Barefoot and Lost (24 page)

     ‘Will we have to speak to them as well?’

     ‘I’m not sure
Brian
; just let us wait and see what Monday brings forth.’

     ‘Do you think the police chased
Flynn
away?’

     ‘I honestly do not know Phillip, everyone is very tight lipped about his absence
, let us leave it at that; okay? G
oodnight lads, not a word to anyone.’

     ‘No
Mr.
Simmons
, good night. We watch him turn out the light and leave the room.

     ‘I almost wish we had said nothing and just dealt with it in our way.’

     ‘I don’t Phil, I hope all the buggers get arrested and thrown in jail, serves them right, and God knows how many lives they have ruined, Lions for a start.’

     ‘Yeah
Brian, I know you’re right, good night.’
Mum
,
we have done the right thing haven’t we?

    
Rachel
has saved me a seat on the van but, apart from the first hello, neither of us has much to say. The girls are dropped off first. ‘Don’t forget to save me a seat tonight
Phil
.’

     ‘How could I forget, see you later.’ 

     Friday starts with maths,
Rodney
really is a wizard. As a warm up, as
Mr.
Cockburn
calls it, he fires questions at random, from the times
a table, Rodney never gets
one wrong and fires back the answer without hesitation. I have to recite the table in my head until I get to the right one, and even then I sometimes get it wrong. Someone has found out
Mr.
Cockburn
’s name is
Richard
, so he has been nicknamed Dickfire. I bet he won’t be too pleased if he finds out.

   
History follows Mr.
Griffith, is our teacher
, he is an old man and looks so old that he probably has experienced most of English history in his lifetime. He is short and round with a sad face, his voice is flat and boring, giving the impression that he doesn’t want to be here.
If he didn’t keep
slapping the ruler he carries, on the desk to make a point, I’m sure we would all nod off. He has us learning the dates of the Kings and Queens of
England
, from
William
the Conqueror to our present King. He has us reciting them parrot fashion, goodness knows what good this will do me in later life, I’m sure I don’t know.
The
two last periods, much to my delight and to Rodney’s horror, are sport; I am even more delighted to find that Gareth Jones is our teacher, even though he has only given me a nod.

    
Brian
has taken on his leadership role in spite of not wanting it and thinking it is a waste of time, he now appears to be enjoying bossing us around. Our Saturday morning cleaning is finished and, as usual, we’ve become the self appointed gardening party, selecting the fence alongside the front drive as the place in most need of tidying up, it is also only overlooked by a couple of windows so we won’t have to work too hard. With our gardening tools over our shoulders, on our way from the tool shed to the fence, Toby shouts, ‘Look out weeds here we come.’ It isn’t very funny but for some reason we all burst out laughing.

    
‘Bloody hell, look at that?’ Jack shouts, as a large khaki
coloured,
American car turns in through the gates. I stand there open mouthed, not believing my eyes, ‘That’s Awful.’

     ‘No it’s not, its bloody beautiful, wish I could ride in a car like that.’

     ‘No, I mean that is Awful driving it.’ Awful stops the car, winds down the window puts his hand out his whiter than white teeth gleaming as he says, ‘Howdy Little Buddy do you come here often.’ I race over to the car, beside him is
Olive
, both are dressed in their uniforms, sitting in the back seat are
June
and Pop.

     ‘What are you all doing here?’
Olive
answers,

     ‘It’s a long story
Phillip
, were you out here waiting for us?’

     ‘No, I never knew you were coming.’

Pop speaks up,
‘Phil, we have an appointment with the Reverend Harrison to discuss your future, and you know nothing about us coming here. The more I hear about this place the more I am concerned; can we park and get this meeting over’ I stand on the running board holding onto the window frame as we drive to the front entrance. My friends forget about the weeding and run after us.

     Awful parks the car and switches off the engine, everyone gets out.
June
is hugging me so tight I’m struggling to breathe; the smell of her perfume is making my head spin. Awful is shaking hands with my friends, introducing himself, ‘Orville O.R.V.I.L.L.E why do you limeys make it sound like Awful? Pop ruffles my hair
Olive
puts her arm around me  

     ‘We’ve missed you
Phillip
, are you okay?’

