The house in Devonshire Road is now a block of flats. He and Tess are well and he hopes we can keep in touch. It is signed, with love Pop and Tess. He could have written more, but his writing is so big and scrawling it uses a lot of space. As he was running out of space his writing became smaller, almost so small it was difficult to read. If only he had written smaller in the beginning he could have told me so much more but, never mind, perhaps the next one will be better, any letter is better than none.
The Ansett bus between Mount Gambia and Coleraine is stopped at Gadoona’s gate. It never stops unless it has a parcel. Two people are getting off; I didn’t know we were expecting visitors, especially anyone that would come by bus, perhaps they are looking for work. I’ll give them a job, being mother to my lambs.
I have to wait for them as they pick their way across the cattle ramp. They must be strangers to the countryside or they would have known they could have opened the gate. ‘G’day, can I give you a lift to the homestead?’
The man crouches down to speak to me through the open window. I can feel the colour drain from my face, the hairs on my neck prickle, I look at him again, his mouth is open as though he is about to speak.
‘Dad---is that you?’ I feel stupid asking. My dad is dead, is this his brother, I never knew he had one?
‘Phillip, --- Phillip Snell, I’m your Dad.’ I scramble out of the Ute, we stand face to face, I am slightly taller. He goes to hug me, and then holds out his hand, we both fumble, eventually doing neither. ‘I’d have known you anywhere; you look just like your mother.’
‘Dad, why are you here, how did you find me?’
‘Phillip, we both have a lot of questions to ask, but can we go to the house to talk?’
‘Yes of course, I’m sorry, I’m a bit shocked that’s all. Does anyone know you are coming?’
‘No, we weren’t sure what our reception would be, nobody knows.’
‘Then you had better come to the house and meet my new Mum and Dad.’ The woman, who looks like she is Chinese and hasn’t said a word, slides in the middle, my dad gets in and shuts the door. ‘Phillip, this is my new wife, Nin Pwin Phyu, I call her Snow, and she comes from Malaya.’
‘Hello Philippe.’ She says with a voice that sounds as though she is singing
‘Hello Snow I’m pleased to meet you.’ I say with a similar accent; how stupid is that?
‘Gloria, we have visitors,’ there is no reply. ‘Gloria where are you? I’m sorry Da---- she must be in the yard.’
‘You don’t have to call me Dad, Frank is the name, call me Frank.’
The door swings open Owen walks in, bumping into Frank.
‘G’day Mate, what are you doing in here, can I help you?’ Owen says in a challenging tone
‘Its okay Owen, this is Frank, I think he is my dad.’ Owen’s mouth drops open, clearly shocked.
‘Phillips dad, my God, how, when, I mean, we all thought you had died, how did you find us?’ Gloria walks into the room with an enquiring look,
‘Gloria, this gentleman is Frank, I may call you Frank?’
‘Yes, by all means.’
‘I’m Owen; this is my wife, Gloria. Frank claims to be Phillip’s dad.’
‘What! Are you sure; Frank I can see no resemblance between you and Phillip?’
‘No, there doesn’t appear to be, but Phillip is just like his mum.’ Frank produces a very worn photograph and hands it to Gloria, she looks at it then hands it to Owen, he, in turn, hands it to me, I hesitate to look. Will I remember what she looked like? Slowly I force my eyes to look, I’m shocked, and it is as though I’m looking in a mirror.
‘Do you have any other proof? I’m sorry Frank, how rude of us, I’m sure a cup of tea wouldn’t go amiss, shall we move on in to the sitting room, so we can talk this over?’
‘What about the lambs should I go and see to them?’
‘There is no need Phil, Stan is looking after them.’
Gloria busies herself making tea, I’m helping for something to do, I don’t want to be in there; Gloria whispers to me,
‘How do you feel about your Dad turning up?’
‘I don’t know, shocked I suppose, I’m pleased that he is not dead but I hope he hasn’t come to take me away from here, this is my home.’
