I can hear my name being called; a ball of muscle, with its head on upside down, is jogging down the path towards me.
‘There you are Phil; I need you for the PT, can’t start without you.’ Then turning to the Cunningham’s, Couch says, ‘Sorry to drag him away but he is our star gymnast, he will be back I only need him for half an hour.’ Then to me ‘Quick go and get your kit be at the cricket ground in fifteen minutes.’
The Gymnastic display is a bit of a disappointment. Coach is only able to round up nine of us. He has gone to the trouble of borrowing a vaulting horse and a landing mat but no one except me has used one before. But it doesn’t matter how ragged we are there is no one watching. Poor Coach I really feel sorry for him, he is trying so hard to put on a display but half the kids don’t want to be here so are not trying. Having the experience I am obviously the best. Coach keeps using me to demonstrate. This has upset a couple of them, one even called me a bloody crawler; I ignored him but if he does it again he will learn I can box as well.
Not wanting to interrupt Peter, I have spent the last twenty minutes looking for Lion. Jack, Toby and Brian were playing cricket, they said he was with them fielding on the boundary but suddenly he wasn’t. Making my way back to the house I catch a glimpse of Lion darting up through the gap leading to the formal garden between the house and the yew tree hedge. Chasing after him I’m surprised to find he is not there, and then I remember the gap in the hedge I used that first day to get to the coach. Why would he go out the front, we are not allowed out there. As I get to the gap I see Lion’s legs disappear as the boot lid of the Humber closes.
The fool, what does he think he is doing should I shout and give him away, I’d better not, he wouldn’t be very happy with me but has anyone else seen him. The driver is not with the car so maybe he has got away with it. I decide to keep guard so I can warn him if anyone looks like discovering him. I hide in the yew hedge where I can see the car and the front entrance, the time on the clock on the tower is twenty to four as I settle down to wait.
Less than ten minutes passes before the driver walks to his car, and opens the driver’s door but doesn’t get in. He lights a cigarette then walks around the car kicking the tyres, I bet Lion is shitting himself, he will hear and feel the kicks but not know what is causing it, I hope he doesn’t panic and give himself away. The front door opens, the three from the head office emerge, followed by Reverend Harrison and Mam, pausing at the car, they shake hands while the driver holds open the door. The three passengers get in; the driver closes the door walks around the back pauses at the boot, reaches down, and turns the handle to close it. Walking to the driver’s seat with a shake of his head; does he know Lion is inside and is not letting on, or is he wondering why the handle is unlocked? I’ll never know because the Humber moves off, its twin exhausts billowing a cloud of blue smoke as it slips quietly through the gates onto the road in the direction of Tonbridge and London.
I’m very excited, I can’t wait to tell the others but, on second thoughts, I have decided not to tell anyone, the less who know, the less there will be to tell; it will be mine and Lion’s secret, I will tell Mum when I talk to her tonight, she can ask God to look after him.
Peter and the Cunningham’s are now seated on a park bench under the oak tree. I hope the paint has dried from the other day; they are talking furiously, it seems a shame to interrupt them. I turn away to leave them to it, Jill says something to Peter, turning around he sees me, ‘Phil, come here, I have something to tell you, I want you to be the first to know.’ I have a good idea what he is going to say. Although I’m happy for him, I’m sad he is not going to be my friend.
‘You’re leaving here aren’t you?’
‘How did you know; Auntie Mavis and Uncle John want to foster me again and, not only that they want to adopt me if I want to’ I don’t know what to say, but with a smile I say.
‘That’s terrific Peter, when are you going?’ Auntie Mavis replies,
‘The truth is Phillip; we came here today to see Peter’s reaction to our suggestion. We have missed him so much over the last couple of weeks. I regret sending him here, but I thought I wouldn’t be able to cope with these two brats and John, but the military have given us such a lot of support that I feel I can now. So, first thing Monday we will contact social services about Peter coming back home, hopefully in a week, we will be a complete family again.’
