Barefoot and Lost (29 page)

     ‘Want to bet Reg, you never saw him in it.’

     Jet barks as we come down the back stairs, but when he sees me, he leaps from the chair by the fire, skidding on the tiled floor, his claws screeching as he tries to get a grip. Jumping up at me, his whole body is wagging, his tongue licking me all over my face.

     ‘Well, that makes three of us pleased to see you.’

     ‘You must be starving when did you last eat?’

     ‘I had a cold, school dinner at half past twelve, I am a bit hungry.’

     ‘I’ll knock up something for you, when did you last have a bath?’

     ‘Friday, I am supposed to have one tonight.’

     ‘Okay, that is not going to change; go up to your bathroom at the top, you are sleeping in the attic, have a bath put on your pyjamas and dressing gown, then come back down for something to eat.’

   
‘
June
, am I going to live with you, are you my new mum
?’

     ‘
Yes and no, when you come down, we will explain what has been agreed.
’

     I pass a lady in a dressing gown,
I have never seen before, she has a towel wrapped around her head, ‘Hello, you must be
Phillip
I’m
Rita
pleased to meet you.’

     “Hello
Rita
, nice to meet you too.’ Climbing two more flights of stairs, I open my bedroom door, I can’t believe my eyes, the ceiling has been painted to look like sky, with clouds and a bit of a sunset. About a foot
down from the ceiling, there is a painting of trees and farms, there is also an airfield, this painting continues right around the room. Hanging from the ceiling is a model of a Spitfire and a B52 bomber, on the walls are photos of aeroplanes. Gran’s bed has been removed in its place is a photo of her taken at the V.E day party. Alongside is a photo of Mum and Dad taken on their wedding day, below them is a picture of HMS Repulse. It is the most beautiful bedroom I have ever seen and it is mine, I don’t have to share it with anyone.

    
I’m going to clear the table, and then we are going to discuss your future.’ Jet starts to bark at the clatter of footsteps on the metal stairs and goes to the back door, Mr. M opens it, ‘
Sam
, Tessa, thank you for coming.’

     ‘Believe me Reg, it is our pleasure, we are so grateful you want to involve us.’ Pop gives me a hug, and
Tess
kisses me, she hasn’t given me time to wipe my mouth, now I think she is sharing my scrambled egg.   

     ‘Come, hurry up
Phillip
, we want to get started on your future.’

     ‘Goodness me Reg, I have never seen you so excited, but let him finish his egg first.’

The table is cleared away, we are all seated around it, and Jet is sat on his haunches beside me, his chin on my lap as if to stop me going away again.

     Mr. M pushes back his chair and stands, ‘Sit down Reg, you are not an after dinner speaker at a regimental dinner, sit down.

     ‘You’re right
June
, sorry, I got, a bit carried away, I’ll sit down then.’

     ‘For goodness sake Reg, get on with it,’ Mr. M clears his throat,

     ‘
Phillip
, we welcome you to your new home. ‘We-----’ 

     ‘Are you my foster parents?’

‘–--- hold on old chap, hear me out then we can all discuss your future.’

     ‘As you all know, there have been serious allegations about child ab
use at the children’s home, culmin
ating in the closure of three, the two in Kent and one in London. We, that is
June
and I have been desperately trying to foster this young man here, since he was taken from us over a month ago.’
June
is looking very impatient,

     ‘For God sake Reg, don’
t make a meal of it
just tell Phillip why he is here and the conditions of our fostering.’

     ‘I’m sure Reg means well, it is important to know the background.’

     ‘But Sam, we all know the bloody background, we have spent the last six weeks living the bloody background, so, Reg, just get on with it or I will take over.’

     ‘Sorry
June
, please don’t get upset, I didn’t want to upset anyone, to me this is a very special occasion and I just wanted to do it right.’

     ‘Sorry Reg, all of you, I’m sorry Phillip I swore, I’m just a bit on edge I’ve been keyed up all day for this moment.’

     ‘
Phillip
, because the home has closed,
John
Langdon
thought that, because of your involvement in his investigation, you would be better away from a similar establishment. He feels that you need to be close to him, somewhere that he has easy access to you without having to go through the rigmarole of the welfare office. We have been as you know trying to persuade the authorities to let us foster you. They have agreed, under pressure from John, for you to be fostered by us for six months, to be reviewed every six months for the next two years, so, in theory, as from today we are a family what do you think of that?’

    Everyone is looking at me, waiting for me to speak, I’m so happy, loads of things to say are rushing through my head, and I blurt out,

     ‘That is bloody fantastic.’ There is a moment of shocked reaction, and then Mr. M says,

     ‘I’ll drink to that.’ He goes to the Welsh dresser, removes five glasses and a bottle of whisky, places a glass in front of each one of us, and pours a small tot in each one.

     ‘Reg,
Phillip
can’t have whisky.’

     ‘He can if we fill the glass with water; he has to toast his own future.’
Sam
and
Tess
put a drop of water in theirs.    

