Comet

by Andie J Fessey

“Calm down boy,” he said, leaning to stroke Comet’s flank.

  It took only a moment for his touch and soothing voice to calm the horse, the same time it took for the van to stop several yards away, before reversing back to where they stood.

  “Oh, here we go again boy,” Archie said, leaning to retrieve the makeshift cosh he kept under the seat of the cart, placing it next to him from sight.

  The van reversed until the driver’s side window stood parallel with Archie, the driver opening it and leaning out.

  Brendan Riley, one of O’Leary’s most loyal lapdogs, morbidly obese with a wide, pulpy face dwarfing his button nose and narrow mouth, stared at him.

  “What did you call me?” He demanded in his light, girlish voice, not befitting a man of his huge stature.

  “Leave it be,” the man sitting next to him in the cab ordered.

  “He called me something Samson,” Brendan replied, “I want to know what it was.”

  “I called you an idiot,” Archie said, staring at him, “doing that to scare a horse.”

  “Doing what?”

  “You know what,” Archie answered.

  “Oh, you mean this,” Brendan replied, leaning on the horn, longer this time.

  Comet startled at the harsh noise emitting from the horn, Archie leaning to stroke him to soothe him.

  Brendan laughed in an animalistic squeal, depressing the horn repeatedly.

  “That’s enough now, leave it,” the man sat next to him instructed.

  Brendan continued to sound the horn, laughing at the sight of Archie calming Comet, shaking his huge head from side to side, until the man sat next to him leant across, knocking his hand away from the horn.

  “Don’t make me ask you again,” he said.

  “Alright Samson, only making a point,” he replied, before turning his attention to Archie.

  “Next time I hear you calling me anything, you won’t be so lucky, alright?”

  There sounded more than a hint of menace in his girlish voice, sounding more a promise of ills to come.

  The van drove to the end of the street, turning in the direction of Stanley Road.

  “It’s okay boy, the idiots have gone now.” Archie said, leaning forward to run his hand across Comet’s hind quarters, soothing him under its touch.

  Within a few minutes Comet calmed enough to proceed on their journey, the cart moving along the street again, its wheels rattling, traversing the cobbles beneath.

  From the far end of the street a car approached, a grey Bristol Four Hundred.

  Archie watched the car until it slowed and stopped alongside the cart, Comet barely giving it a glance.

  The window of the car wound down, the driver leaning his face out.

  “Excuse me,” he said, in an accent Archie found difficult to place, but by its velvetiness, suggesting a privileged upbringing.

  “Can I help you squire?” Archie asked.

  “Oh, I certainly do hope so,” replied the man, looking at him.

  Archie stared at the face leaning from the window, taking in the driver’s details.

  The man appeared in his early twenties, short jet-black hair smoothed with cream, lay neatly on top of his tanned, handsome face, his chiselled features making him look like an American movie star.

  As Archie stepped from the cart, he smelt the aroma of expensive aftershave.

  “Oh, please do not bother to get down,” the driver said, his head disappearing back within the confines of the car.

  The car door opened, the driver stepping out onto the pavement, standing tall, broad shoulders covered by a white shirt, he held his hand out to Archie in the offer of a handshake.

  Archie gazed at the outreached arm, before glancing at his own hand, covered with a threadbare, fingerless, woollen glove.

  “Tobias Anderson”, he exclaimed, shaking his hand in a strong grip, before Archie had the opportunity to decline the offered greeting.

  “Oh err, Archie, Archie Millican,” Archie replied.

  “Millican? That’s a fine name with a fair amount of lineage if ever there was one,” Tobias remarked, rendering Archie open-mouthed, finding himself speechless for once.

  “How can I help you?” Archieasked, unable to grin any wider.

  “Oh, my apologies for imposing upon you and your magnificent beast, but I am having difficulty locating an address I am searching for and wondered if you may be able to assist me?”

  “Of course, more than happy to oblige, where is it you’re looking for?”

