Chapter Twenty-Eight

 

I HAD TO MEET THE OVERNIGHT TRAIN, travelling from London and arriving at Glasgow Central station at ten past ten in the morning. George and Eddy had driven Robbie with the good neighbour who was travelling with him and who was attending a wedding that weekend, somewhere near Glasgow. I was anxious to get into town in time to meet the train and was getting rather anxious as time seemed to be flying past me and I had so many things to do, but Steven stepped forward and came to the rescue, insisting that he should drive me to Glasgow and that we should take Robbie somewhere for a snack before we drove back to Glencara again. I was delighted that Steven had made this offer, but the boys were disappointed that they couldn’t come too. Anna had insisted that they should remain at home and I think she thought that Steven and I wanted to be on our own.

“He’d love to see us Amy, He would ...He really would,” cried Gideon and for once I saw Anton look to the ground; his face creased and I thought he was about to cry, however typically and as I should have expected, he quickly raised his head again, bit his lip and gave me a broad smile.

“Bring him home as soon as you can Amy, eh?” he said and I hugged them both before I set off on my excited journey.

 

***

 

We arrived at Glasgow Central, just a minute before ten o’clock, after an uneventful journey, although we talked all the way, with ten minutes to spare before the arrival of the London train into Platform One. I studied the arrivals board nervously, hoping there would be no delay and that the train would be on time and that Robbie would be O.K. I was rather concerned that he could be a little nervous or frightened, having travelled all that distance from London with only a friend of Stella’s to accompany him and I was sure he had never been out of Little Netherington at any time in his life before. To add to my concerns for him, I could see Stella’s letter again flashing before my eyes.

“He doesn’t seem to have grown into his teenage years yet ...He still looks like a smooth-skinned wee boy of eleven or twelve. . . .”

It was then Steven interrupted my thoughts as he passed me a plastic beaker.

“Thought you might like a hot drink ...Its coffee ...Is that alright?”

“Oh! That’s fine Steven. Did you manage to park the car O.K.?” I asked as he struggled to remove the lid from the plastic cup.

“Yes, there’s a very fine park on the station. Big improvement from when I was here two years ago. I usually have to park somewhere in Argylle Street or thereabouts.” He looked at me intently as he held the cup. “Don’t worry Amy. Robbie will be alright and we’ll soon have him back at Glencara, all safe and sound and happy with the boys.”

I knew he was trying to console me and I also knew I looked concerned, but what he didn’t know was that my main concern was for our arrival back at Glencara, when I would have to introduce the innocent and uncomplicated Robbie to the heterogeneous and ever perplexed Freya ... Her eyes followed and haunted me whenever I thought of her and I shuddered to shrug off the vision that tormented me, but as I played nervously with my platform ticket, I resolved more fervently than I had ever done before in my life, that I would take the greatest care of my nephew whilst he was with us in Scotland and I also reassured myself that the boys would be with him nearly all the time of his stay anyway and I felt better.

“I am so looking forward to seeing him Steven …It’s just that ...well, if he was an ordinary little boy, I wouldn’t be so concerned,” I stammered and Steven blew on his coffee.

“He is an ordinary little boy, Amy and you must treat him that way. He’ll be fine, you mark my words and he’ll have the time of his life. Don’t spoil that for him by letting him see that you are worried for him ...by anything ...and don’t forget … I’ll be at Glencara myself for the next ten days ...remember?”

I felt even more reassured after Steven said that, but my nerves returned, with a vengeance, when it was announced over the Tannoy that the train from London had been delayed by twenty minutes, due to some problem at Crewe. Steven looked at me and smiled.

“Drink your coffee,” he said and squeezed my hand as he passed me the beaker.

 

***

 

“There he is ...Look, there he is,” I shouted as I could see the blonde mop bouncing happily as Robbie came into view on the arm of a rather buxom lady who smiled at us as we approached.

“Darling ...Darling Robbie, It’s so lovely to see you again.”

“Aarroo ... hurr boo,” he said with a wide grin to follow and I was as proud of him as if he had greeted my in seven different languages. His clear blue eyes sparkled in his fresh innocent face and he looked at me as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to have travelled over 300 miles to see me. As he threw his arms around me and cuddled me closely, I was in heaven. I closed my eyes and wanted those few minutes to go on forever. I was overwhelmed with love for him. Steven ruffled his hair and held out his hand in welcome, but Robbie ignored the handshake and threw himself into Steven’s arms for another cuddle. Steven laughed, but he responded and it was quite a little while before they separated, meanwhile Robbie’s travelling companion and chaperone fidgeted where she stood.

“I do hope you will excuse me,” she gasped nervously, “But I have another train to catch that will get me into Gourock. Bye Robbie. Have a nice time.”

“Goodbye and thank you ...thank you ever so much.” I said as I wiped away my tears and studied the look on Steven’s face. Despite the slight blush that lingered there, I could see that he liked my nephew and I was glad of that. “Thank you again,” I called out as I waved goodbye to the buxom lady and she scurried away before we even had a chance to ask her name. Robbie waved too and gabbled something that we couldn’t understand, but his lady friend obviously did as she turned round and blew him a kiss ... and we trouped off to get ourselves some tea.

