Cloud Boy

by Marcia Williams

  13TH AUGUST,

  PARTY PLANNING

  CLOUDS: Contrails spread across a blue sky like rays of sunlight

  Dearest Diary,

  Mum and Lilly said a party would be OK, so Harry and Cirrus came over for breakfast and we had pancakes. Harry ate six, all with chocolate spread. I ate five, three with chocolate spread and two with syrup. Cirrus ate one with a dog-treat topping!

  Dad made them because Grandma was still in bed. She’s full of good intentions but the early morning ones often go wrong! Anyway, it didn’t matter because after breakfast we went up to her room and started our party plan.

  First Grandma read us this letter where she’d written about a Changi Christmas party.

  I’ll be sad when our quilt is finished too, because I like doing something special with Grandma. I wonder if we could finish the quilt for Harry’s Christmas present?

  Our party is going to have entertainment like a Changi party. The prisoners who could sing, juggle, do magic tricks, recite poetry, dance or whatever would volunteer to perform for the others. Grandma says that the Japanese guards loved watching the magic tricks. Luckily we’re not entertaining any guards because none of us can do magic. Grandma remembers she and Jimmy did a juggling act at one party, but she doubts she could juggle now! We’re going to have food too, which is more than the poor Changi prisoners got.

  Anyway, our party is planned for tomorrow and not for Christmas, so I better get going! It has to be tomorrow because the day after Harry has to go back into hospital. If he is not allowed up into Artcloud we will put a table and chairs underneath and pretend it is a dark, stormy cumulonimbus day. Grandma is going to be in charge of food because Lilly’s baby bump means she needs to rest, and Mum has Solo. Dad is doing drinks and Harry and I are in charge of entertainment. We have a plan, but it’s a secret. We are going to rehearse later.

  Harry suggested reading the Rosie letters as part of the entertainment, but Grandma said that they were too personal. She did agree to read us a couple more before getting up, though I think it was just an excuse to stay in bed! Anyway, we snuggled under her covers, closed our eyes and imagined…

  It must have been terrible for Grandma when Jimmy went to the men’s camp. I’m dreading Harry going back to hospital. I wish I could sit on a cloud outside his window until he’s ready to come home.

  After lunch we gave Cirrus a run in the garden and then Harry had to go home for a rest. I made some programmes for our party performance tomorrow. It’s going to be the most brilliant party ever.

  14TH AUGUST,

  PARTY DAY!

  CLOUDS: Not a cloud in the sky

  Dearest Diary,

  It is very, very late – nearly midnight – but this has been the best day of my whole life. Better than every Christmas and birthday rolled into one – which reminds me, talking of “rolls”, Harry’s absolute favourite cloud is the roll cloud, only found in Australia. But I’ll get him to tell you about that another time. Now I want to tell you about the party, which was fantastic.

  Mum and Lilly decorated the garden with streamers, bunting, party poppers and balloons. Dad and Grandma did a mega shop and bought every food you could possibly put on your wish list! We put out cushions, rugs, hammocks, chairs, fairy lights and candles underneath Artcloud. Then at five o’clock I went and rang the Artcloud bell three times and the party began!

  Solo had chosen the music (yeah right) and came dressed up as a clown, which he definitely is! Cirrus came as himself, which can’t be improved on apart from his habit of stealing food and then weeing with excitement. All the grown-ups dressed in their best and drank champagne cocktails in posh glasses. Harry and I drank pretend cocktails from old jam jars.

  Mum and Gertie juggled plates while dancing to Greek music, which was hilarious because every single plate smashed. Gertie was right about not being able to juggle any more! Lilly and Joe sang a very unscary ghost song and a funny song about being school girls – Joe wore a skirt and a wig! Then came the high point of the evening: the once-in-a-lifetime performance by Harry Christmas and Angela Moon.

  Although I say it myself, it was a brilliant performance and our hat was filled to the brim. The real Cirrus barked his appreciation, especially when he found a sausage in the hat!

  After the performances we ate, sang, told stories and silly jokes, and admired the stars through Grandpa Jimmy’s telescope. I’m too tired to write more, but it was a great evening – the best ever.

