| "Andy's Quest" |
| Copyright Francis Blow, 1996. |
| CHAPTER 9 |
| Rod came for Andy as he had the week before. Everything was the same, except all Andy carried was the swimming costumes folded inside his shirt. They talked about Andy's school, the football results and other things as Rod guided the car home. |
| "What do you do for a job, Rod? I never asked before." |
| "I'm a building estimator. When my company gets a contract to put up a building, the architect gives me the plans, and I calculate what it'll cost to turn it into steel and concrete." |
| "Do you like it?" |
| "Yes, I do. Most people find the numbers boring. Not me. It's hard to explain... I've enjoyed the work ever since I was roped into it fifteen years ago. It was an accident really, that got me started. When my arm was broken and I was recovering, I couldn't go back to my normal job of supervising the contractors. One of the estimators was retiring, so they asked me to fill in until I was back to normal or until a new estimator was brought on board." Rod momentarily turned to face Andy with a wide grin. "I've been doing it ever since." |
| "How do you know what's the best job for you?" Andy asked. |
| "You mean generally? For yourself?" |
| "Yes. I'm thirteen. I'll need to know soon, so I can study for it." |
| "Good idea, Andy." Rod nodded . "You're good at making lists of things that will get you where you want to be... I'll tell you what I was told when the company put me through a managers course." |
| Andy turned his full attention towards Rod. |
| "Write down everything you know how to do. Everything! On another piece of paper, write down all the things you like to do. Don't worry about order. Just get it all down." Rod told him. "When you've got your two lists, get more paper, because it gets complicated now. Pick the ten things out of each list that you'd rate at the top. From the first list, the ten things you do better than anything else. From the second, the ten things you like the most. Draw a line under each list of ten. From your first two long lists, cross out what you've put in the lists of ten. Are you still with me?" |
| "Yes. Two long lists, pick the ten best out of each, crossing them off as I go, to make two lists of ten." |
| "You've got it. Now do it again, using what's left from the first two lists, so you have another two lists of ten. Call it your second choice lists. Do it over and over, ten at a time, until there's nothing left, and that will give you a place to start working out what job you want." |
| "How?" |
| "From the ten things you like best and the ten things you do best, there's bound to be something that's on both list." |
| "What do you mean?" |
| "Let's say you like gardening. Would that be in the top ten of things you like?" |
| "You bet!" |
| "Would it be one of the ten things you do best?" |
| "Oh, yeah. It's on both lists. I get it!" Andy did understand. "What do I do when I've done all that?" |
| "You wait till next week." Rod laughed. "I'm really not trying to take the mickey out of you, Andy. This is not something that should be hurried. Take your time over the next week, while you're back at school, then when I pick you up next Friday, we'll have a look at it after dinner. Is it a deal?" |
| "For sure!" |
| Andy was in for a real surprise when they got home. The first person to reach him when he opened the car door was Gail, who lifted him off his feet with a big hug and a kiss. |
| "How's my best mate, Andy?" She asked him brightly. |
| "Great! Except you're breaking my ribs." He joked. |
| "Rubbish!" Gail protested, letting him down. "I've got plenty of padding, so nothing'd get broken." |
| Andy blushed, and Gail giggled. "I forgot. You're not used to girls, are you?" |
| Andy smiled shyly, then looked Gail straight in the eye, determined she would not get the best of him, "Not yet, anyway." |
| Then Chrissy and May were there to say hello. Standing at the door was Carol, a happy smile on her lips as she watched everyone. Andy ran to her and hugged her, while her arms went around him. He told her he had missed her. |
| The three girls went with Andy to his room, watching as he undid his shirt and took out the swimming costume. Only Gail did not understand what was going on. "Are you into smuggling clothes, Andy?" |
