Don Hewson Gains Confidence: Don Hewson, #2

By Charles James

In this second novel in the feel-good "Don Hewson" series "Don Hewson Gains Confidence", we have all the joys of a household of children.
The children develop skills and talents and confidence.
Max Hewson's biological father discovers Max.
Andrea Wilkins has her baby. We learn more about the internal dynamics of the Daar family. Some sherry goes missing.
Dennis Wilkins is propositioned by an adult lady. Don is landed with four cherubs. Abdullah Daar sparks into action.
Don is asked if Max can give bone marrow to his younger half brother to save the child's life. Max learns of and meets his biological family.
Angela Wilkins leaves prison. When the Wilkins move out they are replaced by six Mormon children, so we now have Muslims and Mormons and agnostics all living under the same roof. Later we have Jewish children. Don's shotgun comes out.
The sherry mystery is resolved.
David Wilkins' career as a child TV chef begins.
Strangely, social workers still get cross with Don Hewson!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charles James
• Release date: Jan 26, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370023622

Charles James

For about twenty years I ran an immigration and political asylum lawyer practice in Bradford West Yorkshire. Some clients travelled literally hundreds of miles to see me. My business cards were posted to Kurdistan, Georgia, and Pakistan by satisfied clients. I have been active in the Labour Party since I joined in 1972.. Politically my claim to fame is that in 1986 I increased the Labour vote 80% to take the third safest Tory seat on Bradford Council. I increased that vote 47% four years later to record the highest ever vote for any candidate in the ward. My immigration and political asylum experience comes over in the "Don Hewson" series of novels.

Book preview

COPYRIGHT ASSERTION

© Charles James

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means without the permission of the author.

DON HEWSON GAINS CONFIDENCE (The second book in the Don Hewson series.)

By Charles James

CHAPTER 1: Don Hewson

Jabril Daar, Amal Daar, Kali Daar, Peter Wilkins, and our son Max walk home together from Tryton Junior School every day.

Kali noticed a man who seemed to be following the children at a distance.

Once the other children agreed that the man was following them, Max suggested that they should run to Grace Adams’ mother Carol who lives nearby.

The children ran to Grace’s house and Carol let them in.

The children explained the problem.

Peter looked out of Carol’s window. Peter said that the man was still out there.

Carol telephoned the police.

Then Carol telephoned me.

At that particular moment I had no other adult in the house. I asked Carol to keep the children there until I arrived.

I telephoned Annie on her mobile phone and she agreed to come back to the house.

Carol telephoned a while later to say that the police have arrived and that they have arrested the man. A police car has taken the man away.

PC Rosie Oakes is in Carol’s house now trying to find out what the children can tell her. Annie was not back yet so I had to wait.

I said that I am happy for the children to talk to PC Oakes. I was waiting for Annie to arrive and then I would be along.

After a few more telephone calls back and forth it was agreed that PC Oakes would bring the children to me in her police car.

I greeted them all warmly of course and the children told me exactly what had happened.

I praised Kali highly for spotting that they were being followed.

I praised all the children for having the wit to go to Grace’s house. And of course I was very pleased that the police had been so prompt.

The children were pleased to have had a ride in a police car.

Annie arrived while this was going on. The children told Annie what had happened.

PC Oakes left.

I telephoned Carol of course and I thanked her profusely.

About an hour later I had a telephone call from PC Oakes. Would I mind coming down to Meldon police station please? There had been an interesting development upon which they would like my comments.

I drove to Meldon police station leaving Dennis Wilkins in charge of cooking dinner. Helen Wilkins was home by now.

There is indeed a development.

The man arrested is of previous good character.

His explanation for following the children is surprising. He says that he believes he is Max’s biological father!

The man's intention was to locate where Max lived, and then to visit whatever house it was when Max was not there to introduce himself.

He would like to apologise for alarming the children. That had not been his intention.

PC Oakes said that the man does bear a striking physical resemblance to Max. His name is Stephen Wilbey.

