by Griff Hosker
“I know I saw that it London. Yes Debbie just seemed determined to get better, almost overnight, and a week later the doctors said that she was recovered enough to leave.”
“It’s strange isn’t it? It’s as though poor Maggie had to die for the two of them to get better.”
Debbie and Wayne arrived at the car both happily licking their ice creams. Miriam thought they looked more like brother and sister than mother and son but the happiness dripped off them like the ice cream running down their cheeks.
Chapter 18
Hargreaves, Taggart and Simpson were an old-fashioned firm of solicitors. There was, indeed, only one solicitor, Brian Hargreaves. Not for his firm the ambulance chasing and industrial complaints of wrongful dismissal. He still dealt in the world of wills, house sales, the bread and butter of his retired father and his two deceased partners. His office reflected that with its solid oak desk and paintings of past partners adorning the walls along with his qualifications. His secretary looked to have been made in the nineteen sixties and stayed there. As she showed them into the austere office the solicitor asked, “Tea or coffee?” They shook their heads. “Just a coffee for me then Joan.” He took out a file as they made themselves comfortable. “First of all can I say how sorry I am about your mother and grand-mother? She was a wonderful lady and I have been her solicitor for fourteen years.” He looked at Debbie who averted her gaze to inspect the moulding on the edge of the ornate table. “She often spoke to me of you two and the gap between London and here.” There was no criticism in his tone but Debbie coloured and squirmed a little.
Joan came in with the coffee. “Will there be anything else Mr Hargreaves?”
“No. This is my last appointment is it not?” She nodded. “Well I have everything I need here. If you want to finish early that is fine with me.” The door shut and he opened the file. “I won’t bother reading all the legal mumbo jumbo I am sure you want to know what Maggie intended.” They both nodded. He looked at Wayne. “Your gran changed her will after you arrived young man. Did you know that?” The boy shook his head, his eyes wide with wonder. “You made a real impression on her. She sat in that chair and told me all about what a nice writer you were, what a polite young man and all the things that you did. You may not have been in her life for very long but you changed it and for the better.”
Wayne felt a tear trickle from his eye and he wiped it off. Debbie held his other hand and squeezed his fingers.
“Now let’s get on with it. After the arrangements for the funeral she left almost everything equally to the two of you. Of course Wayne you won’t see any benefit until you are eighteen. She was a wise woman was Maggie. She didn’t know, Debbie, if and when you would, er, recover and she needed to make sure that Wayne would be looked after. She had no idea how ill she was and thought she would have a great deal of time with Wayne. Sadly that was not to be.” He took a sip of his coffee and Wayne and Debbie gave the other a weak smile. “The assets. First there is the property in Hope Street.” He took the keys from an envelope and handed them to Debbie who, in turn, gave them to Wayne. The solicitor smiled. Maggie had known what she was doing all right. “Then there are the contents. “He handed a list to Debbie. “There is some jewellery. I told Maggie to get it appraised and insured but… well it wasn’t important to her. Things never were it was people she cared for. Next there are some financial assets.”
“Financial? Mum had money?”
“Oh yes Debbie she was canny with her money. She was given, as many people were, shares in British Gas, British Telecom and so on. She kept those and when she got the option to buy more she did so. Her portfolio is worth,” he handed a piece of paper to Debbie who almost screamed. “Quite. The dividend, last year was almost £8000. A tidy sum. Then there are the bonds. She had your late father’s redundancy and his pension. She invested those in long term bonds and ISAs, they are worth £80,000 and finally…”
“There’s more?”
“Oh yes there is £10,000 in Premium Bonds and since your mother died you have another £50.” He handed everything over. “Now if you would both sign these documents where I have indicated. I am sorry there are rather a lot of them and …oh yes I nearly forgot.” He reached into his desk and brought out a box which he handed to Wayne.” When Maggie showed me your lovely penmanship I went out and bought this to give to you. You can have it now. It is a rather fine fountain pen. It will make your writing even better.”
“Thank you.” He opened the box and took out a beautiful silver fountain pen. The smile on his face actually made the solicitor beam himself. After they had signed them he stood up and shook their hands. “Thank you both very much. I hope if you need a solicitor you will remember me. I would like to continue to work with Maggie Thomson’s family.”
“So would we. So would we.” Debbie then threw her arms around the solicitor and hugged him.
Miriam turned to Anna and said quietly, “You certainly do things differently up here. In London we would have been out of the door in ten minutes.”
“It might be off the beaten track but there are some points to living up here as I am discovering myself.”
Once outside Miriam drew Debbie to one side. “I am going back on the train to London I assume that you will be staying here?”
“Yes. I wasn’t sure but now I am.”
“Now Wayne is still in care until he can be released to you.”
“But…”
“I know you are ready and I have said that in my report… that I will be writing on the train!” She laughed. I have spoken with my colleague and first thing on Monday morning she will see her bosses. But that means, for the weekend he will still be at Mrs Woodward’s. Will you be all right with that?”
“I’ll have to be won’t I?” she added sullenly.
“Now Debbie. You have come a long way and a long way very quickly but think what you were like four weeks ago. Now come on. It’s just two more days that’s all.”
