by Peter Martin
‘Well, isn’t this nice,’ she said. ‘If someone had told me a few months ago that I’d be sitting here together with my son and his family, I would never have believed them. Garry, I admire you for accepting what your adoptive mother said, and for your sheer persistence in searching for the truth. You deserve everything you’ve got. I only hope I can live up to your expectations.’
Garry beamed. ‘Well if I answer truthfully I don’t really have any expectations for you to live up to, Lena. When I started on this journey soon after mum died, I found it hard to believe she wasn’t my real mum. But eventually the facts all pointed to some sort of mystery and I just couldn’t let it go. Although I must admit I never dreamed we’d end up in a place like this, sitting here chatting with one of the most famous movie stars in the world.’
Lena laughed at this. ‘Being famous and having lots of money isn’t all it’s made out to be. You can’t buy happiness. And remember underneath it all I’m the same as anyone else, with the same feelings, worries, desires and needs as the next person. Having money allows your life to be more comfortable, but that’s all.’
‘Yes, I realise that. Up until mum died there were times when we found it hard to make ends meet.’ He looked towards Delia and continued, ‘But of course that has now changed. We’re not wealthy of course but I like to think we’re comfortably off.’
Still smiling Lena said, ‘I made sure your mum and dad were well looked after, in the form of the shares I gave them before they left. And as there is no record of them being sold, I imagine they are now in your possession.’
Garry nodded. ‘We did wonder where they’d come from, and now we know.’
‘Right then, I expect you’d like to ask me a few questions?’
‘Yes I do but I haven’t a clue where to start. I need to find out what happened to bring about the adoption. And while everybody here has seen at least one of your films, that doesn’t tell us anything about the real you.’
‘Ok, fire away – I have nothing to hide, truly I haven’t. There have been far too may secrets in this family… and I fear it’s my fault. So any of you, ask what you like. How about you, Delia, there must be lots of things you’d like to know? Come on now, don’t be shy – I’m not an ogre.’
Delia smiled, momentarily dumbstruck, but Adam was the first to speak up.
‘I think I’ve seen you in films. Nan and grandad took me once; first, we went to McDonalds and then we went to the cinema. On my birthday,’ Lena smiled and seemed about to reply when Adam said, ‘We all had a beef burger and a tub of chips. It was great.’
Everyone was amused by Adam’s comments. And it looked as if Lena could see the funny side too when she said, ‘Tell me, which of my films have you seen?’
‘Weren’t you a witch once?’ Adam enthused.
‘Quite right, I most certainly was. The film is called The Witch’s Broomstick. I adored making that film because I liked the idea of putting spells on lots of people, and riding on my broomstick was fun.’
‘Did you really ride on a broomstick?’ Adam’s eyes widened in surprise.
‘To tell you the truth Adam, although it looked like I was riding on a broomstick, they did it with a lot of trick photography.’
‘Wow, I wonder how they managed to make it look so real?’
‘Listen, everything you see in films is always make-believe, but they do lots of special things to make it look real. I have a few photographs, taken while I was filming The Witch’s Broomstick. If you want, I’ll show them to you in the morning,’ Lena offered persuasively.
‘Wow, Mum, am I allowed?’
‘There’s no reason why not, darling,’ Cassie said.
‘Yes!’ Adam punched his fist into the air, which made everyone laugh.
‘Lena, how about telling us why all the secrecy about where we are?’ Delia asked.
‘Delia, everyone – there isn’t really any secrecy, we are on an island, about the size of the Isle of Man, two hundred miles from Hawaii. There would be no point in telling you where exactly it is because the Pacific Ocean is so big it would be meaningless. So you are about two thousand five hundred miles off the west coast of the United States. But what I will say is I have to maintain my privacy, and the privacy of the other residents here too. We’re pretty isolated out here, but the island does contain a fair number of other celebrities. There’s a whole host of stars and their families living here. It’d be like reading you a Who’s Who of Hollywood if I told you who owns a house on the island.’
‘Really?’ Adam’s ears seemed to prick up again.