Stephen’s story is that he lives in Willerton with his wife. About eight years ago Stephen and his wife had had a major falling out. Stephen was living away from Willerton and he had gone out for a drink in Meldon. Stephen had met Kate Meglin (he had the name right) in a pub. Stephen was lonely and he and Kate had got together.

After about a week together Stephen’s father in law had found Stephen. He had persuaded Stephen that for the sake of the children Stephen should go back to his wife.

Stephen told Kate that he had to go back to his wife for the sake of the children, and he did.

Now some eight years later Stephen and his wife had split up again.

Stephen decided to look up Kate.

Going back to where Kate had lived in Meldon, Stephen learned that Kate had had a baby and that she had moved to Tryton. The timings suggested that Kate had become pregnant by Stephen.

Following Kate to Tryton, Stephen had not been able to find Kate. Kate was of course long dead, but Stephen did not know that.

Stephen reasoned that Kate’s child would very likely go to the local Tryton Junior School.

Looking at the children in the playground Stephen saw Max, who looks just as Stephen had looked at that age. Stephen could show photos of himself as a child of that age where he looks uncannily like Max.

The police are inclined to believe the man.

If Stephen Wilbey is not a sexual predator then there is nothing they should charge him with.

I was utterly shocked.

I thought Max had been conceived at a pop festival. It had never occurred to me that Max’s biological father was a local man.

I could see Kate discovering that she was pregnant.

Stephen had already ditched Kate.

Kate would have decided to have the baby. Kate had decided not to damage Stephen’s marriage by naming Stephen to social security as the father. Hence the story about the pop festival.

If Max was born in mid-August then he would have been conceived in mid-November. Do they have pop festivals in November? I don’t think so.

Stephen’s story sounds very possible. And Stephen has Kate Meglin’s name right.

This man is a problem.

I really do not want him to mess up Max’s life. I do not want him to mess up Emma’s and my relationship with Max.

I asked if I could see the man.

"Yes, Mr Hewson, but go easy on him. One of the reasons for the current difficulties with his wife is that they have a four year old son who is dying of leukemia. That would put a strain on any relationship.

"We have told him that Kate is dead.

"We have told him that you have adopted Max.

He is a man of good character who has been arrested as a potential child molester. That is a lot to happen to any person in one day."

Stephen does look astonishingly like Max. I could see that if there were an identity parade of one hundred men I would unhesitatingly have picked out Stephen as Max’s father.

"I have heard your story.

"You have made a mess of your own life.

"You have made a mess of your wife’s life.

"You have made a mess of your children’s lives.

"You got Kate pregnant and then you ditched her.

Now you would like the opportunity to affect Max’s life?

This was me going easy. I was pretty upset.

Stephen said that I was being unfair. Had Stephen known Kate was pregnant by him he might not have gone back to his wife. Now Stephen knows about Max he wants to do the right thing by Max.

Oh, you want to pay seven years back maintenance for Max?

Stephen had not meant this.

"I and my wife have adopted Max.

"We do not want you interfering in Max’s life or in our lives.

You sound like a walking disaster area anyway. We do not want you to cause distress and pain for Max.

Stephen was silent.

"I will do anything I need to do to protect Max. I understand you do not mean to do Max harm, but the fact is you already have.

I want you to promise to just stay away from Tryton and to just stay away from Max.

I was so upset that I was splitting infinitives.

In return I will do something for you.

What is that?

"You can put a letter together for Max to open on his eighteenth birthday. You can put in some photos of you as a child. And family information about your parents and grandparents and so forth. And your other family.

"And addresses of all the family members as they are today. When Max is eighteen I will give him the envelope and Max can decide if he wishes to find you.

"Knowing Max I am sure Max will wish to meet you, but I cannot promise for him.

"If you send – not take – the envelope to the Head Teacher at Tryton Junior and Infant School she will give it to me and I will keep it for Max.

"Just say on the envelope it is about Max Meglin.

"But I have to know you are not going to turn up at odd intervals causing distress and upset.

I have killed people.

Stephen looked alarmed.

Pause.

I will do anything to protect Max.

Pause.

"I do not think Max would thank me for killing his biological father.

So I cannot do that.

Stephen looked relieved.

