November-Charlie (2 page)

~*~

Saturday morning, Jim found the girls lying on their backs in the communal gardens with the dog between them, listening to some song or other on Lou’s phone.

Jim sat down by their feet. “You two got a minute?”

“You’re blocking the sun,” Lou told him. “Lie down, mate.”

Jim lowered onto the girl’s blanket. “I’ve spoken to Nichola. The mission society has stopped looking for Mum and Dad.” He kicked at the grass with the toe of his shoe. “But I can’t just give up like that. I want to do something. I just don’t know what.” Jim stretched his arms wide and encountered a warm body. “Oh, sorry, who did I hit?”

“Deefer,” Lou replied. “Oh, look, you’ve upset him, Jim.”

Deefer sat with his back to Jim ignoring him. He was such a funny dog. So very much like his mistress.

“Sorry Deefer. I didn’t mean it, honest.” The dog turned and offered his paw. Jim shook it. At least he didn’t sulk as long as his mistress did.

“How about we go and look for them by ourselves?” Staci sat up.

“Don’t be silly, sis.”

Deefer started licking Jim intently, and he pushed the dog away. “Look, Deefer. I have had one wash today; I don’t need another one, thank you.”

“Not being silly. Just because I’m littler than you don’t mean I can’t help do grown up stuff sometimes.”

“Doesn’t mean,” Jim corrected.

Staci sighed. “Whatever...”

“It’s not possible.” Jim stood.
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t go.
“Come on. Let’s take Deefer for a walk.”

~*~

Deefer kept close to Lou’s heels as they headed off down the road. He had been a birthday present nine years ago, and they had been inseparable ever since Lou had rescued him from next door’s cat when he was a puppy. His name had started off as a joke and had stuck.
D
for dog—Deefer.

Lou enjoyed the sunshine and the mild weather as they strolled the short distance to Riverside Park and down towards the water.

Deefer strained at his lead until Lou unclipped it.

Leaves on the trees flapped lazily in the slight breeze as they walked underneath them.

“Can’t believe it’s June next week,” Lou said. “Maybe we’ll get a summer this year to make a change.” She paused as they reached the children’s play area for the under twelve's.

“Remember when Dad used to push me high? It felt like I was flying.” Staci’s gaze went to an empty swing set. “Jim, would you push me now?” she asked quietly

“Sure, kiddo. Come on.” He unlocked the gate and the two of them went in.

Lou remained with Deefer as Staci climbed higher and higher. Her long black hair trailed behind her, but instead of smiling, tears poured down her face. Lou signaled to Jim there was something wrong and he let the swing slow to a stop.

Jim gathered his sister into his arms, joined Lou and Deefer, and they all crossed to a bench by the river and sat.

Staci’s arms remained tightly clamped around Jim’s neck, her hair falling over his shoulders.

“Come on, kiddo,” he said gruffly.

Lou averted her eyes as she realized how close to tears Jim was.

After a few minutes, Staci slid off Jim’s lap and wedged between them, pushing her hair behind her ears. She took the tissues Lou had fished from her pocket.

“Thanks.” Staci wiped her eyes, blew her nose furiously and stood up. “Come on,” she said. “Deefer wants his walk.”

Deefer ran happily on the path along the riverbank, investigating every blade of grass and tree in the hope of finding something to chase, so long as it wasn’t a rabbit or a cat, since he was afraid of both.

Jim skimmed stones across the surface of the water and tried, unsuccessfully to teach her and Staci to do it.

Lou laughed at her attempts, but even with that, Staci didn’t even raise a smile. “It’s not a crime to smile, Stace. We won’t think any less of you.”

“Got nothing to smile about.”

“Things will get better,” Lou told her. “They have to.”

“You have your mum and a home, Lou. I don’t. They left me and now they’re dead.”

“Just because no one found them yet, doesn’t mean they’re dead. They’re just missing—”

“Shut up. You don’t know anything.” Staci yelled.

Lou’s eyes filled with tears and her stomach twisted.
She did know
. More than most people did.

Jim grabbed Staci’s arm gently. “Hey, kiddo.” he told her. “We will get through this. I miss them too.” He held her gaze. “And remember, Lou knows just how you feel. Her dad died. Dad’s just lost, right now. He’ll come back. Rob won’t.”

