by S G Read
‘The Captain’s brother was a lot different.’ Sherman said being unusually polite.
‘I think stupid was a better word for it!’ Ben replied. ‘If it was him in the swamp, we'd have left him there.’
‘How would we know what he was like?’ C.J asked. ‘He didn't speak English and we don't speak Spanish!’
‘What was it you said Ben?’ Simon asked. ‘They were not playing with a full deck.’
‘Something like that!’ Ben said with a big smile.
‘I hate to say this but it's getting dark.’ Ant said from his position against the tree trunk. ‘Not that I want to go home.’
‘I do!’ Sherman replied. ‘Well I want to move anyway, my bum's gone to sleep!’
One by one they climbed down then walked out of the wood using a different route to try to hide the position of their proposed tree house. Once they were out of the wood the boys regrouped by the river.
‘What's the plan then?’ Ben asked anyone who was willing to answer.
‘It's easy.’ Simon answered. ‘We do as Stu suggested. We cut two trunks lay them across the two branches, cutting notches out to level them then nail them into place. Then we put shorter lengths the other way and level them the same way. After that all we've got to do is to find some floor boards.’
‘Sounds good to me!’ Toby agreed.
‘I didn't suggest that!’ Stuart asked a little confused. ‘Did I?’
‘No.’ Simon replied. ‘But if I'd have said that it was my idea you wouldn't have thought it was any good!’
‘I though I was losing it then!’ Stuart admitted, a little relieved. ‘When do we meet again?’
‘Nine o'clock tomorrow morning.’ Simon suggested and despite a few complaints about the earliness they agreed with him. ‘I'm feeling less like a grunt every day!’
As they neared the centre of Minton, the group broke up into smaller groups as boy headed for their home. Eventually Stuart and Stephen were on their own, both going to Stuart's house, as Stephen's mother was working. It had been arranged for Wendy to feed Stephen and look after him until his mother called for him. They ate in comparative silence, as they did not want to let anyone know about the proposed tree house. After their dinner the boys went up to Stuart's room to play on his computer. Stephen was feeling very full as Wendy Sellers had piled the food on his plate to make sure he ate enough and he had been brought up to empty his plate.
‘I wish your mum wouldn't keep piling the food on my plate, I can hardly move now!’ He complained.
‘I think she's trying to save your mum some money by making you so full that you don’t want to eat for a while!’ Stuart said with a laugh.
‘You wait till you eat round my house, I'll keep piling it on your plate and stand there until you eat it!’
‘It's not my fault!’ Stuart argued.
‘No but you can talk to her about it!’
Stuart started to argue again but in the end said. ‘Okay, I'll tell her!’
‘Tell her what?’ Stephen asked.
‘To put more on!’ Stuart said and dived out of the door. He ran headlong down the stairs, straight into his father. Stephen came charging after him and hit both of them. They landed in a tangled heap.
David Sellers picked up a foot.
‘Is that mine?’ He asked.
Normally he would have been angry and a row would have followed.
‘Ow!’ Stephen cried.
‘Sorry Stevey! This one must be mine!’
It was Stuart's turn to yell.
‘I recognise that yell!’ David Sellers exclaimed, deftly removed his son's trainer and began to tickle his foot. Stuart's wild thrashing to escape the torture served to untangle the three.
‘Sorry dad!’ Stuart said subserviently.
‘That's okay son, I was just going to show you the computer in my office upstairs it has some good games.’ David Sellars explained.
‘It does, wow!’ Stuart said and started to drag his father upstairs.
‘Okay I'm coming.’ He replied. ‘Come on Stevey, I'll set it up for two.’
Once the boys were playing on the bigger office computer, David sellers watched the two faces light up and wondered how he could have not wanted his son around him.
‘I must have gone mad!’ He said out loud.
‘What dad?’ Stuart said although he was still engrossed in the computer.
‘Oh nothing. Enjoy the game.’ When he reached the door he turned back. ‘And don't break it!’
