Ultimate Justice (9 page)

Soon the leaders were demonstrating and then holding the children while they tried the strokes. It was interesting for Kakko, Shaun and Bandi to watch because in this place it appeared they all began learning on their backs.

The kids were definitely nervous, but all of them brave. Some of them were noisy, some quiet, some out-going, some shy – but they were all brave.
I guess they have to be to survive without parents,
thought Kakko. Her mother had taken her to the swimming baths for as long as she could remember. She couldn't really recall learning to swim any more than she could remember learning to walk. But this was probably the first time these children had even tried it. They made good progress for a first lesson and Kloa congratulated them all.

Then she led them all off to the shade of some trees that overhung the beach. They dressed and put large quantities of sun-oil on their faces and exposed skin. This was a game in itself.

The day concluded with a nature tour of the island with Kloa and the others finding interesting shells, leaves and flowers. They even saw the nest of a ground-nesting bird with little chicks in it. They left it carefully covered up. Needless to say, they didn't see any goof-adders.

***

“Time to go, I think,” called Kloa eventually.

“Oh. My binoculars! I left them in the house,” said Adnak. “I meant to go back there but I never got a chance. I'll go and get them.”

He charged up towards the house while the kids filed onto the boat. Within minutes he was back.

“I need help,” he yelled to the crewmen. “There's a man in there who's hurt. Get the first aid kit… and a stretcher.”

The crewmen, Shaun and a couple of the leaders arrived at the house to see a man laying twisted on a heap of broken wood, unconscious. He had clearly come through the ceiling. There were bits of it everywhere.

“Looks like he's broken his leg,” said Shaun. “And he's definitely hit his head. This is bad… what was he doing here?”

“Paparazzi,” said Adnak, picking up a camera with a very long lens. “They follow us all the time. That's why we come here to this island. They can't take pictures from out at sea so easily with the beach tucked away in the inlet.”

“How'd he get here and how long has he been here?” asked Shaun.

“No idea. But I don't think this happened too long ago,” said Adnak. “There was no sign of him earlier in the day and there were no fresh footsteps up the stairs then. Look, the barricade has been removed. It was there when we arrived.”

“I'm reluctant to move him, but we can't leave him here,” said a crewman. He carefully felt the man's neck and back. “Seems to be alright. But his legs are both broken and I don't like the look of that head wound… OK. We have to get him onto his back. Shaun, that's your name isn't it?” Shaun nodded. “You hold his head and neck. Try and keep everything straight. Adnak you take that right leg. Careful where it's broken.”

Between them they eventually, and very carefully, got the man onto his back on the stretcher and his two legs bound together with a splint padded with their clothes. The crewmen set off carrying him gently to the boat. Shaun and Adnak stayed to check if there was anything else apart from the camera that might belong to the man.

“Probably upstairs,” said Shaun.

“Well if there is, it can stay there,” said Adnak. “I'm not going up there.”

“No point,” agreed Shaun. “If you hadn't left your binoculars that man could have died here. He's a lucky man.”

“He is. I expect he was due to be picked up by his mates, but he would certainly have laid there some time before they came to look for him.”

As they followed the stretcher down the path, Adnak said to Shaun, “You know what? Today's been great. He,” looking at the man on the stretcher, “he wanted to get pictures of us half naked on the beach and put them in the local rag with some suggestive headline saying we are spoilt rich brats.”

“Hope he didn't get any pictures like that – I mean us teaching the kids to swim. I wonder what he got?”

“Guess he went up the stairs to get a better view.”

When they got back to the boat they checked the camera, which was remarkably undamaged. The last pictures were of the football match. They decided to leave it as it was. Thankfully the man hadn't witnessed the swimming lessons.

As the cruiser came into the harbour, Mr Pero, Jalli and Jack walked up to greet them. They were concerned to see an ambulance beside the quay and quickly ascertained that the captain must have radioed to say they were bringing in a casualty.

