardly anyone was there in the downstairs gym.

He recovered his gym backpack from a locker within the men's changing room, grabbing a hoodie inside the bag, putting it on and then leaving.

Outside, he slips in his earphones, selecting "shuffle" on the music app on his smartphone, and begins to jog home.

15 minutes into his jog, his phone begins to ring, he clicks the button on the mic on the earphones.

“Hello?”

“Jason!” 

“Jeremy? You’re up early?”

“Yeah, I’m on the photoshoot set for the new album. Mornings are not me bro” he said exhausted. 

“I completely forgot, I have a crazy day today, I can’t escape, and I promised Oliver that I’ll come today. Could you go in my place?”

“Don’t worry, I was planning on seeing him today anyway.”

“Thank you bro! I owe you one.”

“You owe me a lot!”

“Love.” He said, then hung up. 

 

Phone rings again

 

“Hello sir,”

“James, I’ve told you before, you can just call me Jason.”

“I’m sorry sir, I mean Jason” James stuttered. 

“How are you doing?”

“I’ve been here for a few months; still getting the hang of things. Right now, I’m working on a project for an oil firm.”

“Don’t worry James, you’ll be fine. I picked you for a reason.”

“Thanks sir, I mean Jason.” He stuttered again. “I looked into the guest names for the Blackwoods gala.”

 

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The Royal London Hospital 

Whitechapel Road, Whitechapel

London, E1 1BB

9:00 AM

 

 

Jason approaches the attendant behind the reception desk of the hospital.

"Hello, how may I help you?” the attendant behind the desk asked.

“Hi there, umm I’m looking for a Miss—"

Moments later, Jason walks out of the hospital disheartened.

 

 

WELLINGTON HOSPITAL LONDON

10:23 AM

 

On a bed in the patient room in a hospital gown, was 11-year-old Oliver with a white beanie over his head, flipping through the channels on the TV in front of him.

He had IV drips going into him.

There’s a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Oliver shouted over the sound of the TV, but the knocking continued.

He steps off the bed, digging his feet into his slippers, he holds the IV stand, wheeling it as he made his way to the door.

He opens it, looking up to see Jason, as a big smile covered his bare face 

“Uncle J”

“Oliver!”

Jason knelt down towards him, and they hugged.

“I’ve missed you so much Uncle J!”

“Missed you too. Work had my hands tied for a while, but things have settled down now.” Jason smiled.

Jason closed the door while holding a bag as Oliver sat back on the bed.

“Here I got you something,” Jason spoke as he handed over the bag to Oliver as he sat on the chair next to him, "just my way of saying sorry for not coming all this time."

“That’s okay, you come way more than dad those anyway.” 

He searched through the bag.

“A Nintendo Switch!” he shouted, “Thanks Uncle J."

“That’s not all though.” Jason gestured to Oliver to look into the bag.

“No!” Oliver said in disbelief, pulling out a manga called Fallen. “I always wanted this manga." He paused, catching his breath.

“Thank you, Uncle J," he said with the biggest grin.

“You told me about it before, and I knew you’d like it.”

“Thanks Uncle J. Is daddy still coming today?” he asked.

“Work has him tied, he can’t make it today, but he’ll definitely come soon.”

“Ok” he responded clearly saddened.

"You know your dad loves you, right?"

“Yeah…” 

“Don’t worry the next time I see him, I'll knock him out and drag him here," Jason said as the boy smiled. “Come on, open it up, let's play." 

"Ok," he smiled.

They both played the console on tabletop mode on the bedside table each with a joycon in hand laughing throughout the day till nighttime as they laughed engrossed in the game. 

They both lay in the bed as Oliver snuggled up with Jason reading the manga entirely captivated by the tale.

Moments later, Oliver had fallen fast asleep. A nurse knocked on the door and came in with a food trolley, taking away a tray of leftover food they brought for Oliver on a table next to a chair before leaving. 

Jason grabbed his jacket hung on the chair, putting it on then kissing Oliver on the forehand, before leaving through the door, quietly closing it as not to wake Oliver.

 

Walking down the hallway, Jason hears a faint sound from an instrument of some kind. As if drawn to the sound, he blindly follows its direction. He couldn’t quite put a finger on the song played by the instrument but had heard it before. Drawing closer, he could clearly hear it and the tick-tock of the clock he passed by reading 7:57pm, making his way through the hospital hallway.

He found himself in the modern décor of the hospital cafeteria. A lady sat alone on a single cushioned seat next to glass walls. She wore a white blouse and a hazel pencil skirt. Her feet tucked in short, comfortable heels. A staff ID card dangled off her white doctor’s coat. Playing the last keys of the kalimba, she tucked her hair behind her ear slowing turning noticing the person standing behind her, her soft hazel gaze fixed at Jason and the moon's light through the glass walls bouncing off her raven hair tied back in a ponytail. 

 

On her staff ID card was the name: 

Dr Emma Page

Medical Staff

Neurologist. 

 

8:00pm… Can’t Help Falling in Love.

 

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 “Umm… hello?” Jason said as he scratched the back of his head, a bit shy.

Emma stared at Jason with distant and sombre eyes lost in thought.

"Hello?" he said, waving his hand in front of her.

"Sorry," Emma said, breaking the trance by shaking her head. "May I help you?"

“My name is Jason, Jason Jarsdel” he gestured to himself. “I believe we meet at the Blackwood’s gala. You forgot your pen--” 

Again, Emma was back in her thought. "I'm so sorry," she said, snapping out of it again. “I think I’m just a bit tired.”

“I’ll go grab you a cup of coffee.”

"That's so kind of you, but I don't drink coffee, sorry."

“Same.” Jason smiled. “Earl Grey?”

She nodded. Jason approached the attendant behind the counter, ordering two cups of Earl Grey tea.

