Gadjo

By Lloyd Ingle

Andrew Jenkins had been deserted by his mother and living in an unhappy atmosphere, he befriends fellow loner Gunari Bosworth, a boy from a nearby gypsy camp. The story is of their friendship and the many adventures they share from the age of twelve into their early twenties. It’s a story of humour, violence, tragedy, sex and love. Andrew has good and bad fortune along the way, meeting a host of diverse and wonderful character; all shared by his surrogate Romany family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Sep 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546297659

Lloyd Ingle

The author was born in Mansfield England in 1944 moving to Dover in 1950. He was educated at Dover Grammar school 1955-1960, joined the British army where he served in the Far and Middle East. He is divorced and has two daughters and two sons and lives in Caerphilly, South Wales. In 2014 he had pancreatic cancer and underwent a 12 hour operation involving total pancreatomy. On release from hospital he suffered traumatic hallucinations and many dreams, one of which became the basis of his first novel Gadjo.

Book preview

1

O n the last day of term before the summer break, Andrew’s class had learned that when school resumed they would be joined by a new student and discovered almost immediately via the grapevine that the new boy would be a Gypsy. When the information filtered through to the parents, it caused a great deal of unease about the effect that such a person would have on the welfare of their offspring. Threats of withdrawing their children were made but never implemented and the affair was pretty much forgotten; until it was time to return to school.

The boy stood alone and unkempt in a corner of the school-yard and Andrew Jenkins’ first impressions were that the boy looked less of a threat to their well being than he was from them. Andrew himself had no friends to speak of and being sure that the poor lad would be earmarked for special treatment from the bullies, he decided to befriend the stranger. He sensed somehow that the boy would become a good friend and even though the fellow loner was totally unaware of Andrew’s existence; that decision would prove to be one of the wisest decisions that he would ever make; they were destined to become brothers, confidantes and each other’s right hand, sharing a long journey that would bring heartache, tragedy and pain but also bring them joy, laughter and love.

The school bell rang out stridently with each student making their way, robot-fashion to the main door; the boy followed the crowd, looking left and right; not quite knowing which way to go. Andrew followed closely behind and as the boy was about to walk past their classroom, he touched his arm to indicated the direction that he should take. They walked into the classroom to find that everyone else had taken their place, leaving the empty double desk at the rear of the classroom and immediately the class tittered and nudged each other; amused at having manoeuvred the two misfits together.

When the first lesson began, Andrew sat quietly alert but was constantly distracted by his companion’s apparent lack of interest in proceedings and at the mid-morning break he walked over to where the boy was standing and asked his name. The boy mumbled almost inaudibly, Gunari Bosworth! Andrew looked at him and said, Gunari, are you at all aware of what’s going on in class? The boy shrugged and Andrew asked tactfully, You seem to be having difficulty in understanding what’s going on; is there anything I can do to help? The boy sighed and said, I don’t really want to be here; my parents made me come. They say there are advantages to be had in being educated so we’ve all got to go to school! He said that he knew that his parents were right to want the best for their children but fearing that he and his sister Lulu, being the eldest would be left trailing in the wake of the younger ones and thought it a waste of time. Andrew suggested that perhaps he should ask the teacher for extra lessons; Gunari replied glumly, We have a smallholding where even the younger ones have to work and I’m not sure if I could be spared; it would mean extra work for the others! Andrew would not be swayed from his purpose however, "Why don’t we ask the teacher anyway; I’m sure it would not be every night and if I can get permission from my guardian; I could help you on the evenings that you don’t have extra lessons. After all if your parents are so eager for you to be educated; they ought to give you every opportunity to learn!" The bell’s clamour signalled the end of the break, preventing further discussion and Andrew suddenly realized that they had talked so much that they had not eaten their sandwiches.

They returned to the classroom and during the course of the morning, Andrew tried to explain the rudiments of the lessons that were being taught but with scant success and during the lunch break, they again touched on the subject of extra lessons, making sure not to forget their sandwiches this time. The afternoon passed by in much the same fashion as before and when the first day of term came to an end, the two mavericks walked down the road together; parting at the gates of the junior school where Gunari had to wait for his younger siblings and as Andrew walked home his spirits were high; the end of the first day of term and he had made a friend.