Jalli was relieved to see Kakko helping to hold back the children as a stretcher was carried off the boat and was put into the ambulance.

“I see Kakko,” she whispered to Jack, “and Shaun, and Bandi.” They breathed sighs of relief. It wasn't their children, then. But who was it? Then Kloa came over the gangway and the children started to file across. The first ones bounded up to Mr Pero, vying to be the first to tell him the news.

“A papzi,” said Fran, “a man with a big camera. He didn't keep the first rule and went up the stairs.”

“He didn't keep the second either. I saw him. He was got by a goof-adder,” contributed a second child.

“And he didn't come for the picnic when the boat went…” said a third taking a breath and giving not a bad impression of the ship's horn.

“But none of
us
broke any of the rules!” said another.

“That's good,” said Mr Pero. “I'm glad to hear it.”

“And we learnt to play football. And Adnak saved the boys.”

“He jumped a long way and stopped the ball. Kakko had hit it very hard.”

“And then we went swimming. Shaun showed me how to float… when can we go again, Mr Pero?”

“Oh. I don't know. That's up to Mr Zookas. Perhaps if you all write him a nice thank you letter…”

“Oh we will.”

“How did Adnak save the boys?” asked Jalli of one of the leaders.

“At football. He was… what did Shaun call him?”

“Goalkeeper?” suggested Jack.

“Yes. That's it. He jumped right over and landed on his side but his hand stopped the ball. He was very quick.”

“So he didn't go off anywhere?”

“Only when we all did at the beginning, to look around,” said Jeno. “But he wasn't allowed upstairs in the house and had to keep on the paths like the rest of us.”

“Then he came when the boat went hoot and we had our picnic,” added another.

“He kept all the rules,” confirmed Fran. “We all did except the papzi man. But he wasn't there to hear Kloa tell us them.”

“How did he get there?” asked Jalli.

“I expect he was dropped off round the back of the island to spy on us,” replied Adnak. “He could have clearly read the first rule. The stairs were properly barred with a danger warning.”

“But we kept all the rules and none of
us
got hurt,” explained a little girl dying to contribute to the conversation.

“That's good. That's very good,” said Jalli.

“Are you Kakko's mum?” asked Jess.

“Yes.”

“She's very good at telling stories. She told us all about Gollocks and how she got to stay with the three furry people in the wood for ever.”

“Oh. You mean bears?”

“Yes. There was Daddy Bear,” said a little girl in a low voice, “and Mummy Bear…”

“And Baby Bear!” squeaked the little girl.

“Well, you have all had a wonderful time it seems. And now Kloa,” said Mr Pero, “I think the house-mother and her team have got something cooking. So perhaps it's time to walk back to the centre.”

They all walked back together.

“You had a good time?” asked Jalli of her daughter.

“Brilliant, Mum. And you?”

“I am pleased… Oh, we've had a quiet time visiting Mr Zookas in his great big villa and then had lunch at Paradise House.” Jalli was cross with herself for allowing herself to doubt her daughter. She resolved to be less doubting in future. The teenage girl in Paradise House was right: coming from a loving home makes a difference.

Jack read his wife's thoughts, “I bet she behaves twice as grown-up when we aren't around. Away from us, our daughter is an adult…”

“I know, but she doesn't behave like that sometimes,” sighed Jalli.

“Mostly at home where she has always been the child.”

“I guess that's it. Perhaps we ought to trust her a bit more than we do.”

***

That evening Mr Pero entertained them in his restaurant. It was good, he said, to sit with them and not have to concern himself with what was happening in the kitchen – but, of course, he did. But at the end of the meal he was satisfied. He had ordered the best for his guests and the kitchen had delivered. Of course he knew the panic that must have entered the hearts of the staff having to cook him, their greatest critic, the most complicated dish.

“By the way,” said Mr Pero, “apparently, that photographer is expected to make a full recovery. I got a message from his family. They are very grateful to you all for saving his life.”

