Sunday, June 27, 2010

Chapter 5: Tight Wads and Riches

Jez nervously read his logs of how many unique visitors he had to his site that week as he had lost around £12,000 during the power outages. He had hoped that he would get new visitors to help offset the difference, especially since he had to pay off new servers he had pre-ordered in anticipation of a sudden spike in business when his MMORPG was finally done. Alas, his volumes were the same as they have always been. He opened up his home page and tweaked it, in the hopes to upgrade his rankings in search engines. He changed his mega tags before perusing his quicky paragraph on what the RPG would net customers. His mind suddenly jaunted back to programming, shoving his rewrite completely out of his mind. Kyt interrupted his thoughts as he opened up his code editor.

"Here Jez, lunch," Kytriya said brightly, while holding a plate of Lemon pepper Salmon with Tortellini Alfredo mixed with Red Bellpeppers and Spinach. She had put a healthy amount of parmesan cheese on top, and finished it off with fresh cracked red peppercorn and a sprig of parsley.

Jez looked at the plate of food, almost too surprised to speak. He choked out, "You are really getting to be a chef! That looks and smells really good!" Kyt beamed proudly. "Seriously Kyt, I almost prefer your cooking to eating out. I do appreciate eating out, but only because of the atmosphere. The food is okay. Your food is much better. Have you ever thought of opening your own restaurant? Or writing a cookbook? You really would be good!"

It was Kyt's turn to be shocked. Sure, she had managed to makes an awesome meal maybe, but she really didn't think she was that good. Afterall, that would take many years of cooking and cooking school too!

"Wait, I have a better idea!" Jez's mind was spinning with pound signs. "Do you measure anything? Because if you do, you could start your own cooking website. I'd help with the programming of course, and gets ads on there. You could help make money. We'd use banner ads, then when you had enough recipes to make a cookbook with, I'd get it bound into an attractive book and we'd sell it at..."

Kytriya interrupted him. "No, we'd have it on a download in pdf format, or better at, an interactive program that was searchable."

"Brilliant! You work on that, and I'll work on this. Do, cook and take notes. We can always freeze things. Besides, we do have extra food, so don't worry about wasting anything." Jez sat back in his chair, whistling. The financial crises might not be over yet, but between the two of them, it will be soon. If he wasn't convinced before that he had chosen the right mate, he was now. As it was, he knew that no matter what, he was going to make it work, even if he had to pull all the weight. The thought had never occurred to him, that she would be able to help him this soon. Sure, when she was much older, say even six years from now, but within a month or two? With her brain damage? He put his arms behind his head and beamed.

"Are you to eat that before it gets cold, or are you going to amuse yourself with thoughts of me?" Kyt winked.

"Cold, your food would still taste remarkable. I think I'll amuse meself with you." Jez got serious once more. "Actually, I had better start eating and programming before you end up completing your project before I finish mine."

Suddenly, a thought flooded her mind, as her fork stopped in mid air, enroute to her mouth. She absent mindly asked, "What should I do about school? I am suppose to be getting caught up to what a College student would know."

"Well, when you need a break from one project, work on the other project. That should be good enough." Jez took a hasty bite of Salmon. "How is the Algebra coming along? Have you started that yet?"

"Yes, I have. I can't figure out completing the square, reducing those algebraic equations, or graphs. And, the stories I'm reading, make no sense to me. I keep kicking out the meaning of the vocabulary words. I did make flash cards, but its like I know it one day but not the next. I keep kicking out everything I learn."

"Okay. Hmm, I wonder. Do you feel like your mind is spinning when you read?" Jez asked.

"Yes, I do." Kyt took another bite of food.

"I wonder...maybe I should have you read philosophy. My programming has helped others, but what I'm trying to do with you, is advance you much quicker than what my site does with the others like you. Of course, it would be totally beyond you, but that might a good thing," Jez replied thoughtfully.

Kyt, "Philosophy? Are you nuts?"

"I might be, but what do we have to lose? However, I should really test you on what you remember. Never mind. No need. We already know that your brain doesn't always allow you to retrieve the information you know." Jez rolled his eyes, "Thats the whole reason for trying philosophy... to see if it makes your brain start releasing the knowledge it has put under lock and key."

"Well maybe. But I'll probably just get frustrated because its another thing I don't understand." Kyt said dejectedly.

"But thats the whole point. IF you don't understand it, it might help fix your brain." Jez explained. He got up and perused his bookshelves looking for the right book. He rejected several books as being to elementary, or an introduction to philosophy. He felt that what she needed was a book that would challenge her high IQ and make it spin into overdrive to reconnect the neurons that weren't sending any signals, but could. He looked at Lon Fuller's "Morality of Law" and then rejected it too, as she really loved Law and might actually start understanding that book. Finally he reached Kierkegaard's section of books. He picked one up at random, opened it up to a random page and read. I wonder. Could she actually use this book? Well, I guess we won't know unless we try. He closed the book, and then handed it too her, reaching over their desks.

