by JRP Taylor
Decisions, decisions. Making the correct decision had kept Ryan awake for what seemed like most of the night.
He had had a brilliant time. The two boys had watched an action movie together, an army movie called Carter’s Command and they had both loved every minute of it.
But now back at home, he found he hadn’t been able to sleep. All he could think about whilst lying awake in bed was making the correct decision – just which new video game was he going to buy?
His mum had already heard all about the find long before she had collected him at ten. Mrs Rayner had telephoned to tell Tanya all about it shortly after the boys had left the shop with their sweets and drinks.
“I’m just phoning to say,” Mrs Rayner had said, just so Tanya wouldn’t worry that. “Ryan did the right thing in offering me the money he had found outside my shop,” adding how he’d been “very honest about it.” She then explained her reasons for not accepting it.
Over breakfast Ryan scoffed down his cereal, at one point almost choking himself. He was all too eager to get online and check out the latest gaming reviews.
He knew that he didn’t have enough money for a brand new game, but just opposite Reggie’s Pizza Emporium in the town centre, there was a second-hand dealer called Gamezone Corner.
He knew that if he part-exchanged his old version of Swat-17 as part payment, he could probably pick up something quite decent and not too long out of date.
“I want to tell you how proud of you I am. I love you so much, and if your dad was here, he’d be so proud as well,” said his mum.
“I’ve made a decision,” she continued. “As you could have handed the money in and had nothing to show for it, I’ve thanked the Rayners for their kindness and told them I will now double it.”
Ryan was so happy with his mother’s most generous offer and that, he now calculated, added up to forty pounds in total. With the part-ex too, he could probably get something really decent, quite new in fact.
Ryan gave his mum the biggest hug in the world. “And don’t worry. We are still eating out as promised this evening too,” she joked.
After much discussion with friends on social media and the online gaming forums ran by enthusiasts, he finally made his mind up, he decided on Slender Man.
It was out only six weeks, within his budget and a quick email to Gamezone Corner had confirmed they had a copy in stock.
The day seemed to last a lifetime, and he had arranged that evening for Asan to come over and play.
As 3 p.m. arrived, his mother called him down from his bedroom. “If we go now we can have dinner and catch Gamezone before they close on the way back.”
They soon arrived at Ma Baker’s, the new restaurant in town, the one that everybody in Copper’s End had been talking about. This certainly was a fish and chip supper worth waiting that extra day for, they both agreed.
With mushy peas, a pickled egg and a cheese and onion pasty soon consumed, his mother couldn’t quite work out where he had put it all. Every bit was gone. “Are you going to lick the plate now too?” she laughed.
As Ryan finished drinking his favourite drink, a hot chocolate with vanilla, he noticed that a man who had been outside earlier, as they’d arrived to eat, was still stood there. It had now been for at least an hour he observed.
“Why is he still standing there Mum?” he asked inquisitively. “He’s there for the soldiers’ charity, Help for Heroes. He’s raising money for the injured boys,” she told him.
Ryan noticed a single tear fall from her right eye, landing on the dinner plate in front of her. Tanya tried to dry her eyes without any fuss, though succeeding only in noticeably smudging her eyeliner.
“Sorry Mum,” whispered Ryan, adding quietly, “I didn’t mean to make you feel sad.”
“Oh don’t be silly child,” her gentle return. “Just enjoy your drink and tell me about the new game you are going to get today. I want to hear all about it.”
She smiled at him across the table, but even though Ryan was only thirteen, he had already worked out when his mum was just trying to bravely change the subject.
“I’ll just be a moment. I’m popping to the ladies to do my face. I’ll just be a minute,” Tanya said back over her shoulder as she now walked away from the table.
Ryan, now alone, thought hard about the new video game as he occupied himself by playing on his smartphone, and concluded that he didn’t really need it after all. In fact he hadn’t even finished all of the levels of Dragon Raid yet. He still had seven and eight to go, so he wasn’t now sure why he wanted to swap it at all.
Indeed, if he did sell it today, he would never find out what the secret code for Scarcom Cave was, would he? All he could think about really was this man collecting money for the injured boys, and after a quick search via the free Wi-Fi on the Ma Baker network, he soon found his answer.
Help for Heroes was a charity run by soldiers, many themselves injured during war, run on behalf of other injured soldiers.
The closer he looked, again and again at the man raising money on the corner outside, the more he noticed that the reason he didn’t move very far was because he had two artificial legs. Of this he was certain.
“Look Mum,” he said as his mum returned. “He hasn’t got any legs, has he?”
“I don’t think he has son, no. I think you are correct, but let’s not stare, that will be very rude of us wouldn’t it?”
Ryan put his hand into his pocket and pulled out the old twenty pound note that he had found the day before outside Rayner’s of Copper’s End.
Using a new black crayon that had come free as part of a colouring set with his meal, he said to himself “sorry Your Majesty,” and proceeded to write across it under the Queen’s head. “This is for my dad.” He then went out to give the money to the soldier collecting on the corner.
Tanya once more left the table and went to the ladies room, but this time, running and quite inconsolable through tears. So noticeably upset was she that one of the young waitresses felt the need to follow her.
In between several bursts of uncontrolled emotional outpouring, Tanya told the young girl the story.
“Then you have the most wonderful son in all the world don’t you?” the young waitress informed. “His father will be so proud to look down on him today. He’s a Gold Star Kid, isn’t he?”
By the time his mum had composed herself, and after much fun and laughter to cheer up the mood with the waitress now known to be called Alina from Ukraine, Ryan had already given the soldier on the corner the twenty pound note.
He proudly told his mother, “His name is Nathan, he comes from Birmingham and he is 32 years old. He has three children, a boy and two girls, the youngest of them, a boy, is three.”
Adding; “He lost both of his legs in Helmond Province two years ago, to an improvised explosive device. Exactly the same as the one that killed Dad and.”
After pausing for a breath, he further added, “In fact, he looks a bit like Dad but he has a beard and wears glasses.”
He stopped abruptly at that point. Tanya accordingly reached deep into her handbag to find her purse, “Then you’d better give him that one as well son. Here’s the other twenty I promised you.”
She passed her crumpled note over to him. “No, that’s not necessary” said the now highly enlightened child. “Nathan says you’ve already lost enough… He said you’ve given more than any other could possibly offer. He says you gave your husband and he’s proud of you.”
THE GOLD STAR KID
Dreaming