Free NO ORDINARY ROOM by Bill Williams Page A

working on some secret government project that had developed organic memory.  The idea that plant life could act as computer memory was awesome and it reminded him of something his dad had told him just a few months ago.  His dad believed that there were all kinds of patents that had been taken out on various inventions by the big companies to prevent the products ever been put on sale. His dad had read somewhere that an everlasting match had been invented that would make lighters and matches obsolete if it was ever put on sale.  He also believed that cars could be powered by super efficient batteries, but they wouldn’t be made available until the oil ran out.  Jamie didn’t always agree with his dad’s political views, but on this occasion they made sense.  At the moment computer components, including memory was big business that could be wiped out if someone discovered that it could be provided by plant life.  He reminded himself to make sure that the yucca plant was cared for if ever they went on holiday.  Rufus would be the ideal person and Jamie wondered if Rufus’s giant cucumbers could be used in an organic computing system.
    Kevin saw the faraway look on Jamie’s face as they waited for Debbie to serve their dinner.  He didn’t think that his son had discovered girls yet, but something was preoccupying his thoughts lately.  It must have been several days since they had chatted about football and that was serious as far as Kevin was concerned.  He had been over the moon when his son was born and he had hoped that their second child would also have been a boy, but he had been pleased for Debbie when Leanne came along.  Kevin wasn’t looking forward to the day when Leanne brought home a lad who didn’t support Liverpool, or even worse didn’t like football. 
    ‘Jamie, me thinks you are spending too much time on that computer,’ Debbie said as she placed his dinner in front of him.
    ‘I keep telling you, Mum, that it’s educational and helps me with my homework, especially being able to get on the Internet.’
    Kevin delayed the intended bite on the sausage on the end of his fork and he added his support to what Jamie had said, ‘The lad’s right, Debs, judging by his first school report he’s doing really well.  So, it can’t be doing him any harm and it’s not costing us anything according to the telephone bill that came through yesterday.  How come we’re not being charged for you using the Internet, our Jamie?’
    Jamie carried on munching the mouthful of potato while he thought up an excuse.
    ‘I expect Uncle Stanley must have paid in advance or the telephone people have messed up,’ Jamie suggested, but he still didn’t know how the computer accessed the Internet because he hadn’t discovered a modem or any telephone point in the room.    
    ‘I suppose that might explain it,’ replied Kevin, ’or maybe Uncle Stanley had a contact with one of his old techie mates who might have fiddled it in some way.’
    Debbie frowned as she scolded her husband, ‘Trust you to think of that.  I’m sure he wouldn’t have done any such thing.’
    ‘Well, the telephone people rip us off with high telephone charges, so where’s the harm!’
    Kevin winked at Jamie and then decided not to upset Debbie any further, ‘But I expect you are right, Sweetheart.  I wasn’t being serious.  Anyway, how is the computer doing, son?
    ‘It’s not bad for an old machine,’ Jamie replied, thinking if only he could explain what it was really like, which was super, super turbo.
    Jamie had promised to send Daniel a photograph because neither of the boys had a camera connected to their computers, but couldn’t find one, so decided to ask his mum who knew exactly where everything was.
    ‘Mum, where are those photographs of me that were taken just before we left Liverpool.  You know the ones with me and Geoff?’
    ‘You’ll find them in one of the shoe boxes in our wardrobe.  I haven’t got