The Marshalls
by Kit
Chapter 4
The next morning, when he took his brother to the foster home, Will felt very sad and more than a little guilty. Of course, he realised that it was a nice place with lovely people, but it still somehow felt that he was neglecting his brotherly duty by handing John over to the care of people who were almost strangers. When they arrived, he was surprised to find that Rose was there.
"You can leave his things here in the hallway by the living room," Sarah said as Will brought in the first of John's belongings. "Taking things to his room, unpacking, and putting things away will give him something to do and help keep his mind occupied when you leave."
After the car was unloaded, Rose asked Will to join her and David in the office. When John heard that and asked what was going on, she told him he'd find out later and suggested he join Sarah and Susie in the kitchen. When they got to the office, Will remembered the plastic bag in his pocket, and he took it out and gave it to David.
"Here are the prescription painkillers and discharge papers the hospital gave me," he said. "He's not had many, just a couple before bed so he can sleep, and he's not had any since last night."
"Thanks," David replied, putting the bag on the desk. Then he added, "We're sorry to waylay you like this, but we wanted to discuss what happens with John when Sarah and I go on vacation next month."
"You don't take the kids?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course we'll take Susie, and maybe if there was only one foster child, we might take them, but if we have a houseful, we need a break."
"Arrangements to suit the children's needs are made months ahead of time, but the situation with John hasn't allowed that," Rose explained.
"The holiday is already booked and paid for, and we can't afford to cancel it at such short notice," David added. "Last year, Mike and Katie stayed with temporary foster carers, while Liam and Connor stayed with Paul. However, with Katie and the brothers leaving us this year, Mike would've been there on his own. So he chose to stay with Paul while we're away, and last weekend was a sort of practice run."
"More often than not, children coming into the system have to go to a temporary home while a permanent placement can be found," Rose added. "John was very lucky that there was space here, close to his school. However, with such short notice, we need to decide what vacation arrangements we need to make for your brother. In his vulnerable state and having already just had the upheaval of moving into a new home, we feel that a temporary foster home is probably not the best option."
"He can stay with me," Will said quickly.
"That would be the ideal solution if you could take time off work to be with him," she replied, "but it would be unwise to leave a vulnerable fourteen year old boy alone all day for almost two weeks."
"He'll be fifteen in August."
"Well, he's still a vulnerable teenager," David pointed out. "Everything he's been through, especially the severe beating, will have left considerable psychological trauma."
"I've already used up most of my vacation days for this year, but surely staying with me will still be better than being in a strange temporary home."
"Probably," Rose conceded, "but we're still very concerned about him being left alone all day. However, I considered the possibility that you might not be able to take time off, and I consulted with Paul, who's agreed to let John stay with him during the daytime while you're at work."
"John's too old for a babysitter!" Will protested.
"He won't have a babysitter," David said. "He'll have the company of three other children and at least one adult while you're at work."
"So, Will, if your brother stays with you, are you prepared to drop him off at Paul's house when you go to work and pick him up on the way home?" Rose asked. "You and Paul live relatively close to each other in Linchester, so it shouldn't be a big burden for you."
When she put it like that, Will realised he didn't really have any choice, and in any case, he liked the fact that it would allow him to spend the weekend and every evening with his brother. Therefore, it didn't take him long to agree, and they left the office to find John and explain the situation to him. Then Will said a reluctant goodbye to his brother, and David accompanied him to the door.
"I know this is difficult for both of you," David said sympathetically, "but you can visit or phone anytime that John isn't in school. However, if you're coming for a visit, please let us know in advance."
"But he doesn't have a phone," Will said.
"I might be able to do something about that, and until then, we'll let him use the phone we use for fostering matters. You already have that number."
Once his brother had gone, John unpacked his belongings and made himself comfortable in his new room. He was putting his toothbrush and other toiletries in the bathroom when Sarah came upstairs to tell him that lunch was ready. While the four of them ate, the adults briefed him on the house rules and schedules, and all the little routines that kept a household running smoothly. When they'd finished the sandwiches and salad, Sarah opened the cake tin that had been sitting in the middle of the table and put the contents on a plate.
"We managed to save these," she said, putting the plate with three fairy cakes in front of him. "Connor made them on Sunday, but they've been kept in the tin, so they won't be stale. Actually, two of these are for you, and the other's for Susie."
The little girl, whose gaze had been fixed on the plate, smiled when she heard that.
"The white icing is vanilla, the yellow is lemon, and the orange is, well, orange," Sarah pointed out. "As you're new to the family, you get to choose which two you want."
