Great Granny's Ghost

by Griff Hosker

  “Are we going now Sir?”

  “No. You will carry on with the field week. I assume you can behave.”

  Relieved that they would not have to go home and face the music they breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Yes Sir.”

  “Off you go.” As they went out he looked up at Jo. “And now we had better get Wayne in. I am intrigued about how he will explain this.”

  When the boy arrived he had the look on his face of a condemned man, or in his case, boy. He had been so engrossed his work he had forgotten all about the story he would have to concoct. Mr Campbell sat there with his hands together in front of his face, almost as though he was praying. Miss Tozer and the two classroom assistants were sat on the bar stools. Mr Campbell waved his hand in their direction and said, “You have your audience now let us hear your story.”

  Taking a deep breath he began the fantasy that would have to sound like reality, the fiction that would need to be a fact. “Well Sir it was the first night my bed had not being messed about and I was really looking forward to it. But when I tried to sleep all I could hear was Stephen snoring so I thought I would go out for a bit, you know until he had stopped snoring.”

  “But Wayne when I came in you looked to me like you were asleep. You were lying with you eyes shut.”

  “Yeah well I was trying to get asleep and I must have heard you shut the door Sir. Yeah I remember now. Anyway I got up and went to the front door. I was looking down at the river and I thought I saw something on the viaduct moving so I went a bit closer and looked up and then well I heard something crashing through trees and I just ran.”

  “Why didn’t you come and wake me… like you did later?”

  “Well I just sort of reacted and ran.”

  “Now Wayne explain this running.”

  “Sir?”

  “Explain how you managed to get there and back so quickly.”

  Wayne was relieved. He didn’t need to lie about this part of the story. “I run fast.”

  “What?”

  “I can run fast. I was telling Miss before wasn’t I Miss?”

  Jo nodded, “He said he learned to run away from the gangs in London.”

  “Hmm. Would you mind helping me with an experiment?

  “Yes Sir. What?”

  “Bridget can you go to the far end of the viaduct and take your mobile with you. Jo can you go and wait by the tree where we found John and take your mobile phone with you. Wayne I want you to run, when I tell you, all the way to Miss Tozer and back. As fast as you can. Will you do that?”

  “Yes Sir but why?”

  “Well firstly I want to believe your story and see just how fast you are.”

  Mrs Harper asked the obvious question. “Why the mobile phone?”

  “I want you to put in my number in the message box and now for the message. As soon as Wayne passes you push send. When I get the messages I will get the time and we will see how fast he is. Off you go ladies.”

  “I know, ‘you wait here with the young people Mrs Robinson’,” Diane walked off chuntering to herself.

  The two ladies trotted away and after a few minutes they saw Mrs Harper waving. “You ready Wayne?”

  “Yes Sir.”

  “Remember Wayne, fast as you can but Wayne, be careful I don’t want another visit to the hospital. Ready, steady go!”

  Wayne leapt like a hare across the field. Dave noticed that although he was small his legs were proportionally longer and he had a real spring to his running. He had little upper body movement and it looked effortless. He disappeared up the side of the embankment and then he saw his head bobbing just above the parapet. He took out his phone and watched it. Suddenly there was a message. He wrote down the time. A few seconds later he received the second message and he wrote don that time. He stared at the phone which had become a stop watch. Wayne appeared out of the trees and raced towards the head. Behind, in all the windows, the rest of the group was cheering. He saw Mrs Robinson who just shrugged and applauded with the rest. As Wayne ran past Dave wrote down the time. He stood with his hands on knees trying to get back his breath but he looked up at the head. “Well Wayne I believe you but more importantly I think I have a new runner for Mr Jennings’ cross country team.”

  “Cross country Sir? What’s that?”

  “Let’s get you a drink of juice and I will explain.”

  Wayne could see that it was the sort of activity he would enjoy. He liked running and he could do it better than other children. It might make PE bearable. “Will Mr Jennings be all right with Sir?”