Andrew reached home and opened the door, resolving to gauge the mood of the house before asking permission to help with his new friend’s education; knowing that if the signs were unfavourable; asking for approval for what he had in mind would be futile. His guardian, Aunt Margaret smiled as he walked in and judging the signs to have boded well, he decided to take the plunge. He took a deep breath and asked quietly, Would it be all right if I helped one of the other boys with his reading lessons? Receiving no immediate response he added for good measure, It would help me too; I want to become a teacher when I leave school! Margaret said, Well, I suppose it would keep you out of my hair! Adding hastily, There will be no late nights and you must come home first!

He ate his meal quickly then went directly to his room and after a couple hours studying, he lay wearily on his bed, reflecting on the life he had been forced to endure since his mother emigrated to Australia. She had left him with her cousin Margaret and her son James; promising with tears streaming down her face that she would return for him as soon as she had gotten settled. When she did not return for him, it was plain that she must never have been able to settle and although she had not even bothered to write, he still performed the forlorn daily ritual of checking the door-mat to see if there had been word from Australia. His mother had unwittingly thrust him into a loveless, intimidating environment, where his presence downstairs was rarely welcomed or deemed necessary and on a daily basis he was sent to his room to study as soon as he had eaten. It was a far cry indeed from his former existence, where he had only attended school when his mother had been threatened with court proceedings and although he was grateful that the enforced regular school attendance had enabled him to become top of the class in all subjects; it had the unfortunate effect of alienating him even further from his peers and had not prevented him from being the butt of his family’s ill humour. His mistreatment by both them and his fellow pupils had made him become insular, incapable of interacting with anyone but now all that had changed; he’d made a friend and life had become worth living again. With much on his mind, he got ready for bed and as he lay down he began wondering about the curious set of circumstances by which he had been given permission to go to the Gypsy camp and all achieved without so much as a whimper. I don’t know the reason but long may it reign, he thought just before being overtaken by sleep.

2

A ndrew left the house earlier than usual, hoping to bump into the gypsy family and fortunately he had been waiting only a short while when the odd-looking bunch appeared all laughing and jostling one another; he was introduced to Lulu then joined the happy band walking down the road to school. The younger members of the family were left at their school gate and the remaining trio walked quickly onward, managing to arrive at the school gate a good half an hour before the bell was due to ring. Andrew persuaded Gunari to go inside to ask about extra lessons before the rest of the class had chance to arrive and pushing his new friend into the room Andrew explained the situation; their form teacher immediately agreed to help and arrangements were made for Gunari to stay behind every Tuesday and Thursday. They returned to the school-yard and noting the smile when Gunari told Lulu the news, Andrew perceived that Gunari had actually wanted to learn.

He mentioned the conditions that Margaret had laid down in allowing him to the camp and complained that he was not happy about having to go home before going to the camp, It will mean walking home in the dark on winter nights! Arriving home and noting that they were seated at the table eating their evening meal, he walked to the table and asked, Is it all right if I begin giving lessons to Gunari on Wednesday evening? Margaret immediately agreed and deciding to strike while the iron was hot he asked if he could forgo having to go home first, expressing his fears of returning home in the dark. After only a moment’s hesitation, she agreed to that too; Andrew thought, wonders will never cease, shaking his head in disbelief he went to the kitchen to fetch his meal. He retired to his room to study as soon as his meal was finished and finding it difficult to concentrate with his thoughts being constantly drawn to the curious change in circumstances he was somewhat later in retiring to bed.

3

A s they walked to school the following morning Andrew told Gunari that he would begin helping him with lessons the following evening; Lulu asked if that would mean him coming home with them after school and smiled shyly when he confirmed that fact. Andrew’s face immediately betrayed his embarrassment and it was with a sense of relief that they finally walked through the school gates and he was able to hide his discomfort by mingling with a crowd of boys standing near the door.

Unfortunately the morning did not go too well as during the mid-morning break, taunts and name-calling were directed at the two friends; they did not rise to the bait but Gunari’s face betrayed his inner feelings of hurt and anger. Thankfully the bullies drifted away when they realized that attempts at goading the boys into a confrontation had fallen on deaf ears, leaving them to finish their sandwiches in peace. The bell sounded to signal the end of the break and they returned to the classroom for a double period of history. When the lesson began Andrew continued with his attempts at explaining the lessons as best he could but it was hard going and he was relieved when the lunch time break arrived. They made their way back to what appeared to have become their usual gathering place and had eaten half of their lunch when the taunting began again in earnest. Ignoring the torrent of abuse with feigned disinterest did not work for a second time and finally the constant name-calling made Andrew snap; he slowly laid down the remains of his lunch, rounded on the bullies fiercely; the surprise diatribe had the desired effect of breaking up the mob and forcing them to walk off belligerently mouthing obscenities.

