The Other Side of the World

By Jenni Francis

A young woman leaves England to travel to New Zealand when she discovers she is pregnant. Coral's treasured son Tom grows up never knowing his father, and she is determined to keep it that way.

 

When Coral passes away, Tome and his family travel to Scotland to find what they can. There are questions only his father can answer.

 

But when tragedy strikes, Tom has to put his search aside and focus on his family.

 

Will Tom find out the truth or will the past stay hidden forever. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jenni Francis
• Release date: May 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9780473565763

Jenni Francis

Jenni Francis lives in New Zealand. She lives on five acres, with an orchard, sheep and a river. She has a cat named Tui, who is very greedy, and who doesn't love children. Which is a shame, as she has twelve grandchildren.Jenni has been writing for about 20 years, and loves to write children's stories. She has six books of the 'Keri' series published so far, and is writing book seven. The main character, Keri, finds herself in difficult situations. Her friends don't always agree with what she does, but they are always there for her in the end.She also has a book of short stories for boys. Not girls.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Coral aged 20

The fog-shrouded airport was busier than Coral expected. People in many different clothing styles, and from many parts of the world. Coral hadn't expected that either, and yet it was, after all, an airport. If she herself was going as far away as she could, why shouldn't others be doing the same thing.

She lugged her suitcase towards the ticket counter. A long queue in front of her was something else unexpected. Anxiety began to gnaw. Since beginning this journey, her biggest fear was missing her plane. Planes. There were three planes until she reached her final destination. This was the scariest thing she had ever done in her life.

She turned as she felt her suitcase topple sideways. It had been unbalanced since she left her accommodation that morning but there had been no time to put it to rights. As she turned, she dropped her tickets and passport which went flying into the next aisle.

Oh no, she cried, reaching for her precious documents.

But as she lunged, her suitcase did the final act, falling flat, splitting the zip and knocking her over across the barrier. In her embarrassment Coral felt the prickling of tears beginning. People around her helped her collect her tickets and passport, and others helped her gather her belongings which had escaped her now useless suitcase. As she surveyed her life sitting in a sorry pile on the floor of the airport, tears did start to flow.

Here, sweetheart, don't cry. I'm sure we can get this fixed for you. A kindly looking man in front of her passed her a hanky.

Another young woman was searching in her hand luggage.

Is this any use to you? she asked, as she handed her a duffle bag. I can get another one when I get to France. Is there anyone else who can help with a spare bag? the young woman called.

Around her kind and concerned travellers pulled a variety of spare shopping bags, backpacks and canvas bags from their luggage.

Thank you, thank you so much, Coral said shyly. How can I ever return them to you all?

No, don't worry about it, Didn't really need it anyway. Just you get yourself sorted darlin' and we'll all be happy.

The generosity was overwhelming. With help from the young woman, as the queue crept slowly towards the counter, Coral was able to cram everything into the proffered bags. She felt slung around with a mixture of carryalls, but also a step closer to leaving.

Have you got your tickets? the young woman asked.

Coral patted her bag, Yes, I put them in here. I should have kept them in my bag until I needed them.

Where are you going?

To Singapore first, then to Australia, then on to New Zealand. I should be in New Zealand by this time next week.

That's a long way to go. Do you have family there?

I will do, Coral answered.

The young woman reached the counter where she checked in and then it was Coral's turn.

Good luck, she called as she moved off.

Coral smiled at her gratefully. Thank you so much for your help.

The attendant at the counter looked at her collection of bags, and at the broken suitcase that she had dragged along.

Oh dear, he said. Had a mishap?

Coral nodded.

He called over another attendant to take his place, then motioned to Coral to follow him. As she walked passed, all the people behind her in the queue clapped.

Got a little fan club, have you?

They were so kind when my suitcase broke. She waved at them all as she went through a side door.

Inside the room was all manner of straps and ties and bags and trolleys, and people working to secure bags and suitcases.

Pop your suitcase up here, he said. I'm James, by the way. What's your name?

He put out his hand for her passport and tickets.

Coral, she said.

He looked at her quizzically. That's not what it says in here, he said.

Coral coloured up as she realised her mistake.

Oh, no, she said. My real name is Carol. But I'm trying out a new name for myself. So I thought Coral. It's not too different.

Okay Coral, now, have you ever travelled like this before?

No, never. Furtherest I've been is Scotland.

Well, here's what I'm going to suggest. In one of these bags, the biggest one, you should put your toilet bag, a change of clothes, a couple of sets of underwear, and a book to read. Then we should be able to fit all the other bags in your rather sad suitcase, and we will wrap and tie and strap it up and put big luggage labels on it. You won't be able to access it again until you get to your final destination. He looked at her tickets. New Zealand?! What are you running away from with a new name and a broken bag?

Coral dropped her head. Nothing bad, she said quietly.

James looked at her sympathetically. Okay, he said. You just need to start a new life.

She looked up at him. Yes, she said more bravely than she felt.

When everything had been tidied away, and her boarding pass was printed, James led her to another side door that opened right into the departure customs and security.

