to see Top Gun with me, indirectly contributed to his death.
Dad heard about Colin’s death on Red Rose radio. I was up in my room at the time, listening to records on my Frisco Disco.
“Nicola, can you come down here, please!” he shouted from downstairs.
I liked playing my records pretty loud, so I wasn’t sure if he had been shouting me for a while. I guessed from his stern tone that he probably had. I lifted the needle off the record and hurried downstairs. It was another rainy day, even wetter than the Top Gun afternoon, the previous day and as I ran down the stairs, I could hear the raindrops drumming against the windows. My Dad was in his study, he had a comfy chair in there, where he would often sit and listen to the radio or read books. They were usually gardening books. He has always been a green fingered man.
Dad was, as expected, in his comfy chair. I was expecting a request to play my music a little more quietly, so Dad’s question seemed a little strange.
“Nicola, your friend Simon, who is often around at Joey’s. What’s his surname?”
“Strong. W hy?”
“I thought so. Does he have any brothers?”
“Just one, Colin. I saw him yesterday, before we went to the cinema. He wouldn’t come because he wanted to play cricket. Why, Dad?”
Dad stood up out of his comfy chair.
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Nicola, but I’ve just heard on the radio that a boy’s body was found in the canal this morning, up near Whittle-le-Woods. He’s been named as Colin Strong. I think it must be your friend’s brother.”
I didn’t say a word. For a fe w seconds, I just stared at him. Then I ran. I could hear Dad shouting after me,
“Nicola! Nicola! Come back here this minute!”
I ran out of the study, ran out the front door and I just kept running until I arrived at Simon’s house. I didn’t pause to put a waterproof on, so the dress I had been wearing, one of the many that Auntie Gill had chosen, was soon soaked through, but that did not matter one jot. I was hoping to see Colin, but if he wasn’t there and something had happened to him, I knew I needed to see Simon. I needed to see him, I needed to speak to him and I needed his forgiveness. Death seemed to follow me like a shadow and that scared me, but losing Simon’s friendship scared me more. I wasn’t sure if seeing Simon would solve the problem, but I knew sitting in my room listening to Five Star definitely wouldn’t. Maybe Dad had it wrong, maybe he hadn’t heard it right, maybe once I arrived at Simon’s house everything would be fine. I would be nicer to Colin from now on, I decided, up until now I hadn’t really made much of an effort.
I was probably quite a spoilt little ten year old, being the only child of a widowed father, so had yet to learn qualities such as tact, diplomacy, discretion and empathy. I arrived at Simon’s doorstep thinking more about my own potential grief than that of Simon and his family. I put my finger on the doorbell and kept it pressed in for a few seconds. I knew the Strong’s had an orange Ford Escort estate, an old one, as I used to see Mr.Strong driving around with his ladders on the top or it would be parked at the bottom of a road and you would soon see him up the ladder somewhere whistling away. There was no car on the path now though, just puddles.
Simon answered the door. He looked fine, not grief stricken or tearful, just fine. My Dad had made a huge mistake. Rather than feeling anxious, I now felt embarrassed, I had no idea what to say, so just stood there silently with water dripping off my nose and dress. My appearance seemed to go unnoticed with Simon.
“Nicky, what are you doing here?”
Simon said this without a trace of emotion. That struck me as odd. He had not been like that the day before at Top Gun. He had been speaking with such excitement. Doubts began to creep back.
“My Dad said....my Dad
Dad heard about Colin’s death on Red Rose radio. I was up in my room at the time, listening to records on my Frisco Disco.
“Nicola, can you come down here, please!” he shouted from downstairs.
I liked playing my records pretty loud, so I wasn’t sure if he had been shouting me for a while. I guessed from his stern tone that he probably had. I lifted the needle off the record and hurried downstairs. It was another rainy day, even wetter than the Top Gun afternoon, the previous day and as I ran down the stairs, I could hear the raindrops drumming against the windows. My Dad was in his study, he had a comfy chair in there, where he would often sit and listen to the radio or read books. They were usually gardening books. He has always been a green fingered man.
Dad was, as expected, in his comfy chair. I was expecting a request to play my music a little more quietly, so Dad’s question seemed a little strange.
“Nicola, your friend Simon, who is often around at Joey’s. What’s his surname?”
“Strong. W hy?”
“I thought so. Does he have any brothers?”
“Just one, Colin. I saw him yesterday, before we went to the cinema. He wouldn’t come because he wanted to play cricket. Why, Dad?”
Dad stood up out of his comfy chair.
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Nicola, but I’ve just heard on the radio that a boy’s body was found in the canal this morning, up near Whittle-le-Woods. He’s been named as Colin Strong. I think it must be your friend’s brother.”
I didn’t say a word. For a fe w seconds, I just stared at him. Then I ran. I could hear Dad shouting after me,
“Nicola! Nicola! Come back here this minute!”
I ran out of the study, ran out the front door and I just kept running until I arrived at Simon’s house. I didn’t pause to put a waterproof on, so the dress I had been wearing, one of the many that Auntie Gill had chosen, was soon soaked through, but that did not matter one jot. I was hoping to see Colin, but if he wasn’t there and something had happened to him, I knew I needed to see Simon. I needed to see him, I needed to speak to him and I needed his forgiveness. Death seemed to follow me like a shadow and that scared me, but losing Simon’s friendship scared me more. I wasn’t sure if seeing Simon would solve the problem, but I knew sitting in my room listening to Five Star definitely wouldn’t. Maybe Dad had it wrong, maybe he hadn’t heard it right, maybe once I arrived at Simon’s house everything would be fine. I would be nicer to Colin from now on, I decided, up until now I hadn’t really made much of an effort.
I was probably quite a spoilt little ten year old, being the only child of a widowed father, so had yet to learn qualities such as tact, diplomacy, discretion and empathy. I arrived at Simon’s doorstep thinking more about my own potential grief than that of Simon and his family. I put my finger on the doorbell and kept it pressed in for a few seconds. I knew the Strong’s had an orange Ford Escort estate, an old one, as I used to see Mr.Strong driving around with his ladders on the top or it would be parked at the bottom of a road and you would soon see him up the ladder somewhere whistling away. There was no car on the path now though, just puddles.
Simon answered the door. He looked fine, not grief stricken or tearful, just fine. My Dad had made a huge mistake. Rather than feeling anxious, I now felt embarrassed, I had no idea what to say, so just stood there silently with water dripping off my nose and dress. My appearance seemed to go unnoticed with Simon.
“Nicky, what are you doing here?”
Simon said this without a trace of emotion. That struck me as odd. He had not been like that the day before at Top Gun. He had been speaking with such excitement. Doubts began to creep back.
“My Dad said....my Dad
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