  15TH AUGUST,

  PERISHING HEDGEHOG!

  CLOUDS: No clouds, just Harry!

  I was woken really early this morning by the sound of the Artcloud bell. Even in my sleep I knew this was strange. Harry isn’t allowed up there and I was in my bed. Who could be ringing the bell?

  Well, you guessed it, it was Harry! Not on the roof this time, but barricaded inside with Cirrus. There was a big banner outside that said: “I’M NEVER GOING BACK TO HOSPITAL AND YOU CAN’T MAKE ME!”

  His mum and dad were already in the garden and they were both in tears. Harry said he would get back on the roof and jump if anyone tried to climb up to him. It was awful and I didn’t know what to do so I went and got Mum and Dad. Mum took Lilly inside while Joe tried to reason with Harry. He’d thrown all the special things I’d added to Artcloud out onto the lawn. I’d only done it to please him – he just gets harder and harder to like!

  Dad wouldn’t let me go up and talk to Harry because he thought I might stay up there with him, so I went and got back into bed and hid under the duvet. But that felt wrong so I watched out of the window.

  It’s lunchtime now and Harry’s still up there. Grandma says I should try to talk him down, because he might listen to me. She says he won’t get better unless he has more treatment and he knows this.

  I hate him with a humungous hate, but I’m going out to try.

  LATER

  It was useless, I knew it would be. Harry’s as stubborn as a brick.

  He let Cirrus out and lowered him down in the basket, but that was it. He had the cheek to say I’d ruined Artcloud with all my “girlie stuff”. Why were we ever born in the same flipping hospital? It’s official, he is no longer my almost-twin. Grandma and I are going to take Cirrus and Solo to the park and I don’t ever want to see Harry again. He is unfriended.

  MUCH LATER

  Harry is in hospital. Joe had to call an ambulance in the end, because Harry hadn’t had his medicine. The ambulance people got him down. I didn’t see them take him away because Grandma, Solo and I stayed out late. We had pizza, chips, dough balls and ice cream. It tasted delicious, which it probably shouldn’t have done, because while Harry was having a really horrid time I was having fun.

  I’m not angry now and things suddenly seem very wobbly and scary. Who will come when I ring the Artcloud bell if Harry’s not there? It’ll be like ringing a bell on a ghost ship – only the wind will answer.

  22ND AUGUST,

  NO COMMENT

  CLOUDS: Cirrus

  Dear Diary,

  I’ve had a horrible week and it probably serves me right. I should never have had that fun day out with Grandma and Solo when my almost-twin was in trouble.

  Both Grandma and Harry are in hospital and everyone is snappy. Harry is not allowed visitors and Grandma didn’t want any. The only good thing is that I’m looking after Cirrus full time. Also, Grandma is coming out of hospital this afternoon and Mum says she is definitely going to stay with us until her heart is stronger, which will take ages. I wish Harry could come home too – except he’d probably do something idiotic like throw himself off the roof of Artcloud. Maybe I should do something about that… Hmm, I’ve just had an idea – but do I dare?

  Yes I do.

  WATCH THIS SPACE!

  23RD AUGUST,

  A SMASHING NIGHT!

  CLOUDS: Not a cloud in the sky – not even a contrail

  Well, I’ve done it! I crept downstairs when everyone was asleep, took Dad’s saw and torch, unlocked th
e back door and climbed up to Artcloud. I was scared out of my mind because there were so many strange noises. I don’t know what they were, foxes maybe, but I was shaking. I wished I had brought Cirrus with me, but he might have barked and woken everyone up. Anyway, I went along to Harry’s end of the walkway and started to saw through his ladder. It took ages and made so much noise I was sure someone would hear, but I finally made it through and I have the blisters to prove it. I gave the ladder a mighty kick and it crashed to the ground. Then the lights did go on in Harry’s house and mine.

