A Cup of Coffee

Anne was tired. Walking to the Kalss garden had been beautiful, but tiring. They were going to meet their cousin, Geogina, who lived on Kalls island. Her brothers, Dick and Julian, were tired too, As they headed to George`s house, Anne said, "Hey, where is George?" "You were expecting George to arrive with bouquets of flowers, welcoming you?". Dick joked. Julian shook his head, "You are delusional. That`s just that. You imagine nonsense." Anne laughed, "You haven`t got any imagination, Ju. So you don`t think nonsense like me." Dick thumped his elder brother on the back. Chuckling, the group headed to Kalls Cottage with heavy backpacks resting on their shoulders. As they reached the gates of Kalls cottage, Julian thrust his hand into his pocket and brought up the rusty key. It glimmered in the bright, fresh sunlight. He put it in the lock. The gates opened with a loud CLICK! Anne jumped, "I always think the ghost of Kalls Cottage will dive out of the gates!", she laughed. They rang the doorbell and in a flash, the door opened and they were enveloped in hugs. Aunt Kirrin handed them cups of coffee. 

As they drank the coffee, Dick felt the coffee to be too sweet. It wasn`t sugar. It felt sickingly sweet, like poison. Dick spit out the weird substance and said, "Anne! Ju! Don`t drink that coffee. I think it contains poison!" Anne stopped immeditely, but Julian had already drunk the coffee by the time Dick warned them. Julian lay on the sofa, asleep. Anne and Dick felt frightened. What had been in the coffee? Uncle Ben went pale. He had not expected his wife to poison her nieces and nephews. Dick whispered to Anne, "I expect Uncle Ben has not taken part in this murder attempt." Anne nodded in fear and agreement. She was feeling sleepy as she drunk almost a quarter of the coffee by the time Dick had warned her.

That was when Georgina entered. "Hey, Anne and Dick! Where is Julian? Lying on the sofa, is he? I expect he felt sleepy after a long walk." 

Anne said with as much energy as she could muster, "Actually, Aunt Kirrin tried to poison Ju, George." George looked horrified at the thought, and immediately protested, "Mother couldn`t have done that." 

That`s when Aunt Kirrin herself walked in. Her hands were covered in thick red powder, like crushed chilli. Or Killers Powder, which was a powder which controlled the brain and killed the cells. It was made by blood from a dead human mixed with some bone powder. 

George noticed that her mother was clutching a red jar. She snatched it and raced up to the chemists` shop, which was on a right turn to Ken`s Carwash. She thrust the jar on the chemist`s table and demanded, "Jordan, what is this?" Jordan, the chemist, picked up the jar carefully and examined it. "If I am not wrong, George, it should be Killers Powder. It`s found only at my rival chemist, MelMurders shop." He peered at George suspiciously, "Are you a murderer now, George?" George shook her head, "No way! Just that I found it in - never mind, I`ll tell you later! Thanks!" 

She went back to the cottage and confronted her mother, "Why did you do this, mother?" Kirrin writhed uncomfortably. "Er, uh, I should go make some lemonade for you three. Hehe.", she smiled nervously. "No, make it four, mother. Make Julian wake up, now!" George countered.

"It isn`t possible!", exclaimed Aunt Kirrin. 

Anne said, "Well, how did you put him to sleep like that? If there is a killer powder, there must be a wakener as well!" 

Aunt Kirrin replied, "Oh, no! There isn`t one! Now, I really should be getting busy making lunch for you all!" Dick was upset. "That isn`t fair!" As the children cornered Aunt Fanny, she confessed, "Okay, okay! I poisoned Julian! Yes! I used a powder called Killers Powder bought from MelMurders shop! Ok? I am sorry! But I can NOT bring him back! I am an amateur murderer!! Not a professional one!" Dick said, "Maybe she really doesn`t know how to bring Julian back! Let`s try MelMurders shop! I bet he has some wakener powder." 

The children headed to MelMurders shop, where they found the latter whistling and arranging the poison bottles. "Do you recognize this?", asked George, holding up the jar. "Why, your mother just bought that yesterday!", said Mel. "Do you have something which works against this poison?", asked Anne. "Ah! Now that is a good question. Let me see." He passed his hands through the jars and bottles and held up one, saying, "Yes, this is the one! It`s extremely rare, mind you, and expensive as well!" "How much?", asked Dick, opening his wallet. "Its for 28 pounds. See? It`s very, very important.", pointed out Mel. Dick had only 25 pounds. He said so to Anne and George. Impulsively, Georgina said, "Mother poisoned him, she will pay. Wait for me." She ran to her house and told everything to Aunt Kirrin. Aunt Kirrin said, "I see. Okay. But why do I pay?" "Because you poisoned him! Why do you ask such questions, Mother? You have to pay!"

In the end, George`s mother had to burst open her wallet. She handed George 28 pounds, no more, no less, and said, "Here you go. Don`t ask me for anything more." George went back to the shop without a word and handed Mel the money. He gave them the bottle and wished them a good day. They returned to the house. George turned to her mother and asked her, "How do we wake up Julian, mother?" Her mother explained, "Sprinkle the powder on Julian. He will wake up on his own. He will lose his memory for a split second and may go mad for a whole minute, but they are only the side effects." That was exactly what happened, and soon Julian was his own self.