Stand by Me

by Judi Curtin

  ‘Jeanie is blind now. She is going to spend the rest of her life in an institution. NOW GO AWAY OR I WILL HAVE MY HUSBAND CALL THE POLICE.’

  ‘Oh, no!’ I said. ‘We’re too late. Graham told us about this. It’s Jeanie’s mum blaming him for the accident.’

  ‘Poor Graham,’ said Beth. ‘I get that she’s worried about her kid and everything, but she still sounds like a crazy woman.’

  We watched as Graham backed away from the door, and picked up his bike.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said. ‘I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to … I’m sorry.’

  But he was wasting his breath. Jeanie’s mum had already slammed the door.

  Beth and I watched as Graham slowly cycled away.

  ‘Quick,’ she said. ‘We’ve got to follow him and tell him it’s OK. We’ve got to tell him it’s not his fault. If he talks to us now – or then – or whenever, maybe he’ll get over it quicker. Maybe it won’t ruin his life. Maybe he’ll …’

  ‘So these two weird-looking randomers are going to hug him and tell him everything’s going to be all right – and then everything will be all right?’

  ‘Have you got a better idea?’

  ‘Sure I have,’ I said. ‘A much better one.’

  * * *

  ‘Wasn’t Mrs Gallagher scary enough for you?’ said Beth, as we stood at the front door of Orchard House. ‘Remind me again why we’re taking on another crazy woman – it’s like deliberately walking into a lion’s den. Are you sure this is a good plan, Molly?’

  ‘Of course I’m sure,’ I said. (Now that we were actually there, I wasn’t sure of anything any more – but I didn’t want Beth knowing that.) ‘If we talk to Jeanie’s mum, and explain that none of this was really Graham’s fault – maybe she’ll let them get together when Jeanie gets out of hospital. Maybe Graham and Jeanie won’t have to spend the rest of their lives apart.’

  ‘But you said we can’t change the past.’

  ‘Well … I think we can’t – but I’m not really sure. Anyway, we won’t really be changing the past – we’ll just be tweaking it a little bit.’

  ‘You’re right,’ said Beth, as she reached up and pressed the bell. ‘We have to try.’

  A few seconds later we could hear the clickety-clack sound of high heels on tiles, and then the door opened. Beth and I took a step backwards – Jeanie’s mum was tall and skinny and totally scary-looking. And then I noticed her red eyes and couldn’t help feeling a little bit sorry for her. My mum went kind of crazy the time I broke my arm – and going blind had to be a million times worse than that.

  ‘Hello,’ said Jeanie’s mum. ‘Can I help you?’

  ‘Er – we’re friends of Jeanie’s – from school,’ said Beth.

  ‘I’m Molly, and this is Beth,’ I said, giving her my best smile.

  Jeanie’s mum stared at us coldly. (I guess my best smile wasn’t good enough for her.) ‘I haven’t heard Jeanie mention your names before,’ she said.

  ‘Oh, that’s because … we’ve only been friendly for a little while,’ said Beth. ‘But we’re really good friends now.’

  ‘Jeanie isn’t here,’ said her mother, reaching up to close the door.

  ‘Oh, we know,’ I said. ‘We heard about her terrible accident – and we just wanted to see how she’s doing.’

  ‘And we heard about her not being able to see, and …’ said Beth.

  Jeanie’s mum interrupted her. ‘She told you about her blindness?’

  ‘Well, no,’ I said. ‘How could she? We haven’t been to the hospital. We haven’t even seen her since…..’

  Beth nudged me and I stopped talking. If Jeanie hadn’t told us about being blind, how were we supposed to know? This woman didn’t look like she’d believe that we’d travelled all the way from the 21st century with the news.

  Then Jeanie’s mum gave a big sigh. ‘Maybe you’d better come in,’ she said.

  Beth and I looked at each other. This sooo wasn’t part of our plan – but if it was the only way to help Graham …

  Chapter Twelve

  ‘You may call me Mrs Cottrell-Herbert,’ she said as she led us into a very fancy living-room. I wondered what my friends’ parents would say if I started calling them Mr and Mrs, but then I had to cover my mouth to stop myself laughing out loud when Beth did a mock-curtsey behind her back

  We sat down on big flowery couches and about five seconds after Mrs Cottrell-Herbert rang the bell, the housekeeper came in.