  “Well, I have two places to visit as a matter of fact,” Tobias said over his shoulder, leaning through into his car, retrieving an expensive pen and pad of paper.

  “The first place I am looking for is the Council Chambers, but I am certain I can find that easily enough, I visited there once before.”

  “Oh, that’s easy enough squire, I can draw you a map to direct you if you’d like?” Archie offered.

  “Would you? It would be extremely helpful. I am fine with locating cities and towns, but unfortunately once I reach them I do tend to rather struggle. Especially with the terrible damage the Luftwaffe inflicted upon our grand nation.”

  “Of course, I will and you are right about the bloody Germans, if you’d pardon my French, they rained merry havoc around here I can tell you.”

  “One can well believe so. This poor city is second only to London in regard the amount of ordnance Jerry chucked at her,” Tobias said, staring around the narrow street full of drab looking terraced houses.

  “I can well believe it. We took a right hammering. Not too far away from here is where the surface shelters were demolished on Beatrice Street and a bit further up is where the Stanley Road Bridge over the railway took a hell of a beating.”

  Tobias passed the notepad and pen to Archie, who handled the expensive and exquisite pen with great care, before beginning to draw a map of directions to the Chambers on a sheaf of the pads paper.

  “There is a great multitude of sad tales to be told about what Jerry made us suffer Mr Millican, but they will all be remembered, lest we forget.”

  “Aye, that’s true enough.”

  “My, it is a very good set of directions you are sketching out for me Mr Millican, are you an artist of sorts?” Tobias asked, glancing at the pad.

  Smiling, Archie continued sketching a precise rendition of the area and roads, Tobias would require traversing to reach the Chambers.

  “No, nothing like that. I’m not too good at writing or anything like that,” Archie replied, “but I do know how to draw. It’s something I’ve always been able to do, no idea where I picked it up from.”

  “Well, wherever your talented originated from Mister Millican, you certainly have a natural flair for it.”

  “Are you staying around here?” Archie asked.

  “What? Oh, not too far away from here. The department have put me up in a hotel in a place called Waterloo, the err ‘Royal’ I believe it is called,” Tobias replied, smiling.

  “Where’s the other place you needdirections for?” Archie replied, returning the smile, not noticing unlike his own, the other man’s smile did not reach his eyes.

  “Well, I shan’t be going there today Mr Millican as I believe I will be at the Chambers all day,” Tobias replied, “but I deemed it may be best to have an idea in case I have to meet the chap there instead of the Chambers or elsewhere. Bad form if I am delayed for a meeting due to not being able to find the blasted place.”

  “Well if I can be of any help then I’m more than happy to oblige,” Archie said, turning the page of the pad over, rolling the pen in his fingers, awaiting the destination.

  “Please bear with me for a moment Mr Millican as I have it written down,” Tobias replied, returning to his car.

  A man riding passed on a bicycle, gave Archie a wave.

  “Alright Archie? Catch you at the Volley later?”

  “Aye Albert, see you later my friend!” Archie called to the other man, before turning around a
s Tobias approached him.

  “I knew I had it written somewhere. I have a big list of places I must visit but this is the address. If you could show me how to get there from the hotel it would be truly appreciated.”

  “Jacobs? That’s an easy one too, it’s up in Aintree but it’s on the main road and quite easy to get to.” Archie said, glancing at the piece of paper.

  “Splendid. Thank you ever so much,” Tobias said, stepping to Comet and stroking his mane.

  “You up here for a while then?” Archie asked politely, drawing the directions on the pad.

  “What? Oh, yes. Best half of a week or so,” Tobias replied, continuing to stroke Comets mane, “I am visiting a few businesses in the area to see how well they have been doing, through the current measures His Majesty’s government has required putting into place.”

  “It’s been a fair hard haul after the war,” Archie said, continuing to sketch.

  “It certainly has Mister Millican,” Tobias replied, “but it is not all doom and gloom and that is what I am compiling my report about. The success stories!”

  “Well, that’s good to hear, too much sorrow and hardship in the papers these days, nice to see some people are doing well for themselves.”