“I suppose.”
“Anna, could you drop me at the station?”
“No problem, it’s actually on the way back to the house.”
When Miriam got out of the car so did Debbie. “Sorry Miriam. I don’t want to sound ungrateful and I know you have worked wonders for my lad and me it’s just that when you want to make a new start to your life you want to start it straight away.”
“’When Harry Met Sally’? Right?”
“Right.”
“Don’t worry Debbie come Monday I will be able to close this case… for good.”
Anna stayed in the car when Debbie and Wayne arrived and the two of them waited outside with the key in Debbie’s hand. For Debbie it had been fourteen years since she had been there but for Wayne the last time he had been in the house was the night his nana had died. They had just put the key in the door when the next door opened.
“Debbie!”
“Mary! Mary Burns!”
“Eeeh I am sorry about yer mam.” The old woman threw her arms around Debbie and squeezed as hard as she could. “Wayne luv.” She then hugged him.
“Thanks Mary and thanks for, you know?”
“No problem. Our Kevin might be a bit wild at times but he’s a good lad.”
“I know.”
“What’s that all about?”
“I’ll tell you later mum. Well are we going in or what?”
“I’ll leave you two to it. If there’s owt you want just give me a knock. It’ll be nice to have neighbours again.”
Once inside the two of them wandered hand in hand. To Debbie the house seemed smaller than it had all those years ago. Wayne just kept seeing his nana, in her chair, in the kitchen, tidying, cooking, cleaning and, best of all, reading. They both looked at the stairs and then at each other. “I’ll go first mum.” He climbed the stairs with a heavy heart. On the landing he pushed upon Maggie’s bedroom door. “That’s where I found her. That’s where she was lying.” He suddenly burst into tears. “I couldn’t save her! I t
ried. Honest I tried but I couldn’t!”
Debbie clutched her son to her breast. I know son. I know. Don’t blame yourself. It will be all right trust me.” She wiped the tears from his eyes and led him from the bedroom. She opened the door on the other side of the landing. “Yours?” He nodded. “Mine too when I lived at home. Come on let’s get you to Mrs Woodward’s.”
“But I thought we would live here together.”
“So did I son but apparently there’s paperwork.” She grimaced ruefully. “There’s always paperwork. Until Monday you’ll have to live at Mrs Woodward’s. Besides I’ll have to get the horse sorted. It needs a good clean. There’s a month’s dust in it. And I can see you over the weekend. It’s just that we won’t be in the same house.”
Anna could sense Debbie checking out the neighbourhood as they drove up. She smiled to herself. Debbie would be fine. Her mother’s instincts had always been there, just hidden beneath the illness and the problems. Mrs Woodward opened the door with a smile bright enough to make you reach for your sunglasses. “You must be Wayne’s mum, come in, you too Anna. I have just put the kettle on. Where’s your bag?”
Debbie looked at Anna in confusion. “My bag?”
“Well I assumed you would want to be with your bairn. I know I would. I’ve made the spare room up for you. I daresay I’ll be losing this young man soon but we still have the weekend eh?”
“I couldn’t put…”
“Put me out? You would be putting me out if I had Wayne here mooning around because he couldn’t se his mam. No I insist.”
“Well …” Anna appeared with her case. “I guess it is settled then. Thank you.”
“I’ll see you two on Monday. Wayne you still have school.” He nodded. “And then we can go into the office and sort the paperwork out.” She came over to Wayne and gave him a hug. “Bye.”
After Debbie had unpacked and Mrs Woodward busied herself with the tea Wayne set up his chess set. “What’s this? Toy soldiers?”
“Toy soldiers! It’s a chess set.”
“Does Mrs Woodward let you play with it?”
“It’s mine.” He looked at her with an injured look on his face. “I bought it with money I have saved up.”
“It’s lovely. “She picked up the Queen; it was Josephine. “Are you any good?”
He smiled smugly, “I am representing the school in a tournament at the Sixth Form.”
She gave him a hug. “That’s brilliant! Could you teach me?”
“No problem. I taught Kev, you should be easy to teach.”
“Who is Kev?”
As he taught her the basic moves he explained about the bullying and Larpool Hall, minus the ghost, and the running and… well everything. She sat through it without a word. Mechanically listening and moving pieces but all the time processing the information he had given her.
“My God! Why did no one tell me? I would have been up here like a shot.”
“Mum you weren’t well. It would have made you worse. Besides, “he shrugged, “it all turned out didn’t it?”
“Yes but…”
“It’s in the past mum. Let it lie. I know if you had been well you would have sorted it but I had to do it. I had a bit of help but the important thing is that we can make a new start, together.” He picked his king up and rolled it around in his fingers. “The new start mum.”
“Hm?”
“Is it a new start here or back in London?” He went on hurriedly. “I mean if you want to go back to London then that is fine but I just need to…”
“When I was lying in bed, getting better, well I thought we would come back to London and start again but now I’m up here and seeing you so, happy, so mature and well adjusted and well grown up. I wonder if that would have happened in London even if I….and the thing is, I don’t have to rush to find a job. Your nan surprised me with the money she had and now it’s our money. Don’t get me wrong Wayne I would trade it all to have your nana back but the money and security are there and…stay up here?”
