Cheap, to put it mildly

Havar, fall, 2001
Johan is 40, Jadhira is 39, Myra and Naraj are 6




The fall means the start of another school year in Apple Valley and it's especially busy for the Shazad household. The twins were improving in thier grades, Naraj even brought home an A+, Myra was right behind him with a B+ and the claim that the teacher didn't like her because she kept correcting the information in the textbook.

Johan has to worry about not only Apple Valley Academy, but Pierce University as well. So the entire education system is under his control, so he's responsible for a lot. In fact, he gets his annual ulcer as usual.

"I wish we had enough money in the budget to hire a principal for AVA as well as another teacher." He tells his wife.

"Honey, let's be honest, there are only nine students enrolled in AVA, I doubt the council will give you money to hire more teachers and a principal, especially since you have Jesse employed there."

Johan nods, "You're right, maybe Jesse will be able to take over the principal position so I can free up my time to do more lectures at the university."

"Let's be honest, with the economy the way it is, I don't think much of your job situation will be changing...unless they ask you to do more, for less."

"I could get a promotion."

"That's a very slim possibility, besides, things are going well for us. We even have enough saved for our vacation, right?"

Johan grimaces.

"Right?"

"Well...can't we use that money towards something else. Something a little more useful than a vacation?"

"Johan, you are so frugal! We are going on this vacation! You promised!"

"I know..."

---

Johan was very cheap, or frugal to put it nicely, but he did love his family and always kept a promise. So a few days later the family of four hopped on a shuttle to the ferry which transported them to the nearest airport two hours away and after a six hour flight the family landed in Schatazweitzier Mountain.

"This is where we're staying?" Naraj asked in digust when they pulled up to the site.

"I think it's cool!" Myra shouted hopping from the shuttle with her small bag. "We'll be like gypsies!"

The family quickly unloaded and Jadhira signed in at the front desk to claim thier two caravans. Inside the portable rooms, space was minimal, but the beds were comfortable and the walls colorful and full of history.

"There is still a clan of gypsies that use this site for simannual festivals." Johan said unpacking thier items into the worn dresser.

Jadhira nodded. She knew that Johan chose the site mostly due to the price of the rooms, but she had to admit, she loved the history and culture of the sight.

To start thier vacation off, the Shazads joined a tour group heading out to hike a nature trail. The entire family enjoyed the tour and learning the various names of plant and fauna species. The highlight of the trip is when a bear approaches the group. The tourists shivered in fear as the bear growled and roared, then they roared back. To thier surprise the bear ran away, though Naraj said that he didn't know that bears had zippers.

To put it mildly, the Shazads are a family of nerds. During thier vacation all they talked about doing was learning the famous slap dance or discovering how to properly greet locals. Myra and Naraj even regretted bringing thier schoolwork along so that they could work on it.

Jadhira tried to get thier children to enjoy the vacation by sharing stories around the campfire one night. Even then thier thoughts turned to school.

"Do you think we'll be able to go on a field trip this year, daddy?"


Johan shrugged. "I'm not sure, we'll have to see."


That was answer enough for Naraj, who ran off to play, but not Myra.


"See about what?"


"Uh, the educational budget." He responded, mincing no words with the child.


"Oh, you have to figure out how to properly use the money that the hood council gives you and there may not be enough for a field trip." Myra replied.


Johan nodded. That was enough answer for his daughter who joined her brother in a game of toss football, otherwise known as, I'm bored and there's nothing else to play with in this gypsy clearing but a moldy old football.



"The budget meeting is in a few months, correct?" Jadhira asked adding another log to the fire.


Johan nodded. "With the economy the way it is, I think the budget will be shrinking. I'll have to cut corners and I hope I'll still be able to budget a field trip in."


"I hope so too, the children need to experience something beyond the borders of this tiny hood. Even a trip to Apple Valley Metro is better than nothing."


As thier parents debated the importance of experience in education, Myra and Naraj were having thier own debate of secret clubs versus secret societies.