  “They certainly are if this list is anything to go by Mr Millican,” Tobias replied, glancing at the list he held in his hands, “Jacobs, Richmonds, Littlewoods, O’Leary’s to name but a few.”

  “O’Leary’s?” Archie asked, stopping sketching the directions to stare at the other man.

  “Yes, err give me a moment,” he said, glancing at the list, “O’Leary Metal Merchant Company. Doing quite well according to the report we received from the Chambers. Wonderful reflection on this fine city if I may say so to see so many of these positive stories.”

  “Aye, it is that squire, I just didn’t think O’Leary’s were that big, or well known.”

  “Oh, it’s not to do with the size of the business Mr Millican,” Tobias said with a chuckle, “it is to do with the entrepreneurship, the British Bulldog spirit so to speak.”

  “Well, that’s good news, glad O’Leary’s is doing well.”

  Bastard.

  “That’s the spirit Mr Millican, too many people these days seem to begrudge the fortune of other folk.”

  “I have to agree there with you Squire.”

  I hope all his vans get flat tyres.

  “And I believe O’Leary’s may well grow a lot bigger if they perform well at the docks clearing all of those derelict buildings away for us shortly.”

  Archie, staring at the pad, hastily finished his directions and handed it back to Tobias, who took it with a smile and placed his finger to the side of his nose.

  “But Mums the word as they say, so to speak Mr Millican, only wanted to repay the favour you have done me by spreading a bit of good news.”

  “Aye, no worries son, Mums the word,” Archie replied.

  “Well, I had best be off now, safe travels Mr Millican.” Tobias said, returning to his car, before giving Archiea wave and driving away.

  Archie returned the wave, before returning to his seat on the cart.

  “I hope O’Leary’s arse falls off.”

  Chapter Six

  “Robert!” Jack cried.

  Robert stopped skimming pebbles across the water of the Mersey, counting how many times the last pebble thrown from his hand hit the water of the river, as it skimmed across the waves.

  Ten, almost beat my record.

  He looked up at the distant clouds, forming ominously over the Irish Sea, before turning to face his brother.

  “Aww, what is it Jack, I almost had eleven there?”

  “I’m drenched to me bones Rob. Our mam is gonna kill me when we get home!”

  Robert, looking his brother up and down from head to toe, realised his trousers were soaked through.

  “Serves you right for slipping off the rocks you silly hapeth,” he said, trying not to laugh as he did not want to embarrass his brother any more than he already managed himself.

  Jack, being Jack, decided it would be a lot more fun traversing the rocks leading to the waterfront, rather than walking along the sand with the others.

  Robert warned him not to but, within minutes his leg had slipped into one of the cold pools of briny water collected within the gaps between the large rocks.

  “But our mam will kill me,” Jack said, his voice surprisingly breaking.

  Turning around, Robert looked up at the sky, the clouds were still far in the distance and the sun blazed upon where the children stood.

  “Look our Jack, it’s still a sunny day, so we’ll go up to the grass and you can lay down ‘til the sun dries them.”

  Making their way from the beach towards the grass and sand dunes, the group of children saw the tall houses on Marine Terrace, looming nearby.

  After sitting for half of an hour Jimmy stood, then walked in circles, searching the floor intently for any smooth or odd shaped pebbles to add to the collection he amassed whilst they walked along the sands.

  Barbara and Maisie, having picked up various flowers along their trip, sat next to each cross legged, making daisy chains.

  Sitting next to each other, Robert and Frank watched the sky in the distance turn from a beautiful ceiling of blue to a thick grey shroud, filled with dark, ominous rain clouds.

  “How long are we going to be hanging around here for?” Wally asked.

  Robert turned his gaze away from the darkening sky over the River Mersey.

  In the distance, the Welsh Mountains clearly visible all day, now became obscured by the threatening rain clouds.

  “Just enough time to give our Jack time to dry off his trousers a bit, then we’ll head off home Wally.”