Emma stared at her kalimba, rubbing her fingers on the keys.

“Can’t help falling in love,” Jason said as he placed her cup of tea on the table in front of her. “The name of the song. May I?” he gestured to the seat opposite her. 

“Yes, please” she replied as Jason sat down.

“It’s one of my favourite songs. I used to play it to the kids, and they’ll always ask me to play it.” She smiled. “I love the sound the Kalimba makes, it’s like a miniature harp.” She placed the instrument on the table and took a sip, as the attendant began cleaning up preparing to close shop.

"I'm so sorry I didn't give you my name. Emma—"

“Page, Emma Page. It’s on your card.” Jason pointed to staff ID card dangling off her white doctor’s coat.

“Ah, yeah.” She replied while looking at it.

“I’m guessing you work here.” 

“Pretty good guess.” They smiled. “I transferred here, not long ago. Used to work at GOSH.”

“GOSH?” Jason asked

"Great Ormond Street Hospital." She took another sip, as did Jason. "You said your name was Jason Jarsdel. We met at the gala, right? You’re quite a big shot now.”

“I just got lucky.” Jason smiled.

“How did you manage to pull that off, between those two big heads – Michael Wong and Martin Love? Michael Wong especially. They have been rivals for years now, you know they call them— “

“Wong Love.” Jason and Emma said simultaneously while grinning from ear to ear as it was a play on the words “wrong love.”

“I made him an offer that he can't refuse," Jason said, contorting his face and mouth with the hand gesture referencing the Godfather movie.

Emma burst out in laughter, “that was extremely bad.” Jason followed in laughter because of her infectious smile. “But seriously, thank you. You don't know how much this partnership will benefit the NHS, especially in neurology. Think of the good we could do and the progress we could make in brain cancer, for example."

Jason smiled.

“You disappeared when Mr Blackwood took the mic. I couldn’t find you to return your pendant.”

She quickly laid her hand on her neck.

“It’s gone, where is it?” she asked startled. 

“The waiter at the gala found it and handed it over to me. I found out you used to work at The Royal London Hospital; I left a message with them for you.”

She quickly pulled out her phone from her bag to see the voicemails and emails from the hospital.

“I’m so sorry, I got an emergency call and had to rush over to the hospital. That’s why I left so hurriedly. It’s been a hectic week. I wasn’t able to get to my messages. Do you have it with you?”

“Ye—” as Jason reached into his pocket and quickly remember he had left it in the trouser front pocket of his work clothes. “Yes, but I don’t have it here with me. I can bring for you tomo-”

“Uncle J?" Oliver spoke from behind Emma, holding his IV stand.

“What are you doing up?” Jason asked.

"I want hot chocolate." Oliver replied, rubbing his eye, clearly tired.

“Can you watch over him," Jason asked as she replied with a nod. He heads over to the counter as Oliver approached the side of the table next to Emma.

“Hello there darling, my name is Emma, what is your name?”

“Oliver.” He yawned.

“That is such a beautiful name.”

“Thank you, my daddy gave it to me.”

"Do you know the meaning of your name?" Emma asked, and Oliver shook his head.

“The olive tree," Emma stated, as Oliver slightly tilted his head in confusion. “In the olden days, an olive branch signalled the end of the conflict. A symbol of beauty, prosperity and peace. Your dad gave you a great name.”

Oliver smiled.

“What’s that?” Oliver pointed to the Kalimba on the table.

“It’s a musical instrument. You want me to play it for you?”

Jason came back from the counter crouching to Oliver's height handing him his chocolate drink. Jason smiled, watching him sip as he patted him on the head.

“Now let’s go back to your room and tuck you in.” Jason said.

"Can Emma come too?" Oliver asked, looking at Jason as Jason turned his gaze to Emma. She replied with a nod.

“Sure, but only for a little while.”  

 

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Oliver’s Room

WELLINGTON HOSPITAL LONDON

9:00 PM

 

Oliver laid on his bed as Jason tucked him with his chocolate drink on a table next to his bed.

“Now go to sleep.” Jason then kissed his forehand.

"Emma, can you play me a song?" Oliver asked, pointing to the instrument in her hands.

“Of course.” She replied with a smile.

She sat on a chair next to the bed, placing her handbag by her feet and began to play. She played the same song again, the same song that drew Jason, he couldn’t help but watch as if in a trance. She swayed her head to the rhythm of the song glancing every now and then to Oliver as she began to hum the lyrics.

 

For I can’t help falling in love with you

 

She sang playing the last keys on the kalimba. 

 

Oliver was sound asleep.

"He's asleep," Emma whispered, "may I have your phone?"

Jason handed over his phone as she entered her number, handing it back to him.

“That’s my number, please do give me a call to arrange a time to meet up for my pendant. Well, it’s getting late, I must be heading home.”

 

Oliver was sound asleep.

"He's asleep," Emma whispered, "may I have your phone?"

Jason handed over his phone as she entered her number.

“That’s my number, please do give me a call to arrange a time to meet up for my pendant.” As she handed the phone to him, a remote fell from her seat unto the floor turning the television on at the very moment an ad for an O2 concert began to play featuring Jeremy Rose with his signature smile. It had in big captions:

 

“First Live Performance of Happy Friday from the double platinum, Grammy nominated, award winning breakout artist – Jeremy Rose.” and a small list of other big and upcoming artists in lesser fonts 

 

Jason noticed as Emma’s eyes lit up upon hearing a short sample track of Happy Friday – from his upcoming album – that played with the ad. 

 

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 “Hey Jeremy, is it too late to get tickets for the concert?” Jason text read.

“Naahhhh bro, I’ll always have the very best tickets for you anytime.”  Jeremy replied with a “winky” face emoji.