‘Certainly, and lots of them visit me here quite often.’
‘Have you ever had, Dean Small, or perhaps even Jason Sinclair visit you?’ Cassie asked.
Then Lena said, her eyes lighting up. ‘They’ve both stayed here over the past year. Diane Upton too came a few weeks ago, with her new boyfriend. Stick around – you never know who might turn up next.’
‘And how long have you lived here?’ Delia asked.
‘Approximately ten years. We were filming here, a movie called Savage, about a lost tribe of Indians. You may recall it. Actually, it was one of my least successful films, but as soon as I set foot on this island I fell in love with the place. The scenery is spectacular – it’s like a little paradise all out on its own. And to develop the area was just a case of me and a few friends getting the money together. It didn’t take much persuasion; once my friends had seen the island, they jumped at the chance to help. It’s a beautiful place,’ she looked at them to agree, and carried on, ‘And it’s away from the media spotlight.’
‘Must have cost a fortune to develop,’ Garry surmised. ‘I mean from scratch; at the outset.’
‘Yes, I know what you mean. Of course, it did - money well spent. We hired a top architect, and contractor, but it was still a mammoth task. About a year in the planning and then another four years before it was finally finished as you see it now. And of course we’re always adding more to it. I’ll happily retire here one day but I’m glad to say that’s not going to happen for a while yet. My film commitments won’t allow me to. Luckily, everyone still wants me, from directors, producers and fellow actors – and then there’s my fans. I’ll never let any of them down.’
‘Are you making a film now?’ Tom asked.
‘Certainly – in fact, I’ve just finished one – it’s about a woman, whose daughter gets murdered. And it deals with how she and her family cope with it. It’s quite dramatic and is set to be released for the cinema in six months’ time. But now that’s over, I’m not sure what I’ll do next. I do have several offers to consider and a few other projects in the pipeline. One or two of them seem promising.’ She stopped and addressing Garry said, ‘When I found out you were looking for me, I put them on hold for a few weeks, because I want to get acquainted with you and your troop.
‘I don’t mind admitting I’ve made a lot of money, seen the world, met lots of glamorous people – but I’ve always known there was something missing from my life - a family of my own. It’s what I’ve craved for, ever since I let you go. But now you’re all here my life’s complete, I couldn’t be happier,’ There were tears in her eyes.
Garry was warming to her already, despite his earlier misgivings about his adoption and his feeling of being forsaken. And he genuinely hoped the others were growing to like her too.
‘When mum died, a few weeks after I’d been made redundant; my world caved in. And to top that when she told me I was adopted, it really knocked me for six. It came as such a shock, and to be honest, I couldn’t believe it. I thought she was rambling because she was dying.’ He paused for a second, then carried on, ‘But when I thought back to my childhood, a number of things just didn’t make sense. Firstly, I could only recall one family event, a funeral, and other than that I don’t remember ever seeing any relations on either side of the family. Although I had heard of a few relatives’ names, and in fact we, me and Deel,’ he nodded in his wife’s direction
, ‘Managed to visit an uncle on my dad’s side of the family and what he told us seemed odd. After the will was read it all pointed to the fact that my parents’ past must have been very shady; well not exactly shady but mysterious. So I’d like you to answer as honestly as possible what your side of the story is and perhaps shed some light on the mystery. In short, I need to understand.’
‘I know you do, and I’ll do my best to tell you all I can – it’s the least I can do.’ she said taking in a deep breath. ‘Firstly I must admit that I’m ashamed of the whole episode. But please remember I was very young at the time, just fourteen years of age. You were the result of one stupid mistake, two kids trying to find out about the world before their time – the hard way. I was frightened to tell my folks because my singing career had started to take off, and I couldn’t jeopardise that. By the time they did find out it was too late, and abortion at that time was illegal, and besides I’d started to love you very much, and got the silly notion I could look after you myself. How wrong I was. For three years I struggled, but it was impossible from the start. The only mystery to me is how I managed to hold onto you for that long. I’m embarrassed to say even at the time, at such a young age, I knew I didn’t treat you as well as I should have, and consequently you took the brunt of my frustration.