| "Chrissy and May haven't told you what we're doing tomorrow?" He asked her. Gail shook her head, while her sisters grinned. Andy did up his shirt buttons, then nodded to Chrissy. "Go get it." |
| Chrissy was gone and back in a flash. In her arms was a pillow-case containing the chess set. |
| "Close your eyes for a minute, Gail." Andy asked. When Gail did so, Andy proceeded to set up the pieces. Once, Gail asked when could she open her eyes. "Not yet. Another minute." |
| As soon as Andy was done, May poked her older sister in the stomach. Gail opened her eyes. Her mouth fell open. She could not speak until after she had picked up a white knight. |
| "Holy cow! Who did you kill to get this?" |
| The others laughed, ready to share their secret. Gail listened, as May and Chrissy explained Andy's plan. |
| "I'm in!" Gail volunteered. "No way can you keep me out of this!" |
| "Promise not to tell?" Chrissy asked. |
| "Cross my heart and hope to die." Gail held up her right hand after crossing her heart. "This'll be unreal!" |
| When everyone was sitting down to dinner, it was Carol who took the whole family by surprise, when she asked that they say Grace. "Oh, Lord. We ask your guidance in a difficult situation. Help Rod and I to consider everything, and to act fairly and decisively in the time ahead. Amen." |
| After everyone said "Amen", Andy asked "Is there anything I can do to help? I've got a little money saved, that I never use. You can have it." |
| Carol reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "We're getting by alright, financially, Andy. Thank you for the offer. I think that you're already helping." |
| "I don't understand." Andy was puzzled. |
| "Don't worry about it." Rod smiled at him. "We'll talk about it later. We can have a family council, or something, since it'll affect all of us." |
| Andy searched the faces of the girls, and only saw more questions in their eyes. Gail shrugged, indicating she could not help him. The meal continued, quietly at first, until Gail started talking about Tony. |
| "Is Tony the guy who drove you home from the rally last week?" Andy asked her. |
| "Oh, no! That was Rick. I met Tony after school on Tuesday. He was picking up his brother, Phill, who's in my class..." As Gail rattled on about Tony and his "cute" red Nissan sports car, she was oblivious to the silent, amused looks that passed around her. Andy exchanged glances with Rod, who shook his head, shrugged and went back to eating his dinner. The twins had their showers first, allowing Gail to show Andy that their game was just as they had left it from the previous weekend. |
| "Nice one, Gail." Andy sat on her bed and started studying the board. Gail lay on her stomach opposite him, her chin resting on her hands, as she, too, contemplated the moves ahead. They each made two moves by the time May and Chrissy were out of the shower. Since it was Andy's move, Gail grabbed her dressing gown and raced for the shower, so she would be ready when it was her turn once more. |
| Gail was back in time to see Andy take her Queen's Rook with his Queen's Bishop. Andy gave the board another glance to make sure he had made the right move and not put his King in danger, then he, too, ran for the shower. Unlike Gail, though, Andy needed to go to his room for his pajamas. At some stage, the twins came in to watch the game, which continued till almost ten thirty, when Gail won narrowly. |
| "Stalemate." Andy admitted. "You win, Gail." |
| "How many games have you played, Andy? A dozen or less? I can't believe you got so good so fast." |
| "Tomorrow night, the game's in my room, on the big set." Andy grinned at her. |
| "I'm sorry, Andy. I wish I could, but I've got a date with Tony." |
| "You mean you'd give up a chance to play chess with Andy The Great, just to go on some date?" He pretended to be insulted. "Some people have no sense of what's important." |
| "Oh, get out of here, Andy!" Gail swatted playfully at him with her pillow. |
| When he stood up to go, the twins went with him, and everyone said "good night" in the hall, because Rod and Carol were there also. Gail closed her door, so she could change into a nightie, while the grown-ups went to kiss the twins in their bedroom. |