When the break came to an abrupt end they trooped in to begin the last session of the day and by the end of the afternoon under Andrew’s calm, insistent prompting Gunari seemed to be getting the hang of things a little better. The two boys waited for Lulu in the cold and when she finally appeared at the doorway she was chattering excitedly to two girls she had obviously befriended. The wind had picked up and black clouds were racing ominously across the sky and with the girls pausing to continue their conversation, Gunari roared at her to hurry up. The younger siblings were waiting patiently outside the school gates and as they all walked silently along together holding their coats tightly to their necks; the rain began to trickle down.

As soon as Andrew closed the front door of home, the drizzle that had accompanied their walk from school began to pelt down harder and he paused briefly with his back against the door, relieved to have missed the worst of the storm. After hanging up his wet coat and satchel in the hall he went into the living room; immediately sensing an atmosphere he picked up his lunch, retrieved his school-bag from the coat-hook and went quietly to his bedroom. He was well aware that on such occasions one or both of his guardians would use his presence as an excuse to pick on him and not wanting the visits to his friend’s to be over before they had begun, he stayed there for the rest of the evening. Later as he lay in the dark; he heard first one then the other retiring for the night and at last his troubled mind relaxed; relieved at having survived the evening without incident.

4

A ndrew looked forward excitedly to his first visit to the camp and when they finally arrived at the entrance to the settlement he paused briefly to gaze at the extraordinary scene that unfolded before him. Children of all ages and gender were engaged in playing a game unknown to him but seemed to involve a great deal of noise and capering around; meanwhile a pack of dogs raced around barking and trying to nip the ankles of the frolicking horde. As soon as the capering assemblage noticed Andrew’s presence, play was momentarily suspended and they stared at him in astonished silence; a stranger from town was a new experience for them. Andrew returned their stare with a boldness he scarcely felt and when the stand-off protocol had been observed to mutual approbation he looked around the camp, surprisingly noticing that there were no caravans. They walked to Gunari’s house and the almost silent assembly returned to their game with a marked increase in decibel level. Gunari introduced Andrew to his mother and wiping her hands on her pinafore before shaking hands, she in turn introduced Lala saying, I suppose you must think our children’s names strange but in our family, names are all of Romany descent with the girls’ names connected to plants or flowers and the boys’ to soldiers and warriors! Andrew thought, what a wonderful idea and allowed his eyes to scan the room; his gaze lingered on several tapestries hanging from the walls; each appearing to depict scenes of the family’s nomadic history. Lala took his hand and led him through to the dining room where plates of appetising stew had been laid out ready for their arrival and quickly making short work of the meal, Andrew accepted the kind offer of seconds. The table was cleared as soon as the meal had been finished, books were produced and the first reading lesson began; Andreas chose one of the youngsters’ books, believing that they would find learning much easier that way and after just a short while Andrew was heartened by how well the session had gone. Gunari’s mother stood in the doorway, discreetly observing proceedings with a huge smile on her rotund tanned face; Andrew smiled wistfully, feeling almost part of a real family but knowing that the bizarre sense of belonging would only last until the lesson came to a halt.

Gunari’s father arrived home from work, signalling an immediate halt in proceedings; he greeted the children with a smile and turning to Andrew he said loudly, You must be the young man helping my son with his reading lessons! Andrew, overwhelmed by the man’s sheer size and booming voice; shook the proffered hand, managing to stammer quietly that he was only too happy to help a friend. Gunari’s father continued, I’m obliged that you have kindly taken the time to help; there aren’t too many that would bother with the likes of us! Not knowing quite what to say Andrew quietly gathered his books, put them into his satchel and bade a cheery farewell to them all. Gunari accompanied him to the camp entrance and when they had shaken hands Andrew began the long trek home; after a few yards he looked back towards the house to wave goodbye and noticed that all but one of the family had returned the gesture; Walthaar, the dour-faced boy who always seemed to keep his distance when he was around, stood with his hands firmly in place at his sides; Andrew shrugged his shoulders and continued homewards.