‘Do you feel like you want to hug and kiss him call him Dad and never let him out of your sight?’
‘No, I don’t feel anything for him, when I first saw him I recognized him, even though he was a stranger, the hair on my neck stood up and I felt sick in my stomach, maybe because I thought I had seen a ghost, I don’t know it was weird.’
‘Phillip, don’t worry about feeling like that if push comes to shove I will fight tooth and nail to keep you.’
‘I don’t want to go with him.’
‘Maybe he doesn’t want you to, let us see what his intentions are, here carry this tray in, I’ll bring the rest.’
Frank has, spread out in front of him, several official looking papers.
‘Do you both take milk and sugar?’
‘Black please, Gloria.’
‘What about you dear, what did you say your name was?’
‘Black, the same as Frank please. My name is Snow, call me Snow, my Malay name is too difficult to pronounce, it means Snow.’
‘Snow, that’s nice, but err unusual.’ Gloria pours the tea, places a small plate beside each cup, she then goes to the kitchen and returns with one of her delicious Victoria sponges, oozing cream. She divides it into eight equal wedges and offers a piece to Snow and Frank, they both decline, putting a piece on my plate she says, ‘I know you won’t say no, you have hollow legs, Owen, what about you do you want a piece?’
‘Yes thanks Glorr.’
Gloria’s action seems to have changed the mood of the meeting, I now feel relaxed; looking at everyone else, they appear to be like me, the only one showing any tension is Snow.
Through a mouth full of sponge cake Owen says ‘Frank has several papers here from the Immigration department and what is more, he has Phil’s birth certificate.’
‘Have you Frank that is more than we have ever seen? Can I ask you what are your intentions regarding Phillip?’ Frank seems a little taken back by the direct question, putting him on the back foot.
‘Gloria, I have no predetermined plans for Phillip, I just want the best for him.’ Frank hesitates for a moment, ‘I would like whatever Phillip wants of course, that is, within reason.’
‘Hang on; you are all talking about me as though I’m not here.’ Why do bloody adults do that?
‘Calm down Phil, let us discuss this in an orderly fashion, without getting heated or aggressive.’
‘Well I’m sorry, whatever you decide about me or what I should be doing, if it’s not what I want then I won’t do it.’
‘Can I just say something, I haven’t come as an aggressor, I haven’t come to spoil the status quo, or to drag you away kicking and screaming, my interest is only you Phillip, and your welfare; please let me tell you how I come to be here?’
‘I think that is a very good idea Frank, then we can tell you our position.’
‘I’ll start at the beginning Gloria, Owen and you, Phillip, please listen; I left Phillip and Barbara my wife in May, nineteen forty, you were just coming up to five. The Royal Navy assigned me to HMS Repulse. After sailing halfway around the world, we ended up in Singapore as part of Z Force, with orders to intercept the Japanese invasion force, the out come was, the Japs found us.
On the tenth December nineteen forty one, Japanese planes sank the Repulse, and our sister ship, The Prince of Wales, with bombs and torpedoes. Five hundred of our crew and three hundred on the Wales died that day. I was one of the lucky ones who was rescued by HMS Electra, and taken to Singapore, where we were deployed to defend Singapore.’
Taking a sip of tea, Frank appears to be gathering his thoughts, ‘It didn’t quite work like that, we were over run so quickly, by the Japs, I missed most of the attack, with,
virtually, the first bomb taking out the transmitter of the radio I was operating. My co operator, Nick Castle, was on the night shift and was at home in Orchard Road, sleeping. I went to warn him, only to find him in the front garden, dead, he had been bayoneted, and his throat cut. In the house I found his wife, and their two year old daughter, had suffered the same fate. I broke down, didn’t know what to do, then Snow, who was the child’s nanny appeared, she took me to Mphoy her village in the hills, away from the Japs.
‘The bastards, killing a kid like that how could anyone do such a thing?’
‘Please Owen, let me finish.’
‘Sorry Frank carry on please do.’