I'll take your new and improved suitcase, James said, and I'll make sure it gets on the right plane. You join that line there and follow the instructions. You've just jumped a couple of hundred places in the queue.

Coral was so relieved she gave him a quick hug, and ran to join the line.

***0***

As the captain announced that they had reached 30,000 feet, Coral settled back in her seat to try to sleep. Dinner service had been and gone, and she had even allowed herself a glass of wine. But as she closed her eyes in the relaxing atmosphere of the plane, the enormity of what she was doing hit her like a tidal wave. She sat up suddenly, gasping in fear and anxiety. Her heart was pounding, and she feared she was having a heart attack. She got up to go to the restroom, and by the time she came back, the symptoms had eased.

Until now she had been following her instincts. Get away, as far as possible; go now, don't delay; passport, tickets, luggage; trains and buses to get to her destination. Ignore all doubts.

Now that all the busyness was over, the doubts crowded in. She knew no one in New Zealand. She had only chosen it as her destination as she stood at the travel agents and saw the poster on the wall. She remembered the conversation she had with the girl on the bus from Glasgow to London. It was a throw-away part of the conversation. The girl's cousin lived in New Zealand and was looking for a nanny to look after her child while she worked. Coral had little experience with children and babies but it was an idea.

There was no turning back. She had bought a one-way ticket with no funds to buy a return. But she had found that the kindness and generosity of strangers could help her through the difficult times. Her parents would never understand. They lived in the past, and had never asked for help from anyone.

Soon there would be two. Coral didn't want that stifling way of living for her child. And anyway, her parents had made it painfully clear that she was no longer welcome in their house. For her own sake and for the sake of the child she carried she needed to be well away from the angry, bitter people she thought would care for her.

Putting her hand protectively over her little bump, the doubts disappeared, and she slept.

Chapter 2

Tom aged 34

A quiet hum and a gentle warmth enveloped him. He succumbed to the invitation to sleep. Putting his head down, he drifted away.

Tom? Hey, come in Tom. Are you with us?

Huh?

Are you okay? I'm waiting on that report? I wanted it on my desk by noon and it’s now after one.

Tom looked up groggily. Oh, yeah, sorry. It’s here. Bad night. Up till three with the baby. Can’t sleep when he’s screaming all the time.

Rose, his manager, looked sympathetic. Yeah, I get that, but you’re the breadwinner here, not Lucy. Get some earplugs or something. We’re relying on you.

Of course, it wasn’t that easy. With neighbours both sides and above and below, it took two people to walk the crying baby. A tag team of sleepless walkers.

God, Tom, you look terrible! What have you been up to?

Judith from accounts was making her unwelcome way across from the elevator. Her voice was a grating, nasal foghorn. She also had absolutely no conversation except to relate what she had seen on television the night before and what the stars-of-the-moment were up to, according to the magazines she always had tucked in her bag. Sniggers of sympathy came from his co-workers. He glanced over at his mate Justin who was looking decidedly unsympathetic, smirking even. Tom took a deep breath, and blew it out quietly to calm himself.

Hi Judith. How are you?

Good, I think. Up late last night watching the latest series on Netflix. Anyhow, I’ve brought the spreadsheet you wanted, the one about ......?

He squinted at her for a moment, then recalled what she was talking about.

Oh, yeah, great. Thanks. He took it from her and turned away to close off the conversation, but Judith wasn’t put off by subtlety.

How’s the baby? She asked.

Wakeful, crying, colicky and loud, but thanks for asking. How’s your mum now?

Oh, yeah, that’s what I was going to tell you. She said thanks so much for the card. She really enjoyed meeting you. It made her day. And, she’s feeling so much better, she’s even able to walk down to the shops again. Good, eh? Good for me. I don’t have to keep doing chores and shopping for her as much.

That’s terrific, Judith. Now I’d better get on with this. He turned away again.

Here’s a funny thing, Judith continued. Since she got better, she doesn’t want to smoke anymore. Says it makes her sick. Weird, eh?

Lucky, I’d say. What was it, a pack a day? Probably those drugs for pneumonia had an inhibitory effect. Let’s hope it lasts, for her sake.

Yeah, but ...

Sorry Judith, I really do need to get on. Tell your mum I said hi.

Judith turned away reluctantly.

Yeah, okay, only ......

Judith, are you still here? Rose called across the office.

Judith scuttled back to the elevator. Tom sank his head back down onto his desk, rubbed his temples and got back to analysing the actuarial tables he had been working on. He didn't love his job, working for an insurance company, but he did enjoy the mathematics and statistics that was the basis of his work.

***0***

Lucy was asleep on the settee when he let himself in the flat. The glossy brown hair he had always loved was looking dull and tangled and hung in unflattering tails over the cushion under her head. He wondered what kind of a day she’d had.

Looking for a soft surface, he placed his keys on top of a jacket that had been dropped on the floor. Moving centimetre by centimetre, he eased off his shoes and jacket, then slid, rather than walked from the tiny vestibule to the lounge. It had been a bad day, by the state of the place. A vomitous smell emanated from several nappies that lay haphazardly in a corner of the room. Another strong smell came from the crib. Tom peeked inside. Asleep, thank God, but probably not for long. Gently, he placed his hand on the blanket covering his son. The baby stirred but didn’t wake.