When he reached the house, he found the house in darkness and assuming that his family were abed he went straight to his room, grateful that the large helpings of stew he’d eaten earlier would save him from having to prepare a meal. He lay on the bed and going over the events of the last few days, he reached the conclusion that this had to have been the happiest period in his life thus far; he no longer felt alone and with that thought paramount in his thoughts he put on his pyjamas, climbed between the sheets and fell into a deep, contented sleep.

5

M argaret was in a strange mood once more when Andrew went down for breakfast; asking him about Gunari’s family and what sort of caravan they lived in. Ill at ease with the phenomenon of actually being engaged in conversation he explained that no-one there actually lived in caravans. James was noisily munching on his toast but Andrew was well aware that he would be taking in every word said; waiting to pounce on anything he could use to make Andrew’s life even more miserable. Conversation with them was always fraught and Andrew was relieved when breakfast was finally over and he was left in peace to finish his toast; glancing at the clock he realized that he was behind time and decided to eat the remainder of his toast on the way to school.

He heard the distant hooter of the shirt factory situated several miles from town and realizing that he was now not too far behind time he slowed his pace and arrived early at the meeting place. As soon as he fell in beside Gunari, Walthaar dropped to the rear of the group walking sullenly behind everyone; Andrew racked his brain vainly searching for something he may have said or done to upset him. He could not bear the thought of being thrust back into isolation and tried to dispel his discomfort by telling them a little of his life with Margaret and James and how he had come to be living with them. He found the unusual experience of sharing his origins to be pleasant and with time passing quickly they soon joined the unruly queue waiting to enter their classrooms and as soon as lessons got under way it became clear that Gunnar’s understanding of this new and alien world had somewhat improved.

6

A fter a satisfactory week in which Gunari had made excellent progress, the weekend duly arrived and immediately after breakfast on Saturday morning Andrew made his way to the encampment. The youngsters took it in turns to read, Andrew helping wherever a mistake occurred and when they stopped for lunch he found to his delight that their interest and concentration had not wavered for one second. He was aware that there would be chores to perform when the meal was over and volunteering his services he was assigned the task of grooming the horse. The mane and feathering on his hooves were black but the rest of his huge frame was a silvery grey earning him the name of Silver. He was a wonderful good-natured old caravanner and tending him soon became a labour of love for Andrew; even though it made him sad whenever he saw Silver pulling the heavily laden cart over bumps and stones in the road but the great beast seemed completely oblivious to the cross he had to bear.

After a few weeks Andrew began to help in the garden too and the extra pair of hands more than made up for Gunari’s absences during the week also allowing more reading time. The family made huge strides with their literacy over the succeeding weeks; with even Lala, who would not be starting school until the following year, having passable reading skills. Mr Jones was impressed with Gunari’s progress and now that he was almost able to read, everything became clearer and a new world began to open up for him. Andrew had benefited too; the hard work, fresh air and a more wholesome regime had added muscle to his developing frame had given his self-confidence a huge boost. He saw little of his cousins during this period but on the odd occasion that they were all in the house at the same time things were still strangely cordial. There was no apparent explanation for their unusual behaviour but as it had created a more pleasing set of circumstances, Andrew did not question the situation. Good progress was made on all fronts in the following weeks and life was perfect for Andrew then something peculiar occurred two or three months on from the onset of the friendship. It was a Wednesday evening, one of the nights when Andrew had to go home after school; he entered the house and heard muffled voices coming from the parlour and as he tried to creep past the half-opened door Margaret called him into the room. Their guest was an odd looking man who rose to his feet when Andrew entered; Margaret said, Andrew this is Mr McAvoy, he is a friend from Scotland and has travelled all this way to meet the boy that he has heard so much about! Andrew was dumbstruck at the strange turn of events. Margaret said, Say hello dear! Bemused he stepped forward to shake the man’s hand and almost recoiled as a wet, clammy hand took hold of his own; Andrew looked at him and smiled, belying the revulsion that he felt. McAvoy was an odd-looking man, tall and thin with wisps of sand-coloured hair that looked strangely out of place on an almost completely bald head. He said in a lilting Scottish brogue, Hello there, young Andrew; I’m glad to meet you at last having heard so much about you! I hope you had a good day at school although I have to admit that I hated school from the day I started until the day I left; whereas you, I understand are an excellent pupil! Andrew smiled, excused himself and went to his room to begin studying.

