Jack swung his leg out toward the tree, but deliberately missed it, and stomped off down the road. He headed in the direction of St Paul’s School. Now he had stopped feeling good he half expected the gate to be gone – stolen away from him like the lolly in the bully’s hand. His behaviour might be judged as unworthy by a perfect Creator. If Jack himself had been “the owner”, would he have let in someone who kicked trees into his lovely garden? If Jack could but know this new found sense of guilt was one of the first steps on to a road of joy, and his confusion was caused by being confronted by goodness, he would have been less unhappy.
*
To her huge delight, Jalli’s last essay was a good pass. Mr. Bandi had commented that Jalli was not so keen on worms as she had been on parmandas. That was not surprising she told him.
“Oh, But we all need worms so very much. They are vital.”
“Because they produce really nice muck out of their back-ends!” she retaliated.
“Among other things. Whatever have you been doing?” He noticed her limp.
“Had a row with a shop window. It won!”
She had confirmed her place at the uni too. Some of the others were really excited because they were going abroad to study. One or two others hadn’t done so well as they had hoped. They only had themselves to blame, thought Jalli. It would have been better for them if there had been less beach and boys, and more books. She spent some time with a couple who had not succeeded but who had really tried. They chatted about other options, and then a teacher came along and did the same, which seemed to cheer them up. “Uni is not everything,” he told them. They could do with a white gate, thought Jalli, or somewhere to open up when the door they were looking at stayed firmly closed. She silently sent up a request for a way to open for them that would excite them.
The other bit of good news was that the Maik Musula thing had been dealt with, and there was no need for Jalli to attend any hearings. It turned out that he suffered from some sort of mental condition that could be treated successfully. If he took the medication he could lead a fairly normal life but, for one reason or another, he had ceased taking the stuff which had resulted in his unreasonable behaviour. Because of his condition, when he was younger, expressions like “freak out” and “fool” made him feel bad and Jalli’s use of them hadn’t helped the situation. She was very sorry. However, she was quickly reassured that, first she wasn’t to know, and secondly, whatever the cause, his behaviour had indeed been unreasonable, and thirdly, it was his own responsibility to take the medicine. Anyway, he was in hospital being stabilised and the only real harm done was to Jalli’s hip – which didn’t feel very much better, it would take several weeks before the bruising cleared up.
*
Friday came. Both Jack and Jalli arrived early at the garden. Jalli was there only a couple of minutes before Jack. Each was really pleased to see the other. They met with a bit more reserve than they had had when they last parted. A week is a long time. Jack felt a completely different person in Jalli’s presence. She seemed to bring out something good in him – and he felt all the frustration and guilt evaporate. “How’s the hip?” he inquired.
“Much better. Still sore though. You ought to see it! It is a terrible colour.”
“I’ll wait till it’s better then I’ll take a good look.”
“You cheeky young man!”
But he was to see it sooner than either of them imagined! They were just thinking about how they might spend the day, when Jack suddenly spotted a third white gate.
“Do you see what I see?”
“Another gate!”
“I was just about to invite you to look through mine,” remarked Jalli, “but it seems we are meant to explore in this direction instead.” They approached the gate and looked over it. They could clearly see a world beyond, but it was like neither of their worlds. It was a bright green, blue and white world with strong sunlight!
“Look! Beside the gate.” A small garden tool-shed had suddenly appeared. Opening the door that released a strong smell of creosote, there were two small suitcases on each of which were neatly stacked a large towel and a small pile of clothes and two sun hats. A pretty straw one and a handsome white cotton one.
“Do you think these are there for us?” asked Jalli. Jack began to explore one of the piles.
“Well this one is not for me!” he exclaimed producing the top part of a two piece swimsuit. “But it must be for you. Look the colour and design matches your outfit perfectly.” Indeed it did. The deep red and brown swirls were an exact match for Jalli’s floaty top. It must be meant for her. “I think we are meant to wear these things when we go into this new world,” deduced Jack.