“Lou? I’m sorry,” Staci began. “It’s just...”

Lou turned and gave Staci a hug. “It’s OK. You don’t need to explain. I’m not just your friend, I think of you as a sister, and I’ll always be here for you. Want to take Deefer’s leash for a while?”

“Sure.” Staci took the lead and ran on ahead.

As soon as she had gone out of earshot, Jim gazed at Lou. “I’m worried they’ll put us into care.”

“Where’d that come from? Mum said you could stay with us.”

“Only while Mum and Dad were on the mission field and only because Aunt Edith refused to have us. Your flat’s not really big enough. I can’t stay in the dining room forever. And our house got sold.”

“It did? I thought it was being rented out, the same as usual.”

“No. Dad sold it. Said it was silly keeping it, and we’d buy something new when they came back to England permanently. Besides, between you and me, the rent they got for it didn’t cover the mortgage payment.”

“Ah. Well, that makes sense, then.”

“I have some money saved, but nowhere near enough for a house.”

“I’m sure Mum won’t kick you out. You and Staci are all the family we have left—” She broke off, her cheeks burning. “I mean…Di is Mum’s best friend. They’re as good as sisters. Mum promised to take care of you.”

“Until they came home. Not forever.”

“She won’t kick you out,” Lou said firmly. “I won’t let her.”

At the other side of the bridge was the boat yard. Moored to one side were several boats with a ‘For Hire’ sign next to them. On the other side were the privately owned boats in a small marina owned by the same chap who owned the yard.

As Jim took in the sight, Lou recognized that seafarer’s look in his eyes. He loved boats and for the last two years had had a summer job in the boat yard. He was hoping to join the navy. He’d taken the entrance exam and physical for naval college a couple of weeks before the earthquake and was waiting to hear. He’d done his A-levels a year early and was enjoying his gap year, working in the boat yard whenever they needed him.

He stared at the boats bobbing up and down on the water. “Shame we can’t just live on a boat.”

Staci walked up with Deefer and looked at him. “Why would we want to do that? We’re staying with Nichola. But can we go and look at Dad’s boat? I’ve put Deefer’s lead back on so he won’t run away and get in trouble.”

“Sure. I told Matt that I’d say hi next time I was over this way.” As Jim led the way, several people called out to him in greeting.

A big burly chap with a long black ponytail came over and slapped him on the back. “Hi, Jim. Sorry to hear about your parents. Is there any more news?”

“No. They called off the search.”

“Oh, no. Oh, I’m sorry, mate.”

“Thanks. Matt, this is my sister Staci, our friend, Lou, and her dog Deefer. This is Matt Woodhouse, the boss here.”

Matt smiled. “Nice to meet you at last. Jim talks about you both all the time. I’m afraid I don‘t have any work this week if that’s what you were after, mate.”

“Not this time, but would you mind if we look over Dad’s boat?”

“Of course not. I’ll get the keys. See you over there.” Matt headed back to the office.

“It has keys?” Lou raised an eyebrow. She followed Jim as he led them to the private docks.

Jim grinned and turned to look at her, rolling his eyes as only he could.

If only he knew how that affected her. Anyone else did it, and she’d deck them. Jim on the other hand…

“Of course she has keys,” he said. “Otherwise anyone could just steal her.”

“Her? And I suppose she has a name?”

“
Avon
,” Jim replied. “She’s a beauty.” He led them over the gangplank onto the deck.

Matt joined them and looked at Staci. “Your brother told you the three rules to boating, right? One, keep the boat on the water. Two, keep the water out of the boat. Three, stay in the boat.”

Lou giggled.

Matt glanced at her. “I’m perfectly serious. You wouldn’t believe some of the idiots who hire the boats.” He gave Jim the keys. “Just bring them back to the office when you’re done.”

“Sure. Thanks.”

Lou followed Jim around the boat as he gave her a guided tour.

It was bigger than she thought.

“So,
Avon
is forty feet long with a fully enclosed bridge, unusual for a small boat,” he began.

Small?
She let Jim ramble on and followed him down a steep flight of steps from the bridge directly below to a reasonably big, serviceable galley, with stove, fridge-freezer, pull-up table, ample storage space and a window looking over the front of the boat.

Lou opened the cupboards and found cups, plates, pots, and pans. Drawers contained knives, forks, and spoons.