‘We’d gone on holiday to Montriga to get away from all the pressure I was under. There was an incident on the beach. You, me, and dad were playing with a ball on the sands; I’d been in a mood all day, the tide was coming in slowly and I stupidly kicked the ball hard, sending it out into the sea. When dad shouted at me, I stormed off in a strop and he ran after me. I don’t think for one minute either of us thought you’d go into the sea, but you did. I’d already tried to take my life on one occasion whilst we were still in England and I think that’s why dad was more concerned about me than you. Anyway, when we got back to the beach you’d disappeared, and frantically I asked a number of people if they’d seen a little boy running around on his own. It transpired that a guy had saved a young lad’s life by pulling him out of the sea. And the lad had been taken to hospital by an older couple who’d called an ambulance.
‘We rushed to the hospital to find those two people sitting on your bed with you – Mr and Mrs Flynn,’ she nodded as if to give her story credence and continued. ‘We could see how taken you were with them, and they you.
‘After introducing ourselves to them we swapped contact details because Mr and Mrs Flynn asked if they might be allowed to visit you at a later date.’ She paused here as if looking into the past. ‘Talking to them, it emerged that they were childless and had lost a baby of their own. Well, unbeknownst to me an idea began to form in dad’s head.
‘He gathered the Flynn’s had been desperate for a child and guessed they’d consider adoption. So he approached them and in a roundabout way asked if they would like to play a part in bringing you up mentioning a possible adoption.
‘At first, I think they had their doubts - you know thinking there was a catch in it. But eventually as dad was wont to do, he convinced them the offer was genuine. Explaining that I was young and I couldn’t cope. In the end, Mrs Flynn made the decision. I suppose she was still in an emotional state having lost a child before.
‘Dad explained to them that certain conditions had to be adhered to; he made them sign a declaration agreeing never to divulge the details of the adoption to anyone. And so on Mr and Mrs Flynn’s return to England, you travelled with them as their son. My father, as resourceful as ever, provided the relevant documents, etc. and also arranged for a sort of trust fund in the form of shares, that could be used should Mr and Mrs Flynn become short of money for whatever reason. Of which I believe you are now aware?’ Garry mouthed a silent ‘yes’ and she continued. ‘The rest is history, until your mother, bless her little heart, decided in her wisdom to break that agreement, although I suppose she wanted everything out in the open. I imagine that was when you got the bit between your teeth and wouldn’t let go.’
‘You know, it only came to light about the shares when mum died, but that reminds me. When we were on our travels trying to unravel the past we met a guy by the name of Marvin Whittle who, from his actions, must have known something. Have you come across him?’ Garry asked.
‘All I can say is he thought he’d stumbled across the truth, he’s a reporter or was a reporter. Anyway, dad convinced him to keep quiet. Thankfully money is a good persuader.’
Garry thought back to the house Marvin lived in, he’d known at the time a reporter on a local newspaper wouldn’t afford a home of that calibre. Then he moved on to another question, ‘And what about Isaac Simpson, he must fit into the story somewhere?’
Lena’s eyes filled with tears, and pulling herself together said, ‘Yes, he’s the man who saved your life, he rescued you from the sea.’
‘And I suppose he too was silenced with money?’
Lena nodded.
‘So altogether this whole business cost you a tidy penny?’ Garry shook his head. ‘Why was it so important to get me out of your life and wipe the slate clean?’
Such a harsh question had Lena’s eyes brimming with tears again, and shaking her head in denial, she whispered, ‘It wasn’t like that Garry, I truly loved you… but dad was the real driving force, and totally took over.’ She stopped to dry her eyes. ‘I’m not trying to excuse myself in any way, but I do feel it was out of my hands in the end.’
‘I see. Maybe mum telling me about the adoption was a blessing in disguise. Although I do wonder what my real father had to say about this, and what happened to him.’