“Looks like it,” agreed Jalli. “But I haven’t worn anything quite like this before. It’s quite revealing.”
“All the better for it!” thought Jack, but he didn’t think it appropriate to say so out loud because he guessed wearing a revealing thing like this for the first time might be a little alarming for a girl. He examined the other pile. There was a pair of long legged swimming shorts, that came almost to the knee, and a loose T-shirt with long sleeves. It was pure white with brown side panels – the same brown as Jalli’s stuff.
“We belong,” he declared, offering up the brown bit against Jalli. “I wonder what is in the suitcases.” They were clearly overnight bags that included nightclothes and washing stuff – soap, shampoo and razor etc.
“Wow! This is posh stuff!” exclaimed Jack sniffing at one of the bottles. “And look your nightdress has got a Jallaxa sun on it. Can only be yours. That’s rather pretty.” It was, thought Jalli.
“Well if we are to head off for this place overnight we’d better let our parents know,” concluded Jack. Jalli was quite unsure about doing this, yet it felt right to.
“What should I do?” she asked. But Jack knew she was not talking to him. She studied, looking at Jack. He did not interrupt her. After about a quarter of a minute a smile spread across her face. “OK let’s do it! – If Grandma will let me. I am going back through the gate to ring her up. I won’t be long.” Jalli disappeared through her gate and Jack waited patiently. It seemed to take a very long time, but eventually Jalli returned beaming a smile that indicated her grandmother’s consent. She had given it reluctantly, but was happy to know that Jalli was not going anywhere alone and had promised to avoid spending too long in Wanulka town centre. Jalli had explained that they would be outside the town.
Then Jack went through his gate and told (rather than asked!) his mum. He listened patiently to her directions about making sure he didn’t get into bad company and asking the name of the person he was going with. “You don’t know them Mum,” he truthfully stated, “’s called Jalli.” He deliberately slurred the pronoun. He didn’t want to give any indication of gender because he knew that would result in yet more questions and exhortations to behave himself. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Must go now.” And he hung up.
“I have received lengthy instructions about how to behave,” said Jack after he reappeared through the gate.
“I hope you promised to be good.”
“Of course! Would I do otherwise? So come on, let’s visit our new land.” Jack rolled his beach clothes in the large colourful towel and tried the gate. It wouldn’t open. “It’s stuck!”
“Perhaps we’re meant to change before we go. We don’t know if there will be anywhere when we get there.” Jalli was checking through the contents of a beach bag, that also had a smiling sun on it, and came out with a purse with what looked like bank notes in it. “Money!” she declared. “Whoever has decided we should visit this place has thought of everything. Why should we be given a free holiday? I wonder what the catch is?”
“If we can get in we’ll find out that’s for sure. Who’s changing first then? Ladies first. That is if the lady wants to.”
Jalli got inside the shed and shut the door. It was poky and dark! She opened the door a little and peered round but Jack had his
back turned and was re-examining his new things. She opened the door a little and began getting into the swimsuit. It was all bows that took some adjusting. Her bruised hip was going to be exposed for all to see, but fortunately there was a pair of shorts too, which she donned. Obviously her own top was part of the outfit. She folded her underwear inside her towel and stepped out of the shed. Jack was modestly looking in the other direction.
“Ur-hum,” Jalli coughed. Jack turned.
“Wow I like the legs!”
“Thanks. I’m looking forward to seeing your knees too!”
“Not my most beautiful asset.”
“That will be for me to decide!”
Jack entered the shed and changed in fast order. Nothing too complicated for him.
“Knees not bad,” smiled Jalli.
“Thanks. What shall we do with our own things? I don’t think we’re going to need them. Let’s leave them in the shed.”
“OK.” Jack dropped them inside the door. “It would be better if there was some attempt to fold them.”
“You sound just like my mother!”
“She’s clearly a good woman.”
Jack hadn’t thought about his mother as being good or bad before. He had been so caught up in himself and his own problems. But all she did in trying to make sure he turned out OK was not just for her but for him. He was beginning to see that now. He took his clothes and folded them obediently.
