Least Said (40 page)

There
was
just
time
for
him
to
utter
the
familiar
phrase,
‘Are
we
nearly
there
yet?’
 
before
Jon
was
pulling
into
the
Brankstone
Railway
Station
car
park.

Travelling
by
train
wasn’t
something
we
ever
did,
just
because
it
was
easier
to
take
the
car
and
load
the
boot
with
everything
we
might
need
for
a
small
child,
so
it
wasn’t
surprising
that
Will
looked
puzzled
and
asked,
‘Where
are
we?
Why
are
we
stopping
here?’

Jon
went
off
to
get
a
car
park
ticket
and
I
leaned
into
the
back
of
the
car
to
un-strap
William
from
his
booster
seat.
Then
I
took
one
of
his
hands
and
Jon
took
the
other,
saying,
‘Come
and
see.’

There
was
no
train
pulling
into
or
out
of
the
station
to
give
the
game
away,
so
it
wasn’t
until
Will
spotted
the
actual
railway
lines
that
he
finally
realised
where
he
was.

‘Are
we
going
on
a
train
?’
he
said,
in
the
awed
tone
of
voice
that
might
have
been
reserved
for
the
promise
of
a
ride
out
in
the
Queen
of
England’s
golden
coach.
Though,
come
to
think
of
it,
a
train
was
probably
the
better
option
for
a
six
year
old
boy.

‘We
are
indeed,
Will,’
Jon
told
him,
‘and
we’re
going
all
the
way
to
London
on
it.’

‘Wow,’
his
eyes
were
huge
and
his
child’s
face
the
picture
of
joy
at
the
treat
in
store,
and
it
made
me
wonder
why
on
earth
we
hadn’t
thought
to
do
something
like
this
with
him
before.

‘We
have
a
little
bit
of
time
before
the
train
is
due,
Will,’
Jon
told
him,
‘how
would
you
like
to
come
to
the
shop
and
choose
a
comic,
just
in
case
you
get
bored?
It
is
quite
a
long
journey.’

William
looked
at
him
as
if
he
was
mad.
Obviously
the
very
thought
that
he
might
get
bored
on
a
train
journey
would
never
have
occurred
to
him.
However,
he
allowed
himself
to
be
persuaded
into
the
little
shop-come-cafe
to
peruse
the
shelf
of
comics,
though
he
did
it
in
a
desultory
fashion
and
not
with
the
enthusiasm
he
would
normally
greet
a
selection
of
his
favourite
reading
material
–
especially
when
it
came
with
an
offer
to
pick
any
one
he
wanted.

The
magazine
I’d
chosen
went
unread
as
I
spent
the
whole
journey
enjoying
Will’s
absolute
pleasure
in
everything
about
travelling
by
train,
from
the
passengers
and
their
chosen
pastimes
inside
the
carriage,
to
anything
and
everything
going
on
outside.

He
found
it
fascinating
that
people
were
actually
working
on
their
laptops
on a train
,
though
he
didn’t
think
reading.
whether
from
an
actual
book
or
an
e-reading
device, was
all
that
exciting.

The
refreshments’
trolley
when
it
came
round
was
another
cause
for
wonder
and,
because
there
was
so
much
to
consider,
he
took
an
awfully
long
time
making
his
own
choices,
to
the
amusement
of
the
other
passengers
and
the
barely
concealed
impatience
of
the
vendor.

Jon
and
I
softened
our
stance
regarding
healthy
eating
for
Will,
just
for
the
one
day,
but
half
a
packet
of
crisps
and
a
few
sips
of
a
fizzy
drink
later,
both
were
discarded
and
he
was
back
to
his
window
seat
watching
the
world,
literally,
go
by
from
a
different
perspective.

‘Look,
horses,’
he
exclaimed
shrilly
as
the
train
cut
a
swath
through
the
New
Forest,
and
when
the
old
lady
sitting
opposite
laughed,
I
explained,
‘We
don’t
see
many
horses
in
Brankstone.’

‘How
lovely
to
see
things
through
the
eyes
of
a
child,’
she
smiled.
‘We
get
far
too
blasé
about
everything
when
we
get
older.
And
do
you
know
where
this
train
is
going,
young
man?’
she
asked
Will.

He
turned
to
her,
his
eyes
shining.
‘Oh,
yes,’
he
told
her
happily,
‘we’re
going
all
the
way
to
London
.’

‘And
do
you
like
London?’

‘I
love
it.’
Will
clasped
his
hands
and
positively
beamed
at
the
lady.
‘Tina,
Calum
and
Leanne
live
there
and
there
is
a
huge
toy
shop
with
more
toys
than
anywhere
else
in
the
world.’