“That door on the left goes out onto deck. Down those steps are two double cabins and the head.”

“Head?”

“It’s what you call a bathroom on a boat.” He grinned. “Don’t you know anything?”

She poked her tongue out at him, following him down more steep stairs.

She peeked into one of the cabins. A round window let in the sunshine. There was a bed on each wall with just enough room between them to walk. The cabins had separate entrances but also had a connecting door.

She burst out laughing at the fact the bathroom had a frosted window. “Who’s gonna look in when you’re at sea?”

Jim shook his head at her. “Not at sea now, though, are we? The shower runs off the five-gallon fresh water tank. This also supplies the sink in the galley. The cistern runs off the five-gallon grey water tank.”

“I see.” She dodged Deefer, who ran past her, settling on one of the bunks. “Guess that one’s mine, then.”

Back on the bridge, Jim explained all the instruments which included the two small engines, radio/transmitter, the compass, the anchor and a fish finder navigational screen. The running lights, mast light, and VHF antenna lights had to be on during the hours of darkness. Unusual for a cabin cruiser, she had a mast with two sails. The main sail was a one-hundred-fifty-foot genoa, with a one-hundred-ten foot headsail and storm jib as well.

A door on the right of the bridge led out onto a small platform from which there was a ladder down to the deck. The deck, which ran all around the boat, had been well cared for as had the bow pulpit, which shone in the sunlight.

Lou followed Staci back to the cabins and stretched on the made up bunks. “Lovely and comfy,” Lou said. “There’s even space underneath them.” She put her hands under her head. “You know I wouldn’t mind living on a boat. Maybe I should apply to join the navy, too.”

“It’s fun,” Staci said. “We take the boat on holiday sometimes.”

“Must be nice, being rocked to sleep by the sea.”

Jim laughed from the doorway. “Comfy are we? Time we were going, it’s nearly five. We don’t want to keep Nichola waiting.”

Lou stood and pulled Staci to her feet.

Together the three of them climbed to the galley and onto the deck.

~*~

Jim locked
Avon
up carefully, while an idea formed in his mind. He headed to the office to return the keys.

“Thank you for letting us on her, Matt.”

“Anytime,” he said and shook Jim’s hand. “She’s your boat now, I guess.”

“Dad’s not dead,” Jim said sharply. “He and Mum are missing, that’s all. I’ll be by next week.”

“See you then.”

He headed outside to find the girls. “Come on, I’m starving.”

“You’re always starving,” Lou told him. “Must be a man thing, because I never am.”

“Will we live with you now, Lou? I don’t want to be sent away to live with Aunt Edith,” Staci said as they crossed the park. “She doesn’t like me.”

“Don’t see why we would be. Mum and Dad will be back,” Jim said.

“I know that, but if I can’t stay here until they do, I will run away.” Staci huffed.

Jim stopped. His sister’s face was set and determined.

What if the social services became involved, what if they had no choice but to live with Aunt Edith or go into care? Once he was eighteen, in a few short months, he’d be thrown out. But they’d never let him care for Staci…besides, he’d be in the navy and who knows where.

“I’m not changing my mind. I will go where no one can find me.”

“You can’t live on your own,” Jim told her. “You’re not old enough.”

“I can. I’ll go live on the boat.
Avon
is a second home anyway.”

“You’re not old enough go on your own,” he repeated.

“And if you think I’d let you go off without me, you have another think coming. We’ll be the three musketeers, with Deefer being the fourth.” Lou added and pulled Staci into a hug. She looked at Jim. “Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Jim said. “Right now, we’d better hurry home. My stomach thinks my throat’s been cut.”

Over dinner, Jim kept running through the same idea in his head, over and over. He had to do something. Could he search for his parents himself? If he did, where would he start? And what would happen to Staci if he did?

“Are you finished with that plate? It’s not going to clean itself.” Lou held out her hand.

“Are you feeling all right?” Jim asked, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s not like you to volunteer for anything, never mind the dishes.”

“I’m fine,” Lou snapped. “Mum cooked, so I don’t see why she should do the dishes.”

“That’s very kind,” Nichola said. “It will be nice not to have to do them.”

“We’ll help, Lou,” Staci said.

“Even make the tea,” Jim added.