  Cirrus was barking his head off and everyone was yelling. I think they thought I was trying to saw down the whole of Artcloud! Nobody would listen to me, so I grabbed Cirrus and ran to my room and hid under the duvet. Now it’s morning and I’m too scared to go downstairs. Cirrus is still curled up asleep. I’ve peeped out of the window – the ladder has smashed some of Joe and Lilly’s plant pots. I don’t care. If it stops Harry climbing up onto Artcloud and hurting himself, it’s worth it.

  LATER

  Dearest and most patient Diary,

  I’m not in too much trouble, but Dad and Mum both say that I’m to stop taking the law into my own hands. Personally, Diary, I think everyone is relieved that I’ve done what they didn’t dare to do for fear of upsetting Harry.

  Joe says I’m not to worry about the broken pots and that he’ll put the ladder up again when Harry is really, really better. Mum said I had to help clear up the mess before Lilly comes back from the hospital, so that’s what I’ve been doing. Cirrus has been a big help. He keeps licking me – he knows what it is like to be in trouble!

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  SEPTEMBER

  A BRAVE MONTH!

  ------------------

  3RD SEPTEMBER,

  END OF THE HOLIDAYS

  CLOUDS: Cirrostratus nebulosus

  I go back to school tomorrow and Harry is still in hospital. Mum says that the doctors are worried he’ll get an infection and that’s why we can’t visit. Lilly is never at home so she must be staying at the hospital, which means Harry isn’t dead – sometimes I think nobody would tell me if he was.

  I really, really, really miss him, even if he is an idiot. I’m going to go to the hospital on my own after school tomorrow. I know how to get there and I know Harry wants to see me and Cirrus. I keep thinking how much Grandma missed Jimmy when he was in the men’s camp, so Harry has to see me. I’ve drawn a picture of Cirrus and covered it in his paw prints – I know it’ll help Harry get better. I’ve also hidden loads of sweets, Cirrus hairs and some of Harry’s cloud notebooks in my backpack – luckily I’ve got a big one!

  Grandma is much better and we’ve started sewing the quilt again. Grandma is super speedy at stitching. I’m super slow, but full of amazingly brilliant ideas of what to stitch where. Grandma says at this rate our quilt will be as special as the Changi one, which is saying something!

  4TH SEPTEMBER,

  WALKING THROUGH FOG

  Dear Diary,

  Did you know that fog is really a layer of low-lying stratus cloud? Probably not, but that is what it feels like in my brain this morning. Stratus translucidus is when the layer is thin enough to show the outline of the sun or moon – a little glimmer of light behind a wall of mist. I have no such glimmer.

  I can’t really believe I am going back to school today without Harry. I am also really frightened that when I visit Harry he won’t be like the old Harry and I might wish I hadn’t gone to the hospital.

  Mum’s calling me for breakfast – got to go.

  LATER

  OK, so it’s like this – I did not run off to the hospital alone. Mum put a snack in my bag this morning and when she saw what was hidden in there, she guessed my plan. So Grandma took me out of school early and we went to see Harry – with the doctor’s permission.

  Diary, I would like to start by telling you about Harry, even though I know you know, because I’ve already told you. Harry is my best friend and almost-twin. We were born in the same hospital two days apart and I have been with him nearly every day of my life. If it didn’t sound soppy, I would say I love him and he loves me, because we know everything the other’s feeling without ever needing words. So that’s enough of that, but I had to say it because I know Harry is still that Harry, but I’m frightened that the space I feel opening up may be waiting to swallow him.

  I can’t really write about seeing Harry. It was very quiet, but the quietness was like an extremely heavy cloud. Harry was very, very pale and didn’t talk much. He was attached to all sorts of drips and wires that were connected to bleeping machines. He looked comfortable, just sleepy. Grandma put the telescope on the bed beside him. Harry must have noticed because he whispered that the telescope dated back to 1820. He was right, it does. He didn’t say anything else, but Grandma decided that he must be awake so she might as well read a Rosie letter, as they are definitely one of Harry’s favourite things. We didn’t know if he was listening, but I held his hand, just like when we were little, and Grandma read.