Visits to the encampment had caused him to get behind with his own work, so a fair bit of effort was required to catch up and he ploughed steadily through the work until everything was finished then as he began to get ready for bed he suddenly remembered that he had not eaten, too late for that now, he thought. I’ll have an early breakfast tomorrow instead. Laying in bed close to sleep, he wondered why he had taken such a strong dislike to Mr MacAvoy; he was certainly an odd cove but that fact would not necessarily preclude him from being friends with Andrew’s equally odious relatives. He yawned and thought, I suppose it takes all sorts!

7

O n the way to school the next morning, Andrew related the tale of the strange visitor to Gunari and of the effect the man had on him and shuddered with revulsion as he recalled the touch of the man’s hand on his own. Gunnar said, Forget it. It’s not important enough to bother yourself about! Andrew knew that his friend was right and the incident was consigned to the nether regions of his mind; until another Wednesday three weeks after the incident; when the same visitor was again present on his arrival from school. Andrew heard his voice as soon as he opened the door and for some reason, alarm bells began to ring in his head; he delayed going straight to his room believing that if he did not at least pay his respects, Margaret would use it as an excuse to stop him seeing his friends. He popped into the living room to say hello and after ten minutes of polite conversation Andrew excused himself and went upstairs.

He had been studying for a short while when he suddenly began to feel hungry and remembering that he had not eaten, he tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen to make a sandwich. Once the snack had been made he poured milk into a glass and crept back out of the kitchen but as he passed the partly-opened living room door he heard his name being mentioned. Quietly he eased himself closer to the door to listen in on the conversation and heard Margaret say, He is almost thirteen now, obedient and top of his class in every subject; he also excels at sport and has been gardening at weekends so he is easily capable of working hard. I think that just about covers everything but if there is anything else you need to know; do not hesitate to ask! Andrew was puzzled and anxiously wondered why the man would have to be apprised of his various attributes; pressing his head nearer the door so as not to miss a word he heard McAvoy ask, Is his mother likely to be back on the scene? No, came the answer, She is in Australia and told me the day she left that she had no intention of ever coming back! That statement merely confirmed what he had suspected was the case anyway but he pressed his head closer to the door so as not to miss a single word of what was being said; there was a sudden lull in the conversation and Andrew wondered if there was any connection between their recent peculiar behaviour towards him and the strange person who apparently had to know his history. He soon got the answer to that question when he heard the Scotsman’s say, I think he will be just fine for what I have in mind; so all that is left to discuss is the price! Andrew shook his head in disbelief and pressed his face onto the door; McAvoy continued, I have an idea of how much I want to pay for him and I will not be prepared to pay over the odds for a boy that you are so desperate to be rid of! Andrew’s mouth gaped open as he realized that his guardian was actually preparing to sell him to the odious creature; James’s angry voice was heard for the first time, We have set a price and we will not haggle; you can take it or leave it! The man answered impatiently, Okay, okay, I’ll pay the price! Andrew managed to stifle the cry constricting his throat and deciding that he had heard enough he went back up the stairs as quickly and silently as he could. He put the snack on the bedside table, sat on the bed and cradled his head in his hands, realizing that he was powerless to prevent what was about to happen. He had no-one to turn to, nowhere to go and suddenly becoming aware that he would never see his friends again, he lay back on the bed until mercifully falling asleep a few hours later.

8

W aking in the early hours, he crept downstairs to dispose of his untouched meal and returned wearily to bed when the task had been carried out. Suspecting something had been behind Margaret’s change in attitude towards him was one thing but never in a million years would he ever have guessed the true motive behind their odd behaviour. Sleep did not come easily and when he finally succumbed, the horror of his fate constantly wakened his troubled mind and as a result he failed to wake at the appropriate time but finding the pair had already left, at least spared him the ordeal of having to face them. He cast a worried look at the clock and deciding that there was just enough time for a quick breakfast, he put bread into the toaster and hurriedly made a packed lunch. Dashing from the house still eating the toast he was able to catch his friends before they arrived at school; hardly a word was spoken on the short walk with the misery encompassing him like a suffocating shroud being soon assumed by his friends. They reached school and when lessons began he found it increasingly difficult to concentrate being still too tired and upset over Margaret’s plans for his disposal. Meal breaks were conducted in almost complete silence and Andrew was aware that although Gunari could not have failed to notice that something was awry, their peculiar etiquette would not allow him to question the cause of the silence. Gunari tried to initiate a conversation in the afternoon by asking him if he would be going home with them at the end of the day; unable to speak he merely nodded his head.

