Chapter 27 Irene and Sydney

 

Chapter 27

Irene and Sydney.

At six forty five, every weekday evening, Sydney tuned the radio, or the wireless, as he called it, to The Home Service. First of all he had made sure the battery had been charged at Barrett's Record and Music Shop so he could listen to 'The Archers;' the daily serial.

The radio volume was set quite high and everybody in the four cottages could hear it blasting. They knew Dan Archer and Peggy, even though they had no interest in the programme at all.

Irene was sitting in her chair and Sydney almost had his head next to the set.

Upstairs in their spare room, which was but a box room, as Finbar's was next door, was a well made up bed for the boy to sleep on Saturday. There was plenty of time to shop for his Shredded Wheat and Weetabix, but even though it was only Tuesday evening, his breakfast was ready for Sunday morning in their small pantry. They knew he liked his breakfast with hot water, to soften the cereal, and covered in sterilised milk and sugar.

Irene and Sydney ate bacon and eggs for breakfast every day, which they had been doing ever since rationing stopped when they couldn't buy enough for breakfast. They had a friend in Balsall Heath Road and another friend in Ombersley Road, whom they would swap food with and between them they shared their rationing. Doll Cadell in Balsall Heath Road, didn't like eggs at all, so she swapped with Irene and Sydney in exchange for cheese.

Rationing per person in the UK, or one week, was one egg, two ounces each of tea and butter, an ounce of cheese, eight ounces of sugar, four ounces of bacon and four ounces of margarine.

Sydney hated margarine so that went to Doll Cadell.

Their friend in Ombersley Road, Mona Hunter and her husband Ron, were Jewish, and didn't eat bacon so Irene and Sydney had their bacon and Mona and Ron had Irene and Sydney's margarine. Lots of things like that but when rationing stopped Irene and Sydney had a fried breakfast every day and used plenty of butter – best butter they called it.

They had lived alone for eight years since their only son, Ralph, had moved to Berlin upon his marriage to Margo, a German girl he had met when he was in Germany during the war. He brought her home to meet mom and dad but, as they didn't have room at the cottage, they stayed with Mona and Ron Hunter in Ombersley Road, but a German living in a Jewish household didn't quite click. She didn't seem antisemitic and they didn't seem anti German. So the couple went to Berlin and, even though they wrote for a couple of years, they lost touch. All they had was a Christmas card each year: To Mom and dad, with lots of love: Margo and Ralph. Hope to be over this year. And that was on every Christmas card which they kept in a drawer. They didn't talk about Ralph much but they were heartbroken and they looked forward to Finbar staying in Ralph's bed.

But when Saturday night came there was no Finbar.

Irene and Sydney didn't know what to do as they didn't miss him till about nine-o-clock on Saturday evening. They were never sure of the expected time of his arrival and both of them waited up till midnight. They could have gone to the police station in Edward Road, which was a short walk along the main road, but they wouldn't have known what to say.

They were not expecting Carmel and Patrick till about midday or so as they were due in Birmingham on the boat train from Holyhead.

At the top of the lane mister Murdoch was taking his car out and about to turn into Moseley Road when he was stopped by the horse and cart of a rag and bone man.

“Do you know South View Terrace, mister?'

'Yes, it's down the lane there – who do you want?'

'I don't know' he said 'I found this bag.'
'oh?'

'It's for fun boy, or something like that.'

'FUN boy?' said Murdoch.

'Something like that. I found it in my travels and there's Birmanum twelve on it – on the label.'

'Let me see' said Murdoch getting out of his car.

The rag and bone man showed Murdoch Finbar's bag.

'I don't read too well and I found it on the road.'

'When was this?'

'Well I didn't find it. It was passed on to me by a colleague who wanders over there.'

'Where?'
'By the Lickies'

'When was this?'

'Few days ago . . Wednesday, I think – I can see the figure twelve and I know what Birmanum looks like.'

'I see.'

'Somebody said it was around here – South View Terrace, I mean. I was told it was on the ground it was – at the side of the horse road. My colleage knew I come this way - as far as Varna Road, and thereabouts but there's no pickings here – load of hoi polloi round here?'

'hoi polloi?' said Murdoch.

' ''septing for your self, like – I mean I don't mean you, squire.'

Murdoch went to his car and turned off the engine.

'The Lickey Hills?'
'That's what I said.'

Murdoch was puzzled.

'What would you say if I said I know who this belongs to?'

'What would I say? - I don't know.'
'Let me make it worth your while' said Murdoch, putting his hand in his pocket.