Using the same slip-slide movement, to avoid waking either of them, he slid to the bedroom to change out of his office clothes into something more suited to baby minding. A face and hand wash would have to wait for later. This rabbit-warren of an apartment block had pipes that screamed when taps were turned.

He’d just sat on the bed to pull on a pair of trackies when it hit. Vision blurring, bright flashes of light. He lay back on the bed.

Oh no! Not again! he thought. This can’t be happening again! Not after all this time!

He curled around the pillow.

Please stay asleep, he voicelessly begged his sleeping son. As the worst of the attack eased, he fell into a tormented sleep.

***0***

It was fully dark when he woke, and he found a blanket covering him. The headache had gone, and the apartment was quiet. From neighbouring apartments, he could hear sounds of music, televisions, pots rattling, people talking. It didn’t quite make sense.  He got up and walked quietly into the lounge. The nappies were gone, along with the smell. The place had been tidied, the crib was no longer there, and Lucy was asleep on the couch again, snuggled into a pillow under a quilt. He opened the door to the second bedroom. Jacob was fast asleep; his arms over his head and fists softly curled. He closed the door gently and turned to find Lucy sitting up smiling at him.

Hello, she said quietly. How are you feeling?

Okay. Headache. Better now. Just fuzzy. Thanks for the blanket. How are you?

He sat on the settee beside her.

I had a total shit of a day. Literally and figuratively. We were supposed to go to the park to meet up with Michelle, but he screamed all morning. I bathed him, fed him a little bit, changed him, bathed him again, and still he was unhappy. I walked him, jiggled him and nothing. In the end, I was so tired I brought his crib in here, put him down and I must have fallen asleep. I felt terrible! I didn’t even hear you come home. But when I woke up, he was lying there, just gurgling and making little noises, happy as. Even with a dirty nappy. I bathed him again, and he was happy. Fed him and he was happy. Went for a little walk around the apartment and he was happy and then he went to sleep. I think I love him again, ‘cos I sure didn’t for a while there!

Tom smiled at Lucy.

They tried to warn us, didn't they? But we thought we knew better.

He sat back on the settee and pulled his beautiful Lucy towards him. Even with vomit stains on her baggy track pants and sweatshirt, she still looked beautiful. She lay down and put her head on his lap. He yawned.

It's so blessedly quiet. Long may it last, he said. God I’m tired. Is there anything for dinner? Although I’m not sure what I need, food or sleep.

But Lucy was snoring gently. He leaned over, turned off the light, and slept half sitting up.

***0***

By Friday of that week, as Tom drove home from work, he found himself whistling. All three of them were finally rested and happy. After three months of the hardest time he and Lucy had ever known, they had turned a corner and life was good.

Except for where they lived. That was not good. Auckland was a sprawling city with beaches, greenery and beautiful views. But Tom and Lucy lived in the midst of an industrial estate.

Tom parked in his usual spot, and went to unload the groceries he had picked up on the way home. He looked up at the apartment block they lived in. It was a bleak looking building. Dull concrete blocks, with ugly silver aluminium window frames, that screeched and stuck when being opened or closed.  It wasn’t the worst area they’d looked at, but it was all they could afford when they found out Lucy was pregnant. Since then, there had been many miscarriages so Jacob was a small miracle. They had been told that Lucy was unlikely to fall pregnant at all. That miracle turned to despair when all Jacob seemed to do after coming home from the hospital, was scream and scream.

Tom hated to admit that he was embarrassed about where they lived. Now he looked around for almost the first time in months, and he was appalled by their surroundings. The parking area was scrubby and littered with rubbish. Syringes in the corners of the stairwell, and what was likely a drug deal being actioned behind the dumpster. One of the participants glared at him, so he walked briskly to the front door. The elevator was out again, and the climb to the third floor convinced him it was time to move.  With that decision made, he hummed as he unlocked the door to their flat.

Chapter 3

Coral aged 21

It had been a really bad night. Thomas had screamed from nine o'clock to ten o’clock, then from midnight until three and then from five thirty until just after seven. Now mercifully he was in an exhausted sleep. She didn’t dare place him in the pushchair for fear he would wake. So Coral carried him as she walked, with her baby bag in the pushchair and her work bag across her shoulder. The carer lived a kilometre away from Coral's little bedsit, and usually it was a pleasant walk with Thomas in the stroller, but by the time she reached Glenys' house, Thomas had gone from tiny baby weight to baby elephant weight. Her shoulders screamed with the pain from the combined weight of her bag and her baby.

The door to Glenys' daycare studio was open, and the sound of children laughing floated out to her. But Coral was too distressed to enjoy it. She was tired, she was upset and she was late for work. Glenys came to the door. She opened the security gate, and ushered Coral and Thomas inside.

You poor dear, she said. "Why don't you go and have a sleep on