‘I spent the next three and a half years harassing the Japs, with a group of Chinese partisans. We were never caught, terrible reprisals were carried out against the locals, but we were never betrayed.’ When the Japs surrendered I went to Changi prison in Singapore, where I met up with some of my mates from the Repulse. I was then put onto HMAS Sydney for rehabilitation. During my time there I learnt that my wife had died, and my son had been taken into care. When I found that Barbara had died, I got compassionate leave and went back to Mphoy. I brought Snow to Singapore, where we married in November nineteen forty six. I had no one in England except Phillip, but didn’t know where he was, so I accepted repatriation to Australia. We came to Sydney, where we now live.
With the help of The Returned Soldiers Association, and the British Legion I was able to trace Phillip, and find out, that through Barnardos, he had emigrated to Australia. The Immigration Department was able to give your address and here I am. I just wanted to see that you were being treated well, and it is obvious that you are. So now with my mind at rest Snow and I will return to Sydney.’
‘Well, not until Tuesday we hope, the bus only runs Monday to Saturday, Gambia to Coleraine one day, and then back the next. You could go tomorrow if you wish, but we would prefer, and I am sure Phil would want you to stay, what do you say?’
‘Are you sure, we wouldn’t want to be any trouble?’
‘Don’t be silly, it is no trouble, anyway, you will have to stay tonight unless you intend to do a Phillip, and walk.’ Frank looks enquiringly,
‘Phillip, will tell you all about it, over the weekend.’ Frank looks at Snow; she smiles, bows, her head and sings.
‘We would love to thank you. You are very kind’
‘The pleasure is all ours, you and Phillip have a lot of catching up to do.’
‘We certainly have, five years it seems like a lifetime. Phillip was a baby, now he is a young man even driving, for god’s sake.
If we had been together I honestly believe Phillip would not have become what he is now. I cannot offer him what he has here, or the potential future he has with you. I don’t want to lose my son again but, likewise, I do not want to take him away from you,---err look; sorry, I’m trying to find the right words; I want to be part of his life, I want to relish in his achievements and help with his problems. I want to be there for you Phillip, if you need me, but from a distance.
Snow and I have a life to build together; we have been given a new start. Snow is a young woman we could start our own family, who knows, --- sorry, I’m making a bloody mess of this.’
‘No, you’re not, we understand what you are saying, between now, and Tuesday everything will become as clear as a bell.’
‘I have a gut feeling you could be right Owen.’
‘I’ll drink to that, fancy a beer Frank, or something a little stronger?’
‘A beer will be fine, thanks Owen’
‘And you Snow, what would you like?’
‘Thank you, another cup of tea if you don’t mind.’
‘Come with me dear to the kitchen and leave these men to their beer, then I will show you where you will be sleeping’ Gloria steers snow to the kitchen ‘There must be so many---- the door closes.
‘Phil what about you, do you want a drink?’
‘No thanks Owen, I have to go, Hero will be waiting for his carrot.’
The End
The Author
Brian Francis, born in London, emigrated as a £10 Pom with his parents to Australia. He was educated at Yallourn Technical College and Horsham High School in Victoria. On leaving school he spent three years as a jackaroo on a sheep station in the Grampian area of Victoria.
In 1965 his lust for adventure resulted in he and his first wife embarking on a 14,000 mile, five month journey driving his 1200cc 1961 vintage Volkswagen beetle from Australia to London, via India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey and then through most of Europe. The account of that adventure AUS 2 GB will be available on Amazon Kindle at the end of 2012.
On his return to England Brian followed a career in the refrigeration industry achieving Branch Manager and Senior contracts manager for a major industrial refrigeration equipment manufacture, until taking early retirement to become a Continental tour coach Driver/Courier until finally retiring to Cyprus where he now lives with his wife enjoying the relaxed lifestyle and sunshine, and filling his time with his new venture writing.
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Table of Contents
Preface
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty Four
Chapter Twenty Five
Chapter Twenty Six
Chapter Twenty Seven
Barefoot and Lost Page 43