  ‘Tea for three please, Barbara,’ said Mrs Cottrell-Herbert, and I felt like I’d wandered into Downton Abbey by accident.

  The housekeeper went off, and Mrs Cottrell-Herbert stared at us for a minute. The only sounds were the ticking of a clock, and the faraway buzzing of an old-fashioned lawnmower. I felt like it was a competition to see who would crack first.

  I sat on my hands so Mrs CH wouldn’t see that they were shaking. Next to me, Beth was staring at a vase of dried flowers, like they were the most interesting things she’d ever seen. Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more, Mrs CH started to talk.

  ‘Jeanie has struggled to accept her condition,’ she said.

  ‘Well you can’t blame her for that,’ said Beth. ‘It’s only been a couple of … ouch!’ Beth stopped talking when I kicked her. The two of us had too many secrets, so I figured we’d do better by letting Mrs CH talk. Anyway, now that Mrs CH had started, she didn’t seem to notice Beth’s interruption – it was almost like she’d forgotten that we were even there.

  ‘Jeanie has had plenty of time to get used to the idea of being blind,’ said Mrs CH. ‘It is unfortunate that she cannot accept her new situation.’

  Now I felt really, really sorry for poor Jeanie. As far as I could figure, it was only a few days after her accident, and her mother expected her to be ‘over it’ already, like being blind wasn’t really a big deal at all.

  Just then the housekeeper came with the tea, and there was lots of faffing about with china cups and saucers and tea strainers and linen napkins that were so stiff I wondered if they’d be able to stand up on their own.

  ‘So where was I?’ asked Mrs CH when the housekeeper finally left.

  ‘Er, you were telling us about Jeanie’s … blindness,’ said Beth. ‘But, Molly and I … we … well we wanted to talk to you about Graham.’

  Mrs CH stared at me like I was an idiot. ‘Graham? That boy who’s been hanging around here during the holidays? Why on earth do you two girls want to talk about him? Do your parents need him to help in your gardens? He’s a little rough around the edges, but he seems honest enough.’

  ‘No,’ I said quickly, wondering what Graham would say if he could hear this conversation. ‘We don’t want to give him a job. We want to talk about him and Jeanie. We thought maybe you were blaming him for Jeanie’s blindness – and that so wouldn’t be fair. Graham’s really––’

  Now Mrs CH actually laughed – but it was a cold laugh, like what she was laughing at wasn’t the slightest bit funny.

  ‘That’s perfectly ridiculous,’ she said. ‘How on earth could Jeanie’s blindness have anything to do with Graham?’

  ‘Exactly!’ I said, feeling relieved. Who knew this would be so easy? ‘That’s what Beth and I think too. Graham would never, ever do anything to hurt Jeanie.’

  ‘I know they were together when Jeanie fell,’ said Mrs CH. ‘But that’s not Graham’s fault. Jeanie has always been wild and wilful. She has always been perfectly well able to get into trouble – and no boy could save her from herself.’

  ‘But you were angry with Graham,’ I said, hoping Mrs CH wouldn’t wonder how I knew that.

  ‘Perhaps that was unfair of me,’ said Mrs CH. ‘He caught me at a bad moment.’

  ‘So maybe when Jeanie comes home from school for the holidays, Graham could come and see her?’ said Beth.

  ‘Absolutely not!’ said Mrs CH.

  ‘But you said––’ I began.

  ‘And Graham’s so nice––’ began B
eth.

  ‘Graham might well be nice,’ said Mrs CH. ‘A bit scruffy and common, but I’m sure he’s a perfectly decent boy. I have to say he was always rather polite – for a town boy. And his father is a reliable hard-working man – once you get past the rough accent.’

  ‘So why can’t Graham––?’ I began.

  ‘Don’t you understand, you silly girls?’ said Mrs CH. ‘Graham was never a suitable friend for a girl like Jeanie, but now … well now that is no longer an issue.’

  ‘How do you mean?’ asked Beth.

  ‘Jeanie’s life is different now. She can’t be friends with you or Graham or anyone else from … before.’

  ‘But that’s––’

  Mrs CH interrupted me again. ‘Jeanie is handicapped,’ she said. ‘She will spend the rest of her life in a home – being with normal people will be too upsetting for her.