Susie, with a serious expression, looked at the cakes, then looked at John, almost as if she were trying to send him a telepathic message.
"I think Susie should choose which one she wants," John said, smiling at the little girl.
Susie grinned and exclaimed, "Orange!"
"I think you've just made a new friend," David said.
Sarah gave the cake to Susie, who immediately began licking off the icing, and John began to eat his own cakes, though in a more conventional manner. They were small, and he could have probably fit a whole one into his mouth, but they were also delicious, so he decided to savour the experience and eat them in small bites.
Beginning to feel more comfortable in his new surroundings, John decided to ask about something that had been on his mind.
"Although I'm supposed to be well enough to go back to school next week, it's the last week of term, so what's the point?"
"We went to see your headmaster with the documents showing that you're now in our care, and he told us that the teachers have agreed to give you outlines of the classes you missed," David replied. "You can find out what you need to do to catch up over the summer holidays."
"We want to make sure you make the most of your educational opportunities," his wife added when she saw the look of consternation on the boy's face. "And, from what the headmaster said, you're doing well in school. Do you know yet what sort of career you want?"
"Probably something medical. Maybe a doctor."
"Going back next week will give you a chance to catch up with your friends," David pointed out gently.
"I don't have many friends at school."
"Well, now you'll have Mike as an extra friend," Sarah said, not realising how much happier John felt when she reminded him of that.
Susie had quickly finished her cake and had become bored with the adult conversation, so she wriggled down from her chair. Her mother wiped the smeared icing from around the girl's mouth, then took her to brush her teeth. David asked John to help him clear the table, pointing out that all members of the family were expected to help out around the house.
"Do you know how to load a dishwasher properly?" the man asked.
"No. I've never even seen one in real life."
"Okay, I'll show you."
They'd just finished clearing the table when Sarah returned with Susie and offered to help her husband with some office work. John spent the afternoon exploring the games room and garden, and he even took a closer look at the books on the shelves under the stairs. However, in the middle of the afternoon, he had to be very quiet in the living room, where the little girl was sleeping on a beanbag chair.
Later, John and Susie were in the kitchen drinking apple juice when Mike arrived home from school and dropped his bag in the hallway.
"Oh, you're here," the redhead observed as he came into the kitchen, addressing John in a neutral tone.
"Hi Mike," the little girl said before John could think of a response.
"Hi, Susie."
Sarah, who'd just taken a mug of tea to her husband in the office, came back into the room.
"Hi, Mike," she said, "Do you want something to drink? You can help yourself to juice."
"Hi. Aren't you going to ask me how school was?"
"I already know what you'll say, and I don't want it to give John the wrong impression," she replied in a teasing tone.
After getting himself an orange juice, Mike surprised John by approaching and pointing to the glass the older boy was using.
"Good," he said, "you're obeying the rule about not using a glass with someone else's name on."
"Mike, don't be rude," Sarah chided. " It's not a rule, just a custom."
"I was just letting the new kid know how to fit in here," he said. "Anyway, I had a good run at school today, so I need a shower."
Then he left the room, picked up his bag, and went upstairs, reappearing in time for tea. During the meal, although Mike politely answered the adults when they spoke to him, he didn't initiate much of the conversation. He mostly ignored John, apart from occasionally asking him to pass a plate or bowl of food. Overall, Mike's attitude to the newcomer was neither friendly nor hostile, and it was almost as if John were just a piece of furniture.
"Right, boys," David said when everyone had finished eating, "you two can clear up. Mike, I showed John how to load the dishwasher, but you can give him a reminder. You can also show him where everything goes so he knows what to do when it's his turn to take out clean dishes."
"Okay," Mike replied, "then I'll call Connor."
"But no games until you've done your homework," Sarah reminded him before leading her daughter out of the room.
David announced that he wanted to finish some paperwork and went to his office, leaving the two boys alone. They proceeded to carry out their assignment, with Mike speaking only to give instructions and to tell John where clean items were kept. Having completed what David had told him to do, the redhead turned to leave.
"Do you want to play a video game later?" John asked.
Mike stopped in his tracks, turned back, and looked at the taller boy with a frown of annoyance.
"I won't have time," he said. "I've got to do homework, then I want to chat to Katie, then I'll probably just do stuff on my laptop until bedtime."
"Maybe another day," John suggested sadly.
"Maybe."
Mike turned away and went up to his room, and John, feeling deflated, went to see if there was anything on TV. He still hadn't found anything he wanted to watch when David came into the living room.
"Will wants to chat with you," he said, smiling as he handed a phone to the boy. "Let me have it back when you've finished."