| When he was in bed, Andy waited. First Carol kissed him, then Rod came in and told him to sleep tight. |
| Morning sunlight through the window. Andy sat up and looked around his room. No one there. He walked into the twins room just as Chrissy was stirring. She stretched slowly, and got up, took Andy's hand and pulled him towards May's bed. |
| "You take that side." She yawned at him, and climbed in beside her sister. "Last time, you disappeared." |
| Andy hesitated, though only for a moment. May had lots of hard bits, where her bones stuck out, but she was warm. Andy closed his eyes. |
| "That looks cosy." Gail's voice woke him. |
| "I fell asleep again." Andy was startled. May's face lay near his own. |
| "Clever boy. Actually, you must've only dozed for a minute. I heard you come in, then I got up. I'm ready, see?" Gail opened her dressing gown to reveal a blue swimsuit. The one piece costume looked uncomfortably tight. "I'll just add some clothes and I'm all set." |
| "I'll go change." Andy offered, and got up. He was at the door when he turned to see Gail uncovering the twins, who curled up against the cool air. He smiled when Gail winked at him. |
| Ten minutes later, the four of them made breakfast. Chrissy and May were the slowest, so Gail and Andy took a tray each to the main bedroom. |
| "Going somewhere?" Carol asked, seeing them both dressed. |
| "For a ride, Mum." Gail answered, then gave each of her parents a kiss, and pulled Andy back into the hall. "Let's not waste daylight, Andy. Get the bikes out, while I motivate those two in the kitchen. You can ride double with me, and wear my helmet." |
| "What about you?" He asked. |
| "If I fall off, then I'll make sure I land on you." She promised. |
| Five minutes later, they were on the road. May was in front, Chrissy next and Gail was last, with Andy clinging tightly to her waist; the three girls were going fast over the bumps. An uncomfortable lump that was a denim bag, was jammed between Andy and Gail. It held four torches and two towels. |
| All three bikes skidded to a stop next to the fallen house, and Andy hopped off. Without invitation or prompting, all of them took off their outer clothes, and stuffed them into the denim bag. Andy passed around the torches, then placed the bag and two towels on a pile of clean looking timber. |
| "Lead the way, Andy. It's your plan." Gail said. It was slower going, crawling through the house, since Gail was a lot bigger than Andy or the twins. Had she been wearing loose clothing, instead of the tight costume, Andy doubted she could have got through at all. As it was, Gail was caught by corners and even nails several times, and needed help from the twins or Andy to unhook herself. Gail protested a couple of times, when either May or Chrissy pushed her extra hard from behind. |
| It was easier when they got to the last room, since they could all lie full length, side by side, while watching Andy make the hole to the secret room big enough for Gail. Once more, Andy led the way. Chrissy and May went straight to the bag of money, and began stuffing notes and coins down the front of their costumes. May could hold much more than Chrissy, who wore a faded, pink bikini. Everyone was smeared in grey dust. Andy showed Gail where he found the chess set, then they began searching through the many things. |
| "You know what would be a good idea." Gail suggested. "We should pass everything, one at a time, out into the next room. That way we'll have more space." |
| "Good idea, Gail." Andy agreed . "How about I pass them out to you?" |
| As more room appeared, Andy and the twins uncovered new objects. There were two ugly lamp stands, arm-fulls of old clothes, books, tools, paintings, a wooden box that seemed to hold bed sheets; a rolled up carpet, a heavy, ugly radio, a broken cuckoo clock. Under a sheet was a globe of the world that was so big, Gail had to make the hole in the wall bigger to get the globe out. |
| "Look at this!" May announced. "There's a trapdoor." |
| Gail watched Andy and Chrissy converge on May. |
| "I can't get it open." May sounded frustrated. "There's no handle." |
| "Gail!" Andy called. "See if you can find a knife or something in that tool box, would you?" |