  ‘But Graham would never, ever do anything to upset Jeanie,’ I said. ‘He’s a total sweetheart.’

  ‘Sweetheart!’ said Mrs CH. ‘Show some respect! I would prefer if you would speak like a young lady rather than some … vulgar American film star.’

  ‘Er, sorry,’ I said, even though I wasn’t sorry at all. What’s wrong with calling someone a sweetheart?

  ‘In any case,’ said Mrs CH. ‘There is no room in Jeanie’s life for “sweethearts”. Spending time with that boy will only make her feel her loss more deeply – the loss of the life she used to dream of.’

  Now I couldn’t stop myself. ‘So you’re just going to keep them apart, and lock Jeanie up in an institution?’

  ‘Jeanie’s doctors have given us no choice,’ said Mrs CH. ‘She will never see again, and it is cruel to expect her to survive in the outside world. In the end, we all have to face up to the hard truth.’

  ‘But an institution? That sound so …’

  ‘It is a private school – the best place in the country,’ said Mrs CH. ‘There, Jeanie will meet people like herself. She will learn useful skills like basket-weaving and crochet.’

  I thought of the wild, carefree girl that Graham had described. I tried to imagine her locked up in a darkened room, making stupid baskets that she’d never even be able to see.

  ‘That’s so not fair,’ I said.

  ‘Jeanie can still have a wonderful life,’ said Beth. ‘Blind people can run and cycle and ski. They can do all kinds of amazing things.’

  ‘Haven’t you ever heard of the Paralympics?’ I asked, wondering if there was such a thing in 1960.

  ‘You’re talking nonsense,’ said Mrs CH. ‘And I won’t have it.’

  ‘Jeanie’s just blind,’ I whispered. ‘She’s not dead. Please don’t lock her away from the world.’

  ‘It’s cruel,’ said Beth. ‘If you love Jeanie, you won’t do this.’

  Now Mrs CH stood up. Her voice was icy. ‘I think I will be the best judge of what’s good for my daughter. This little chat is over. Good-bye.’

  * * *

  ‘Back so soon?’ As usual, Rico didn’t seem surprised to see us. I was beginning to wonder if anything could surprise that man. One day maybe Beth and I could trail back from the past dragging half the ancient Roman army, and a few Egyptian pharaohs behind us. Wonder what he’d have to say then?

  ‘Thanks for letting us use your back door,’ said Beth.

  ‘My pleasure,’ said Rico. ‘Call back anytime – it’s always delightful to see you.’

  I so couldn’t say the same about him, so I just gave him a fake smile and followed Beth out into the fresh air.

  ‘OMG!’ said Beth, as we walked down the alleyway. ‘Just OMG!’

  I knew what she meant. After travelling backwards and forwards in time, I felt like I’d been on the scariest roller-coaster ever. It was going to take a few minutes for my insides to stop spinning around in crazy circles.

  We sat down on a bench and for a minute neither of us said anything.

  ‘Poor Jeanie,’ said Beth after a bit. ‘I wish we could have changed the past. I wish we could have saved her from going blind.’

  ‘Me too – and her mum is so horrible – imagine expecting Jeanie to be used to the idea of not being able to see after just a week or two?’

  ‘Yeah, surely that would take years and years?’

  ‘I guess. It’s good to know that Jeanie’s parents didn’t blame Graham but, in the end, that doesn’t change anything really, does it? They’re still going to lock poor Jeanie away – and they’re not going to let Graham see her either.’

  ‘We could tell Graham what we’ve found out, though. We could tell him that Jeanie’s parents didn’t blame him for the accident. When he hears that he can get on with the rest of his life without feeling guilty any more.’

  ‘But that means we’ll have to tell him about Rico, and the time-travelling and everything,’ I said. ‘I thought we were going to keep that a secret. We can’t tell our friends because one of them is bound to talk about it at some stage. And we can’t tell grown-ups because they’ll get all stressed out about danger, and they’ll have Rico’s shop shut down on health and safety grounds.’

  ‘Graham’s not like the other grown-ups,’ said Beth.

  ‘That’s so true, but …’

  ‘I think Graham might be the only person in the whole world who we could trust with this secret.’

  Suddenly I knew she was right. ‘I agree,’ I said. ‘Let’s tell him.’

  ‘Do you think he’ll believe us?’

  ‘There’s only one way to find out.’