She grabbed the book and opened it too a random page. "Am I suppose to start at the beginning or just anywheres?"

"I'm not sure," Jez said thoughtfully. "Try reading, starting from a random page, and just keep reading for a few minutes. See what gives."

"Ok," She said uncertainly. "It won't make sense to me that way."

"It's not suppose to make sense. That is the whole point." Jez sighed, "Just read it and don't worry about it. This is one thing you aren't suppose to do anything with. Just read and let God do whatever."

"Oh," Kyt said in a weak voice. She started reading the page she was on, and found that she did understand the words themselves, but not the meaning behind how those words were used. Her brain seemed to start on fire after a few more minutes of reading and rereading. Curious to see if anything else would make sense, she stopped rereading paragraphs and instead just read straight through. She soon found herself 3 chapters into the book and in deep thought. Jez spoke and made her jump.

"Kyt, maybe you should now try to learn those vocabulary words." Jez laughed. "Sorry to have made you jumped."

"Will I ever be able to understand this?" She wondered outloud.

"Yes, you will. Just not until we are done using it for a greater good." Jez looked her straight in the face, "Just let me know your progress in say, an hour?"

"Sure. If I know what progress I've made." Kyt picked up a flash card reluctantly and stared at it. Flipping over the card to the answer, she repeated it three times before moving on to the next card. After working on three cards, she reviewed before adding the fourth card. She continued to review all the cards after adding three new cards. By the end of the hour, she had quite a lovely stack of cards that she was reviewing.

Jyz put the final touches on the new Recipe website and sent a chat message to Kytriya.
Jez: Wie geht's? (How goes it?)
Kyt: Gut! (Good!)
Jez: Wieviehle Karten gelernt?  (How many cards did you learn?)
Kyt: Alles?! (Everything?!)
Jez: Mazel Tov! (Congrats!)

Kytriya stared in shock at the pile of cards she had just gone through, having realized that she had learned all of them. "I know these now. Will I know these later?"

Jez: Check out this link. And yes, you will know them later, but you will just have to review them every hour and half or so...well, at least until bedtime. ;)
Kyt: And why dost thou typest such when I'm write here?
Jez: Its "right" by the way. ;) :D Because we don't get to right each other being that you and I are in the same room all the time, and I'd love to have a love letter from you and have you have one from me so that we can look at it from time to time when we feel like it.
Kyt: No offense, but that sentence should be taken out and shot! LOL Oh, and the word is "write". ;) :D ROFL Love you Jez!
Jez: Love you too! Very much! And forever!

Jez looked up from his computer, placed his elbows on his desk, and rested his chin on his hands. He stared lovingly at her. She blushed and gave him a big grin, feeling silly inside. "You know Kyt, I think that you really have achieved riches. Riches in intellectual advances." Noticing Kyt looking perplexed, he explained. "Riches is always money. Sometimes its learning something you've not been able to learn before. Here, its learning how you learn. That is worth more than gold."

Not really knowing what to say, but wanting to clear up one thing she did know, Kyt responded, "I know that their are riches other than the obvious money, gold, and so on." Kyt glanced at the website he had just finished creating for her and beamed. "Perfect!"

"Thank You! Now I think we should probably go to bed. Tomorrow just might be a big day."

"You must be tired. Its only 8 pm!" Kyt laughed.
"Oops! How about we go and play a RPG?" Jez blurted out between fits of giggles.
"I'd love too! However, I do want to go over those cards one more time before bedtime."
"But of course. And, I can help you review them while we play the RPG. Remember you can use the keyboard to type in German." Jez winked.
"I know. I just keep forgetting that I can." Kyt laughed.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Chapter 4: In Which Genius meets Brick Wall

Jez looked around for a trolley at Blackbordkins, the University bookstore. As it was almost the middle of the semester, the bookstore should have been in need of a total restocking, and should have had at least one trolley out somewheres. Kyt grabbed his hand and half pulled and half dragged him to the math section. He abruptly pulled her to a stop, as he had spotted his prey - the ever allusive trolley as its usually either full, or stored in back out of site of the customers. He quickly grabbed it, then proceeded to follow her towards the math books.

Kyt grabbed the first Calculus book she saw, opening it to a random page. Her eyes started watering as she droolled over the page.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Chapter 3: The Escape part Deux

Kytriya beamed from ear to ear as Jez led her out into the fresh air outside of the Charles de Gaul Airport. Jez hailed a taxi with his left hand while reaching with his right to clumsily cuddle her as he was carrying his briefcase in that hand. She quickly handed the Taxi driver her briefcase while a medium built man ran very fast towards their backs.