| Gail searched the box and came up with a wide chisel, which she took to the trapdoor. She wedged the blade under the dry timber and levered the trapdoor open enough for the others to flip it back against the floor. Four torch beams travelled down the wooden ladder into the dark depths below. |
| "I'll go first. Pass me that walking stick, please May." Andy slid over the edge and put his foot on a rung just as May handed the cane to him. He went down a metre and shone his torch up at where he expected to see the floor boards above his head. Instead, there was a concrete ceiling. There were no vampires or hanging skeletons ready to attack him, so he looked down to where the four yellow torch beams passed over shelves and benches. "It looks like the place is full of bottles." |
| "It's a wine cellar." Gail advised him. "What's the floor like?" |
| "It's pretty clean. Nothing moving. I'll go down." Seconds later, Andy stood on a dry concrete floor. A creaking from above caused him to point his torch upwards. Gail's grey-streaked legs were descending towards him, so Andy stepped away from the ladder and returned to his inspection of his surroundings. In a moment, Andy felt Gail against his shoulder. Andy indicated with his light, "I'll go that way." |
| "Okay. I'll go back there. Scream, if the boogey man grabs you." |
| "Very funny." Andy felt that the place was creepy enough without her jokes. Dozens and dozens of wine bottles were on sloping shelves. Andy and Gail ignored them. Two chairs and a table occupied one corner of the cellar. |
| Two benches were separated by open shelves; there were boxes under the benches with writing on the boxes that said they once were filled with tea. On the shelves above the benches were jars containing revolting sludge. The jars were labeled, so Gail wiped the dust off one and read it. "Preserved fruit. I don't think I'd like to eat it." |
| "Me neither." Andy shook his head. He dragged a tea chest into the open and went through it, "Kitchen stuff." |
| Together they examined the other boxes, to find old crockery, small ornaments, war medals and a locked box. |
| "I think this is a jewelry box." Gail whispered eagerly. "It might be full of diamonds!" |
| "Let's take it upstairs and open it." Andy suggested. |
| Gail went first, while Andy watched from the bottom. He did not trust the ladder to hold both of them, even if it probably was strong enough. By the time he was with the girls, Gail had opened the box and was passing its contents to her sisters to hold. A rainbow of colours sparkled in their hands, as the three girls gazed delightedly at real treasure. |
| "Wow!" Andy gasped, reaching out to touch a necklace that Gail was putting around her neck. "Are those real?" |
| "Emeralds." She whispered in an awestricken voice. |
| "Rubies and diamonds." May said. |
| "These are sapphires, I think." Chrissy added. |
| "These could be worth millions." Gail told them. "Just look at the size of these baroque pearls! This has got to be a dream. Someone pinch me. Ouch! May, not so hard!" |
| "I think we've found enough." Andy told them. "We'll take these with us, and talk about what we're going to do about them." |
| "What do you mean?" May demanded. "They're ours!" |
| Andy said no more, he just turned towards the exit. He heard Gail following, then the two twins. From the next room, Andy asked Chrissy and May to lead the way outside. As soon as they were through the door, he put his hand on Gail's ankle. "I'm not sure about this, Gail. It's worrying me." |
| Gail started to sigh, but coughed from the dust. "Me too. Let's talk at home." |
| Andy followed her, pushing whenever Gail needed it, in the tight places. Chrissy helped from the other side. When they all stood in sunlight, Andy could not help smiling at the girls. |
| Grey was streaked with sweat all over them, including their costumes. A few red scratches marked each of them. What was out of place were the rings on dirty hands, and beautiful bracelets on grey wrists. Against sweat-streaked chests, the necklaces looked silly. |
| "Let's get cleaned up." Gail decided. "Andy, you wash up over here. We'll go behind those trees where the stream runs." |
| They sorted out clothes, and the girls disappeared. The shallow stream was cold as Andy rinsed most of the dust from his body and swimming costume. Washing his hair was no problem, though his back was difficult, yet he managed; at least there was not too much grey rubbed off on the towel. Andy was ready before the girls. The damp costume was cold under his shorts. |