  “I think I can safely say he will be.”

  Just then a familiar voice called from the hall. “Mr Campbell?”

  “Anna!”

  Dressed casually in jeans and sweater, his social worker came in. Wayne just jumped up and gave her a hug. “What you doing here Miss?”

  “I told you I would visit and it was such a lovely day. Is it all right if Wayne gives me a tour?”

  “Of course, be my guest.” He paused and looked mischievously at Wayne. “You might want to show Miss Allen the viaduct, I am sure she would be interested in that.”

  The tour took longer than expected for Wayne omitted no detail of the happenings of the week. Of course he omitted any mention of his great grand-mother. They sat on the banks of the Esk, on a small bench. “Well Wayne. I can see that this week has done you good, despite your ordeals. But when are you going to start asking for help?”

  “I dunno. I don’t like to cause trouble.”

  She took a deep breath. “You know I have been reading the reports on your mum. If she had asked for help earlier on she might not have been so ill and you might not have been taken away from her.”

  He nodded. “When dad dumped her in London, before I was born, she did ask for help and no-one gave her any. All her new, so-called friends didn’t want to know her.”

  “What about Maggie?”

  “Maggie told me that they fell out before she left and she didn’t even find out about me until I was three. She couldn’t come back to Hartlepool because she would have been a failure. I never thought that but she’s my mum ain’t she?” Anna nodded and smiled. The more he talked of his mum the more the accent, which he had been disguising, came back. “Anyway it wasn’t until the end of Primary school that things were hard. She had another bad boyfriend and when he left, well that started it all. “

  “And that was why you didn’t do well in your SATS?”

  He shrugged as thought that was not important. “How is she?”

  “She’s getting better. She is coming up in a couple of weeks.”

  His eyes lit up. “Really?” He threw his arms around her neck and hugged her. “Thanks Miss that’s brill. You’re ace you are.”

  “Well we hope she will come up. It’s to do with the probate.” He looked blankly at her. “Your nan’s house and all her possessions, you know who owns them. It’s like a will. Anyway you and your mum will have to be there at the lawyer’s to sort it out.”

  He shrugged, he didn’t really understand but if his mum was coming up then he didn’t care. The dinner gong sounded. “What’s that Wayne?”

  “Better get there Miss or Ste will eat it all, including the plates.”

  Chapter 14

  By the time, Friday afternoon arrived all of the children, including Lee and Darren were sad to be leaving. They had had the last full day without the head who had gone back to school and to meet with Johnno’s parents. The ebullient and cheerful Benny led them all in singing the repetitive coach songs which children love to sing. Bridget sat at the front with Jo. “Well an interesting week Mrs Harper.”

  “Exciting anyway. What about Johnno?”

  “Oh he’s alright now. He’s admitted running off and, apparently, it was a pair of late night cyclists who frightened him and he fell off the parapet. Not as tough as he thinks he is.”

  Bridget snorted, “None of them are. And Wayne?”

  “I don’t know. He seems
more confident and that was the purpose of the trip wasn’t it but he still has to go back to school, the corridors and the Michael Roberts’s of this world.”

  “Diane said they we are going to re-test him.”

  “Yes and I am convinced that he will do well which means…”

  “Which means he will move out of the unit and into mainstream.”

  “That’s where he ought to be.”

  “But can he cope? Our kids are canny enough but they can be a little cruel.”

  “I know and he will still be fostered. Mrs Woodward is a nice lady but Wayne needs family.”

  “His mam?”

  “Don’t know. She must be a little better because Dave said they had told her about her mother but after that… I just don’t know.”

  “She died without a will didn’t she?”

  “I don’t know but it is going through probate anyway however as the only heirs are the mother and Wayne at least they should get the house.”

  “I wonder if she would come back to Hartlepool? She went to school here you know.”

  “I know. Well London has done her no favours. Perhaps a new start with Wayne. He needs it.”

  “Yes but does she?”

