pressed his index finger to his lips. “Shsh.” Their hearts raced. The steps reached the first floor. Then they stopped. Mary
grabbed Jim’s hand. Silence. The door opened quietly.
James
poked his head around the door. Mary and Jim almost jumped out of bed.
“Ha-ha-ha-haaaa!” he laughed. “James! You almost gave us a heart attack! What
are you doing up? It’s 3 o’clock in the morning!”
“I
needed a drink of milk.”
“Can’t
you sleep, darling?” asked Mary.
“No,
I couldn’t. And when I did, someone touched my face and whispered James in my ear!”
“Shsh! You’ll wake Zoe! It’s just
been a bad dream; go on, back to bed. You’ll be fine,” said Jim. “Night, night.”
“Night,”
said James, “and no early roll call.”
“That boy! I tell yer, I almost wet myself!”
said Mary.
2
Sunday
morning came – warm and sunny, and Aunt Sally was due to arrive at midday at
Euston Station, in readiness for their holiday to Florida. They were to fly out
early the next day. Mary and Jim were up early; they showered, dressed and had
a quick breakfast. After Mary had done a quick tidy-up of the house, they sat
down at the kitchen table – Jim read the Sunday papers which the paperboy had
just delivered, whilst Mary had a quick glance at the supplements.
Zoe
wandered into the kitchen, still in her pyjamas, and after giving her parents a
morning hug, sat down at the table. “Morning, love, how did
you sleep last night? Better than the first night?” Zoe smiled back at Mary. “Morning. Yes thanks, mum,
much better.” Zoe didn’t want to worry her parents but she had not really slept
that well. She could’ve sworn she heard voices whispering throughout the night.
She poured herself a bowlful of cereal.
“Pass
the milk, please, dad. Did you both sleep OK?” Jim and Mary looked at each
other and smiled. “What?”
“Nothing,”
replied Jim. “Why are you smiling at each other, then?” Zoe hated not knowing
secrets.
“It
was nothing; we thought we had burglars but it was only James wandering around
in the middle of the night,” explained Mary. “He couldn’t sleep so he went down
for a glass of milk.”
“Ah,
I knew I heard something. I heard him upstairs, the horror,” replied a relieved
Zoe. “Upstairs? On the second floor?” questioned Jim, putting down his
newspaper. “Yes, of course. Where did you think I meant?”
“Take
no notice of your dad,” said Mary, glancing towards Jim with a brief shake of
the head. “It was only your brother, scaring us. Let’s hope he doesn’t
terrorise Aunt Sally with his antics.” Mary had lost her parents whilst quite
young, and Aunt Sally was her oldest relative. They had always been close.
Sally had had a bad time recently. She had needed a knee replacement after she
had been knocked off her bicycle by a young drunk-driver – who had got away
with a fine, 10 points and his licence revoked.
3
Mary
cleared the dirty dishes from the table. “Right, we’ll be going shopping on the
way back from the Station. Just need a few bits and pieces for the journey
tomorrow. Do you want me to get you anything?”
“Just
the usual, mum, please, and maybe some crisps and chocolate. What time is Aunt
Sally due?”
“Her
train gets in at 11.30,” replied Mary. “Is her room ready, dad?” asked Zoe.
“You’re really not awake yet, are you? The furniture is still on the landing!
Come on, Zoe, you can give us a hand,” replied Jim. “Dad, I’m still in my
pyjamas!” wailed Zoe.
“Itwon’t take long.”
Jim
and Zoe went upstairs whilst Mary put some laundry into the tumble drier. She
smiled; she’d missed the banter between father and daughter. OK, they argued at
times, but Mary was glad to have Zoe back.
4
“Right,”
said Jim, “let’s get the wardrobe in first. It’s a bit heavy, but we need to
lift it, not drag it across the floor.”
“I
am lifting it, dad. I’ve got the heavy end.”
“Cheeky,”
replied Jim, as the pair
grabbed Jim’s hand. Silence. The door opened quietly.
James
poked his head around the door. Mary and Jim almost jumped out of bed.
“Ha-ha-ha-haaaa!” he laughed. “James! You almost gave us a heart attack! What
are you doing up? It’s 3 o’clock in the morning!”
“I
needed a drink of milk.”
“Can’t
you sleep, darling?” asked Mary.
“No,
I couldn’t. And when I did, someone touched my face and whispered James in my ear!”
“Shsh! You’ll wake Zoe! It’s just
been a bad dream; go on, back to bed. You’ll be fine,” said Jim. “Night, night.”
“Night,”
said James, “and no early roll call.”
“That boy! I tell yer, I almost wet myself!”
said Mary.
2
Sunday
morning came – warm and sunny, and Aunt Sally was due to arrive at midday at
Euston Station, in readiness for their holiday to Florida. They were to fly out
early the next day. Mary and Jim were up early; they showered, dressed and had
a quick breakfast. After Mary had done a quick tidy-up of the house, they sat
down at the kitchen table – Jim read the Sunday papers which the paperboy had
just delivered, whilst Mary had a quick glance at the supplements.
Zoe
wandered into the kitchen, still in her pyjamas, and after giving her parents a
morning hug, sat down at the table. “Morning, love, how did
you sleep last night? Better than the first night?” Zoe smiled back at Mary. “Morning. Yes thanks, mum,
much better.” Zoe didn’t want to worry her parents but she had not really slept
that well. She could’ve sworn she heard voices whispering throughout the night.
She poured herself a bowlful of cereal.
“Pass
the milk, please, dad. Did you both sleep OK?” Jim and Mary looked at each
other and smiled. “What?”
“Nothing,”
replied Jim. “Why are you smiling at each other, then?” Zoe hated not knowing
secrets.
“It
was nothing; we thought we had burglars but it was only James wandering around
in the middle of the night,” explained Mary. “He couldn’t sleep so he went down
for a glass of milk.”
“Ah,
I knew I heard something. I heard him upstairs, the horror,” replied a relieved
Zoe. “Upstairs? On the second floor?” questioned Jim, putting down his
newspaper. “Yes, of course. Where did you think I meant?”
“Take
no notice of your dad,” said Mary, glancing towards Jim with a brief shake of
the head. “It was only your brother, scaring us. Let’s hope he doesn’t
terrorise Aunt Sally with his antics.” Mary had lost her parents whilst quite
young, and Aunt Sally was her oldest relative. They had always been close.
Sally had had a bad time recently. She had needed a knee replacement after she
had been knocked off her bicycle by a young drunk-driver – who had got away
with a fine, 10 points and his licence revoked.
3
Mary
cleared the dirty dishes from the table. “Right, we’ll be going shopping on the
way back from the Station. Just need a few bits and pieces for the journey
tomorrow. Do you want me to get you anything?”
“Just
the usual, mum, please, and maybe some crisps and chocolate. What time is Aunt
Sally due?”
“Her
train gets in at 11.30,” replied Mary. “Is her room ready, dad?” asked Zoe.
“You’re really not awake yet, are you? The furniture is still on the landing!
Come on, Zoe, you can give us a hand,” replied Jim. “Dad, I’m still in my
pyjamas!” wailed Zoe.
“Itwon’t take long.”
Jim
and Zoe went upstairs whilst Mary put some laundry into the tumble drier. She
smiled; she’d missed the banter between father and daughter. OK, they argued at
times, but Mary was glad to have Zoe back.
4
“Right,”
said Jim, “let’s get the wardrobe in first. It’s a bit heavy, but we need to
lift it, not drag it across the floor.”
“I
am lifting it, dad. I’ve got the heavy end.”
“Cheeky,”
replied Jim, as the pair
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