| As usual, Gail was last, since her long hair was more trouble to wash. The jewelry was hidden in pockets, as was the money. Andy stuffed the wet towels into the bag, and they were off, heading home. No one talked until the bikes were put away, and the wet costumes and towels thrown into the laundry basket. Andy suggested they talk in his room. |
| "What are we going to do with all this?" Gail asked. The four of them sat on Andy's bed, with the treasure between them. |
| "Keep it, of course." May said. "We found it. It's ours." |
| "May." Andy got their attention. "It must belong to someone, even if they don't know about it themselves. I'd feel guilty if I kept this, knowing it's another person's property." |
| "I agree." Gail nodded. "We have to find out who owned the house before it was abandoned, and trace their relatives." |
| "Why?" May demanded. "They could have checked the house out themselves when it fell!" |
| "Maybe they couldn't." Chrissy suggested. "If they were sick or hurt." |
| "What if it had been your house?" Andy asked. "Wouldn't you want your things back?" |
| "I suppose." May grumbled. "Does that mean that fancy chess set, too?" |
| "Yes." Andy had already been thinking about it. "The chess set as well." |
| "Are we all agreed?" Gail asked. Everyone nodded or said yes. "Right. Let's work out how we're going to find them." |
| "What about the police?" Chrissy asked. |
| "That would take ages. Maybe Dad can find out through council." Gail suggested. " He's always checking up about building regulations." |
| "When he finds a name we can use the phone book." Andy added. |
| "Okay." May agreed. "Until then, is it alright if we wear the jewelry, sometimes?" |
| "Sure. In fact, we could get all dressed up, and Mum can take our photos." Gail smiled. |
| "Let's tell Mummy now." Chrissy suggested. The four of them went looking for Carol after the girls had donned the jewelry. |
| "What on earth are you three wearing?" Carol asked. |
| "We found treasure, Mummy!" May exclaimed. |
| "Isn't it lovely?" Chrissy asked. |
| "My goodness! Is it real?" |
| "What do you mean, Mum?" Gail asked. |
| "Let me see one of those rings." Carol took a diamond ring towards the sink and picked up a glass tumbler. She ran the diamond over the glass. "It doesn't scratch glass. It's imitation. Sorry, girls." |
| "Hey, that's great!" May clapped her hands. "Now we can keep it!" |
| "What were you going to do with it?" Carol wondered. Gail explained what they planned. When she got to the part about Andy's chess set, they all went to his bedroom, so Carol would see it. |
| "I still intend to find out who owns it." Andy told them. "I think we should do the same with the money." |
| "I'm proud of you, Andy." Carol brushed his hair out of his eyes. "That's a very honest act... Why's your hair wet? And the same with you three?" |
| "We didn't want to get our clothes dirty, Mum." Gail explained. "So we wore old cossies underneath. We left our shirts and pants outside the old house. When we were finished, we had a wash, put on our clean clothes, and came home." |
| "Out in the open? That's not like you, Gail." |
| "There's no one near that old place, Mum, and I kept the swimsuit on. You don't think I'm going to give anyone a free show, do you?" Gail was indignant. "Anyway, I'm having a shower in a minute. I need to shampoo properly." |
| "You can all clean up." Carol told them. "In fact, I want May and Chrissy in the bath while Gail's showering." |
| "Oh, Mum!" May protested. "Do I have to? I mean, Chrissy takes up all the tub space." |
| "Separately, then, but don't make it deep." |
| "You mean, if we do share, we can have a deep bath?" May wondered. |
| "I suppose so. Make sure you use soap and a washer!" Carol called after their departing backs. Gail followed her sisters. |
| "Whose shirts are these in the hall way?" Gail yelled. "I'm not picking up after you." |
| The bathroom door closed, and a short time later the sounds of shower and bath-tap came through the wall to Andy's room. |
| "Rod and I have been discussing you, Andy." Carol told him. "We think we want... Correction. We don't think it at all. We would like to foster you on a full time basis." |