     ‘Why are you all here; have you come to take me back to
Hastings
?’ Pop takes hold of my shoulder.

     ‘
Phillip
, let us get this meeting over with the Reverend and then we will spend sometime together. You may well be involved in the meeting but let us go and see him first. If you are needed, one of us will come for you so don’t go too far away.’

     ‘Pop, did you get my letter?’

     ‘Yes I did and passed it straight on to
John
Langdon
. He is dealing with it we are not to mention anything about it because, apparently, it is part of an on going investigation by the
Sussex
,
Kent
and Metropolitan police.’
Brian
is standing beside me and interrupts

     ‘Excuse me sir but
Mr
Simmons
, one of the house masters here knows about it, he has a meeting with someone at the Council on Monday.’

     ‘God Sam that could jeopardize everything.’

     ‘Yes
June
, it certainly could;
Phillip
is this
Mr.
Simmons
here today?’

     ‘Yes, should one of us go and find him?’

     ‘Not right now, while we are in our meeting you can do it, just tell him I would like a chat with him.’

     The front door is flung open, Spectacles is standing there, glaring at us over his glasses.

     ‘Pray tell me what can I do for you? Boys, leave these visitors alone and get about you
r
tasks.’ Pop strides over to Spectacles with his hand outstretched.

     ‘Good Morning, I am
Samuel
Cohen
and this is
June
Milligan
, we have an appointment with the Reverend
Harrison
, concerning
Phillip
Snell
would you be so kind as to show us to his office.’
Spectacles make
no attempt to shake Pop’s hand, over Pop’s shoulder he shouts.

    ‘You boys, don’t just stand there gawking go around the back of the house and do your work.’ Then looking at Pop, he says ‘V
ery well, this way.’ The doors slams behind them as June and Pop follow
Spectacles.

     ‘What’s that
Guy
’s name?’

     ‘We don’t know Orville; he has only been here a few days.’

     ‘Well, I would say he probably never had a father, so, therefore doesn’t have a name.’

     ‘I thought everybody had a father, un
less of course he is dead.’ Olive
smiles and ruffles my hair.
Brian
says,

     ‘God you’re dim
Phil
, Offal means he’s a bastard.’

     ‘I avoided using that word son, because there is a lady present and it is Orville.’

     ‘Sorry Orville, I didn’t think, sorry miss.’   

     ‘No offence taken, what is your name?’

     ‘
Brian
, I did have a dad, I never knew him, but I did have one once honest.’
Olive
laughs.

     ‘I’m sure you did:
Orv
,' wasn’t it nice of him to invite us in, what are we going to do now, they could be hours?’

     ‘Certainly was Liv; so, what work are you boys supposed to be doing?’

     ‘Nothing really, we pretend to be busy then no one bothers us.’

     ‘Now that sounds like me in the Air Force. How about you guys being our official guide and show us around the place, if anyone challenges us I’ll pull rank okay’ We agree, Orville locks the car then we make our way to the back of the house.

     ‘Are there any toilets I can use
Phillip
?’

     ‘Yes, I’ll get one of the girls to show you where they are; Toby, could you get
Doris
ov
er
there, to show Olive’ Toby takes off at a hundred miles an hour, as though his mission is desperate.

     ‘My God
Phillip
, my need is not that urgent; does he always do everything so quickly?’

     ‘No, he is usually very
lazy
,
probably can’t resist a woman in uniform.’

     ‘Watch it
Phillip
Snell
.’
Olive
says, as once again she ruffles my hair.

    ‘Come on miss, I’ll show you; are you in the Navy?’
Doris
and
Olive
walk away chatting in the direction of the dining room double doors.

     ‘Orville, why are you all here, and why are you and
Olive
in uniform?’

     ‘Well Phil, June has been so worried about you that she wanted to come and see if you were okay, and as for the uniform it was the only way I could get the auto out of the compound. Liv and me are supposed to be on official business so mums the word, okay’ he says, winking and touching the side of his nose with his index finger.

     ‘What’s the meeting about with the Reverend?’