'Where at the Lickies?'

'Not far from the bottom of the hill – Rose Hill. I'll be honest with you guvnor, if it were worth anything I'd a kep' it.'

'Here we are' he gave him half a crown.

'Very kind of you, sir – very kind.'
'Okay.'

'I'll be on my way – Finbar, you say?'

'Yes.' said Murdoch.

'I could see the love the kid – Finbar – had for his stuff. He had string in there with knots I didn't know about, and loads of words of poems or songs that I didn't understand and things - and I could see it was a little lad – you can let him have it?'

'I will, sir – thank you very much. I'll tell him a kind man found his bag.'

'Here look at the stuff' he said, opening the bag 'string, look! Loads of it – papers, look! Pictures of plants and mushrooms and such – look! A cowboy.'

He showed Murdoch the picture of Gary Cooper in High Noon.

He fastened the bag up and handed it to Murdoch.

'We'll be off.' he said 'I think the boy would be a kid after my own heart – bits of twigs he had, a ball of string – but no money.'
'You sure?'
'Cross my heart, guvnor, cross my heart.'

'Here' said Murdoch, and gave him another half-crown.

'Good man sir' said the rag and bone man as he grabbed the reins 'Good man - hucha.'

He and horse, headed south along Moseley Road pulling the cart and the rag and bone man.

'Raga bowa – raga bowa' his voice faded into the distance which Murdoch could hear as he went down to Finbar's cottage leaving the car where it was. Sydney was standing at his garden gate.

'Hello, mister Melia - someone found Finbar's bag' he said as he passed Sydney 'Are they back from mass yet?'

'No – that's the trouble' said Sydney 'we don't know where he is.'

'Who?'

'Finbar – he's been away with the scouts - don't know where he is.'

Irene joined them.

'His mom and dad are on their holidays' she said 'and he was supposed to be coming to us last night, but he didn't come.'

'He was away with the boy scouts?' said Murdoch.

'Yes sir – his mom and dad are due back today.' said Irene.

'So Finbar's been missing since yesterday?'

'Yes sir' said Sydney.

'What time are Carmel and Paddy due back?'

'This afternoon.' said Irene.

'Leave it with me' said Murdoch “I'll sort York out.'

He went back up the lane, passed his car and went to Mr. York's house. His mother answered the door.

'Hello Mrs. York – is Alfred in.'

'Yes he is' she said 'Alfred?' she called.

Mr. York came down the stairs.

'Hello' he said 'What can I do for you?'

Chapter 28

New Street Station.

Chapter 26 Trouble

 

Chapter 26

Trouble

A few hours later, when all were safely tucked up in their sleeping bags, the heavens opened. Most of the boys slept through it except those who left the tent flaps open, and the next morning the camp was a desert of mud. The Scoutmasters told the boys to stay under cover till the rain stopped but it didn't.

The tents with the open tent flaps let rain in and those boys were in distress. The big tent was dry so the boys who were wet, gathered there and Mr. York and Dennis helped by giving the boys towels.

As instructed by the Scoutmasters, all clothing had been packed in their bags as they slept, so they could take their travelling bags to the big tent, and get dressed.

None of the boys ate breakfast so York distributed water for all to drink. Finbar sipped at the cup but didn't like the taste of the water so he, surreptitiously, poured it away.

A great big pot of tea was made as a primus stove was lit in the big tent. Boys took their tin mugs to the tent where there was milk and sugar. Those were the days before the tea bag ruined tea, by the import and use of tea bags from America. Nonetheless Finbar didn't like the tea. At home he knew that Carmel bought fine leaf tea from a wholesalers opposite from where they lived. Sometimes Finbar fetched it – half a pound of fine leafed tea, please - every Saturday morning.

Noon came and there was no sign of the rain stopping, in fact it got heavier.

In the big tent senior scouts and Scoutmasters retrieved bread from bread bins and the boys from each tent took it in turns, tent by tent, to run to eat something; it wasn't much but at least it broke their fast.

It was Tuesday morning, four nights left of the trip, and there was no alternative but to call the whole thing off. Mr. York had to go to his car and find a public telephone to arrange transport. He ascertained that all boys had parents at home and if any parent had a telephone. Not that it was easy to call long distance in those days, lots of pennies were needed to call long distance from public telephones.

Danny's parents were the only ones with a telephone.

Mr. York wanted to be assured that parents were at home and Finbar told them he was expected at his neighbours, Irene and Sydney, but not until Saturday. As Irene and Sydney were elderly they presumed they wouldn't be away on business and, in any case, they would make sure when they got back to Birmingham.

