Barefoot and Lost (36 page)

    
‘I think so too’

    
‘I’m going to make us a cup of
cocoa and you had better get on with that home work’

     ‘Th
at will be nice and no argument
Mrs. Bainbridge
,
I insist on doing the washing up’

     ‘Watch it you cheeky devil’

    
The Super has only been four times
,
staying just
half an hour on each occasion. I don’t know why he
bothers to come;
h
e never tells me anything about the investigation
.
When I ask him about
June
and Reg he says they are fine, missing me and counting the days to when I come home. I can’t un
derstand why, one night he could
just take me there, or allow them to come and see me,
or at least bring a note from them. A
fter all this place is only half an hour away from them, I feel like I’m being imprisoned for a crime I haven’t done. On his last visit, three days ago, I asked would I be going home soon, it is over two months he replied nearly there, just be patient.

     My chores have become everything to do with house work, making breakfast every morning, collecting the dinners each evening, sweeping, mopping, carrying out the rubbish, chopping the kindling wood for the fire, which is now lit every night and yes, that is my job too, bring in the coal and, of course the endless task of washing
up. I remember Gran saying
a women’s work is never done, I now know what she meant. The only room I do not clean is Mrs. B’s bedroom; what’s more I have never heard or seen her clean it, so goodness knows what state it is in. I have been tempted to sneak up and have a look, but so far have resisted the urge.

     Not only have I learnt a lesson in not to solve a problem with my fists, I also know what Cinderella must have felt like; it would have been easier running after Bateman. Mrs. B told me that most of the boys are sons of wealthy, army and navy officers. Bateman’s father is a General in the war office and his mum can’t be bothered with him, she is too busy entertaining. Therefore he only goes home for the summer, no wonder he is a bully it must be terrible
not to be loved, I feel sorry for him.

      Half term holiday was the worst time for me. Some of the boys went home at lunchtime on the twenty second of October, and came back on Sunday, the twenty eighth. The others stayed here but went out as a group for day visits, Mrs. B asked could I tag along, but was told it was too much of a risk, I might be seen, so I was left to entertain myself.    

     There were no lessons, I couldn’t go out and was still not allowed to mix with the boys that were still here. At the back of Mrs. B’s cottage there is a large garden, which opens out into a small wood, Mrs. B calls it a copse. I spent most of the days there; I found a tree with a low branch and was able to use it for pull ups. I also found a piece of electric cable which I use as a skipping rope. Everywhere I go, I run, well not quite everywhere. I can’t run when I’m carrying the dinners to the cottage, but most other times.

     Mrs. B spent a lot of the holiday during the day, up in her room I became so bored one day, I climbed over the fence with the intention of running away, but only a hundred yards from the fence there is a deep railway cutting. I couldn’t see any way of crossing it, so I walked until I came to a road. I was about to climb over the gate when I saw a parked car with two men standing beside it, I got scared and ran back to the cottage, they were probably just having a chat, but they could have been looking for me. 

     Mrs. B is okay, I just wish she liked housework a little more. She is a good chess player and certainly has improved my game. I wish I could meet
Peter
to try my skills against him
.
Monopoly is fun; we played one evening until eleven o clock, and then continued the next evening to about the same time. This went on for four evenings, it was real fun. I think Mrs. B became fed up, letting me win, but then, maybe she didn’t.

     My school work has really improved, algebra is not a mystery anymore, science is good, and we are mixing chemicals some stink, some go bang. The teacher is a Polish man,
Mr.
Kosciusko
, he told us he has a mountain in
Australia
named after him, but I think it may be the other way around. His English is a bit strange but, with only eight of us in the class, learning is easy and much more interesting. I’m not ignored and have to get involved.

     I
f asked to I
could almost recite the Tale of Two Cities; I have finished the Talisman but would like to read it again. I am going to ask Pop if I can keep it. Mrs. B brought from the school library, Canterbury Tales, it is interesting, but I find it hard reading, preferring to play Monopoly, sometimes by myself, when Mrs. B is working late.

    
Mr.
Plant
interrupts the passage he is reading to answer the door, after a few whispered words he closes it again and continues with his reading. The bell sounds for the end of le
ssons
. ‘Gentlemen, you may retire for the day; Snell, you are to report to the Principals office immediately.’

     ‘What for Sir?’

     ‘How would I know, just do it and don’t question everything you are asked, it can be very tedious.’

     On my
knock, Mr.
Saville
shouts, ‘Come in.’ Opening the door to his office I can see
Mr.
Saville
behind the desk, Mrs. B is sitting in front. ‘Ah Snell, come in, today is the salvation of all of us, after two and a half months you are eventually going home.’

     ‘When sir?’ A female voice answers from behind me,

     ‘How about now?’ I turn around to see
WPC
Maisy on impulse I rush to her and give her a hug and a kiss much to her embarrassment, ‘Hey steady on, I’m only the messenger save that for June.’     

    ‘I’m sorry, but I always wanted to kiss a copper, when can I go?’

    ‘As soon as you have your things
packed.’