I don’t know why but I think I am going to cry, Peter looks so happy his eyes are bright and sparkling, my throat has closed, I can’t speak, I feel terrible. Mavis puts her arm around me. ‘Phillip, we know you are happy for Peter it is only natural for you to feel like you do. One day your turn will come. Over the next few months, when the aftermath of this terrible war is behind us, families that lost children will be looking to replace them to make their homes complete, think positive; believe me your turn will come.’
‘Sorry Phil; didn’t mean to upset you but I am so happy I just didn’t think.’ I put my arm around him and give him a playful punch on his arm.
‘I know you didn’t, don’t worry I’m okay now.’
‘Phil, I’ve been telling them about your letter.’ I look daggers at him.
‘What about it, what have you said?’
‘Oh nothing about what’s in it, I haven’t read it have I? I don’t know what you have written.’ Uncle John replies
‘Phil, Peter has no idea of it’s content, he told us about the difficulty in getting a letter out without it being censored, we are sure you have a very good reason for doing so, therefore we have offered to post it for you, to eliminate the risk of you being caught posting it in Maidstone.’
‘That’s fantastic; shall I go and get it?’
‘Yes, you had better hurry though; our taxi will be here in about forty five minutes’
Taking the back stairs two at a time I barge into Mam, ‘Phillip, where do you think you are going in such a rush?’
‘Sorry Mam, to change out of my gym kit all that running has made me sweaty.’
‘Okay, hurry along no hanging around in the dormitory mind.’
‘No Mam.’ I watch her as she waddles to the main staircase probably going to her room.
Satisfied she is not coming back I pull the bed out, lift the floorboard to find the cavity is empty except for my letter, the tobacco tin has gone, I know where that is. Lifting the letter, folded under it is a piece of note paper stuffing both into my shorts, I remember I’m here to change, with my trousers on, the bed and floorboard back in place, I race back to Peter.
‘My, that was quick and you’ve changed as well, let me have a look at this letter.’
Handing it to Auntie Mavis I can see a glimmer of a smile as she takes it from me, ‘I must admit it is a little unique and would have most likely survived the post office but, I tell you what I will do, I will put it in another envelope, re address it add a new stamp and post it. I promise not even though curiosity has the better of me, to open your letter, will that be acceptable?’
‘Thank you Auntie Mavis, thank you very much.’ John takes the letter from Mavis, looking at it he says,
‘Have no fear Phil, your letter will get to’ glancing at the address ‘Mr S Cohen, is he a relative?’
‘No I have no relatives except my uncle Ron and he is wounded in Holland. Pop is a very good friend who will help me, I know he will. I say goodbye and leave Peter to say his. Hopefully Pop will get my letter and then someone will come for me.
Lion hasn’t been missed at supper or chapel, the others have been asking me but I make out I am just as mystified as them, every one suspects he has run away again.
‘I have a bit of news, the letter has been posted, well, not posted, but it is on its way’
Peter then went on to explain about his good news and the letter.
‘I have something else, I found this when I went to get the letter.’
‘What is it?’
‘A note from Lion, it was in his hiding place wit
h my letter?
‘What’s it say; does it tell us where he’s gone?
‘I don’t know, I haven’t read it yet.
‘Well don’t stand there looking stupid, if you can’t read it give it to me.’ I hand the note to Brian, as he opens it we gather round and peer at the few words.
Sorry friends I have to go, I can’t hang around here anymore, this time I won’t be coming back. Thanks for lending me your money. I promise I will repay you one day.
IOU Jack 2/- , Brian 2/- , Toby 2/-, Phil 2/- . I remember you gave me the last money I borrowed, and Peter £2 -7s- 4d
Goodbye, Lion.
We stand looking at each other not knowing what to say, Peter breaks the silence,
‘He’s taken my money, where do you think he has gone?’
‘Peter, you won’t need it anyway. When you get fostered you definitely won’t need it; I reckon he has gone to London.’
‘Why do you think that, Jack?’
‘Because, Phil, that’s where he was making for the last time, anyway, that’s where he was born he always said he would go back to his roots’
‘Yeah, that’s right; he always talked about going home.’
