Two Strangers

by Beryl Matthews

  ‘If you’ll just stop talking, I will explain.’ Harry greeted Bob and Flo. ‘I’m glad you came. The boys have been asking when you were coming to visit again. Please get in the bus; I want to talk to you before we go to the school.’

  Once they were in, Harry took Vicki’s hand. ‘I didn’t want to put the news in a letter. We have a delicate situation and I want it handled as sensitively as possible. He’s a fine man and I don’t want anyone barging in with news he can’t handle.’

  ‘Oh, you’ve found him.’ Vicki’s eyes misted with tears. ‘But you’re frightening me, Harry. What’s wrong?’

  ‘It was Bill living in that cottage, and he’s at the school now, working as one of our teachers. He’s only been with us for a week, but the children like him. He’s perfect for the job, and I want to keep him if possible.’

  ‘That’s understandable, Harry,’ Bob told him, ‘but you haven’t told us what’s wrong with him.’

  ‘During the war he suffered a head injury, and our guess was correct: he has lost his memory. He told me he has brief flashes, but they’re gone almost at once. He’s using the name of William Dale.’

  Vicki gasped. ‘That’s the name of his parents’ house, and he has come back to the place where he spent his childhood. There must be a glimmer of memory there, Harry.’

  ‘That’s more by instinct than actual memory, I think, because he doesn’t appear to know anything about his life before or immediately after the injury. I asked him if he’d seen any doctors, and all he said was that he must have.’

  ‘So he doesn’t even remember what happened to him in France?’

  ‘I’m afraid not, Flo.’

  ‘But, Harry, I didn’t notice any injury when I met him.’

  ‘His hair has grown over the scar so only a little is showing.’

  ‘Poor man.’ Bob was shaking his head. ‘It must be torment not knowing who you are.’

  ‘I agree, but he’s a strong man, mentally and physically, and appears to have come to terms with his condition. He’s doing his best to make a normal life for himself, but my worry is that after all this time he might not want to know what happened to him. Now, apart from Edward and Pearl, we are the only ones who know about this.’

  ‘You haven’t told his parents or Peter yet?’ Vicki was astonished. ‘They have a right to know, Harry.’

  ‘I have written to Peter’s parents and they are on their way to stay with Charles, and I have managed to get Peter to wait a few days. I want you to meet him first, Vicki. You are the only one who isn’t connected to his past life, so I am asking you to talk to him about that and nothing else. Please don’t give any indication that you know anything about him.’

  ‘I promise not to say a word.’

  ‘Thank you, I knew you would understand. Then all I’ve got to do is persuade Peter to do the same. His parents are more difficult because I have no right to ask them to hide the fact that they are his family.’

  ‘How does he look?’ Vicki asked softly.

  Harry smiled. ‘Impressive. I could never understand how you could remember so clearly a man you had only met once. Now I know. I like him, Vicki, and I want to help him get his life back, if possible.’

  ‘Let’s hope it is possible.’

  Harry stood up and patted Vicki’s shoulder. ‘And let’s hope he hasn’t decided to go for a ride on his bicycle.’

  Vicki was tense all the way to the school. She had found both of her strangers – the two men who had reached out to help a scruffy, homeless girl. Without them, she wouldn’t be the person she was now.

  They pulled up outside the house, and immediately Dave and Alfie were there, jumping up and down, delighted to see them.

  Once the excited greetings were over, the boys dragged Bob away to join them in a game of football. Vicki turned to Harry. ‘Is he here?’

  He turned her to face away from the school. ‘See that man sitting on the fence? That’s Bill. I’ve seen him there a couple of times and he seems to like that spot. Go and talk to him, Vicki.’

  She removed the book from her bag, gave Pearl her handbag to look after, and then she walked towards the man on the fence. Her heart was racing. Would he recognize her after all this time?

  He hadn’t heard her footsteps on the soft ground, and she was right beside him before he turned and looked at her. She smiled. ‘Hello, Bill. It’s good to see you again.’