Other troop leaders went with Mr. York to their vehicles and to call various transport companies who brought them to the location, and when Mr. York returned the information wasn't good as the bus company, they used, didn't answer Mr. York's call.

Mr. Reynolds had brought the scouts from the Saint Agatha troop and one of those boys had come in his own vehicle. He could probably take an extra one one from Finbar's troop.

Danny had enough money with him to travel by train from Bromsgrove Railway Station to central Birmingham, Mr York could fit three into his car which meant that his troop had five left and Dennis, who was a senior scout from headquarters could take four if the other car from the Saint Agatha scout could squeeze in the last one.

Tommy, the senior scout that Finbar didn't like lived closer to Finbar in Sherbourne Road, and he was the one with the car.

It was arranged for the senior scouts, who had put the tents up in the first place, to return on the first dry day and after the young scouts had been taken care of.

Tommy's car had enough room for Finbar's luggage, but it seemed that Finbar didn't want to go with him. He remembered that his father had told him to beware of him.

'Why don't you want to go with him?' asked Mr. York.

'I want to go back with Shamshad' he said.

'I just can't squeeze anyone in' said York 'What about Shamshad going with you?'

'I'm afraid I can hardly get Finbar in' said Tommy.

He looked at Tommy who was looking at Mr. York and he was looking at Tommy to try and see what was wrong.

'I don't like little cars like that with no roof – I'll get wet' said Finbar.

'I'm sure Tommy will keep the top on, won't you Tommy?'

'Of course – it's dry in there now – come and take a look.'

'Wait here.' said York to Finbar 'I'll go and check.'

He went off to where their cars were parked.

'What happened to the bus?' said Finbar.

'I'm not surprised, I hear it hardly got you here.' said Reynolds.

'I don't think there's any alternative, old boy' said Dennis 'it's a squeeze in all the vehicles and we don't have enough money for train fares.'

York and Tommy came back. 'It's as dry as a bone in there, Finbar' said Mr. York 'and there's room in the boot for your bag.'

'All right' said Finbar.

'You'll go with Tommy?'

'Yes' said Finbar and he took his bag and put it into Tommy's boot and climbed into the passenger seat. It was a little bucket seat and when Tommy started the engine; it gave a loud whoosh.

Eventually the boys knew which vehicles they were assigned to and off they went.

Other vehicles exited the car park, Dennis with his few boys, Mr. York with Alan Pitt and Shamshad Khan and others and Mr. Raynolds came back from dropping Daniel at the train station.

The nights were drawing in and Finbar could see lights on other vehicles getting brighter as they travelled along.

'Klaatu barada.' said Tommy.

Finbar knew what he was saying but ignored him.

'What's the rest?' said Tommy.

'I don't know.'

'Yes you do' said Tommy.

'I know I do' said Finbar 'and I could see what you were doing.'

'When?'

'Back then – covering yourselves up when you played with the kids willies.'

Tommy laughed.

'Willies?'

Silence.

'Don't you mean, pricks?' said Tommy.

Finbar didn't answer.

'Do you think I want to play with your prick – or your little willie, as you call it?'

Finbar didn't say a word just looked to see where they were going and noticing how dark it was getting.

Suddenly Tommy reached across and squeezed Finbar's knee.

'Stop that' said Finbar.

'Don't you like being tickled?' said Tommy.

'Not particularly' said Finbar.

Darkness descending.

Silence.

'Where are your parents?'

'What about them?'

'Where are they? Chris York told me you were staying with neighbours.'

'That's right, yes. They'll be expecting me.'

'On Saturday night?'

'My mam and dad are in Dublin - gone to see granda Joe.'

They drove on for a while.

'Do you think I'm a paedophile?'

'A what?'

'A paedophile.'

'I don't know what you're talking about – what is it?'

'Grown men who have sex with children.'

Finbar said nothing.

'I wasn't a grown man when you say, 'I played' with the little kids' willies.'

Still nothing from Finbar. No argument, no response, he didn't know what Tommy wanted but whatever it was he wasn't going to stick around to find out.

'What do you think of the scout movement' said Tommy.

'I like it – it's good.'

Quiet for a while.

'I've been in the scouts for fifteen years.'

'Which troop?' said Finbar.

'You know which troop; Saint Agatha. I don't know why you didn't join our troop, it's Catholic?'

Silence.

'Do you like the scout uniform?'