| Andy's eyes went wide. His voice was filled with disbelief. "You mean I'm to live here all the time?" |
| "If you want to." Carol smiled at him, then got up and opened his chest of drawers in the wardrobe. |
| "Of course I do!" Andy exclaimed joyfully, as Carol took out shirt, pants and underpants for him. She brought them to the bed, and carefully brushed out invisible creases. Andy realised that Carol was nervous. "Could I..." He began, then blushed. |
| "What, Andy?" She put her hand on his cheek and turned his face so he was looking into her eyes. |
| "Can I call you Mum?" He whispered. |
| Carol's mouth opened, yet no words came out. She pulled Andy against her chest, and started crying. Andy was crying too, but he did not care any more when he cried. When she finally spoke, Carol's voice broke, "Oh, Andy, I do want you to call me Mum." |
| Gail finished her shower before the twins were out of the bath, which only meant the younger girls were there for half an hour. She put on a pair of jeans and a shirt, and Gail went to see what was going on in Andy's room. Seconds later, Gail too had her arms around Carol and Andy, and they all had another cry. Carol left Andy with Gail, and went to rouse May and Chrissy from the bath. |
| When Rod stuck his head into Andy's room to investigate the noise, he saw Andy surrounded by all his girls, even May and Chrissy, who were caught between hugging, crying and holding towels around their wet, skinny bodies. |
| "Oh, Daddy!" Chrissy called. "I've got a real brother now!" |
| When everyone was clean and dressed nicely, Carol took them all outside and arranged them artistically. The jewelry sparkled nicely in the sun. Carol first took photos of the whole family. Next, she took photos of Andy and the three girls together, then Andy with both grown-ups, Andy with each of them, and finally individual photos. Carol used up a whole roll of film then made an apology to Andy, "I haven't even shown you the last lot I took, Andy. After lunch, I'll bring them out." |
| Rod went inside before the others, and took a box of pies out of the freezer; he cooked them in the oven, ready for when his newly enlarged family came in. |
| "It will take a little while for it to be official." Rod advised Andy, as they all sat at the table. "With luck, though, you may be allowed to move in next weekend. I hope so, anyway. Son" |
| "Me too...Dad." Andy barely stopped himself from crying again. At last, he was able to call someone Mum and Dad! He had a family! It was, literally, the happiest day of Andy's life. |
| Carol brought out a packet of photos after they finished the pies. There was a good one of the family at the Auburn gardens; in the picture, Andy was laughing, while Chrissy was caught in the act of tickling him. Carol gave the photo to Andy to keep. |
| Once lunch was over, Gail asked Andy the usual question, "How about a game, Andy?" |
| "Aren't you going on a date tonight? It takes you hours to get ready." He offered an innocent smile. |
| "So? We can make a start, and finish it later. And I'd love to use the big set before you have to give it to the real owners." |
| "Good idea. Where can we set it up, so it stays safe?" |
| "How about a card table in your room? We've got one folded up somewhere." |
| Gail brought the table and two camping chairs into Andy's room, and they set up the board together. Andy won the white side by the toss of a coin. Before he made the first move, Andy decided to try and trick Gail. Instead of attacking with his major pieces, he would only pretend to attack with them, while in reality, he would manoeuvre his pawns as a single unit. Normally, each pawn would try to make it's own way through to the back row of the opposing player, where the pawn could become any other piece, even another queen. Rarely was a pawn used as a serious attacking piece. Andy thought that, if he could somehow use the pawns as a group, Gail might not notice the danger early enough to save her king. Within half an hour, Gail was giving Andy confused glances. "Are you still thinking about what Mum said before lunch, Andy? You don't seem to be playing too well today." |