  “Can’t we go to Potters Barn to do it? I saw a few fish in the pond last week, as well as tadpoles and I want to try and catch some.”

  “Well, you go ahead Wally and we’ll catch up in a bit.”

  “Can I go with Wally please our Robert?” Daniel pleaded.

  Robert thought about it for a few moments, extremely protective of his siblings. But he also knew how much Danny liked Wally and knew in turn, Wally would not let anything happen to him.

  “Go on then, but stay in the park alright? We’ll follow you in a bit.”

  “Great! Thank you, our Robert!” Daniel yelled in reply.

  “I’ll keep an eye on him Rob and make sure he doesn’t fall in the pond or anything.” Wally said, reassuring Robert.

  The two boys walked away in the direction of the park, Wally slowing his pace considerably upon their short journey, to allow Daniel to keep up, the brace on his leg hindering him more than ever as they traversed the dunes.

  Wally’s heart ached for his friend. He wished he had his own siblings, but knew in his heart they would not have been as close to him as these friends.

  Casting a glance towards the dunes, he looked at where the other children sat.

  The Bennett brothers had always been a part of his short life, not once excluding him from any of their games or on any of their trips.

  Jimmy may be a pain in the bum, but he would not have him any other way, not knowing what new inventions or ideas he would come out with next.

  Samuel, though not as close to him as Robert, was always counted upon as a good friend in times of need.

  He also knew if he could choose sisters, it would be Barbara and Maisie.

  He would not say the same about Iris Bennett though.

  At nineteen, a real grown up in his eyes and though he would not admit it to anybody, especially his friends, he secretly adored her.

  She appeared pretty even when not wearing make-up, unlike her friend Maureen who lived in their street, always caked in the stuff and ‘dolled up to the nines’ he overheard his neighbours Connie and Joyce say one day, whilst chatting on their doorsteps.

  He knew Maureen looked nice with her make up on, but he saw her first thing in the morning when his Mother sent him to he
r house to pass her own Mother some sugar, a sight he would not forget in any hurry.

  Noticing Daniel now walked but a step behind him, he held out his hand and took a hold of the smaller boys own.

  “’Ere Danny, grab me hand, we’ll be quicker that way,” he instructed.

  Daniel smiled at him, as they continued their journey.

  After ten minutes, the dunes receded into patches of thick grass.

  Daniel let out a cry, slipping on the ground, where a rock protruded unseen covered by the thick blanket of grass, caused him to fall roughly to the ground.

  “Ouch!” He exclaimed, his backside striking the ground.

  Wally knelt next to him, full of concern.

  “Are you alright Danny? Is it your leg?” He asked, uncertain whether to check his leg in case he seriously hurt it.

  “No Wally, I slipped and landed on my bum.”

  “I mean, have you hurt your leg or anything as well?”

  “No,” Daniel replied, looking at him, “just my bum.”

  Wally breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Tell you what, do you want me to run ahead and see if I can grab you a frog or something or do you want me to wait here?” Wally asked, noticing the leather strap slipped from its buckle at the side of Daniel’s brace, in addition to knowing how self-conscious his friend appeared of it.

  Apart from Robert, he would allow only his Mother and Iris to assist him with it.

  The entrance to the Park stood a dozen yards away.

  “You go ahead”, Daniel said.

  Wally smiled at his friend, before running across to the gates, his head repeatedly turning to Daniel to ensure he remained alright.

  Daniel waved at him and he waved back, before jumping to try and grasp hold of one of the overhanging branches over the wrought iron railings.

  It took a few minutes for Daniel to readjust his brace and tighten the strap, Robert having shown him how to tie it together.

  He felt grown up now, managing to get the strip of leather to go through the final buckle.

  I can’t wait to show our Robert. I can do it myself now!

  Slowly getting to his feet, he heard a sound he thought a cry from one of the many seagulls flying overhead.

  He glanced up at them, flying in circles through the blue sky, their cries and calls sounding like the cries of children, making their way inland away from the oncoming storm.