  Jumping off the fence, he looked down at her and frowned.

  ‘I don’t suppose you recognize me, but I’m Vicki, the girl you helped to get into that old wash-house.’ She held out the book. ‘You kindly lent this to me, and I’d like to return it now. It has helped me very much.’

  He continued to stare at her for a few more heartbeats, and then he nodded. ‘You are right, I wouldn’t have recognized you. You have done well for yourself.’

  She smiled again, but he wasn’t making any attempt to take the book from her. He was still frowning.

  ‘How did you know I was here?’

  ‘Harry is a friend of the people who took me in, and we come down here often to see Dave and Alfie. I recognized you when we arrived.’

  ‘You must have very good eyesight,’ he remarked, not looking convinced.

  ‘I would know you anywhere, Bill,’ she said softly. Something wasn’t right. This wasn’t going the way she had always imagined it would. ‘You are engraved on my memory. I had a terrible time, and if it hadn’t been for two strangers, I don’t think I would be alive now.’

  ‘Tell me about it.’

  She began from the moment she had met him, to her life now, only leaving out the search for him.

  ‘You have had a rough time and deserve to be happy.’

  ‘I am happy. Bob and Flo treat me like a daughter, and they love me. It was a lucky day when I walked into the barber’s shop looking for work.’

  ‘I would say you’ve had more luck than that.’ Bill gazed thoughtfully into the distance. ‘The school is on Sir Charles Denton’s land, and now you’ve found me here. Rather a coincidence, isn’t it?’

  Alarm shot through her at the tone of his voice. He was suspicious. ‘Coincidences do happen, and I have so longed to be able to thank both of you. Now, against all the odds, I am able to do that. Please allow me to return your book with my gratitude for your kindness to a girl who had experienced little of that in her life. I will always remember that.’

  Tears filled her eyes as she turned away. He wasn’t pleased about seeing her, only suspicious, and it tore her apart.

  ‘Wait!’

  She stopped but didn’t turn round. ‘Don’t worry, Bill, I won’t come here again. You needn’t leave. Harry needs you.’

  ‘You can’t expect me to believe this meeting is a coincidence. Don’t take me for a fool!’ He swore under his breath when she didn’t turn to face him. ‘Do you know who I am?’

  On hearing that demand, she did turn. ‘You are not the man I remember, so I do not know you.’

  Tears were running silently down her face when she reached the others. ‘I am going home now,’ she told Bob and Flo.

  ‘Oh, my dear.’ Flo put her arm around her. ‘What has happened?’

  ‘I’ll tell you later. Harry, it’s up to you now. He wasn’t happy to see me, and he’s suspicious. If I stay, you might lose him, and I know you don’t want that to happen.’

  ‘You are not leaving! Pearl, make Vicki a nice strong cup of tea while I deal with Bill. No one upsets our girl like this. She has cherished his memory all this time and I will not let him get away with this!’

  Alarmed, Vicki caught Harry’s arm. ‘Please leave it. He’s got the chance to make a life for himself here. That mustn’t be taken away from him.’

  ‘I’m sorry. If he’s suspicious, then I have no choice but to tell him the truth. If he’s the man I think he is, then he’ll cope with it. Now, dry your eyes, Vicki; here are the boys. Dave and Alfie won’t understand if you leave without spending some time with them.’
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  ‘All right, I’ll stay.’ She quickly wiped her face clean of tears. ‘Please be careful, Harry.’

  Harry watched her walk away with Pearl and the boys, and then said to Edward, ‘I thought it would be a joyous reunion, but it appears that Bill is more troubled than appears on the surface. I didn’t want to do it this way, but it’s unavoidable now.’

  ‘Do you want me to come with you?’

  ‘No, thanks, Edward. This is my mess and I must deal with it.’

  When Harry reached Bill, he was again perched on the fence and staring at the book in his hands. ‘That’s a first edition and quite a valuable book.’