'Yes - - '

'You don't wear your tabs correctly, you know.'
'Why?'

'I don't know why – look' he reached over to the top of Finbar's sock, 'this – it's supposed to go underneath the top of the sock and folded over the elastic. You have it on top of your sock; it's supposed to be a garter.'

He fiddled with Finbar's stocking top.

'Me mam made an elastic garter for me, which holds it up lovely.'

'I see. Do you see where my tab is under the fold in my sock.'

'I can't see anything' said Finbar 'in any case I'm not interested in your sock.'

'You should be if you want to wear the uniform correctly.'

Tommy put the interior light on, and lifted his knee up to show the tab at the top of his sock.

'Feel it.'

'No, I'm not interested.'

He put his leg back down and his hand across to Finbar's tab and squeezed his finger down the top of his sock.

'That's too tight for you, you know' he said 'here let me pull it down.'
He pulled Finbar's sock out and down.

'That's better, isn't it?'

'No' said Finbar 'I don't think so.'

'Do you think I still want to play with your willie?'

Finbar recognised that they were approaching The Lickey Hills and wondered if it always rained there.

They came to Rose Hill, which descends steeply and suddenly, and Tommy slowed down suddenly.

'Whoops!' he said.

Finbar was fourteen years old and knew what was going on, or thought he did, but he didn't feel like taking any chances. As the hill needed careful driving Tommy had to let go of Finbar's knee to steer the car.

Finbar fiddled with the door handle but it didn't open.

'What are you doing' said Tommy 'you'll get yourself killed?'

'I want out' said Finbar.

'Come away from the door.'

'I want a wee' he shrieked 'I want a wee.'

Finbar knew exactly where they were - 'not far from the picnic'

'You what?' says Tommy.

'I'm getting out' and he tried to open the door –

'No – no' shouted Tommy 'Careful.'

Finbar tried to hold the door open 'You'd better stop or I'll jump.'

'Be careful' said Tommy 'I don't want to hurt you.'

He stopped the car and no sooner was it stationary that Finbar was out and running back up Rose Hill.

Tommy got out and shouted 'come back, Finbar – I don't want to hurt you.'

He grabbed his flash light, got out of the car, and could see Finbar high tailing it up the hill. He shone the light to see Finbar ducking into the trees and he shouted 'Finbar, come back.'

Finbar felt the scratches from the trees and bushes he had dived into; as he looked back he saw the torch from Tommy, flashing left to right, right to left. Sometimes flashing over him as he slowly slid sideways down behind something. He didn't know what it was, a bush or a clump of something, he just didn't know. It was getting dark and the flash light looked brighter by the second. He didn't know if he should move or not, because if he did, Tommy might see him and if he stayed where he was, he might be found. Then he saw that Tommy was going the other way so he sneaked to where he knew where they had the picnic, but whatever happened, he didn't want Tommy to get an inkling to where he was.

He did a leopard crawl, which he had seen Jungle Jim do in the films, but instead of having his head up, he dipped to the ground till he came to the tree trunk, with the (invisible) etching, and he knew where the gap was 'there it is!!! - 'there's the gap' – he saw it, his life saver, he hoped, and went through it and into the tree.

Safe.

But no harmonica.

Approaching the 'circumflex' of a door it looked dark inside with no light reflecting to the outside, but when Finbar was in the tree, the green man on the wall of the inside, was perfectly visible. He knew the Murdochs couldn't see the man but there it was – looking at him.

He could see the place to sit as he knew that was there too. He could also see outside and there was a silence apart from the remnants of the earlier rains dripping from the trees. It sounded like a loud 'shush' a sound like the end of his world.

He didn't move a muscle as he listened out for Tommy – for a moment he thought he heard rustling in some bushes and presumed it was an animal, or was it?

All Hushed.

All Quiet.

Then: ''Finbar?' Tommy's voice.

Again.

'Finbar?'

Was it near, was it far?

He didn't know.

A flash of the torch between the breaks in the trees.

He didn't move.

He tried hard not to breath.

Chapter 27

Irene and Sydney.

Novel Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Camping and Beans on toast.

Senior boys and Scoutmasters were up and at it long before the four sleepy heads from Finbar's tent, and breakfast for everybody on the site was ready. They were in a field surrounded by trees and hills. Tables had been set out for the boys to eat breakfast and the Scoutmasters were well aware that this might have been the first time, some of the boys, had spent time away from their parents and been away from home.

A long table had been erected at the end of the smaller tables and senior scouts were ready to serve breakfast.