“Stay up here!”
“Tea’s ready.”
When Monday morning came and he was to leave Mrs Woodward they were both a bit tearful. “I always like this when my foster kids have a happy ending but I will miss you.” She turned to Debbie. “You have done a good job Debbie you can be proud.”
“I am. And thank you for looking after my son.”
“I’ll pack up your things ready for the move.”
When Anna pulled up outside school she got out of the car. “Well Wayne it is quite likely that this will be the last time I bring you to school. I’ll probably see you at Hope Street but today will be your first day walking home.”
“No Miss not the first time, just the first time without nana.” He smiled. “Don’t worry Miss I’m not getting sad. Just remembering, hearing voices in my head. It’s what someone told me to do.” His mother gave him a funny look but Wayne had turned around and entered the school.
Chapter 19
Debbie was exhausted as she sat in her mother’s old armchair with her cup of tea. She had not stopped since dropping Wayne off. The meeting had gone as expected and she was grateful to Anna who had done everything in her power to see the two of them united. Her boss had been quite happy as the case had had the potential to be front page news and he was pleased to have Wayne off his hands. Anna was given a watching brief until Christmas to ensure there were no relapses. Debbie had then had to go shopping and begin to clean and tidy the house. She looked up at the clock. She had forgotten to ask what time he would be in but she assumed he would be in as soon as he could. She decided that she would get them both a mobile phone. In London she could not afford one but she now could, with the extra money she had inherited. She had seen a deal with two phones in the shopping centre; she would go there tomorrow. Not that she wanted Wayne to be on the end of a leash. She just wanted to know he had been safe. She had called in to Mary Burns to give her own thanks for Kevin’s intervention. While there she had done a couple of jobs for the old lady.
“It’s me radiator, needs bleeding and I can’t turn the key. It’s my arthritis you know. And while you’re here do you think you could put a battery in that clock there’s one in the drawer only it’s too high for me to reach. My Bert was given that clock when he retired. He worked forty five years for that clock, he was so proud of it. He loved that clock and the chimes are so comforting. They remind me of him. The house is silent otherwise; it makes me feel as empty as it is.”
Debbie was glad to help the old lady who had helped her family in the past. It was good to repay kindness with kindness.
She found herself clock watching. Where would he be now? Should she go to the door and watch for him coming down the street? If he had not suffered the bullying and the attacks then she would not have been as worried but she remembered the bullies when she had been at school. Except they were girls and they were evil and insidious. They did not go in for the physical violence instead they used a much deadlier weapon, their tongues. They spread rumours; they called her names. She remembered how she had loved sports, all sports, how she had run for the school, played hockey and netball for the school and then the gang who decided they didn’t like her called her ‘Sweaty Betty’ and ‘stick insect’ and much worse names. Looking back now she could see that she had stopped playing sports and stopped trying at school because it was easier to stay off school and hide in her room and seek out the darker places at night which was when it had all started to go wrong.
Perhaps Wayne was at training for the cross-country team, that was it. She visibly relaxed and put on the television. As she flicked through the five available channels she decided they would have to get digital. But Wayne hadn’t taken his towel or bag so he couldn’t be doing cross country. She went to the phone to ring the school and suddenly panicked. She didn’t even have the school phone number. All her old fears resurfaced and she went to the hallway to get her coat. She would go to meet him.
As she ope
ned the door and looked towards Church Street to her relief she saw him turning the corner. She quickly took off her jacket and sat down to watch the television again. The door opened and Wayne popped his head around. “Hi mum.”
Keeping her voice as neutral as possible she said, “You’re a bit late aren’t you?”
“Library mum. I’m in there most nights. I did tell you.”
She suddenly remembered the conversation. “Oh yes sorry.”
“Were you watching for me?”
“Me? No.”
Hiding a grin at the lie, for he had seen her watching him he shouted, “I’ll be down in a minute. I’ll just get changed.”
“Has Anna been yet?”
“No why what do you need?”
“Well nothing but I would like my chess set.”
“You really like the game don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“But why?”
He thought about it and then said, “I learned how to play from one of the brightest lads in the year above me. He’s gifted and talented and yet I managed to teach the game to a lad who, to be frank is not too clever, but we can all play the game and we can all enjoy it. And when you lose it’s not like football where you get upset you just look forward to the next game where you might win.”
“I think I understand.”
“What’s for tea?”
“Corned beef hash.”
“Brill. My favourite! Thanks mum!”
They had just finished their tea when there was a knock on the door. Wayne raced to open it.”Hello Wayne.”
“Can I help you unpack Miss?”
“Is that so you make sure your precious chess set doesn’t get damaged?”
“Miss you know me too well. Of course.”
The object, more precious than gold, was carried in and placed, very carefully, on the dining table and then he raced back out to empty the car in minutes flat. “Well done Wayne.”
“No problem Miss and Miss Allen, thank you for taking care of me. I know I wasn’t easy but you helped me get through some hard times.”