  Bill turned his head, and Harry was shocked at the anguish showing in his green eyes. He continued talking. ‘When Vicki walked into the barber’s shop, she was so thin she could hardly stand. She was starving, and much later when she showed me that book I asked her why she hadn’t sold it for food. She told me she couldn’t do that because it belonged to you, and one day she would return it to you. Even her desperate need for food would not make her part with it, and she has kept it safe and cherished for this day. You threw her gratitude back in her face, Bill. That was cruel, and I don’t think you are a cruel man. How can I help you?’

  Bill ran a finger over the crest. ‘Does this belong to my family?’

  ‘No, but you can find out for yourself. All the reference books you need are in the library. I’m not going to make this easy for you. You have family and friends who have grieved for you, believing you were killed in the war. You need to start jogging your memory, but you have to want to remember. Do you want to, Bill?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘I thought that might be the case, but I can’t keep the people who love you away for much longer. You can run again, of course, so no one can find you, and I promise we will not search for you again. But if your memory should return one day, we will help you through it, for I suspect it won’t be easy. Whatever happened to you has been locked away, and only you can turn the key.’

  Bill glared at Harry. ‘At this moment I wish I had never met you. Did you employ me out of pity, like one of your damaged children?’

  ‘This school is too important for me to do such a foolish thing. I employed you because you are an excellent teacher, and the kind of man we desperately need. This is where you belong. Don’t turn your back on us, and we will stand by you whatever you face in the future.’

  ‘I’ve done with running.’

  ‘Good, I’m relieved to hear that. We are here for you, and that includes Vicki. She’s distressed and told me she wouldn’t come here again because she doesn’t want to upset you. Her concern is that you have the chance to make a good life for yourself here, and she is afraid you will leave if she is around. This school is here because of her and the boys. Dave and Alfie love her, and so do we. If, for some reason, seeing her troubles you, then keep out of her way, because she will be here quite often.’

  ‘She told me this meeting was a coincidence and she didn’t know I was here. I found that hard to believe.’

  ‘Vicki didn’t know you were working for me until I told her at the station, but she knew I was going to see if you were a teacher at the junior school. It is my fault she wasn’t more open with you. I told her not to say anything.’

  ‘Then I owe her an apology for being so sharp with her.’

  ‘That would be appreciated. She is very upset.’ Harry started to walk away, but then stopped when Bill called him.

  ‘Harry. Thank you for being frank with me. You are right. I have been drifting, part of me wanting my memory to return, and part of me hoping it never would.’

  ‘And now?’ Harry asked, turning.

  ‘Now I want to know – need to know.’

  ‘Good. Then start with the book. We did, and it eventually led us to you.’

  Bill nodded. ‘Will you at least tell me what my name is?’

  ‘Captain Henry William Manton.’

  When Harry reached Edward, he asked, ‘What have you told him?’

  ‘His name, and not much more. It’s no good telling him everything because that probably won’t bring his memory back. His family and friends will still be strangers to him. I’ve told him to start by researching the crest on the book, like we did, and there’s a chance that might jog his memory.’

  ‘There’s also the possibility he will never remember. We don’t know how serious that head injury was.’

  ‘Only time will tell how this is going to work out.’

  ‘Ah, but have we got time, Harry? Is he going to stay with us?’

  ‘I believe I’ve convinced him this is where he belongs, and we’ll give him all the help and support he needs. He won’t disappear.’

  ‘I hope you’re right!’

  Twenty-Seven

  The pony pushed Vicki gently, asking for another carrot, and she rubbed his nose. She found being with the animal soothing. If she hadn’t made that promise to Harry and told Bill the truth, would he have been more pleased to see her? Putting her arms around the pony’s neck, she told him, ‘I looked for him for a long time, and he didn’t want to see me again. I thought he would be pleased to know I had studied the book and it had helped me, not only with my speech, but also through those terrible months when I was starving and desperate. He didn’t even notice my improved speech. I upset him, when all I’ve ever wanted to do was help him. It’s hard when you care about someone to be turned away like that. I think I must be a very silly girl, little pony, to imagine he might have cared what had happened to me.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Vicki. Harry has spoken to me and I’m ashamed to have been so rude to you. You don’t deserve to be treated like that.’

