The Orphan Plus Others

By Brian Greenaway

This collection of short stories traverses times in the distant past all the way up to more recent moments in the 20th century. These vignettes provide glimpses of lives very different to our own, from the experience of war and poverty to social attitudes which might appear alien to us today. To have lived through some of these times has been a privilege, and the author looks back on them with a sense of nostalgia. The memories of the past remain, and with the aid of stories they can be passed on to future generations. These stories can evoke both laughter and tears, plumbing the vast depths of human emotion to bring history to life in a vivid and compelling set of narratives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Apr 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781398464452

Brian Greenaway

Brian Greenaway was born in the early 30s and Gt Britain was starting to come out of a worldwide recession. By the time he reached four, Britain was again at war with Germany. Like so many other children he was evacuated to the country. Even at the age, he found the country quite exciting, taken in the elderly couple whose children had long left home, he settled in quite well. Brian was enrolled in the village school despite the fact he was still only four, a move that did him no harm.

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About the Author

Brian Greenaway was born in the early 30s and Gt Britain was starting to come out of a worldwide recession. By the time he reached four, Britain was again at war with Germany. Like so many other children he was evacuated to the country. Even at the age, he found the country quite exciting, taken in the elderly couple whose children had long left home, he settled in quite well. Brian was enrolled in the village school despite the fact he was still only four, a move that did him no harm.

Dedication

Dedicated to my wife, Joan, who has managed to put up with me all these years.

Copyright Information ©

Brian Greenaway 2023

The right of Brian Greenaway to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398464445 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398464452 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

A thank you to Austin Macauley Publishers for your acceptance of my work.

The Orphan

The Mother Superior gazed down upon the small boy, her gimlet eyes boring into his, so that he was forced to look away. Martin, do you know what day it is? Well, I shall tell you, she went on without waiting for a reply. Today you are four years old.

The boy looked up, not comprehending.

It’s your birthday, child, the Mother Superior was slightly irritated by the apparent lack of comprehension. I have here a letter from a Mr and Mrs Foster who goodness knows why, wish to take one of our charges for a day’s outing. In view of the fact that it’s your birthday, I have decided that you shall be the recipient of the treat. Well, what do you say?

It was difficult for Martin to say much at all as most of what she had been saying was totally incomprehensible to him. However, to avoid an almost certain slap around the head, he made an unintelligible sound that, fortunately, the Mother Superior took to be his pleasure at the proposed treat.

Right! Run along, child, see Sister Margret, she will get you ready, the Fosters will be here at 9:30.

Promptly at nine am, Martin was placed on a large chair in the main entrance to the convent, he was washed and brushed and completely overawed by what was happening. The chair seemed to swallow him up, his feet dangled at least some two feet from the ground. He sat there for what seemed like hours and hours, in reality it was twenty-five minutes, for the Fosters arrived promptly at 9:25. The Fosters were both small, she round and fat, he thin and bespectacled, in an age where large families abounded, they were childless, and now into their early forties were likely to remain so. Sister Margret carried out the introductions and with a strict understanding that Martin should be back at the convent by 6:00 pm, they left dragging a tearful and reluctant Martin with them. For all Mr Foster’s jocular remarks and Mrs Foster’s occasional hugs, Martin remained surly and uncooperative, their attitude and manner were quite alien to him, so in fact was the world outside the convent. His life to date had been one of obedience to discipline that was at times harsh, and his existence spartan by most standards of the day. As for the world outside, apart from occasional glimpses through iron gates of the convent, his knowledge of what went on was scanty, to say the least.

That’s yer Tower of London – Mr Foster pointed across the cobbled road of Tower Hill – fancy a look in.

Slowly, Martin was weaned over and as the day progressed, he became absorbed by the rush and bustle, the cluttering by, the city men in their smart clothes, the street urchins weaving in and out along crowded pavements. Once he heard Mrs Foster saying, What do you think then, Dad? while giving him a knowing look, but the significance of the remark and Mr Foster’s ‘Well, I dunno,’ held little meaning for him.

That night, he was pumped for information about his excursion by the other inmates of the orphanage. One of them expressing the opinion, "They wanner dopt you, I