“You’re right,” he said thoughtfully, “My mum is a good woman.” Jalli took note of that, and was aware of the fact this good woman had a good son too.
“Right. Let’s try the gate again,” said Jalli, and put her hand to the latch. It opened. She waited until Jack was right behind her and, tentatively, they advanced into yet another unknown place. The first thing they noticed was the noise. The place was full of music and animated conversation on the left, and delighted children’s voices from the right. The next thing they remarked upon was the smell of the sea! It was clearly a beach resort. They were standing on some coarse grass under the shade of palm trees. Their white gate stood in a short hedge between two blue gates. People dressed in swim suits with towels over shoulders were entering and leaving the blue gates – women to the right, men to the left. A toilet block!
“Always useful to know,” said Jack, indicating the signs.
The children’s voices were coming from a white strand in front of a blue sea with a big white surf. The children were grouped into what was clearly a patrolled zone. Nobody paid Jack and Jalli any attention. They were just holiday makers like everyone else, and dressed as they were, they blended in perfectly.
“Where to?” pondered Jack. “Let’s go on the sand, lay our towels out and take a swim.”
“You can’t wait to see me in my swimming costume!” said Jalli.
“Got it in one,” he teased. Although he did think that he would quite like to see Jalli so dressed (or undressed!). “And I am going to witness the bruise after all.”
“I’m afraid you are. This costume covers hardly anything!” But glancing around, it was pretty clear that all the girls her age were wearing the same sort of thing, so it didn’t feel quite so bad. They laid out their towels on a patch of sand in among others but not too close to them.
“The sun’s hot,” remarked Jack. “How many are there?”
“I can only see one, but it’s a hot one.” It was about the size Jack was used to, but he quickly decided that they had better have their swim and then get into the shade. Jalli slipped off the shorts and then the top.
“Wow it is a big bruise! I can’t believe you did that hitting a shop window. However didn’t it break?”
“No idea. But if you think that’s bad you should have seen it last week.” The black bruise that covered a large area of Jalli’s upper thigh was now giving way to grey-blue with a sort of yellowing around the edges.
“No wonder you had a job to walk.”
“Did you think I was putting it on then? Just to get you to carry me to the bench?”
“Actually no. But I am ready to carry you down to the surf if you like!” He had laid his T-shirt on top of her things and made as if to pick her up.
“Thought you were a gentleman!” she shouted. “Race you!” Despite the bruise Jalli’s head start left Jack well behind. Splashing in the surf behind her he spluttered, “You’re fast!”
“I train,” she explained. “Fastest in the year and can outrun all but two of the boys.” She splashed salt water over his chest. It was remarkably warm. Jack had only experienced the sea around the British coast, and then only once. Weston-super-Mare he remembered they called the place. He was told the “super-Mare” bit meant “on-sea” only he remembered that the sea itself had small waves and was a long way from the sand across a very muddy beach. This place was cool! They splashed and ducked into the waves. For Jalli this was a common experience as Wanulka had a beach not too unlike this one. Jack was impressed with Jalli’s swimming ability and felt overawed by her for the first time. She was so much more confident in many ways than he was. Sure he had been less diffident about going into the house but that was probably more ignorance than confidence. He went on instinct, but Jalli went on the knowledge of her own ability. She was much more self assured than he was, he felt.
If he had been able to see it from Jalli’s side he would have realised that a lot of her confidence was actually down to him. She would not have even gone swimming in this way with the school friends in Wanulka. She would not have worn such a swimsuit for a start. He gave her strength to express herself and access those qualities and abilities that had not previously emerged in her. Jalli had not met anyone like him. Whatever his sporting or intellectual abilities, here was a boy who was different. He had depth and a sensitivity to her that she had not come across before. With him she felt entirely safe and very comfortable. He was not changeable like some of the other young people she knew. He appeared dependable, and quite clearly felt the same about her as she did about him. If he had known how many of Jalli’s contemporaries regarded her as dull, a swot or odd he would never have believed it.