  Chapter Thirteen

  ‘So if Jeanie’s parents didn’t blame you for causing Jeanie’s blindness, then Jeanie wouldn’t have blamed you either. No one thinks it was your fault, Graham.’

  ‘Beth’s right,’ I said. ‘We went all the way back to 1960 so you won’t have to feel guilty any more.’

  It was half an hour later, and Beth and I were sitting on deckchairs in Graham’s back garden.

  ‘That’s a charming story,’ said Graham. ‘And it’s very sweet of you two girls to try to make me feel better. I’m lucky to have two lovely friends like you.’

  ‘But it’s not just a story,’ I said. ‘It’s real. Rico is real and so is his shop.’

  ‘We really went back to 1960,’ said Beth. ‘We saw Jeanie’s mum. We spoke to her.’

  ‘We even saw you,’ I said. ‘And you were so adorable – all skinny and shy and trying to be brave.’

  Graham laughed. ‘You girls have such vivid imaginations – it must be because you read so much. Now who’d like to—?’

  I jumped up so quickly my deckchair toppled over. ‘We’re not making this up!’ I said.

  ‘You’re never going to believe us, are you?’ said Beth.

  Graham smiled. ‘I like to think I am open to ideas, but time-travel – well it’s a wonderful idea, but it has to be impossible.’

  Now Beth jumped up too. ‘My dad always says that seeing is believing.’

  ‘And?’ said Graham.

  ‘So how would you like to come on a little journey with us? A little journey back to the 1960s?’

  Whoa! This was moving way too fast for me.

  Was Beth really suggesting that we bring Graham back in time?

  That so wasn’t part of the plan.

  But Graham was already folding up the deckchairs and locking the back door.

  ‘You’re actually going to come with us?’ I said.

  ‘Your enthusiasm is infectious,’ said Graham. ‘And since I have no plans for the afternoon …’

  ‘OMG!’ said Beth. ‘This is so amazing. Do you actually believe us now?’

  ‘I’m not quite sure I believe you,’ he said. ‘In fact, I have to tell you I’m struggling with the whole idea. But the world can be a funny old place – and I’m always up for an adventure. If you say you can take me back to 1960, it would be rude of me not to let you try. Now let’s go before I change my mind.’

  ‘Coming back to the past with us is great and everything, Graham,’ I sa
id. ‘But what exactly do you think is going to happen when we get there?’

  ‘Let’s get there before we start to make plans,’ he said. I knew then that he didn’t really believe us. He was just going along with us so he wouldn’t hurt our feelings. Graham might be the most fun grown up we knew – but he was still a grown up.

  But Beth wasn’t giving up. ‘What would you like to happen when we get there, Graham? Do you want to meet Jeanie’s mum, so she can tell you that she never blamed you for what happened to Jeanie?’

  He thought for a minute. ‘If this time-travel thing actually works …’

  ‘It does work,’ said Beth.

  ‘Well in that case, I have no desire to meet Jeanie’s mum again. I’ve seen more than enough of her for one lifetime.’

  ‘So what do you want?’ asked Beth.

  At first he didn’t answer, and then all the words came out in a rush. ‘In my wildest dreams – if there’s any tiny possibility of going back to the time before the accident – if there’s any possibility of seeing Jeanie herself – seeing her the way I remember her – that would be marvellous – oh how I would love to spend one single day with my dear old friend – the two of us roaming the fields the way we used to do. The two of us could laugh and joke and be so very, very happy.’

  He smiled at us, and for a second, I didn’t see his grey hair and wrinkles any more – all I could see was the sweet hopeful boy he had once been.

  * * *

  ‘Er … hi again, Rico,’ said Beth. ‘This is our friend, Graham, and we were wondering if we could …?’

  Rico waved towards the curtain at the back of the shop. ‘Everyone with an open mind is welcome,’ he said.

  ‘My mind is permanently open,’ said Graham. ‘But before we go, I wonder if you could explain…….’

  ‘Explanations tend to muddy the waters,’ said Rico. ‘Just go. Experience. Have a nice time.’

  ‘Hold my hand, Graham,’ said Beth, as he followed us through the dark curtain. ‘We really don’t want to lose you back here.’

  ‘Maybe you two can tell me how this works?’ said Graham. He sounded hopeful, like he really, really wanted it to work.