We have managed to keep Lions disappearance from the staff by stuffing his pillow under his blanket, he hasn’t even been missed at chapel, but, at breakfast, Mam asks if we’ve seen Lionel? I say no, Jack and Brian together; say yes. Between us we make a mess of it and Mam suspects he is gone and we are covering up for him. She is furious and marches us down to the Reverends office.
The Reverend stands in front of us his feet apart his arms folded across his chest, his eyes smouldering like coals, ‘Who is the eldest one of you?’
‘I am Reverend’ Brian replies.
‘Pray tell me where is Bates?’
‘We don’t know Reverend, we were playing cricket yesterday and he was suddenly gone.’
‘I see, as if by magic in a puff of smoke, is that it?’
‘No Reverend, he was fielding on the boundary, he wasn’t missed until someone hit a four, and there was no one to field it.’
‘Umm, what time was this?’
‘I don’t know, I haven’t got a watch.’
‘I was looking for him------‘
‘Who asked you to speak Snell? I might have known you are involved, you have been in my office more than me lately.’
‘I’m not involved Reverend, I was only going to say I couldn’t find him at four o clock, that’s all.’
‘I see, so he went sometime between three and four, did he say anything to any of you?’
‘No Reverend, but he did leave this in the dorm.’ Brian hands Lions note to the Reverend. Lifting his glasses from the top pocket of his waistcoat he reads the note twice then hands it to Mam. Holding the note at arms length she reads aloud, she pauses a moment,
‘My God, it seems that he has done it again.’
‘It would appear that way Mrs. Miller you had better notify the police once again; can any of you add to this, do any of you know where he may have gone?’
‘No Reverend’ we answer. I’m keeping my secret.
Jack adds. ‘Last time he told us he was going, but he never said a word this time.’
‘Very well, you are dismissed, go about your business and Mrs. Miller make that phone call, and do it from my desk in case they wish to speak with me.’ Outside in the corridor I grab Brian’s arm, pulling him around, furious with him. ‘Why did you give Lions note to him it was ours.’
‘Hey, steady on, it gets us off the hook that’s why. Do you think he would write to us if we knew he was going, think about it, and don’t get shitty with me, or I’ll knock your bleeding head off.’
Sunday is usually a good day. In between chapel and mealtimes we are free to do what we want but, today, all we can manage is to sit around and talk about the whereabouts of Lion. Peter is going on for the umpteenth time about his money and Auntie Mavis.
‘For Christ sake, will you shut up about bloody Auntie Mavis? I’m sick of hearing her name, and what good was your money hidden away here. It is much better in Lion’s pocket buying him food or whatever so bloody shut up.’ Peter looks stunned by Jacks outburst, and then tears start to roll down his cheeks.
‘You’re horrible, I can’t help it, and I’m just excited, I can’t wait to get away.”
‘Nor can we, then perhaps we’ll get a bit of peace.’
‘That’s not fair Jack, Peters just excited that’s all.’
‘I know Phil, but he has to stop thinking about him and think how we feel, stuck in this bloody place, while he is off to play happy families with Auntie bloody Mavis.’
‘Peter, do you feel like teaching me how to play, chess, come on?’
‘Yeah, okay, if you like.’ Then, with a bit of a smile, ‘Promise I won’t mention Auntie bloody Mavis.’
After two games I am already fed up with being thrashed, Peter is either not good at explaining where I am going wrong, or I am too stupid to grasp it. I leave Peter to play on his own while I read ‘The Talisman.’ But I can’t concentrate. All I can think about is Lion in the boot of the car, wondering how far he got and was he able to get out now that the handle had been turned. I’m dying to tell the others, but I can’t now because I said nothing in the Reverends office. If he found out I know I would be in serious trouble.
Sitting on our beds the subject keeps coming around to Lion. ‘Where do you think he is?’ Toby asks.
‘It’s hard to say, he only got as far as Sevenoaks last time, I don’t think he will risk a train again.’
‘How else will he get to London, he can’t walk all the way there?’