"If you will make the promise to stay away, Max and I will continue to live locally. You have a strong chance of meeting when he turns eighteen a son who will probably wish to know you. If you cannot make that promise then I and my family will move away from Meldon and you will never ever see Max.

It is your call.

Stephen was silent for a few minutes. I could tell Stephen did not like me.

Could he trust me?

"I see where you are coming from. I agree it is not a good idea to upset Max.

Can I trust you to give the envelope to Max?

Yes.

We shook hands. Hopefully it will be years before I see him again.

I told PC Oakes what Stephen and I had agreed. She was content.

When I got back to the house I told the children I had spoken with the man.

I said that I had promised not to kill him and he had promised not to come to Tryton again. The children were happy with that.

Dennis had put a sparkler on Kali’s ice cream at dinner and everybody had given Kali a round of applause.

At half term Dennis did his work experience with Chris.

At the garage Chris gave Dennis lots of jobs to do. Much of it was car valeting, vacuuming and cleaning and washing cars. Dennis also learned how to steam clean an engine.

Rotating tyres is an important job that almost no car owner does. Chris had Dennis rotating tyres on every car that Chris prepared for the MOT, a test on older cars to make sure they are still roadworthy.

Dennis learned to fit batteries, change filters, change car fuses, repair exhausts, and all the common vehicle jobs. Dennis learned how to replace gaskets. And of course Dennis picked up from Chris how to listen to a car when it came into the yard.

Use your eyes and your ears and your common sense.

The placement here led on to Dennis getting into stock car racing with Chris’s cousin. Dennis enjoys everything about stock car racing.

I am so pleased for Emma that she has been apponted a Deputy Head while still under thirty. It is really only a short drive to work, not much longer than her current walk to work.

The pay increase will be a significant jump for Emma.

Much more important is that Emma will be in a senior management role. Emma’s present Head, Mrs Hoskins, is a pretty sharp cookie. Emma has learned a lot from watching her operate.

Mrs Hoskins rotates all her staff through all the school years so they all can teach any age group. Mrs Hoskins also dishes out experiences and responsibilities as much as she can, building a team with strength in depth. This is a model for Emma to follow.

Andrea Wilkins has stopped going to school. Andrea is bearing up well and she is doing the work her teachers have set her.

We have agreed that after the baby is born Andrea will have some singing lessons at home because the singing lessons will be recreation for her.

I think the time has come when I need to buy a piano. I looked at renting a piano, but I decided to buy.

When you think of the number of children who are in this house and how many children will be in the house in future years, a piano is a reasonable investment.

It will help Abdullah Daar, and it will help Andrea’s singing teacher.

I hope that Max and the babies will learn the piano at some point.

I think I will go for a good quality second hand piano. If we ever have a child who needs a better piano than that then I will have to think again.

I discussed the piano with Emma.

We decided that the piano would go in the study.

Kali is really enjoying her riding lessons. She looks so good in riding kit.

Kali is happy to muck out and to groom horses. Kali is popular on the yard because she is always smiling and helpful.

Kali is too young to leave at the yard, so Helen or I always have to be there.

Helen does homework. I just toddle around the yard getting in everyone’s way much as I did thirty years ago.

The yard still looks smart. It has worn better than I have.

Shirley still looks well. Older of course, but so are we all. It is still a very smart well organised yard.

I bought a new invention called an air jacket. It attaches to a D ring at the front of the saddle, connected to the stirrups. It is triggered if you fall off the horse. It is like a car air bag. Before you hit the ground compressed air inflates the jacket so your neck and head and upper back are well protected.

Kali looked like the old Michelin man advertisements when she fell off.

More important, Kali was not seriously hurt. Her dignity was bruised but that was all.

I now keep a few compressed air canisters in the tack room. We had some frightening moments when Gordon and Susie were riding. This new device significantly reduces the risks from falling off.

The equipment is too expensive to give to Kali. It is a piece of expensive kit that I am currently using for Kali. No doubt I will use it for Alice and Damien and other riders in years to come.

Sahid Daar is a jolly good photographer. He is only twelve but he is a better photographer than I.