Breakfast on this first morning was beans on toast. The toast was made using toasting forks at the little fires they had kindled, without matches, and the beans were in a big pot on one of the fires. The scouts managed to get one third pint milk bottles, which were issued in the schools at this time, to those who wanted milk.

Finbar joined the queue of boys for breakfast and stopped when he saw what was on the menu.

'What's the matter, Finbar?' said one of the senior scouts from the Saint Agatha troop.

'I usually have Shredded Wheat and Weetabix' he said.

As soon as he looked up, Finbar recognised the older boy who messed with the little boys on the bombed building; Tommy.

He had wondered how he knew his name.

'Oh dear' said Tommy 'don't you like beans?'

'Yes, but I've never had them for breakfast.'

He didn't let on.

'Will you try them?'

Finbar looked at the beans and the delicious looking toast, near by.

'We have marmalade too for the toast.'

'Okay' said Finbar.

He joined his tent mates at one of the tables and Danny was there too. Finbar's troop only had ten boys, at the camp, and they spread out over two tables.

It was unusual for Finbar to have beans for breakfast and he noticed some of the boys used a spoon to put the beans on to a slice of toast which they picked up with their hands to put into their mouths. He looked at Danny who used a knife and fork, as Finbar was used to so he ate like Danny.

The marmalade was another story as he didn't like it so ate his toast just buttered.

The job on the first morning was to gather wood from the surrounding trees, for the evening camp fire, and Finbar harkened back to the picnic in the rain with Gillian and her parents, which was a pleasant memory for him.

He liked Gillian but not as much as Sofia whom he had not seen for a long time.

He didn't even know if he could call her his girl-friend, or if she had the same ideas, but it gave him a warm feeling to think of her.

'One thing we must all remember' said Mr. York to everybody 'is not to bring any wood back that isn't dead. Branches from the tree wouldn't burn in any case so no toasted marshmallows.'

'How do we know the wood is dead?' said Alan.

'Feel for a heart beat' said York.

Everybody laughed

'It won't be attached to a tree.' said Mr. York, assuringly.

With breakfast finished, the boys had to take their plates and cutlery to another big table where they deposited any food and crumbs left on their plates, in a big bin; then in line they washed their utensils, in a basin of very hot water, folded their cutlery sets together and putting them into their bags with their mess tins.

Finbar looked at his mess tin and realised Shredded Wheat and Weetabix would look a bit silly in it.

Off they set for the woods; Mr. Reynolds, Mr. York and Dennis went off with a number of boys each. It interested Finbar that he didn't have to call Dennis mister anything; maybe Dennis wasn't that old, he didn't know.

After a few hours they had so much wood that it piled higher than Danny, who was over six feet tall. Finbar noticed that the wood, where the fire was going to be lit, was far away from the tents in which the boys slept.

After lunch, they practised knot tying and Finbar learned a few more; all the boys knew the reef knot and Finbar knew the square knot, the two half hitches and the taut-line hitch and he was practising the sheet bend and the bowline knots. He didn't know if would ever need to use them but liked tying them. Some of the seniors knew and could tie loads more.

Later on, the fire was built, the cooking on the fire was successful and, once again, baked beans was the bill of fare with baked potatoes, marshmallows and chestnuts.

Finbar went to the tent as he wanted to get a clean handkerchief, which Carmel had packed for him and they were with his harmonica. Then the heard chanting from around the fire: Callaghan – Callaghan - Callaghan - Callaghan.

'Come on Finbar' said Mr. York 'We want to hear you play.'

'Oh' said Finbar 'I better get my harmonica' and he ran back to his tent where he had laid the harmonica down.

The crowd laughed as he ran back: 'Now' he said 'what does everybody want?'

'The Dambusters March' came various replies.

Dara bup bup bup bup bup bara dar ee da de da – was the beginning of the tune which he had only recently learned. The boys looked on and then – da da de da da da da da, da da de da da da da da – that was the bit they all knew and they sang along with no words but dar dar dar dar da dat dar dar - dar dar dar dar dat dat dar. And when Finbar finished they gave him a huge round of applause. Then 'more, more.'

Finbar played 'Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring' and when he started to play Danny stood up and sang the counterpoint in English Jesu, joy of man's desiring, Holy wisdom, Love most bright, Drawn by thee, our souls aspiring, Soar to uncreated light.

It came as a surprise to Finbar especially to hear the beautiful tenor voice of Danny.

Even though it had come as a surprise, the boys loved it and the Scoutmasters too.

Chapter 26

Trouble