  Wayne’s thoughts, as the moors sped by and the sea edging away to Europe were along the same lines. The five days had been nice break but they had been a reprieve and the corridors of Spion Kop waited. He looked at Stephen, his faced pressed against the window. Oh to be like Stephen. His family didn’t have much, they were after all a large family, but he had bigger brothers and sisters. Stephen would always have someone to turn to, to talk to and to confide in. The person in Wayne’s life he had been able to talk with had been his nana and the person he had been able to confide in had been the spirit of his great grand-mother. Both of them had gone. He could still hear his great grand-mother’s words in his head,’ When times are hard and life becomes difficult and you feel all alone in the world; close your eyes and listen to us, and see us’ but he wasn’t certain that would work. He took some comfort from the fact that he hadn’t needed help. Since he had brought help to the injured bully life had seemed easier. Perhaps Stephen’s attitude was the best, take each day as it comes.

  The coach arrived back at school in the early afternoon and classes were still going on. Miss Tozer stood at the front of the bus. “Carl, would you go down the aisle with this bin sack? The rest of you pick up all the sweetie papers, crisp packets and rubbish from the floor and put in the bin sack. We want Benny’s bus to be as clean now as when we got on.” When Carl returned she pointed to the gaggle of parents waiting by the front gate, “If your parents are there you can go home with them after Benny has got your luggage from the bus. The rest of you can wait with Mrs Harper and Mrs Robinson in the entrance hall. Can I just say thank you for a most interesting week.” Wayne did not turn around but he could feel every eye boring into the back of his head. In five days he had become a minor celebrity and he would be anonymous no longer. “”And now can we have three cheers for Benny and his wonderful driving and Mrs Robinson and Mrs Harper for working so hard.” There was a huge cheer and, as she stood aside they all trooped off with a chorus of compliments.

  “Great Miss!”

  “That was brill.”

  “You’re ace Miss.”

  Eventually there was just Wayne, who was behind Jo to leave. “No Mrs Woodward eh Wayne?”

  “I don’t have a mobile phone Miss. I couldn’t ring home like the others did.”

  Cursing her lapse of concentration Jo said, “I’ll ask Mrs Harper to give you a lift. She lives around the corner.”

  “Thanks Miss.”

  Wayne sat in Bridget’s tiny car. For him this was a treat. He had rarely been in a car. In London his mother couldn’t afford one and, besides there would have been nowhere to park. And nana, well she didn’t have a car, had never even taken a test. This was a pleasant experience. He sniffed. “I like your car Miss. It has a nice smell.”

  “Thank you Wayne. It’s new so it still has that new car smell.”

  “I like it. It doesn’t make me feel small.”

  “I know what you mean; little people like us need little cars eh?”

  Laughing he said, “Yes Miss. That’s one way of putting it.”

  When he was finally in his room he closed the door and looked around. This was his world now and he ought to make it belong to him. He went to the little box in which he put the money he received as pocket money. He had not had the opportunity to spend much and he found he had quite a bit stashed away. He regretted not taking it with him to Whitby; he would have loved to buy one of those chess sets. However if he had who knows what Johnno, Lee and Darren might have done, knowing he had such a large amount?

  He thought back to the chess sets; he had visited the shop every time he had been in Whitby. He had peered intently at every piece, fearful of touching them in case they broke but desperate to hold them. He wondered if they had such a shop in Hartlepool? He would ask Mrs Woodward after tea. He would get a chess set and borrow a book from the library about moves. He might not have anyone to play with but he could play a game of chess against himself.

  As he ate his tea he ventured a question. “Mrs Woodward are there any shops in Hartlepool that sell chess sets?”

  “Chess sets? Let me think. No Wayne I can’t think of any and I am not sure there are any in Middlesbrough either. Why do you ask?”

  “Well when I was in Whitby I saw a shop with some great chess sets and I wanted to but myself one.”

  “What a shame.” She chewed for a while and then, when she had finished she said, “What about online?”

  “Online?”