With the digital camera that we bought him for his birthday Sahid is creating some very good photographs.

Sahid and I have reached a deal whereby I buy as much photographic paper as Sahid needs and Sahid takes all the photos that I ask.

Sahid is making a montage of the Wilkins children for the Wilkins children to give copies to their parents as Christmas presents. It will incorporate a photo I took of Alan Wilkins only weeks before his car accident.

I had to have a word with Max.

Heinz sleeps in the study. There is no obvious reason why there should be dog hairs on Max’s sheets and pyjamas.

The likely explanation is that Max is taking Heinz into his bed at times.

I decided to go in gently.

Max. Come and sit on my lap.

Max was a bit surprised but Max was happy to sit on my lap and to have a cuddle.

Do you know what a conundrum is?

Max thought, and then he said No.

A conundrum is a puzzle that seems to have no answer.

Max accepted this.

I have a conundrum.

Max looked enquiringly.

We both know that Heinz sleeps in the study.

Max looked concerned. I was onto him!

Heinz sleeps in the study. Heinz does not sleep in your bed.

Max was silent.

But there are dog hairs from Heinz on your sheets and on your pyjamas.

The logical explanation must be that sometimes Heinz gets into your bed.

Max was silent.

So I think the answer to this is that Heinz gets into your bed when you are at school because Heinz loves you and your bed smells of you.

Max said nothing.

So Max, when you go to school in the morning please make a point of closing your bedroom door so Heinz cannot get into your bed.

OK, Dad.

We both knew this was total nonsense, and we both knew the other knew. The message had got across without need of threats or fibs.

We had a good hug.

I asked Abdullah’s piano teacher for advice on buying a piano. He put me onto a dealer in Manchester.

Abdullah and I went across to Manchester one Saturday to have a look.

There was a piano that stood out because it looked so smart and it sounded lovely. And yes it was more expensive than I had been expecting to pay.

I thought it would hold its value fairly well.

I had learned an expression in my early days as an accountant, when I was doing auditing, You can’t be partially pregnant.

Either a woman is pregnant or she isn’t. Either there is fraud or there isn’t. Either I was buying a piano or I wasn’t. Yes I could buy a less expensive piano but this was the obvious one to buy.

I haggled a bit but the dealer knew he had a customer. He threw in free a piano tuning immediately after delivery, and two more at three monthly intervals. Thereafter I would have to pay for piano tuning.

Well Abdullah, this is an expensive piece of equipment. I want my money’s worth out of it so I expect you to practice every day.

Oh Yes Don.

Delivery took place a few days later.

Andrea Wilkins is going to give birth soon. Emma and Helen and the midwife are fussing around her.

I am keeping the household operating while everyone waits for Andrea to produce little Angela. It should be another three or four days yet but first pregnancies with young mothers are notoriously prone to early or late delivery. Andrea is a healthy fit girl so hopefully it will go all right.

CHAPTER 2: Veronica Irons

We in Doncaster Social Services are really grateful to Meldon Council for allowing us to place the Daars with the Hewson family, and to the Hewsons for taking the children.

If you can imagine ten children spread across seven houses in four different cities you can see all the extra work for social services that would be needed to liaise with seven sets of foster parents and in keeping all the children in touch with each other. Having all the children under one roof is so much better for the children as well as for us.

I was amazed how smoothly the Hewsons moved to halal meat, bought Holy Qurans and prayer mats, and arranged for an imam to visit twice weekly.

There was never a word about the inconvenience of switching to halal food or the expense of halal meat.

The visiting imam costs something obviously, but Mr Hewson has never said anything.

The Hewsons seem to be genuinely nice people.

Mr Hewson seems perfectly calm about running a household with nineteen children, with half a dozen more most weekends. Most people would find that daunting.

Mr Hewson then has a whirlwind of other activities for the children including birthday outings, dancing, music lessons and judo.

I gather opinions within Meldon Social services about Mr Hewson are mixed. Like many saints in history it is often safer and easier to admire Mr Hewson from afar.

I was stunned when Mr Hewson telephoned me one day to say that he had booked a riding lesson for Kali for Sunday and would I do the normal inspections please?