    ‘Snell, follow Matron
home and collect your things.
I suggest you take all of your exercise book, so your new head teacher will see what level you have achieved, and there is no need for you to come back here to me. I cannot say it has been a pleasure to have you, if you had cooperated in the first pl
ace things could have been
different, but let us just say that we have both fulfilled an obligation and that is something to be thankful for, now, be on your way goodbye.’

     ‘Thank you sir, thanks for all you have done. Just one thing, I still think Bateman is a toffee nosed bully, goodbye sir.’

     ‘Goodbye Snell, I’ll give you one thing you have character and spunk, you will go far in life.’ A smile spreads across Mrs. B’s face. As we walk to the cottage, Maisy instructs the driver to follow. 

     With my hastily packed suitcase in the boot we stand at the front door, saying our goodbyes.

     ‘Come on
Phillip
, on your way; whatever am I going to do without my char boy and companion?’ With a thoughtful look, my index finger on my chin I say,

     ‘I know what you can do Matron, shout
Bateman
Schnell
, I bet he will come running.’       

     “Go on cheeky, get out of my sight; I will miss you I know, it has bee
n a pleasure to know you Phil
, I wish you every success in life, take care of yourself, good bye.’

     ‘Good bye
Mrs.
Bainbridge
I’ll miss you too, thanks for teaching me how to be a better chess player.’ She gives me a hug and quickly turns away I think she is a bit upset. I’m not, I can’t wait to get home, but I will miss her.

    
All the questions I
have asked about the trial have not been answered. All Maisy says is, I don’t know the full facts, you will have to wait until the Super tells you. The driver hasn’t said a word, not even to Maisy, it is almost as though they have had a row and are not speaking. I’m very excited two and a half months is a long time to be without fr
iends my own age and people who
love me, I can’t wait to get home.

     ‘How many went to prison, will the one that killed Lion be hanged?’
     ‘For Gods sake
Phil
, will you stop asking questions, you never bloody shut up, just wait until you see
Mr.
Langdon
.’ Maisy is clearly not happy so I’m doing as she asks, just looking out of the window. I’ve just realized this is the first time I have done this; I’m usually lying down on the back seat. At the clock tower we turn left into
Station Street
passing the police station on our right and Pop’s house on the left. As we turn into
Devonshire
road I can see
Supers car parked outside our house.

     The Super and Reg are seated at the kitchen table;
June
is in the scullery and turns as I open the door. With wet hands from washing she gives me a limp hug, not the usual bone crusher. ‘Welcome home
Phillip
.’ The Super rises from his chair, Reg stays seated, ‘Hello Phil are you okay?’ This is not the reception I was expecting, there are no tears, no beaming faces,
and it
is as though I have just been away at school for the day. 

I don’t understand, the only one that is showing emotion is Jet he looks happy but hasn’t bothered to get out of his basket.

     ‘Hello everybody; you don’t look very pleased to see me, I’ve been counting the days to this moment and you look so sad, what’s wrong?’

     ‘Nothing
Phillip
, it is just that
John
has been telling us about the trial and it has upset us a bit, that is all.’

     ‘I’m dying to know
what happened.
Did the one that killed Lion get sentenced to death?’

     ‘
June
, do you think you could make that cup of tea you promised earlier, and then I will go over it again for
Phil
’s benefit?’

     ‘Oh
John
, sorry about the tea, completely forgot.’
June
lifts the cups from the dresser and warms the pot.

     ‘Some ordeal you have had
Phil
, you could have made it easier on yourself if only you had attempted to fit in.’

     ‘Captain I’m sorry, but Bateman is a toffee nosed bully, he stood over me, with his foot on my chest and told me I must come running whenever he called. I wasn’t going to
be
bullied again. Last time you taught me to box, to protect myself. When it happens again you tell me I should accept it, I don’t know what to believe.’

    ‘Fagging is a tradition at that school, just like Harrow, you should---”

    ‘I wasn’t to know, nobody told me, and if they had I would have refused to go there, nobody should be bullied or be a slave.”

     ‘Okay, you have made your point, it is behind you, and no doubt a lesson has been learnt.’

     ‘Yes, don’t be bullied, and stick up for yourself. I’d do it again if I had to; anyway, it wasn’t that bad cleaning up after Mrs. B, at least she didn’t tell me she asked, that’s the difference.’

     ‘Would you like tea
Phillip
?’

     ‘Yes please.’
June
places a cup at one of the spare chairs and pours; I sit, feeling all hot and bothered after my outburst, Super takes a sip of his tea.

    
‘
We knew that there was a paedophile ring operating in the south of
England
. Saint Stephen’s, Saint Gabriel’s,
and
another called Saint Luke’s, in Bromley, were grooming young children to be prostitutes and rent boys. They were supported by a fictitious charity; the only subscribers were the clients of the ring. Once the kids became of school leaving age they were moved to a couple of hostels, in Soho, under the understanding they were going to be given work but, in reality these places were brothels where they were forced to work.

    Those who
refused were beaten or drugged, so they didn’t kno
w what they were doing, any who
tried to escape were subjected to horrific rituals and eventually killed. The disposal of bodies was not a problem because they were all passed off as bomb victims by the pathologist who was part of the organization.
Lionel
Bates
was different; there was no bombing so they seized on the opportunity of him being in the car and being gassed.