Relatively Good Summer

By Erik Ga Bean

Nine year old Nigel's twin brother is knocked down by a car just before the long hot summer holiday of 1976. With his parents busy at the hospital, Nigel has to spend his summer with elderly grandparents and an eccentric aunt. He learns about life in WWII, that there is more to hunting rabbits than making a noise like a lettuce and that not all railway stations are called "Gentlemen" or "Way Out".

• Language: English
• Publisher: Erik Ga Bean
• Release date: Jan 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310511189

Erik Ga Bean

Science fiction fan, astronomy enthusiast and IT professional Erik Ga Bean lives in the English county of Hertfordshire with his wife Helen and his growing collection of carnivorous plants. As well as being an author, he is a keen narrowboater and a leading light in the Stevenage Plus social group.

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Relatively Good Summer

By Erik Ga Bean

Published by Erik Ga Bean at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 Erik Ga Bean

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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To my wonderful wife Helen.

Chapter 1 - The Accident

A long time ago, before there were E-mails and Internet, even before there were mobile phones, there was a year called 1976. The summer in England that year was long, sunny and hot.

In July 1976, twins Michael and Nigel were almost ten years old. They were not identical twins, but they did look very much alike; the same but different. They were the youngest children in their class as their birthday was right at the end of August. As well as being brothers, they were the best of friends.

It was the Sunday before the last week of the summer term and Michael and Nigel were very much looking forward to the school holidays. They lived with their Mum and Dad on the edge of town. As it was easy for them to get into the countryside they were planning to ride their bikes every day and build a secret camp in some woodland.

While they were waiting for Sunday lunch, the two boys played together with a football on the grass in front of their house. The ball went back and forth, to Michael, to Nigel, to Michael and back to Nigel. After waiting for a dog to pass between them, Nigel gave the ball a really hard kick and it flew past his brother. Michael turned and ran between a couple of parked cars, out into the road after the ball.

Suddenly there was a screech of brakes and a thud. Nigel heard his brother scream and then begin to cry loudly. A man got out of his car and, seeing Nigel, told him to run and fetch his mother. Nigel ran into the house and found his mother in the kitchen, peering into a big pot of stew like a good witch. He could hardly speak but she knew to follow him from the look on his face.

Within a few moments an ambulance had arrived. Michael was lifted into the ambulance and his Mum got in beside him. Nigel was crying as he held onto his Dad's hand and waved them off.

It didn't matter that Nigel's Dad was not very good at cooking as Nigel wasn't very hungry. They tried to eat something while Dad explained to Nigel that Mr Johnson from next door would be looking after him all afternoon while Dad went to the hospital to see how Michael was and to collect Mum.

Nigel didn't know Mr Johnson very well. He seemed like a nice man as he always gave Nigel and Michael their balls back, when they knocked at his door and asked for them. He didn't like the boys going in to his garden to fetch their own balls as, rather than having a lawn, he grew vegetables and flowers. He did not like it when the boys trampled on the crops.

Mr Johnson looked a little bit confused when Dad took Nigel next door and explained the situation. Mr Johnson had never had any children of his own. Dad told him not to worry as Nigel would be no trouble. Nigel nodded. He was too