“Let's hope he learned his lesson about spying,” said Jalli.

“Doubt it. But he might have learned that you should obey the rules of the leader if you want to be safe. I don't think he has much of a sense of moral values.”

“You never know,” said Jack. “People change don't they? Look at Zookas. And now his children are being heroes for the Paradise children.”

“True, you never do know the extent of change that is possible.”

At the end of the meal Jalli called the waiter and said, “Our compliments to the chef.”

“And mine,” Pero added. The waiter beamed.

Then Mr Pero took his leave of them.

“It may be another twenty years,” said Jack with a sigh.

“In that case I will most probably be in another dimension,” replied Mr Pero. “Go well and have fun!”

“We will. We have learnt so much from you. But don't count on us not coming back. We never know.”

***

The following morning the ‘sun' shone just as brightly.

Kakko picked up the local newspaper. Their trip did not appear on the scandal page, but the front page. The headline ran, ‘EX STREET KIDS GIVEN TREAT' which was followed by, ‘Zookas' family and friends take Paradise Centre children for a picnic and swimming lessons.' The picture was of them all crowding round Adnak. There were other pictures but none of the later events of course.

Jack and Jalli resolved to get back to Woodglade as soon as they had eaten their breakfast.

“Do we have to go straight away?” complained Kakko. “Can't we go to the beach one more time before we leave?”

“We – ell,” said Jalli, “we mustn't leave Grandma and Nan much longer.”

“Oh, please,” begged Shaun.

Jack put his hand on Jalli's. “Alright,” said Jalli, “but we must not be late.”

The sun was shining, the sea was inviting, and Kakko was ready to turn heads in her bright, brief swim-wear. Jack and Jalli settled under a palm tree on white plastic chairs and drank in the hot, spicy air that reminded them of the first time they had come.

“Last time we came I would have thought sitting in the shade very tame,” observed Jalli.

“The idea of sitting never occurred to me,” smiled Jack. “So what do you think of the Paradise Centre?”

“It reminds me of Wanulka, we had street children of sorts there. We don't know we're born, living on Joh.”

“Today – this whole experience of coming here – has been a real eye-opener for the kids.”

“Perhaps that's why we had to come.”

“One of the reasons,” agreed Jack. “It struck me just how much we are used as blessings for one another. You know, when people who really care get together they can strengthen and encourage the giving in each other.”

For the second time in a few days, Kakko went home wet. At first, she had changed out of her bikini which she left in the sun to dry, but could not resist going for a last paddle, when, for some inexplicable reason, she got completely re-immersed. Her only option was to wear the evening dress (which she said was a totally naff idea) or put the bikini back on and cover herself with a towel. Jalli remembered that when she had got back to Wanulka twenty-plus years ago, she had worn her bikini too under her clothes, and had even scattered sand in the living room at home, so she said nothing. It would be good to get back and see her grandma and Matilda again. They might even have some of her grandmother's beans for tea.

***

Meanwhile up on the headland Zookas was congratulating his children. “This, son, is the best thing you've ever done,” he said to his second born. “Keep it up.”

“I intend to,” said Adnak. “We've all volunteered to help them at the Paradise Centre. They're starting up football and they want us to help them get going. Kakko and Shaun have told us all the rules and how big a football pitch is meant to be. So, Dad, all we need is a bit of flat land to play it on. Can we use that field by the river where the animals are?”

“I can't see why not.”

“We'll have to move the animals and mow the grass.”

“Oh. Is that all?”

“Not quite,” said his sister as keen as her brother. “Kakko has explained that the people in each team need different colour uniforms. She calls it a ‘strip'. Can we buy shirts and shorts for them?”

“Why not?” said her father. “But that's it. No more!” But Zookas thought to himself,
If this helps my children become better and more respected citizens then it is not only Pero and his kids that will benefit.
Zookas was happy.

And Adnak, reflecting on the past unexpected and unplanned day, felt happy too.