"How's things? Have you had much pain today" his concerned big brother asked.
"Not enough to need painkillers, but maybe I'll ask for some tonight. I think it may be difficult getting to sleep in a strange bed."
"Are you settling in okay?"
"Yeah. David and Sarah have been really nice to me, and the house has lots of stuff. I learned how to load and unload the dishwasher, and Susie seems to like me."
"I can sense a 'but'," Will prompted.
"Well, everything's strange and different."
"When I went away to uni, it took me a while to get used to things, and making new friends wasn't as easy as I'd hoped."
"Well, I suppose that it's at least better than living with Dad," John said sadly, "but I'd rather be living with you."
"I'd love to be with you, too, but I'm sure that where you are is what's best for you. And David just invited me to Sunday lunch, so I'll see you then. Oh, and he said that there won't be lots of people, just those of you living there plus me."
"That'll be great!"
After the conversation ended, John returned the phone to David and announced that he was going to have a shower and go to bed early. He also asked for a couple of painkillers. The man reminded him that although he didn't have to go to school, he should be up in time to have breakfast at eight o'clock.
Before leaving the bathroom after his shower, John put on a T-shirt and shorts, his usual sleepwear. As he stepped out into the hallway, Mike was just coming out of his bedroom. The redhead raised his eyebrows when he saw John, and for the first time, he showed some real interest in the older boy's existence. Feeling a little uncomfortable, John said 'Hi' and went to his room, but he'd barely had time to close the door when there was a knock on it.
"Hey, New Kid," Mike said quietly as soon as the door was opened.
"My name's John," the older boy said irritably.
"Yeah, I know. Boring."
"So what do you want?"
"You're new, and maybe you need to know stuff," Mike said. "Like, when you're in care, we don't ask questions, especially about why a kid is here, but I have eyes and a brain, so I already know something about you."
"Okay," John said slowly, stepping back as an unspoken invitation for the other boy to enter.
"First of all," the redhead said as he took a couple of steps into the room, "I've been in the system long enough to know that kids aren't taken into care just because they get mugged. Also, maybe a mugging could have done that to your face, but I just saw the bruises on your neck, arms and legs."
John blushed, averted his gaze, and took a step backwards but remained silent.
"I know all about being beaten up, and I know what the bruises look like," Mike said. Abruptly, he added, "Show me your back."
Mike, who had almost always been the underdog, wanted to see if the new boy was prepared to accept his authority as a much more experienced inhabitant of the care system. He was also curious about the extent of the bruising.
Startled by both the tone and content of the command, John's thoughts were thrown into confusion. He wondered how a boy who was so much smaller dared to give him any command at all, much less one like that. As the surprise started to wear off, he began to feel anger, which the other boy detected, but the redhead stood his ground and maintained a challenging stare. John decided to accept the challenge, not least because under other circumstances, the idea of stripping off in front of Mike would have been arousing.
"Yeah, that's a beating. A mugger wouldn't bother putting in so much effort," Mike said definitively as he studied John's back. "And whoever it was didn't bother trying to hide what they'd done."
John turned around and saw that the smaller boy was grinning in a smug and self-satisfied manner. Feeling annoyed and embarrassed, he put the T-shirt back on.
"Okay, the show's over," he said curtly. "You can go now."
Lying in bed that night, John felt a wave of loneliness, which surprised him. After all, his dad had ignored him most of the time, so after Will left home, living with his dad had effectively been the same as living alone. His room here was nicer than the one he'd had in his dad's house, and what few possessions he had were now all here with him. Trying to look at things objectively, he couldn't explain why he was feeling so lonely now.
Then his thoughts turned to Mike, who seemed totally indifferent to John as a person but had taken a weird interest in his bruises. When John had found out that they'd both be living in the same house and going to the same school, he had hoped that he and Mike could become friends. However, although Mike hadn't flashed his angry 'stay away' eyes at John, he'd also not shown any interest in friendship.
On the other hand, when Mike had first shown John upstairs, the redhead had shown some empathy with his comment about 'knowing what it was like'. At school, he'd only seen the angry-sad Mike who kept people away. Then he'd seen the happy boy who enjoyed his weekend away with Connor and his brothers. At one point, he'd apparently been empathic, but just now he'd been cold and indifferent. As he fell asleep, he wondered which, if any, of these different behaviours represented the real Mike.
That night, he had the same nightmare as before, and John hoped that it wasn't going to be a regular occurrence. The next morning turned out to be much like the previous afternoon, and John was feeling so bored that he actually began looking forward to going to school the following week. He was just finishing his mid-morning tea and biscuit when Susie approached him and stood next to his chair.