     ‘Phil, I don’t think it is my place to say, I’m just the guy that is doing the driving so, do me a favour buddy and save those questions for June and Sam, okay?’

     ‘Okay, when will you be going back to
America
now the war is finished?’

     ‘Could be a while yet, I might have to go to
Germany
those damn Ruski’s are not playing fair with
Berlin
.’

     ‘What do you mean playing fair, are we going to start another war?’

     ‘No, nothing like that, look, can we give it a rest I’ve said too much already?’

     ‘
Sorry, Mum’s the word.’

     Orville and I are seated on the bench under the oak tree;
Jack
,
Brian
, and Toby are hovering, not quite knowing what to do. They know these are my friends but are afraid of missing out. I’m not sure what to ask, in case I make Awful give away any secrets; careless talk costs lives, surely that isn’t the case now the war is over, but he did say he had said too much already. 

     Looking past
Brian
I can see
Mr.
Simmons
making his way towards them from the direction of the sports field. I expect he has seen them standing around, not working and is on his way to chase them. From the side of the house I can see
June
and Pop, accompanied by Mam, on their way to me as well. I don’t want Pop to meet
Mr.
Simmons
in front of Mam, he may say something. Turning to
Brian
, he is closest to me, ‘Quick head off
Mr
Simmons
and tell him Pop wants to speak to him in private.’
Brian
, seeing what I mean, grabs the other two and they run towards
Mr.
Simmons
, stopping him in his tracks. June and Doris are now coming from the toilets, it is a bit like those maps I have seen in the newspapers with arrows and swastika’s on them  showing the advance of the Germans into Poland. ‘My, my
Phillip
, what distinguished guests you have: Hello Sir I don’t believe we have met.’

     ‘No Maam,
Major
Crum
, United States Air Force, very pleased to meet you.’
B
et you wouldn’t be if you knew what she does to small girls.

    
‘
Alice
Miller
, I am house keeper here at
Saint
Stephens
, very pleased to meet you too. Olive has now joined the group and is standing so close to Awful, as much as to say, he is mine don’t go getting any ideas.

     ‘Major.’ Mam looks at June and the others, ‘Would you all care to join me for refreshment in the dining room’ Pop is standing behind Mam, vigorously shaking his head at Awful, there is a moment of hesitation, and then he realizes what Pop means.

     ‘That is very kind of you to offer but I do believe we must be on our way.’

     ‘Such a pity I----‘ Pop interrupts,

     Yes, if we are to take
Phillip
out for a couple of hours, as agreed by
Reverend
Harrison
, we should be on our way.’ My heart does a double somersault, I can’t believe it.

     ‘Can my friends come with me?’

     ‘That’s not a good idea, we would never all fit in the car for a start, come on, I will come with you to explain.’ Pop and I walk over to them.

     ‘Is that
Mr.
Simmons
they are with?’

     ‘Yes Pop.’

     ‘Thought as much, I noticed your crafty move heading him off.’

     ‘
Mr.
Simmons
, my name is
Sam
Cohen
.’

     ‘
Bill
Simmons
very pleased to meet you.’

     ‘Bill, I will get direct to the point, I believe you have an appointment with the council on Monday, can I ask that you do not go, but speak to Superintendent John Langdon, at the Hastings Police before you do anything regarding this dreadful matter of abuse.’

     ‘What do you know exactly about the police’s involvement?’

     ‘I am not a liberty to say, please call
John
Langdon
, he will tell you what we are allowed to know.

     ‘I can hardly call him from here can I?’

     ‘That is true, let me think
,
err
yes, we are taking Phillip into Tonbridge for a couple of hours are you free to come with us?’

     ‘Better than that, I can meet you, in an hour at the tea shop. It’s a baker really, just across the road from the station.’

     ‘Good man, we could ring
John
together, see you there then.’ Pop looks at his watch, say one thirty.’

     ‘The very thing, one thirty it is see you then
Sam
;
Phillip
.’ 

    
Mr.
Simmons
turns to the boys ‘Now
buzz off and make out you are doing something or you will get us all into trouble.’

     ‘
Mr.
Simmons
,
don’t forget to bring that note I gave you.’ He taps his top pocket and smiles.