     ‘Let us be upstanding and drink a toast to Phillip Snell’s Future.’ Everyone stands, I don’t know if I am supposed to or not but Mr. M pulls me up.

     ‘To
Phillip
; bloody fantastic.’ Every one repeats the toast then we all burst out laughing.

     ‘By the way Phil, I’m going to call you Phil from now on, and you will stop calling me Mr. M, I am Reg to you, is that agreed?’
     ‘Agreed.’ I take a sip of my whisky, the smell is horrible, how anyone can drink that I do not know.

     “I can see you don’t like
it
and it is too good to waste,’ Reg puts another tot into my glass and swallows it in one gulp

     ‘Anyone fancy a cuppa, I know I do?’

     ‘That would be very nice
June
,
Sam
and I would love one; wouldn’t you
Sam
?’

     ‘If you say so
Tess
this is a very nice drop of scotch Reg.’

     ‘All the way from America, it was a gift from one of our guests; what a strange world we live in, this bottle comes from three hundred miles up the road, but has to travel three thousand to get here, another one Sam?’

     ‘Yes, thanks Reg, it does seems a shame not to, considering all the trouble it has gone through just to get here, a small one please, just to supplement my tea, you understand.’

     ‘I understand you perfectly
Sam
, a man after my own heart; cheers.’

     ‘Cheers Reg, may the Milligan family survive and be happy ever after.’
Tess
joins in with a

     ‘Here, here.’

     ‘Who painted my bedroom; it is the best bedroom I have ever seen?’

     ‘Glad you like it, it, was a joint
effort by Reg and me
, with a little help from Orville and Olive.’

     ‘Is
Olive
still here, you must have known for weeks I was coming?’

     ‘No, we didn’t know until two thirty this afternoon when we got a phone call from
John
Langdon
.’

     ‘
Olive
has gone, we think to
Portsmouth
she left yesterday, and Orville is on standby to go to
Berlin
, maybe this week.’

     ‘I don’t understand, when did you paint the bedroom?’

     ‘Last week, we had an inspection by
Miss
Penelope
Peabody
. We knew she was coming three weeks ago so we put on a show for her; she was very impressed, pompous bitc---- woman. You will be seeing a lot of her, probably every couple of weeks. She has been over-ridden by
John
Langdon
so she will look for every excuse to get control of you again so be nice to her. I won’t be telling you to do many things but that is an order, I want nothing to jeopardize your being part of our family, is that understood?’

     ‘Yes
June
, I want to be here as well, so I will be nicer than nice, to her, after all there is a lot to be nice to.’

     ‘
Phillip
! Watch it.’

     ‘Only joking.’

     ‘
Phil
, I hope we can take up where we left off; with you, resuming your visits to the
Cohen
household?’

     ‘Yes Pop, I certainly will, I can’t wait.’

     ‘I’ll make some of those biscuits that
Michael
and you liked so much.’ I can see a tear in Tessa’s eye as she mentions his name, it won’t be the same without him I don’t know what to say so change the subject.

     ‘What about school, will I be going to H.S.M.S?’

     ‘Probably not, your eleven plus results were very good, enough for a place at the Grammar School. We can afford it and are thinking about getting you into private school, but that may not be this term, we will just have to see how things go.’

     ‘I’m not sure that I will like that all the kids will be posh and speak all la di da.’

     ‘There is nothing wrong in speaking correctly, when you go on to university you will be mixing with so called posh, so you may as well get used to it.’

     ‘
June
let’s not get carried away, university is at least eight years away even if
Phillip
wins a place.’

     ‘Suppose I am jumping the gun a bit, but there is nothing wrong in being ambitious, is there?’

     ‘No
June
, aim high that’s my motto.’

     ‘Thanks for your support
Sam
.’

     ‘When can I go swimming again, I’ve not been since the gala
, I think
I have forgotten how to do it?’

     ‘Well, not tomorrow, we have to get you kitted out with new clothes. Did you bring your ration book or has the home still got it?’

     ‘I haven’t got it, I think the police may have it, they were clearing everything out of the office and putting it in the back of a van.’

     ‘Reg, will you call
John
, I can’t get clothes without coupons?’

     ‘Can’t do that now
June
, its nine -o – clock.’

     ‘Doesn’t time fly;
Phil
, you had better go to bed, you can go swimming in the morning, you won’t need clothes for that.’

     ‘I will, I don’t have a costume anymore.’

     ‘We can help with that, there are three of Michael’s in his room, haven’t got around to clearing out, in fact, not had the heart for it, I’m sure one will fit you come around in the morning and try them on.’

     ‘That’s very kind of you
Tess
, when shall he call?’

     ‘It will have to be early; the public session is from eight till ten. I have two free periods at school in the morning, so I can come with you if you like’

     ‘I would love that Pop.’

     ‘Right, agreed, so be at our house at seven thirty.’

     ‘More reason for you to be in bed
Phil
, off you go night, night, see you in the morning.’

     ‘Good night, every one.’ I get up to leave the room,
June
grabs my hand,