Barefoot and Lost (15 page)

     ‘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 y
ou 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 with 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.
Tha
nks 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.’