  But before I show you what she read, dearest Diary, I just want to say:

  We were all crying by the end of the letter, even Harry, so he must have been listening. It is hard to believe that little boy was my Grandpa Jimmy. Grandma got just as cross with him as I do with that Harry Hedgehog. Yet Jimmy didn’t do a thing wrong, and as for Harry – well, I just can’t help wanting to murder him for being so unwell, the stupid, ridiculous, idiotic boy.

  The nurse came in right at the end of Grandma’s letter and was really snappy when we all started crying. Silly her, what does she know? I think crying is sometimes as good for you as laughing. Harry kept holding my hand.

  I’m sorry if I’ve ever, ever said bad things about you, Harry. Or got cross with you when I shouldn’t. I just want to finish your quilt so that you can cover yourself in all our happy memories – it’ll make you feel so much better.

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  OCTOBER

  AN EVEN BRAVER MONTH

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  10TH OCTOBER,

  JUST SADNESS

  It’s really hard to write, because none of us can stop thinking about Harry. He has finished his treatment and the doctors say it has gone really well, but now it’s up to Harry. Harry has given up – Cirrus and I both think so. He just doesn’t want to go on being ill, but I think that sometimes you’ve got to face up to being ill so you can get better.

  The nurse at the hospital told Lilly and Joe that Grandma and I upset Harry, so they’ve asked us not to visit any more, which is rubbish. Seriously, Diary, it is rubbish, rubbish, rubbish. I haven’t seen Harry for ages and I miss him. Mum says not to fuss Lilly, because she has enough to deal with and we don’t want to bring her baby into the world too early. Flicking baby, what about Harry leaving the world? I can’t worry about the baby too. It doesn’t even have a name.

  If I was Harry I’d want to be at home with my family and my new puppy. I don’t think I can bring him home, but… I’ve just had the best idea!

  11TH OCTOBER,

  EXHAUSTED!

  Dear Diary,

  WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS. YOU NEED SKILL AND COURAGE – BASICALLY YOU NEED TO BE ME!

  What a day! I got up so early it was only just getting light. I put Cirrus on his lead and off we set for a walk. I kept walking … and walking … and walking. Cirrus was exhausted and I had to carry him the last bit.

  Eventually, we reached the hospital. Luckily by this time Cirrus was asleep in my arms and did not object to being hidden in my backpack. I walked up the steps, took the lift to Harry’s floor, smiled at the duty nurse and walked straight into Harry’s room. Lilly was asleep and so was Harry, so I took Cirrus out of my bag and pushed him under the blankets on the side where there were no drips or drains.

  I saw Harry’s hand groping around to find what the warm bundle was. Then his eyes opened and he disappeared under the covers. Unfortunately, Cirrus was so happy to see Harry he wet the bed –
but Harry laughed.

  Yes, that’s what I said, Harry laughed!

  The next minute Lilly woke up, the nurse walked in and Cirrus fell on the floor! Then Harry burst into tears and said he wanted to go home. The nurse checked Harry’s drips and drains, which luckily were all still in the right places, but she said I better leave sharpish. She picked Cirrus up and gave him a cuddle. Then instead of giving him back to me, she gave him to Harry. I was totally gobsmacked! Harry buried his head in Cirrus and told him he’d be home to look after him very soon. All I can remember after that is Lilly hugging me, and then sitting on the hospital steps with Cirrus and a security guard waiting for Dad to collect me.

  I had to go to school after, which didn’t seem fair, but when I finally got home Mum said she had a surprise for me. She told me to change out of my school clothes and then she took me next door. There was Harry lying on his giant beanbag, with Cirrus curled up on his stomach! Lilly gave me a hug and thanked me for being such a good and brave friend. I actually don’t think I’m going to get into trouble!

  Harry said that it was just like Grandma said: after the operation he felt as if he was floating on a cloud and then gradually and gently it landed him back in the world. Then when he had to go back into hospital he felt as though a stratus opacus cloud had settled over him and he couldn’t see his way out and hadn’t got the energy to find it. He said he had needed me and puppy Cirrus to show him the way, because his mum and dad had got lost in the cloud with him. It seems I have my uses.