  “Have you never bought anything online?” He shook his head. He didn’t want to have to explain that he and his mother had never owned a computer. It made them seem poor somehow. “Oh I do it all the time, E-bay, Amazon there’s tons of sites you can things from. When we have cleared the table we’ll have a look eh?”

  Mrs Woodward felt quite pleased that she could do something to help the boy. He had been no trouble at all unlike many of the disturbed and damaged young people she had had to deal with. It might be fun too. She had never tried to buy a chess set.

  Wayne too was excited and he cheerfully piled the dishes in the dishwasher. He thought he ought to explain to Mrs Woodward that he had money and he tried to think of a way to say it which wouldn’t sound awkward. In the end he just said, “I can spend up to £60.”

  “Ooh that’s a lot. Are you sure you want to spend that much?”

  “Yes Mrs Woodward. I like chess and I want to spend my money on it.”

  “Well it is your money luv. I expect we’ll get a really nice one for that kind of money.”

  He pulled his chair in next to Mrs Woodward who seemed an expert. She swiftly logged on and went to her search engine. “I think we’ll just type in chess sets, see what comes up eh?” Within seconds, almost magically to Wayne, the screen filled with sites offering chess sets. “Let’s try this one, Chess king.” Suddenly, to Wayne’s delight there were chess sets, the one he played with in the library, the Staunton.

  His face fell when he saw the price. “£599! I can’t afford that.”

  “Let’s put a filter on eh. Best sellers. There you are £34 or £49.”

  “Oh that’s better; I’ll have one of those.”

  “Don’t be too hasty. Typical man. Why is it that women shop but men just buy? Let’s try another site we can always go back to this one. Chess Maze.”

  As she scrolled down the next page Wayne suddenly shouted, “Stop! That’s it. That’s the one I saw in Whitby. That’s the one I want.”

  Mrs Woodward read from the screen. “British and French figures. Well it is lovely looking. £49. You can afford it. Are you sure?” He nodded. “Right I’ll put that in your basket.” He watched as she clicked one in the basket and it came up done. “I think you will need a board now eh?” Once again she clicked and found half a dozen. �
�The cheapest one is £14. That is over your limit.” In her mind the kind woman was thinking of subsidising Wayne.

  “It’s alright I have more than £60. I’d like that one.”

  “Good. There it is done.”

  He looked at her perplexed. “But how do I pay?”

  “Well you give me the money and I’ll pay with my credit card.” He looked at her sceptically. “Oh don’t worry I get points for using my card so you are doing me a favour.”

  “Thanks Mrs Woodward.” He was so pleased he kissed her on the cheek and then ran upstairs.

  Feeling a little touched she shouted up the stairs, “Where are you off to?”

  “To get the money!”

  When he arrived back clutching the exact amount she said, “There’s no rush. You could have waited.”

  “I just wanted to give it to you. Thanks a lot.” He thought if he had paid for it then he would receive it. He was taking no chances with this precious possession. “When will it come?”

  She looked at the screen. “Probably Tuesday.” His face fell. “I am sure I have an old battered set if you want to play with that until yours comes. I am afraid there are a couple of pieces missing.”

  “Do you have any old toy soldiers?”

  “Well yes. I think my son left some. I’ll be back in a minute.” When she arrived back she had a tin with toy soldiers in and a chess box.

  “Great. Can I use the dining table?”

  “Of course you can. I’ll just make myself a cup of tea. Want anything?”

  “No thanks.” A few minutes later he had placed the pieces on the correct squares on the board. There were five pieces missing, a white knight, a black knight, two white pawns and a black pawn. He emptied the box on the floor and saw to his delight some knights. He found one that was black and another that was silver. Now for the pawns. He looked through to try to find some with similarities. In the end he found two British commandoes who would do for the white pawns and a German paratrooper for the black pawn.

  By the time Mrs Woodward returned he was busy playing chess against himself; going from one side of the table to the other. She shook her head and then sat next to the computer. “Right E-bay what have you got to offer tonight?”