‘Yes – just think, unwittingly Mrs Flynn brought us back together again. Perhaps it was a kind of dying wish. Let’s hope we never have to be parted again. On the question of your father, I hardly knew the boy; he was a one night stand I met at a dance. After that, I never saw him again, and to be honest, I didn’t want to. Some years later, however, my father saw an article in a local newspaper about members of the armed forces who had lost their lives in Vietnam – he was one of them, poor thing.’
‘That’s a shame. What was his name?’
‘Tony. But enough of him, he didn’t care about me, now did he? So why should I feel sorry for him? Let’s talk about us, my family. Now I’ve met you, I’d love you to stay here for as long as possible. I have a hunch we’re going to get on so well, and before long, maybe you’ll want to stay here forever,’ Lena laughed nervously.
‘I don’t think that’s possible, Lena,’ Delia cut in. ‘Don’t forget we have our own lives to live, jobs to go back to, and Adam has school – that’s life, isn’t it?’
Lena smiled. ‘But my dear Delia, there’s an answer to every little problem if you care to look. Really, there’s no need for you to work again if you don’t want to. Imagine how great that would be? Seriously, I’d love you all to stay here at my expense, and if it would help I could even arrange for Adam to have a private tutor.’
‘That’s very generous of you, Lena,’ Cassie said. ‘We couldn’t let you do that – it would cost you a small fortune. Besides, as I see it, it’s much too early to make such plans – we’ve only just met.’
‘Darlings, no need to worry about that. I have more money than I know what to do with, and if I can’t spend it on you, then what’s the point?’
Cassie smiled nervously.
Plainly, Lena thought, money would enable her to do whatever she wanted. Maybe she was right about a lot of things, Garry thought, and he’d often heard the phrase ‘money talks’, but he doubted the people in this room would be willing to change just to suit her.
‘Anyway, we can discuss this later. In the meantime, why don’t we all have another drink and enjoy the sun setting? It’s quite spectacular in these parts.’
As the night drew in Lena suggested, ‘Now, if you’re not too tired, and Adam is allowed, you might like to go along to the Cinema Room, to watch one of my films. I have the complete set, right back to my very first picture, which was ma
de more years ago than I care to remember, right up to my latest. So if there’s a specific film you’d like to watch Adam, just shout up and I’ll see what I can do for you.’
‘How about the ‘Bob Cat Movie’ – didn’t you narrate that cartoon, Lena?’ Tom suggested on his nephew’s behalf.
She nodded, grinning.
‘Or Hometown Girl, that comedy you starred in with Tom Law,’ Cassie said.
‘What about Adam? What do you think?’ Lena asked him.
‘I don’t know,’ the little lad said shyly, knowing it was past his bedtime.
‘It doesn’t matter – we’ll vote on it later, but we’ll give you the casting vote, eh Adam, so long as your mum and dad don’t mind you staying up just this once.’
‘Can I, Mum?’ Adam asked eagerly.
‘I suppose so, seeing as we’re on holiday – that’s unless you’re tired and want to go to bed?’ His mother teased.
Adam shook his head vigorously, the frown on his face indicating he didn’t find his mother’s joke amusing, but when she ruffled up his hair playfully he was all smiles.
‘Good, so that’s settled,’ Lena confirmed.
Chris nodded his approval reluctantly, and Adam yelped for joy.
There was much laughter as they sipped their drinks, and watched the sun setting from an orange ball to a spectacular red glow that filled the sky and the ocean below.
As dusk approached, the air got cooler, and Lena suggested going inside to watch the film. She held Adam’s hand and led the way to the Cinema Room. After switching on the lights she ushered her guests into the ornately decorated thirty seated room.
Once they were all comfortable, Lena spoke from the back of the room. ‘Listen, people, before the programme starts, would anyone like any popcorn, chocolates or coke?’
Everyone remained quiet except for Adam, who straightaway raised his hand into the air, as if asking permission for something at school.
‘I might have known you’d want something, young man,’ Lena smiled with amusement. ‘Come along to my kiosk, let’s see what I can do for you.’