 

***

 

The journey back to Glencara wasn’t half as long as it was to get to Glasgow and I think perhaps it was because we had found our ‘prize’ and we weren’t so hesitant on the drive home and besides Robbie fell asleep on my shoulder shortly after we left the outskirts of Glasgow and drove out into the country. I guessed the rail journey through the night was too much of an excitement for him, or perhaps he didn’t sleep too well, although he did have a sleeping compartment.

As soon as we arrived home, with the boys waiting anxiously and eagerly to welcome us, I telephoned Stella to tell her that her gorgeous son had arrived safe and sound. Robbie also ‘spoke’ to his mother on the telephone which thrilled her.

 

***

 

‘The Days of Robbie’ ...as I like to refer to his time spent with us at Glencara were pure delight. He enchanted everyone ...and thereby hangs a tale which even surprised me.

After the whoops and screams of joyous merriment and welcome from Anton and Gideon, together with all the hugging and cuddling that went on all around, I managed to get Robbie’s enthusiastic chatter and excitement settled by the end of his first day and planned to introduce him to H.R.H. Freya on the second. It was a Saturday and everyone was feeling particularly relaxed, with Gerry and Steven, free of any hospital ties and enjoying a well-earned rest at the weekend. I took Freya her breakfast, gave her a bath, put fresh linen on her bed and then tidied her room, taking away the soiled linen as I was used to doing daily, before I passed the stallion with a suspicious eye, but he didn’t move an inch.

“We have a visitor Freya,” I announced as cheerfully as I could and watched the reaction in the wet, red eyes, but she just stared at me as if she could not understand. ... . or perhaps, didn’t want to understand ...as was frequently the case with young Madam, depending on which mood she was in. “He is a nephew of mine, darling, A little boy from a village near Taunton in Somerset, called Little Netherington, but you wouldn’t know of that place, dear ...would you?”

I was nervous in my attempts to be polite and I wanted so much that she should be pleased with my news. ...It was vitally important to me, but she showed no sign of surprise or excitement as the eyes continued to stare.

“He’s just a little boy,” I went on, trying to see some positive reaction in the face, “His name is Robbie and he plays the piano.” I said, but my efforts at an utterly impoverished ‘curriculum vitae’ fell on deaf ears. She turned her head away from me and snorted as she faced the wall and the wretched horse started to move backwards and forwards, squeaking ceremoniously on his broad axis ... very, very slowly. I wondered what was in her mind; what thoughts were forming there in that mysterious and cunning recess of a brain, of the lovely little fair boy who waited in his bedroom so be summons to the chamber of horrors where he would meet the deep and devious Freya, with only the innocence of love and cuddles to compete against her sinister guile. I knew than how little comparison there was in those two children. They had absolutely nothing in common, except perhaps a soul that had been created for each by the same God ... and yet, I wondered ... I wanted to abandon the idea of an introduction, but against all logic and my deep gut feeling that rarely, if ever failed me, I persuaded myself to continue.

“I’d like to bring him to see you Freya. I think ...well, I’m sure he’d like that.” I hated being even in the slightest way patronizing to Freya but I really felt I was treading on thin ice and I expected her to blow her top at any moment. “Would you like to meet Robbie?” I asked, hoping she would refuse and then I could leave the room knowing that I had done all I could and that was that, but she remained motionless, with her face still turned to the wall, but I thought I saw her hand twitch ... just a little and I turned to look at the horse, (stupidly I reflected afterwards) as if to gain his approval of the visit and a chill ran down my spine as he quickened his rocking. He rocked, creakily but with determination marking the passing moments with his sway as if to consider my request ... I left Freya’s room at this point as I could see no reason to beg any more and I took the soiled laundry with me and dropped it into the linen basket near the door before I went to fetch Robbie . . .

He was having a wonderful time, still in his pyjamas and enjoying a boisterous pillow fight with the two boys. The bedroom door was slightly ajar and I could hear the merry laughter and the dull thuds as the pillows beat down on happy heads, nevertheless I knocked before I entered and I could hear a cough and then a terrific scuffle. I cocked my head around the door to be confronted by a peel of laughter as a pillow flew past my ear and two gangling legs wrapped themselves firmly around my waist. I could smell the soap-clean boy of my dreams as he planted a large kiss on my forehead. I was enchanted ... and I decided to wait a little while before I took him to see Freya, in the event that she might dash his new-found dream and his happiness to the ground.

Robbie showed such delight in everything that was done for him with his permanent beaming smile. He followed the boys wherever they went and loved every minute of his follow-my-leader journey. ... It was all a great adventure to him, with the garden so large and full of mysterious corners and ravines, with plants of every colour and kind, where you could hide and pretend that you could never be found. Oh! The mystery ...the intrigue of this new world made him so happy and as I stood by and watched him ... I felt I wanted to cry. This garden was an enchanted dream to him, full of laughter, full of music ... and the gazebo was no longer a sanctuary of peace and tranquillity where Steven and I exchanged our words of love ...It became Robbie’s den ... I took Robbie’s hand and looked into his deep, clear blue eyes ... and they danced for me ...

“Robbie ... Robbie darling, “ I held his head close to mine, hoping I was doing the right thing and knowing I would never forgive myself if I brought him even the slightest tinge of unhappiness. “Robbie ...my darling boy ...I want you to come and meet Freya.”