‘What us dad?’ Stuart replied.
The game lasted until Stephens mother arrived, she stayed for a few minutes then they both went home.
When they were gone, David asked. ‘Did you have a good day Stu? Well afternoon anyway.’
‘Yes thanks dad, did you?’
‘Not really, I was at work and no matter how you word it; you are still working for someone else!’ David explained.
‘Are you a junior partner yet?’ Stuart asked with interest.
‘No, not yet; why?’
‘When you are a junior partner you'll be working for yourself won't you? Well partly anyway!’
‘That's true but you have to be in the right frame of mind when the chance arrives. I have been overlooked twice now.’ David explained. ‘When the board meets in a couple of months’ time I will need to be in top notch!’
‘If they don't pick you this time they'll answer to me!’ Stuart vowed.
David laughed.
‘Actually, old Sedgewick is a bit of a snake, I've been hearing how you deal with snakes!’
Stuart was surprised, his father had started using the word okay since he had returned, now he was talking about snakes and Stuart knew he had not mentioned dealing with any snakes when they had talked.
His father noticed the quizzical look on Stuart's face.
‘I've been talking to some of the boys. I must admit I was amazed by what you accomplished in the jungle.’ He explained.
‘We were a team, we had to be!’ Stuart explained.
‘Come here I need a cuddle with my son.’
Stuart did not object.
‘Can anyone join in?’ Wendy Sellers asked. ‘Or is this a closed shop?’
Both Stuart and his father held out an arm to include her in the cuddle.
CHAPTER 7
Stephen called well before the appointed time in the morning, much to Stuart's displeasure but Stephen made sure Stuart did not stay in bed. Stuart rummaged in his father's tool box, while his mother was cooking what she called a decent breakfast. Stephen was included in the meal even though he had eaten a bowl of cereal before leaving home. Wendy turned the usual deaf ear to his complaints and put the food in front of him. Bacon, fried eggs, fried bread and beans. When he smelled the food in front of him, all argument disappeared and he found room for another breakfast. After a quick discussion, out of Stuart's mother's hearing, they returned to the kitchen.
‘Can I have a packed lunch please mum?’ Stuart asked.
‘Why? Where are you going?’ Wendy asked.
‘It's a secret!’ Stuart answered.
‘Where are you going Stephen?’ Wendy asked.
‘That's not fair mum, you know he won't lie!’ Stuart complained.
‘And you will I suppose?’
‘No but it's still a secret!’
‘I want to know where my little boy is going to be.’ She said wrapping her arms round him. ‘Until then he is not going anywhere!’
‘Help me Stevey!’
‘She's your mum!’
‘Fat lot of good you are!’ Stuart struggled in vain then gave up. ‘We are going to the woods by the river to play war! Okay?’
‘There that wasn't very hard was it now? Does Stephen want a packed lunch as well?’
‘He doesn't deserve one!’
‘Thanks a bunch! What was I supposed to do?’ Stephen retorted. ‘Deck her one?’
‘I take it that that is a yes?’ Wendy asked.
‘Yes
please.’ Stephen replied.
‘Deck her one indeed! The things you boys come out with!’ Wendy echoed and made them a packed lunch.
She watched them walk down the road, until they were out of sight.
The others, with the exception of Denis and C.J, were waiting by the river and they walked in a bunch until they came to the wood; where they split up into four groups of two and one of three to walk to the chosen tree. The ladder was rescued from the under growth where they had hidden it and placed it against the tree.
‘Now what?’ Ben asked. ‘It's your plan Si!’
‘We have to measure the gap between the branches to find out how long the logs need to be!’ Simon explained, starting to revel in his new role.
‘How do we do that?’ Toby asked. ‘We haven't got a tape measure long enough for that!’
‘That's easy; I climb up and measure it with the rope. Where I tie the knot is how long the tree has to be and it just has to be fat enough to take our weight!’ Simon explained and climbed up the ladder carrying the rope.
He was soon back down.