When they arrived at the camp Anna’s puzzled gaze went from one face to another but finding no apparent cause for their taciturn faces she turned her attention once more to the stew. After they had eaten, Lala took her usual place on Andrew’s lap but even that would not free him from the misery that had taken command of his soul. The reading got under way with Anna’s dark eyes constantly scanning Andrew’s face for a clue as to the cause of his unhappiness and it was a relief for all when Gunari’s father arrived home. Andrew got to his feet, gathered his books together and morosely walked to the door but as soon as his hand reached out for the handle; Anna put her arm around his shoulder and led him back to the table. She said with a smile, Stay with us a little longer! He sat down in silence with a fresh mug of coffee in front of him and when he had almost finished the drink he idly swirl the dregs; hardly daring to look any-one in the eye. The coffee had the required soothing effect and feeling considerably calmer, he began to rise from the table once more but Anna put her hand on his shoulder, gently pushed him back down onto the chair and stood back expectantly; etiquette would not permit them to ask the cause of his distress but he knew that friends would be obliged to share a problem. He spoke slowly at first but as the tale of woe began to unfold the words came more quickly; there was a stunned silence when he had finished the tale and Gunari earnestly asked if there was a chance that he could have been mistaken; Andrew repeated the conversation verbatim and their faces mirrored shocked concern. Lulu began to gently weep and Lala, who had reclaimed her place on his lap, nuzzled into his chest aware that something terrible was about to happen. Andrew got up slowly and said, I have to go now or I’ll get into trouble! Not quite find the words to say goodbye, Anna rose and kissed his cheek; Andrew opened the door and Gunari walked with him in silence to the entrance; they shook hands and Andrew set off for home; heart weary and with much occupying his mind.

9

T he house was as silent as the grave when Andrew arrived home and gratefully he went straight to his room to ready himself for bed; the sleep that had eluded him the night before came upon him quickly, disturbed only when the half-light of early morning played upon his face and hearing the evil pair moving around he deferred going downstairs until he had heard them leave. As soon as he heard the door slam he hastily prepared breakfast and a packed lunch then finding the morning a carbon copy of its predecessor he was forced to run in order to avoid missing his friends. Their ebullient banter died down as soon as Andreas caught up to them and with no one knowing quite what to say; an uneasy silence reigned. They entered the school gates finding that the excited squealing of their peers was totally at odds with the sombreness blighting their world. The day passed as slowly and drearily as the one before with Andrew breathing more easily when it was finally at an end; Gunari remained in school for his extra lesson while Andrew walked along with the others as far as the usual departure point. He was dreading having to face his kin and it was with a sense of almost deliverance when he finally reached home and found the house silent and unoccupied once more. He made himself a snack and once again retired early for the night feeling grateful that his guardian had not returned before he’d had the time to get into bed.

He wakened in the morning to the sound of James shouting to his mother from the top of the stairs; and immediately decided that he would stay in his room until they had left, nonetheless realizing that the problem of avoiding contact with them could not be circumvented for ever. He was not quite so late leaving as the previous two days and was more communicative on the way to school; being buoyed by the fact that he would be going home with his friends at the end of the day. The hours flew by and the walk to the camp was conducted in a much lighter manner; surprisingly, Gunari’s father Bill was already home and had almost finished his meal by the time the quintet arrived at the camp; smiling good-naturedly he put on his jacket and told Anna that he would not be gone too long. The table was cleared and made ready for reading as soon as they had finished eating with Lala taking her usual position on Andrew’s lap; the lesson went well and his dilemma was temporarily forgotten, with Gunnar, as Gunari insisted on being known proving once more that he had made huge strides. Andrew was justly proud of what he and Mr Jones had achieved thus far but sadly realized that he would not be around to see the end product of their labours. Anna made coffee and its sweet taste as always calmed his troubled mind and once the lesson was over, they sat around the table discussing the book that they had just taken turns to read. Bill returned from wherever he had been and nodded meaningfully to Anna; the family’s mood immediately became more buoyant and Andrew, feeling that his presence was surplus to requirements packed the books into his school-bag and quietly slipped away. He walked homeward and reflecting that it was almost the weekend, wistfully wondered how many more such precious weekends he would spend with his friends. He reached the house and was again relieved to find it empty but too fatigued for further studying, he decided on yet another early night.