  She spun round at the sound of Bill’s voice. ‘Harry said it could distress you if we told you too much, too quickly, about your past.’

  ‘He said I should try to discover details about my past for myself. I don’t even know what kind of a person I am, or how I’ve lived my life.’

  ‘You have been described to us as a fine man by the people who love you. You are greatly missed, Bill.’

  ‘Then I must follow Harry’s advice and show some of the courage you did when you faced a frightening situation. I’m feeling utterly lost at the moment.’

  ‘I expect you are, but everyone here wants to help you, including me. You are not alone, Bill.’

  ‘Thank you; that is comforting. Now, will you forgive? I apologize for being so suspicious. I really am very pleased to see you. The little girl I met is growing into a beautiful woman – and you are far from silly. The pony didn’t believe that, and neither do I.’

  Relief flooded through her. Now he sounded like the man she had met before. ‘There is nothing to forgive. You had every reason to be suspicious. It was too much to ask that you believed our meeting was merely chance.’

  A wry smile appeared. ‘You frightened me.’

  She stopped stroking the pony’s nose, astonished. ‘Me? I couldn’t frighten anyone!’

  ‘When you said you had found the two men who helped you, I knew our meeting wasn’t chance. You must have found out who I really was, and I was afraid you were going to blurt out everything you knew. I don’t think I could have handled that.’

  ‘I wouldn’t have done that. Harry said it would probably shock you and it would be better if you found out gradually. I wouldn’t do anything to cause you distress. I am happy and have a good life, due to you and Charles. I want the same for both of you as well.’

  ‘I did very little for you. What you have now has come about by your own courage and determination.’

  ‘I don’t see it that way. I held on to your words during those dreadful months and studied the precious book you had given me. All the time, I remembered your voice, how you spoke, and tried to do the same. I believe it helped to keep me alive when I could so easily have given up.’

  Sadness showed in his face. ‘I should never have walked away from you.’

  She shook her hea
d. ‘You did what you had to do, and so did I.’

  ‘Ah, but the difference was you knew what you were doing, and why. I didn’t.’

  ‘Well, that’s all over now. We have both found our right place.’ She hesitated a moment. ‘You didn’t come to this area by chance, Bill. You belong here.’

  He let out a slow breath. ‘So somewhere in my mind I knew I had to come here.’

  ‘And your choice of name wasn’t random, either. If you start jogging your memory, as Harry suggested, there’s a chance you will remember some, if not all, of your life before you were injured.’

  When he looked as if he was going to ask more questions, she held up her hand to stop him. ‘We can’t give you your life back by telling you things you don’t remember. Only you can fill in that blank page, Bill.’

  ‘It’s hard, but I know you are right, and it has given me hope for the future at last.’

  ‘I’m glad.’ She studied the tall man in front of her and saw there was still a troubled look in his eyes. ‘When I finally told Bob and Flo that I was really a girl, I was terrified they would throw me out, but they didn’t. Do you know what happened?’

  Bill shook his head.

  ‘Flo hugged me. No one had ever done that to me before and it was such a comfort. I am relieved to have found you again, so would you mind if I gave you a hug?’

  He held out his arms and she stepped forward. He rested his chin on the top of her head, and they stood there, both giving and receiving comfort from each other. Just two people who had suffered, albeit in different ways, but they understood, and that made a bond between them.

  ‘Get away from my Vicki!’ A furious child’s voice broke through the silence.

  ‘Ouch!’ Bill stepped away from Vicki and began fending off Alfie who was thumping him with the silver topped head of the cane.

  ‘Get away! Get away! You won’t hurt my Vicki!’

  ‘Alfie,’ she shouted. ‘Bill wasn’t hurting me. We are friends and pleased to see each other again.’