‘It needs a weight on it so's I can throw it over the other branch!’ He declared.
They tied a piece of wood to the end of the rope and Simon climbed back up the ladder. The boys soon knew the length the trees needed to be. They set of in search of suitable trees, preferably pine trees.
When the boys struggled back to the tree they had chosen to build their tree house in they were carrying a log between them; it was the remains of a tree they had just cut down. Denis and C.J sat there looking worn out, beside them in a wheelbarrow lay a chain hoist.
‘Is that a block and tackle?’ Stuart asked.
‘No, my dad asked me what we were doing. When I told him he said that this would be safer but it weighs a ton!’ Denis replied.
‘You told your dad about the tree house!’ Stuart asked sharply.
Denis nodded.
‘It was either that or no block and tackle!’ He replied.
Stuart mellowed.
‘I suppose mine was only a packed lunch.’ He acknowledged.
‘How do we get that up to that branch above the two we want to use?’ Ben asked trying the weight of the hoist.
‘We pull it up with the rope.’ Stuart explained. ‘Then tie it to the branch above with enough rope to hang it safely.’
‘There's no need for rope it's got a short chain that you loop round whatever is going to hold the hoist up and use the clip!’ Denis explained lifting up the short piece of chain.
Simon climbed up the ladder with a rope and threw it over the higher branch. The hoist was pulled up to the branch while Simon climbed to the higher branch to fix the loop round the branch. He untied the rope and let it fall, climbed down to the lower branch and looked at the hoist. With the hoist fully lowered the hook did not reach the ground, what was worse, the chain you had to pull to raise and lower the hook could not be reached from either the ground or the lower branches.
‘Now what?’ Ben asked.
‘Got any ideas Stu?’ Simon said as he looked at the distance between the chain and the branch nearest it.
Stuart studied the problem.
‘The hook is easy we just make a rope cradle and loop it over the hook but the chain is difficult.’ He admitted. ‘If J.C was on your shoulders Sherman could he reach the chain?’
‘There's one way to find out!’ Sherman replied. ‘J.C come here!’
After several attempts they gave up. Stuart snapped his fingers.
‘Of course the ladder!’ He cried.
‘That won't reach!’ Toby argued. ‘It barely reaches the lower branches, it would need to lean a long way to be of use!’
‘Ant you can climb can't you?’ Stuart asked.
‘Yes. Not as well as monkey boy there but I'm okay.’
‘Climb up the ladder with Simon, then pull it up after you.’ Stuart explained, working it out as he went along. ‘Then you and Simon slide the ladder across the branches until someone can crawl across to the chain!’
They did just that and slid the ladder into place.
‘I take it I get to walk the plank!’ Antony called down. ‘As I'm lighter than Si.’
‘See what it's like, there's no point in killing yourself though!’ Stuart called back.
Antony crawled to the middle of the ladder.
‘No problemmo. It bows less than that log across the ravine!’ Antony called from the middle of the ladder.
‘What log?’ Ben asked. ‘Not the one that I was hanging on?’
‘The very one!’ Antony called down.
‘How much did it bow?’ Ben asked.
‘I reckon if it had gone another four inches, you would have been in with the piranha!’ Sherman replied.
‘That wouldn't have mattered; he would have fallen so far he probably wouldn't have noticed when they ate him!’ Toby added.
‘I'm glad I didn't know!’ Ben said as he reflected on the possible outcomes, if the log had fallen.
‘Are you lot going to tie the first log on to the hook or am I going to hang about here all day?’ Antony called from above.
They tied the log on and Antony pulled it up but their first attempt had the rope on one end and they found it impossible to get the log on to the branches. After two attempts they worked out the best way and the first log was lowered on to the branches, with two notches cut in the log where it was to lie on the two branches, to stop it from moving; then it was nailed in place. They collected a second log from where it lay ready to carry. It was hauled up into place, notched and nailed. They looked at the start of their tree house with pride and decided to eat their food up there. The ladder was rescued from the across the two branches and lowered for the others to climb up. When they were all settled and eating, they started to plan the rest of the day.