“You are much cleverer than I am,” he observed as they made their way back up the beach. “I hope you don’t get tired of me. I am only average at sport, two left feet when it comes to ball games – and my looks are nothing special. In this outfit you can see I’m quite a weedy person really.”
“Dear Jack! All this because you were outrun by a girl! Sensible girls look for sensitiveness, kindness, dependability, respect – and you have all those qualities. And, in any case, you’re quite good looking! Come on let me put some sunscreen on your back and we’ll move our things into the shade. That was fun. I really enjoyed that surf.”
“I’ve never seen a sea like this before. To tell you the truth I haven’t been away from Persham much, and never outside England. I can see why all these folk want to come on holiday here… I wonder where we are to stay? We have our stuff.” As Jack was speaking a young woman approached them.
“Hi,” she greeted them. “Have you just arrived here?”
“Yes, about an hour ago,” replied Jalli.
“I thought so. Can I introduce myself? I’m Kakko.”
“I’m Jalli, and this is Jack.”
“Pleased to meet you. Are you two on your own?”
“Yes. We were just thinking about somewhere to stay.”
“You are better in a group,” explain Kakko. “You see it’s not entirely safe here.”
“But it seems such a nice place.”
“Well, it is, but we have people who come here and steal and make trouble. I thought you were not aware of this when you left your stuff on the beach and went swimming. You really need to have someone look after it because it might just disappear. The thing is we have people here who are on drugs and who spend their time in the bars and quickly run out of money.” Kakko indicated a bar with some fairly noisy people sitting around it. “They’re half drunk now, and it’s really not safe
to wander about after dark unless you are with a group. You would be very welcome to join us. Our parents only allow us to come if we agree to stay together.” Kakko gestured to a group of about a dozen young people further up the beach playing with a ball.
Jack looked at Jalli and weighed up the options. They looked normal enough. “Why not,” he said, at last. These people seemed OK. Kakko escorted them over to the group.
“Hi guys. This is Zhalli and Zhak who have just arrived from a foreign place. Can they join us?”
“You’re very welcome,” spoke up one of the lads. “My name is Tod.”
“Hi Tod,” said Jack, and offered his hand which Tod took. Not quite the custom it seemed but good enough. Jalli bent into a Wanulkan curtsy. They were then introduced to all the people. It is hard to remember names when they are not ones that you have heard before, thought Jack. Quite clearly the “j” sound was difficult for them, so “Zhak” and “Zhalli” became their names as long as they were there. It was not easy describing where they came from either, but a place called “White Gates” seemed to be acceptable.
“This is indeed a great place,” they agreed when Jack expressed his delight in the sand and the surf. “But you do need to be in groups of more than four to be really safe,” Tod explained. “We spotted you when you came onto the beach, and have been keeping an eye on you and your things.”
“Shame that this place is being abused by people who are ‘out-of-control’ (a Grandma expression).” Jalli saw too much of the same sort of thing on the beach at Wanulka.
“Well, they don’t bother us when we are together. And we have fun in our group. We all belong to various spiritual fellowships and our parents let us come if we are together.”
“What do you do here?” asked Jack.
“Same as everybody else. The sea and surf, but we sometimes have beach sports – and in the evening we sing songs together.” Singing, thought Jack. Well at least he would have the excuse here of not knowing the words. Spiritual fellowships seemed to do a lot of singing, and since that was one thing he never did it was one of the reasons he had always steered clear of them. Jalli would be alright though. Sports, singing – she would be in her element. But that day proved them both to be in their element. Jack turned out to be good with the bat. He’d never rated cricket at school but so long as he didn’t have to kick the ball he could do well. He also enjoyed the surf boards. Jalli spent more time chatting than in the games. She was finding out what you had to do in school in this country. It seemed to be much better in Wanulka she thought. These people seemed to have to put in very long hours.
The Kicking Tree (White Gates Adventures Book 1) Page 7