Not May I? or Should I? but I have done this - now you please do your bit.

Mr Hewson’s approach is simple.

Mr Hewson does for the foster children what he would do for his own children. That is what fostering means to him. That is what social services have asked him to do. So he is doing it.

If it were something where Mr Hewson thinks consultation is needed Mr Hewson would consult, but it rarely is. Mr Hewson just does what he thinks is right for the children.

Our role as social workers is to follow the parade sweeping up!

On the packed lunches for the Luton trips Mr Hewson just assumed that our packed lunches would be inadequate so Mr Hewson provided packed lunches from the outset.

I have to admit that Mr Hewson’s packed lunches are in a different league from those provided by Doncaster Council.

What irritates me is Mr Hewson’s bland assumption that social services cannot organise a proper packed lunch.

That Don Hewson is right is even more annoying.

I gather from my Meldon colleagues that Mr Hewson has had a few run-ins with Meldon Council and that he always wins. That must grate with my Meldon colleagues.

When my boss Nancy telephoned the Hewson family social worker Elizabeth to vent about the horse riding decision, Elizabeth told Nancy sweetly that if we wish to take the ten Daar children away there is nothing to stop us.

That was difficult for Nancy to swallow but it is the blunt truth.

We have to operate on Mr Hewson’s terms.

Elizabeth said that compared to what Mr Hewson has done to Meldon Council and is doing to Meldon Council we in Doncaster have got off lightly.

Elizabeth also said that we are lucky that Mr Hewson has stepped up and that he has taken on our ten children.

Mr Hewson bought a sewing machine for the older Daar girls to use and the three of them are sewing like crazy. Mrs Hewson’s mother Joy visits twice a week to advise and to teach. Helen Wilkins drives the girls over to Bradford every so often to purchase materials.

Mr Hewson asked me about the exploitation potential of the Daar girls making clothing for Alice and Damien.

I spoke to the girls. They are making the clothes out of affection for the babies. There is no exploitation here. They are delighted to have a range of projects to work on and different sizes of person to practice on. They really appreciate the help and guidance that Emma’s mother Joy gives them.

When they leave school they hopefully will be living back in Doncaster with their father/uncle Jalil Daar. They hope to make a living from bespoke sewing. It will pay so much better than working in a factory.

The girls wish to be on a clothing allowance like Helen and Andrea.

They reckon they can save enough money in a year from three clothing allowances to buy another sewing machine and then their business will be flying. They want a proper industrial sewing machine rather than a household sewing machine like they are currently using.

The girls would like to live in the family house in Doncaster because they are afraid it will be vandalised or squatted in if they are away too long. They have a rota of local Somalis who would be their carers.

I have explained that there has to be a mature adult living in the house full time to provide consistent love and support. I have explained that in this context mature does not mean a twentytwo year old unemployed graduate from the next street as they were at one stage suggesting.

They are lovely girls but they are very singleminded.

Abdullah by comparison is a sweetie. He is such a nice mild boy. He puts up with their harangues quite well.

Abdullah said to me once that the girls harangue because they do not have the power. Abdullah is the man and Abdullah is the head of the family.

What Abdullah says goes.

Abdullah does not have to shout and argue with the girls. They have to shout and argue with Abdullah because Abdullah has the power.

Abdullah is just quietly getting on with life. Abdullah has respect for the girls but Abdullah has the ultimate responsibility and he has the ultimate power.

The girls do not like it but that is how life is.

Abdullah has such respect for Mr Hewson that Abdullah does not wish to negotiate directly with Mr Hewson. So Abdullah has the girls negotiate most things indirectly through Emma Hewson.

Abdullah’s uncle is likely to be in hospital for a year or longer. He is not yet up to taking charge. So Abdullah is in charge. That’s it.

I shared this view of Abdullah’s with Don Hewson.

Don said that explained a lot about the family dynamics.

Don had thought of leaning on the girls to be nicer to Abdullah but perhaps it is not necessary.

Don will ponder on this information.

What is Don to do with the request for clothing allowances?

If the purpose of a clothing allowance is to help teenage girls to