| "I'm fine." He smiled guilelessly at her. Andy was pleased, because in another two moves, Gail would be hopelessly trapped. Gail moved a bishop. Andy moved a knight to threaten the black queen . Gail brought her other bishop to take Andy's knight. |
| "Too bad, Andy." She smirked at him. |
| Andy nudged a pawn one square, and quietly said "Mate in five moves." |
| "What?" Gail could not believe him, so they played on. It took only two moves before Gail realised that Andy was right. "That's incredible, Andy. Where did you learn that game?" |
| "Just now. I didn't know if I could do it, so I gave it everything I had." Andy was proud of himself. |
| "I wish I had made notes on the game moves." Gail stared wistfully at the board. "How many moves ahead were you planning?" |
| "From the start, between eight and ten moves at a time." |
| "Incredible." Gail repeated, then she reached across the board and shook his hand. "You're a better man than I, Gunga Din." |
| Andy did not understand who Gunga Din was, though he knew she was praising him. |
| "Thanks. Will you be back from your date in time to start another game?" |
| "It'll be after midnight." |
| "You're going to be very tired for church tomorrow." Andy observed. "Don't worry. The twins and I will wake you in plenty of time." |
| "Spare me any favors, little brother!" She groaned. |
| "It will be my pleasure, believe me. Big sister." |
| Before dinner, Andy played handball with Chrissy and May. He expected things might change between them, since he could think of them as sisters, instead of friends. Strangely enough, very little changed that day. The twins treated him exactly the same, though Carol tended to hug him more, and Rod was always smiling when he looked at Andy. After dinner, there was a game of snakes and ladders in the twins' room. For some reason or another, it ended up in a wrestling match on the floor. |
| "Break it up, you turkeys." Rod said from the girls' doorway. "It sounds like World War Three in here. Have you all brushed your teeth?" |
| Andy went back to his room, put his clothes aside for after church on Sunday, and dressed in pajamas. He joined May in the bathroom, where she was brushing her teeth. It got crowded when Chrissy elbowed her way between them, and by the time they were ready, all three of them were wet. |
| "Mummy's going to kill us!" Chrissy giggled. |
| "Only if she finds out." May told her. "Then we're dog meat." |
| "Who's going to tell her?" Andy asked. "Just go to bed. We'll dry out by morning." |
| "Yucky! I'm not wearing wet clothes to bed. It's sticking to me." Chrissy complained. |
| "If you take it off, where will you hide it so your...so Mum and Dad won't see it?" Andy prompted her. "They always kiss you good night, don't they? I promise you, it won't take long to dry." |
| "Humph." May sounded unconvinced. "How would you know?" |
| "I've had worse." |
| "When was that?" Chrissy asked, interested. |
| "Get into bed and I'll tell you how I escaped from the people who tried to kill me." |
| Andy went with them, and watched the two girls get into their beds. Their sounds of disgust as the wet cotton was pressed against them by the bed clothes made Andy grin. He sat on the floor between their beds and started his story. At various times, one or the other sister interrupted him for an explanation or to make a comment. "Then I was brought back to Sydney, and that's my story." |
| "How much is really true?" May demanded. |
| "All of it. Cross my heart and hope to die." Andy promised. "I don't tell lies." |
| "Wow." Chrissy stared wide eyed. "How terrible. And you got fleas from that dog that kept you warm?" |
| "They weren't so bad. I was too cold to worry about little things like that." Andy explained. "Now I'm going to bed, before Mum and Dad see me with a wet shirt." |
| "Are you going to kiss us good night, now that you're our brother?" Chrissy asked. |
| May pulled her blankets up, and her voice was muffled. "Not me, you don't. Yuck!" |
| Andy gave Chrissy a quick peck on the cheek, blushing as he did so. |
| "I've never had a big brother before." Chrissy smiled at him. "Good night, Andy." |
| Andy was lying in his bed, thinking of the wonderful things that happened that day, when Carol and Rod came in. They both kissed him, and Andy was more pleased than embarrassed that Rod really was treating him like his son. |