10

S aturday morning arrived at last and Andrew could see the sun shining brightly through the thin curtains, heralding a productive day in the garden and after a quick breakfast he walked to the encampment in the warm early morning sunshine. Approaching the entrance he snatched up a sheaf of grass to feed Silver but making his way to the paddock he noticed that both the horse and cart were strangely absent. He left the sheaf near the fence so the horse could feed on his return from the farm and continued onward to the house. Gunnar emerged from the door, put an arm around his shoulder and said, Andrew, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you; Silver died in the night and his carcass had to be taken away early this morning to save the young ones being upset by the sight of his body. He was a good age and unfortunately horses do not live as long as we do! Andrew was stunned by the information also by Gunnar’s matter-of-fact delivery of the sad event. His early morning euphoria disappeared immediately and close to tears he asked Gunnar, What do we do; will we still have to work? Of course, Gunnar replied. The work still goes on; the other animals have to be attended to and there is plenty to do in the garden!

They made their way slowly across the garden to feed the chickens, a task normally performed by the girls but it had been decided that being so upset by the sad news they would not have to work and it was an hour before the boys finally got around to discharging their own chores with Andrew finding that the laborious work acted as a balm, taking his mind from the tragedy. The steady toil was postponed at midday for a much-needed food break and immediately a plate of stew had been consumed, the table was cleared and reading books were brought out for the lesson. Bill came home early from the farm towards the end of the lesson and for the first time was able to listen to his children. Sitting down to his coffee with a huge smile on his face, he listened to Lala’s almost faultless recitation and after she had finished her part of the story, he clapped loudly saying in his distinctive stentorian fashion, Bravo, bravo my little one! He went to the kitchen and Andrew took the opportunity to bid them all adieu to return home and catch up on his homework.

The pair were unfortunately at home and he realized that this was the first time that he had seen them since learning of his impending departure to Scotland. He walked hesitantly into the living room, half expecting to see his new owner but was spared that nightmare scenario by McAvoy’s conspicuous absence. His guardians stood with grotesque smiles on their faces, immediately arousing his suspicions and when Margaret offered to cook food for him, he knew that his departure would be soon. He declined, telling her calmly that he had already eaten and retrieving his school bag from the bannister, he crept up the stairs resignedly without saying another word; homework still had to be done even if his awful fate was imminent; he managed to push the affair temporarily to the recesses of his mind and with a Herculean effort managed to complete the task that had been set. Exhausted he donned his pyjamas, climbed into bed and finally succumbed to the trauma and rigours of the day.

11

W aking early on Sunday morning, Andrew leisurely prepared breakfast and had just finished eating when he heard the toilet upstairs being flushed; he hurriedly left the house to avoid having any form of contact with them. He set off down the road in the warm sunshine and smiled, knowing that another productive day was in store. Arriving at the entrance in good time he instinctively glanced over to the paddock and the sad events of the previous day returned to haunt him. He strolled nonchalantly over to the garden where Gunnar and the other boys had already begun toiling and looking up they playfully cajoled him for his tardiness as he ambled into the garden. Mid-morning they paused from the back-breaking chore of extracting potatoes from the earth and took a well-earned break; Andrew wiped the sweat from his brow, took a swig from his water bottle and resumed digging without speaking a word. A further two hours on they broke for lunch and returned to the house to consume the sandwiches laid out in readiness on the table.

Bill came in from the farm a little earlier than usual and as the boys made ready to return to their labour, he gently led Andrew back to the table; Anna disappeared into the kitchen and Andrew’s panicking heart began to pound in anticipation. Bill smiled and sat on the chair opposite to Andrew and said, We have all grown fond of you over the last few months and we are concerned about you having to go to Scotland! He paused, breathed deeply and said, We would like you to come to live here with us and be part of our family! Andrew was momentarily struck dumb and gaped at Bill in astonishment as he continued, It will be the school holidays in two weeks so if you do decide to join us it would be an ideal time to leave! Trembling with emotion Andrew replied, I would love to live here but what about my guardian? She would never allow me to just walk out and lose all the money she would receive from my sale! Bill smiled and said, Don’t worry about that, you will be safe here; no-one ever dares to venture this far from town! We’ll wait until the holidays; it will give us time to prepare and for you to decide on the things you want to bring with you. That’s settled then, so you can go back to the garden and join the others! Andrew ran excitedly into