Years earlier, they met when Charles was 7 years old, and Mark was 23. Charles was behind Mark in line after he finished shopping with his mother. Mark had several food items that were sold by weight and known as “Bites”; because of their size and shape. A single “bite” could sustain an average man for an entire day. On that day, Charles had apparently noticed weights on the scales and alerted everyone in the line. What a scene, A 7-year-old boy speaking up as if he was acquainted with everyone in the room and saying matter-of-factly that the price for bites at this market didn’t match the state-regulated market price. The shopkeeper was so desperate that he added weight to his scale because he wasn’t allowed to raise his prices. That store closed down several months later when his competitor opened up right next to him and offered a guarantee of accurate scales.
That was a minor example, but Charles was only 7, and there is no way he could have seen the extra weight on the scale, but when asked how he knew the scale was dishonest, he said he saw the extra weight. That would have been seemingly impossible, but Charles had made similar observations throughout his childhood. Each time he did it, people around him would notice the peculiar way he could “observe” things, but no one was willing to delve into the supernatural. The idea of the “supernatural” did not exist. There was no explanation as to how the boy did what he did. They accepted it, and theories abounded about how he had known the unknowable, again. Some people said they didn’t see anything unusual about the boy’s abilities. His insights went further than that too. He could spot a scam, even if there was no physical evidence of the scam. He could also find people and things with remarkable ease. If he needed something, he knew who to ask. Even if he didn't know the person at all he always seemed to have a perfect read on everyone.