"I think a secret society is better, there's secret handshakes and everything!"

"But secret clubs have membership cards."


"It doesn't matter since I'm gonna get in both."


"Not before I do."

---

When the Shazads were not having intense debates, they were learning new and exciting things. Johan was learning to use the stink ball bait to catch catfish.


Jadhira was learning to grill such catfish with vegetable skewers as well as learning the best method for putting out a coal fire.


Myra had convinced a local gypsy to teach her some basic fingering techniques on the violin, thankfully she lost interest in the instrument while the family's ears were still intact.


Naraj...well, Naraj was learning the all important male technique of complimenting a woman's cooking, while not visably gagging.

"I can't believe you ate that fish, it was black and crispy!" Myra whispered as thier parents cleaned the generous dinner remains.

Naraj grimaced, "It wasn't that bad."

"Eww, well next time do like I did and pretend to take a nap. Then later eat the bag of cookies that you stash under your bed."

Jadhira was determined to learn the grilled catfish recipe but since there wasn't anymore catfish, she had to catch her own. Which meant spending some quality time with her husband.She waited until another guest joined Johan at the small stocked pond before renting a pole and baiting her rod.

At first, it was peaceful. The breeze in the trees, the slight chill in the air and the sound of her children giggling. Then...the expected, but avoided, issue started.

"Do you know what we could have done with the money we're spending on this vacation?"

Jadhira shot Johan a deadly look. Unfortunately, his eyes were trained to the pond.

"We could have gotten the twins a telescope, a new sofa, or-"

"Johan-" Jadhira started her voice tense.

"-or even a new fridge since our old one is-"

"I don't care!" Jadhira shouted tossing her fishing rod to the ground, releasing the catfish that managed to find itself attached to the hook-lucky catfish.

"If you mention the money we're spending on this trip one more time then I will leave you here!" She growled before stomping off.

---

The next day brought an unexpected snowfall, perhaps a symbolic gesture in reference to the mood bewteen Jadhira and Johan.

"Did you know in some parts of the world the climate is sub zero year round?" Myra sprouted from her fountain of knowledge.

The table was silent and Naraj gave her a silent look. The twins were lucky since they could often communicate via looks. Today thier looks said:

"Can't you see that mom's pissed off with dad?"

"Well, duh! Too bad he's too dense to apologize and get it over it."

"Yea, daddy's smart, but dense."

After a silent lunch the twins played peacefully, pretending to reenact the signing of the New Dimensional Revolution.

"I hearby declare!"

"They didn't talk like that doofus."

"So what, it's more interesting that way."

Later that evening, over what was becoming thier nightly ritual of recapping thier day around the fire, Jadhira probed the twins for information.

"Have you met any other children?"

Myra and Naraj stared at each other. Other kids?

"Why would we need to meet other kids, we have each other."

---

Thankfully, Johan recieved some much needed advice in the form of a note stuffed in his pocket:

Dad-don't be dense, make it up to mom.

Thereby the next day, Johan took the family to the nearby Alpine Village. After a large breakfast of the famous flapcakes, the family visited the local bar. Since it was early, the drinks were put away and it was very family friendly.

After several rounds of exhausting smustling, the twins found a shady tree and a quiet spot for a brief nap.

"I'm sorry I was such a doofus. I recognize that this trip is money well spent." Johan groveled before sweeping Jadhira in a spine tingling, knee melting kiss.

Needless to say, Jadhira accepted his apology and the couple rushed the family back to the caravans so that Johan could continue his groveling privately.

Afterwards, instead of the typical cigarette, Johan offers more financial wisdom.

"Can you believe the rising price of flapjacks! I mean, they're basically pancakes, why charge twice as much for them!"

Jadhira sighed. It looked like her cheap husband would never change.

---

Just in case you couldn't tell, one of Johan's traits is that he's very frugal. The twins are shaping out to be...nerds. Cool popular nerds, but nerds nevertheless. They LOVE learning new skills and always want to stare at stars or learn some new cultural dance.