‘We've got to take the hoist back tonight.’ Denis advised the others. ‘So we ought to pull up anything that is going to be heavy, today!’
‘What else do we need that is heavy?’ Stuart asked.
‘To us everything is too heavy!’ J.C answered.
‘Talk for yourself!’ Ben retorted.
‘What comes next Si? It's your plan.’ Stephen asked.
‘Now we need eight or nine shorter bits to go across the logs we've just pulled up, so's we can put floorboards across them and hey presto we've got a floor!’
‘So if we cut the ones to go across and get them up here, we can pull the boards up with the rope!’ Stuart declared. ‘Let's get started then!’
‘I'm still eating!’ Simon argued.
‘So am I!’ Stephen added. ‘And it's your mum's fault; I think she's trying to turn me into Big Daddy!’
‘We'll start you can catch us up when you've eaten!’ Toby retorted, as though they had committed a Cardinal sin and climbed down.
The only problem they found while looking for other suitable trees was the sudden realisation that they could see Minton Comprehensive School when they were cutting one down.
‘Don't let them see us?’ J.C warned. ‘Peter Candler more or less runs my school. If he saw the tree house he'd burn it down just for fun!’
After a quick discussion they let the tree remain intact and went in search of another one. As the trees were cut down and cut to length, measured by a new knot in the rope, four boys carried it to where the tree house was being built. Simon and Stephen elected to stay there and found they were able to pull the shorter lengths up themselves, using the hoist of course. As the logs arrived they pulled them up and tied them in position. When Sherman returned, he notched them and they were nailed in position across the logs they had fitted earlier.
Soon after, when they gathered by the river, they were very tired boys.
‘Have you been given the coup de grace?’ Ben asked in usual bad French.
‘How do you mean?’ Toby asked in reply.
The question was not specifically aimed at Toby, it was aimed at anyone who was interested enough to
answer.
‘My mum told me that I'm going back to school on Monday!’ Ben explained.
‘So did mine.’ Stuart exclaimed.
‘So did mine.’ Simon added.
It turned out they were all going back to school on Monday.
‘That gives us three more days.’ C.J calculated.
‘Four if you count Saturday.’ J.C countered.
‘I can't on Saturday; we are going to see my gran and granddad.’ C.J said apologetically.
‘We're going to the seaside!’ Sherman announced.
‘It's not very warm!’ Stephen replied.
‘It is in the arcades!’ Ben said, a large grin appearing on his face. ‘I'm going as well!’
‘We'll have to meet tomorrow at the same time.’ Stuart concluded. ‘Look out for anything that will do as floorboards and bring it with you!’
This was the signal for the group to split up and go home.
They met the next morning as arranged, with the exception of Ben and J.C; they were nowhere to be seen. The boys waited impatiently for a few minutes then headed for the wood.
‘They know where to come.’ Sherman acknowledged, as they started into the wood.
The boys were carrying odd lengths of planking or boards that they planned to use as flooring. C.J's had ‘NO PARKING’ on it in bold printing.
‘Where'd you get that C.J?’ Simon asked.
‘Some vandals had pulled it down; I thought it was in the way so I'm moving it out the way. It's quite thick!’
Once at the tree house they used the rope to pull all the wood up and tried to arrange it to cover as much of the floor as possible; like a jigsaw. They were still trying when Ben and J.C struggled into sight carrying a large flat sheet of wood.
‘Give us a hand you lot.’ Ben called up.
‘Where did you nick that from?’ C.J called down.
‘We didn't nick it!’ J.C shouted back. ‘Mr. Green let us have it. He used it as a shield when he was spraying the cars but now he's retired he doesn't want it anymore. He was going to burn it, so we asked him for it!’
‘It's an eight by four sheet!’ Ben added. ‘Whatever that is!’
The two boys let the sheet of wood fall to reveal a multicoloured side, which to the boy’s horror had imprinted itself on their clothes.