Chapter Six

 

Maggie gave birth to a fine young son weighting 7lbs 3ozs and both she and the little lad were well. They gave him the name of John Paul, after Maggie’s father and there were no complications as was at first thought, because of Maggie’s anaemia and also because it was her first child and she had so much trouble before when she had suspected she was pregnant. Joe couldn’t see enough of his little ‘bundle of joy’ and Freddie had a day off from school for Maggie’s homecoming. There was a welcome-home party with the help of the enthusiastic neighbours.

It was only in the evening, after the exhaustive festivities had concluded and baby John Paul was settled down for what everyone hoped would be a quiet night, that Joe had the first opportunity to reflect at length on the power and persistence of his friend Bertie. He had never forgotten the old man in the years that they had lost contact and he found it somewhat strange that he should suddenly turn up when he did . .in the flesh, so to speak

He marvelled at how Bertie could just appear at will and wondered was he still selling doughnuts to the football fans of the Sandforth Wanderers . . . .but hardly had the thought entered his head when he heard a familiar rasping voice at the end of the bed.

“Are you thinking about me, Joe? I rather think you are.”

Joe sat up with a jolt and put his forefinger to his lips.

“Ssshh .. . you’ll waken Maggie up and she’s had a hard day,” he whispered and Maggie moaned and rolled over onto her side before she settled again. “Where are you anyway?” Joe whispered again as he strained to see in the dark.

“I’m here, look . . a little to your right . . see?”

Joe could see a blue shape that looked like a cloud at first and then it formed into the shape of his old friend.

“You scared me Bertie . . Why do you go around doing that to people,” Joe asked as he straightened the bedclothes to make sure that Maggie’s shoulders were covered. . . and the blue cloud danced.

“Well . . aren’t you glad to see me, Joe?”

Joe sulked for a moment and then he smiled.

“Of course I am but I’d rather we met again under different circumstances and in another place,” he whispered.

“Don’t worry Joe . . Maggie won’t be in the least disturbed if you just think your thoughts to me. There’s no need to speak . . haven’t you forgotten?”

“But what about you?” Joe continued to whisper.

“Oh nobody can hear me, silly boy,” Bertie grinned, “Except you of course. I can think my words too, you know . . watch.”

Bertie closed his eyes tightly and screwed up his face where his chin touched his nose.

“There . . did you hear that?” he said gleefully and stared at Joe in anticipation but Joe just shook his head.

“Not a dickey bird, mate. Look why don’t you turn in somewhere so I can get some sleep.”

“Joe . . you surely can’t have forgotten everything I taught you. Come on . . have another try . just for poor old Bertie . please.”

Joe shuddered and drew the blankets around his shoulders.

“All right then . . GO.” He said and closed his eyes to think.

 

***

 

“Bertie . . how is it you can manage to be here when I just think about you then?” he thought without moving his lips.

“Because we’re friends, aren’t we?” came the silent answer and not another word was spoken in the bedroom that night . . The conversation was all in the mind.

“Well, if we are such good friends, why is that it’s such a long time since I last saw you?” asked Joe, shuffling his feet in irritation as he connected his thoughts.

“Because that was our pact, wasn’t it? You wanted to be a man, so I took ten years from you when you were ten, remember? . . Let’s call this our anniversary.”

“I can’t remember much about it at all, really,” thought Joe.

“That’s because time just whizzes by . . doesn’t it?”

“Will you visit me every ten years, then Bertie?”

“Of course I will . . but I’m always here. I mean, I’m always around you and you can speak to me anytime you wish.”

Joe thought carefully. “What do you mean . . wish?” he said.

“Just that Joe . . As soon as you think about me, I’m here. That’s what friends are for, surely?”

“So you are near and can come to me whenever I wish to see you, but . . I can’t come to you?”

The old man shook his head slowly and the blue aura around his shape wavered a little.

“What does it matter as long as we can see each other. You are my eyes, you know . . I can’t come unless you will it,” said Bertie and Joe was puzzled.

“But why can’t I come to you, whenever I wish it?” Joe asked impatiently and Bertie gave a long weary sigh as he wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

“Because you’re an ordinary human, silly . . that’s why . . and you ordinary humans move much slower than I do.” said Bertie and Joe grinned as he listened with his mind.

“Oh! You’re a fast mover alright, I’ll say that for you . . for an old geezer, that is . . Oh! Sorry Bertie . . I didn’t mean to be offensive. Are you an extraordinary human, then?”

Bertie nodded with a smile, but he would say no more on that subject.

“That’s alright, Joe . . I am an old man. A very, very, very old man and I don’t have many wishes left in me and that weighs me down a wee bitty, but if I did have a wish . . . ONE ONLY . . it wouldn’t be for my youth again.”

“No?”

“No . . it would be for wisdom. So few people today have wisdom Joe . . so very few.”

“Well, we’re not all idiots either,” argued Joe and his face twisted as he ached to shout his objection and Bertie raised his pure white eyebrows as he cocked his wizened face to one side.

“No, I suppose not . . but the biggest percentage are, I’m afraid. Pure unadulterated idiots . . Oh! me, Oh! my . . . I’d better be off now and get some shopping done, I guess.”

“Shopping? Shops? at this hour,” Joe leaned over to look at the clock by his bedside. “It’s nearly two in the morning, mate . . It’s well past midnight. There won’t be any shops open at this time.” he explained, but Bertie just grinned and he had a certain twinkle in his eye.

“There now .. didn’t I tell you most of you were idiots. There won’t be any queues at this time either . . will there?”

Joe rubbed his forehead and shook his head.

“Oh! Just before you go Bertie . . tell me . . how did you know that Maggie and I wanted a baby so much?”

The old man smiled broadly and his pink tongue darted out from between his purple lips for a second before it disappeared again.

“There are ways, dear boy . . there are ways,” he said . . . and vanished.

“But . . .

It was too late for Joe to ask any more questions. He closed his eyes tightly and rubbed them hard, thinking that he surely must have been dreaming, for there wasn’t a trace of the old man in sight

 

***

 

“I think I must be going mad, I really do,” he said

“What did you say Darling?” Maggie asked softly in her aroused sleep and turned over on her side, taking the blankets with her.

“Oh! It’s nothing Sweetheart, I just thought I heard John Paul crying but . .”

Maggie jumped up and made to put her dressing gown on, but Joe took her hand and reassured her that everything was O.K.

“I’ve just been to see him, “ he lied innocently . .”He’s O.K. for now . . go back to sleep, Love, but somewhere . . in the air . . Joe could hear a titter as he blushed and settled down again for the night.

“Goodnight Darling.”

“Goodnight Sweetheart,” Maggie answered sleepily as her slurred words went into a snore.

“Goodnight and sleep tight, my friends,” came a voice from the surrounding air.

 

***

 

The following morning when Joe woke up, he noticed a little piece of white paper, neatly folded and lying on the table beside the alarm clock. He unfolded it with curiosity and saw that it had two strange marks, side by side, marked out clearly against the white background. One was a finger print . . . but the other was just a smudge . . . with a question mark in the centre. In alarm he dropped it and as he bent down to pick it up again . . it vanished from his sight.