Barefoot and Lost (28 page)

      ‘I’ll tell him when I get back tonight.’ We are at school already; I feel like I want to kiss her again but can’t bring myself to do it. ‘Try not to worry, at least with that woman gone, she is not likely to get abused again; bye, see you tonight.’            

      ‘Thanks
Phil
, see you then.’

     Dickfire is standing beside his desk, as I walk into the room he holds out his hand, ‘I believe you have something for me.’

     ‘Yes Sir.’ I hand him my lines. ‘The equation is on the back of the last page Sir.’ He places them on the desk and continues greeting each boy by name. When everyone is seated he looks about the room with a stern look, this is our signal to be quiet. ‘
Phil
, I see you have the correct answer pray tell how did you arrive at it?’

     ‘I just worked it out Sir.’

     ‘Did you now well explain how you worked it out?’

     ‘Well, I had to find out what X was Sir.’

     ‘Stop there,’ low down on the board he writes the equation.  

     ‘Come out here and explain to the class how you did it.’

     ‘What on the board Sir.’

     ‘Of course not, on the ceiling it will be easier to reach. Don’t be stupid, get up
here,
and explain how you did it.’ I can feel my ears going red; some of the boys start to giggle as I make my way to the blackboard.

     ‘I just took sixteen away from thirty that was fourteen, that’s how I did it, Sir.’

     ‘So you were paying attention after all.’

     ‘No Sir, I asked someone to explain it to me last night.’

     ‘Thank you
Phil
, for being honest you may return to your desk.’

I find myself
now
hanging onto every syllable he speaks there is no way I am going to go through that again.

    
The driver of the van brakes suddenly as he turns into St S’s gates. ‘Good God what is going on here?’ His shout makes me look up, stopping in mid sentence, I can’t believe it the drive is full of vehicles, there are three coaches, four police vans, two police cars and a couple of other big cars.
Brian
shouts, ‘Christ, they’ve raided the place.’ Our driver starts to move the van forward, but he is stopped by a constable. ‘Hold it there mate someone will come on board and speak to the kids, just hang on a minute.’

     I can see a group of staff standing together; they all are dressed as though they are going home.
Marjorie
is standing next to
Anne
, this time making a ten. The old lady that made a mess of my jacket is standing with her head bowed down, looking very worried, I recognize the lady that serves our meals and the two young women that clear tables.
Mr.
Simmons
is standing behind the group, with one leg on the first step as though he is about to go up but has been stopped by the policeman, who appears to be guarding the front door. He stands aside to let three constable, carrying cardboard boxes go past to another policeman, who appears to be guarding the van. He opens the rear doors to allow them to place the boxes inside, the van looks almost full.

     We are all gawking each with our own thoughts about what is happening but I think that is about to end as I can see a policewomen, and a very well dressed lady
approaching our van. The lady is wearing a blue suit, perched on the side of her head is a small hat that looks like a soldiers forage cap. Our driver gets from his seat and opens the door.

    The lady in blue steps inside, dislodging her hat as she does, managing to catch it before it hits the ground. ‘Good afternoon Children my name is
Kathleen
Tucker, I am the welfare officer for Tonbridge.’ one or two murmur hello.

     ‘What’s going on miss is it a raid?’

     ‘Sorry- what is your name?’

     ‘
Brian
Miss
.’

     ‘Well Brian, I cannot go into details but what I can tell you is that, from this moment, Saint Stephens and Saint Gabriel’s are closed, as part of a police investigation, you are all being moved to alternative accommodation-

     ‘Where are we going Miss?’ 

     ‘I’ll come to that; this is what you are to do; now listen carefully. Those of you that live here are to take with you your school things and place them on the seats of coach ‘A’ you will see which one, it has a letter A in the windscreen. You are then to go to your dormitory and pack all
your things,
clothes, everything that is yours, and nothing that belongs to the house, you will find that your suitcases are already on your beds.

    When you have packed you will then come back to your coach, where the driver will load them. You are responsible to see that your case goes onto the coach. When you are satisfied get on the coach, all this will be done under the supervision of a police constable who has been instructed to tolerate no messing about, this has to be done in an orderly fashion.

     This lady constable will go
in this van with those who
live at Saint Gabriel’s, to supervise. When you get there the same procedure will take place you will return here and get onto coach ‘A’ along with the others.

     Now to answer that question you are all going to Dr Barnardos Village Home at Bramble Side that will be your new home.

     ‘But why Miss, why do we have to leave here?’
asks the girl sitting in front of
Enid
.

    
‘As I said, it is a police investigation I am unable to tell you more; come on, get a move on we are wasting time, be back as quick as you can.’

     ‘I’d better go, see you on the coach.’
     ‘
Okay
Phil
can
you save me a seat?
Won’t it be great, we will be living in the same house?
’

     A sergeant leads us, in crocodile file, to the back of the house and up the rear stairs, my suitcase is on my bed, inside is
Ted
all safe, and sound. I have so little to pack I only take a minute. I remove Lions bed from the loose floorboard and scoop up what is in there, I then remember The Talisman; I make a dash to the library but only get as far as the constable guarding the door, ‘Whoa, where do you think you’re going in such a rush?’

     ‘I’m only going to the library to get my book.’

     ‘Sorry son, it will have to stay there nothing is to be removed from the building.’

     ‘But I’m halfway through it, I--.’ He cuts me off,

     ‘No buts son, it stays where it is.’

     At the foot of the stairs, as we file down, I can see
John
Langdon
talking to
Mr.
Simmons
. As I get alongside the Captain he takes hold of my shoulder, ‘Wait here with me
Phillip
, I have something to say to you.’ Then, turning back to
Mr.
Simmons
, he says ‘Thanks for all your help
Bill
, you’ve done a grand job, it must have been difficult at times.