‘It’s not that far Toby, it’s only thirty miles, and he could walk that in two days, no problem.’
‘Well I wouldn’t like to walk it, no, I bet he has gone by train but is looking out for ticket inspectors.’
‘Yeah, I bet he’s with Landseer’s lions, feeding the pigeons?’
‘What the hell are you talking about Phil, whose lions?’
‘The lions in Trafalgar Square, they were made by Edwin Landseer in eighteen sixty eight.’
‘Smart arse; is your head full of useless shit like that?’
‘It’s not useless, it is history. Pop says you must know the past so you don’t make the same mistakes in the future.’
‘Jesus Phil, give it a break and who the hell is Pop anyway?’
‘He is the man that is going to sort out Flynn, when he gets my letter, that’s who.
‘Who’s in charge now Lion has gone?’
‘Me, I’m the eldest but I don’t want to be. I think it is stupid, we all know what has to be done, we all have our own jobs, and so I reckon we should just get on with it and not have to wait until we are told what to do.’
‘Who empties the piss pot then?’
‘You do, you’re the youngest Peter.’
‘Well, I’m not going to this morning.’
‘You bloody will, if I say so’
‘You’re not in charge, you said so.’
‘Will you two stop arguing? I’ll empty the piss pot.’
‘No you won’t Phil, it doesn’t need emptying, that’s why; I was only teasing Brian.’
‘You know Peter, I think I will be glad when you go, you can be so annoying.’
‘You don’t mean that, do you?’
‘No, only joking.’
We; that is between us, agreed to go gardening, goodness knows what we are going to do, apart from tidy up after the party. We can’t agree who does what, so Brian has reluctantly taken the responsibility and become our leader. I’m spending the afternoon with ‘The Talisman’ I have no idea where the others are and don’t care, it is nice to be on my own.
Chapel appears very full tonight all of the staff are here, I have never seen so many of them together at one time. The service is very brief; also much to my pleasure there is no sermon. Before the usual finish with the Lords Prayer, Reverend says. ‘I have an announ
cement to make; I have called everybody here tonight to hear what I am about to tell you. My reasons for this are to prevent any rumours or misunderstanding of the facts relevant to this sad incident’. He must be about to tell everyone that Lion has runaway and how pointless it is.
‘Some of you already know a little, gossip may distort the facts so, listen carefully and learn; it saddens me to have to tell you. Yesterday, during our day of celebration, Lionel Bates, a young man who has been here for the past three years, for reasons known only to him, absconded from Saint Stephens. That’s not right; I know why he ran away. He chose to conceal himself in the boot of our director’s car when they returned to London---.”
The reverend clears his throat ‘---this morning the driver, while cleaning the car, opened the boot and discovered Lionel’s body--- a gasp goes up from everyone. I feel sick I should have stopped him. ---- “The doctors believe he was killed by carbon monoxide gases that leaked into the boot from the exhaust. There will of course, be a post mortem, which will find the true cause.’----. I look to my left, Brian, Jack, and Toby are staring ahead looking stunned, I can see tears welling in Toby’s eyes, and with a flick of his hand he wipes them away. To my right, Peter has joined me in a flood of tears. ‘Such a waste of a young life, Lionel was a talented boy, with a good future ahead of him. Why he should want to runaway from the love and care that I and all the staff feel, not only to Lionel, but to every one of you, I am sure I do not know. It’s because of Flynn I want to shout. Let us think about the futility of Lionel’s action and pray for Lionel’s soul.’ The Reverend rambles on about God choosing Lion. I can’t help thinking, why would God want to kill Lion. He was doing no wrong, wasn’t hurting anyone, he was running away from what Flynn had done to him. Now that we all knew, he couldn’t face up to it. Now Lion is dead Flynn is here, and still able to carry on his rotten business. Why didn’t God kill Flynn? It would have been better for everyone. I can’t believe God is good, if he is why does he kill the good people and leave the bad alive? The Reverend is finishing, as always with the Lords Prayer. I can’t bring myself to recite it, why should I say those things I hate God.
Barefoot and Lost Page 10