     ‘A little Super, you just have to stay focused’

     ‘I will be in touch, give me a few days, we can then set up that meeting; do you have a problem in getting to
Hastings
?’

     ‘No
John
I have my own car; how will you contact me?’

     ‘Through your normal channel, or failing that, a telegram, don’t, worry leave, that to me.

     ‘Now young man, how are you?’

     ‘I’m okay thank you Captain, just wish I knew what was happening.’

     ‘Whilst I’m wearing this uniform you had better call me Superintendent, I can’t tell you anymore than you already know, this is part of an investigatio
n into child abuse. You are not
going with the other kids to Barnardos. Because you are my chief witness, you are going somewhere where I can keep an eye on you, that is all you need to know so be a good lad and wait inside the dining room until the coach has left.’

     ‘But I want to say goodbye to my friends, where am I going, are you putting me in jail?’

     ‘My, what a vivid imagination you have, no, you are being fostered to someone
June
and
Reg
Milligan
have arranged. But it is most important you stay out of sight now, you will be able to contact your friends later.’

     ‘Where am I going?’

     ‘Please
Phil
, I don’t have time right now, I do not know the details just wait until you get there, I’m sure it will be fine.’ A policewoman walks in through the door, and says ‘The car is ready Sir.’

     ‘Thank you constable,
Phil
, this is your transport go with this officer, take your case, she will take you to your new foster home, I will see you in a couple of days. Now be a good lad and ask no more questions.’

     The policewomen picks up my suitcase and I follow her outsi
de to where a black Wolsley
police car is waiting, behind the wheel is a uniformed policeman wearing a peaked cap. The WPC puts my case in the boot, opens the
rear
passenger
door, ‘Get in
Phillip; I want you to lay down on the back seat
until we get off the premises,
so you can’t be seen, I’ll tell you when you can sit up, it is most important, please cooperate.’

     The crunch of the gravel stops, there’s a slight bump as we hit the pothole in the gateway, the car turns left towards Tonbridge, but, when we come to the main road, instead of turning right, the car turns left. ‘
Phillip
you can sit up now.’ Looking out of the window I do not recognize anywhere.

     ‘Where are we going?’

     ‘Sorry son can’t say, the Super said its hush, hush we are to keep it secret until we get there, even the WPC doesn’t know, do you Maisy?’

     ‘No
Jack
, haven’t got a clue.’ Gran told me once that it was easy to get around England because all the roads and towns had signs but, during the war, they were all removed to confuse the Germans if they invaded, well I’m confused now.

     ‘Where are we now, are we nearly there?’

     ‘It will take about an hour, so sit back, and enjoy the ride. We are just passing
Scotney
Castle
, over there on the left; you can just see the roof through the trees.’

     ‘
Phillip
, how long have you been at
Saint
Stephens
?’

     ‘Not long Miss since my Gran died in July, I came here the last day of July.’

     ‘Not long at all, w
hat, about six weeks?’
     ‘Yeah
, but it seems a lot longer.’

     ‘Did you like it?’
     ‘No I hated it, but I made some very good friends, I will miss them. The Superintendent said I was being fostered, I’m not sure I want to; I won’t know anyone and will have to start all over again. It’s just not fair, it’s not my fault that my entire family are dead, I sometimes wish I was dead too.’

     ‘I’m sure you don’t, look upon it as something new and then
you can judge whether you like
it, you never know, it could end up being the best place in the whole world.’

     ‘Yeah
, maybe, where are we now?’

     ‘Saint Johns Cross, we’re about halfway.’ I feel a bit sleepy and am having trouble keeping my eyes open,
I mustn’t go to sleep
,
Lion did that
,
and
he
died
. Have they kidnapped me, are they going
to get rid of me
,
are these really police officers
. T
he super said
,
wait until
after
the coach
leaves, but we left before,
where are they taking me
,
why won’t they tell where
?

     I wake with a start as the car comes to a stop. We are behind a motorbike at a set of traffic lights, they look familiar, yes, ahead of me is Alexandra Park
,
it still hasn’t got any gates, we’re in Hastings. The motorbike moves off very slowly, I think he knows he has a police car behind him. We follow him along Queens road until we turn up South Terrace, I know we are going to June’s, I want to shout but can’t I have a lump in my throat, I think I am going to cry.

     We pull up outside number twelve,
June
is standing in the doorway, Mr. M is looking over her shoulder, and both have huge smiles. As I clamber out
June
attempts to scoop me off my feet, both of us falling to the ground where we sit and hug, my tears have stopped. I can’t stop laughing. The WPC hands a paper to Mr. M which he signs, she tears off the bottom piece, and hands it to him, they then shakes hands. ‘All yours Sir look after him.’

     ‘We will certainly do that, thank you officer.’ With a wave they drive away.

     Mr
M helps
June
up, I scramble to my feet, he hugs me,
and he
has never done that before.

     ‘Where are your things
Phillip
?’ I look around me

     ‘They forgot to leave my suitcase.’

     ‘I’ll telephone the police station- no need, here they come.’
PC
Jack
pulls the car over to the kerb on the wrong side; WPC Maisy leaps out and opens the boot,
PC
Jack
winds down his window, 

     ‘Sorry, forget me head if it wasn’t screwed on.’
June
lifts my suitcase,

     ‘It’s very light
Phillip
, are you sure you packed everything?’

     ‘I don’t have much; the only thing I left behind was that horrible blazer.’

     ‘Thank God for that, it made you look like Dracula.’

     ‘That’s unfair
June
, he couldn’t have looked that bad.’