"Want to go in the garden," she said.
"Okay, you want to go in the garden," John replied, wondering why the little girl was telling him.
When he remained in his chair, Susie frowned and repeated, "Want to go in the garden."
"She means she wants you to take her into the garden," Sarah explained. "She's not allowed on her own in case she gets hurt. She might get scratched by thorns or fall off the swing."
"Oh, right," he said standing up.
Susie smiled, then surprised him by grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the back door.
"It looks like you've replaced Katie as her best friend," Sarah commented.
It all felt strange to John, who'd not held hands with anyone since he was a small boy. At that time of the morning, most of the garden was still in shade, but the large collection of roses still made the place glow with colour. For the most part, the little girl dictated their activities, such as chasing around, going on the swing, trying to catch a butterfly, and generally exploring. However, when she knelt by a rose bed and started digging in the soil, John decided to intervene.
When they went back inside, John was concerned that maybe he'd be scolded for allowing the little girl to get soil on her blue romper suit, but Sarah was completely unperturbed. Without comment, she smiled and proceeded to wash Susie's hands and wipe down her clothing. After lunch, David suggested that as the weather was so good, maybe John could go for a walk in the nearby park. The boy, recalling the times when his big brother had played with him in that park, decided to go along with that suggestion.
When Mike returned from school, everything went much the same as it had done the previous day, but this time, John didn't bother asking the redhead if he wanted to play a video game. That evening, Will didn't call, and John didn't want to seem too dependent and clingy, so he didn't ask to use David's phone.
On Friday morning, John felt reasonably well, and he decided that a few twinges of pain wouldn't t be enough to prevent him from riding his bike. He told David and Sarah that he wanted to go and collect his bicycle from his dad's backyard while the man was at work. They agreed but insisted that David drive him there, not only because it would be a long walk but also in case John's dad turned up.
They collected the bicycle without incident, but John found that he had to ride it relatively slowly because his back hurt when he pedalled hard and his ribs hurt if he breathed too deeply. It was fortunate that they'd collected the bike in the morning because at lunchtime the sky began to cloud over, and in the middle of the afternoon, it began to rain.
Shortly after lunch, while John was still in the kitchen, Susie brought a little book to him.
"Please read a story," she said.
"You want me to read you a story?"
She smiled and nodded her head, but instead of sitting down at the table when he opened the book, she grasped his hand and pulled him into the living room.
"Here," she said, sitting down on her favourite beanbag chair.
When he sat on a nearby chair and began to read to her, she leaned back and closed her eyes. He was barely halfway through the short and simple story when he noticed that the little girl had fallen asleep. A movement in the corner of his eye attracted his attention, and he saw Sarah smiling in the doorway. Blushing, he slowly and quietly stood up and went towards her.
"I see she's having her afternoon nap a little early," she whispered before returning to the kitchen.
After she'd gone, he went to his room and sat on the bed, remembering all the times that Will had read stories to him or even made up stories for him. It had begun long before John's earliest memory, and it had continued until he was seven or eight, long after he was able to read for himself. Even better than the stories were the times when Will told his little brother about their kind and loving mother, who was also a great cook and made wonderful exotic dishes.
John remembered listening to his brother's voice over the years, as it went from a boy's soprano to a teen's tenor. In retrospect, John wondered if his big brother had felt any embarrassment when his voice shifted and squeaked during the transition. If so, it hadn't made Will less inclined to entertain John with stories.
While Mike was riding his bike home from school, the light rain turned into a downpour, and he got soaking wet. He entered the house through the back door, kicked off his shoes, and waited just inside the hallway, calling out to announce his presence. Clearly, that wasn't the first time such an event had happened because the response was quick and efficient. Sarah grabbed two very large towels from the downstairs bathroom and handed one to the dripping boy.
"You should've phoned," she chided him. "We would've picked you up."
"I'd already set off before it got bad," Mike replied dismissively.
He rubbed himself from head to toe with the towel, until his clothes, though still wet, were no longer dripping. After he gave her the wet towel, she wrapped the other around him and ushered him up to the bathroom. Then she got his dressing gown from his room and instructed him to soak in a hot bath. Given what he knew of Mike's temperament, John was a little surprised that he'd accepted all that in such a docile and compliant manner.
After tea, when the two boys were alone in the kitchen and clearing the table, John got frustrated by Mike's continued unsociable attitude.
"As we both go to the same school and live in the same house," John said, "I was hoping we could be friends."
"We're not enemies," the redhead pointed out, as if that were sufficient.
"But wouldn't things be easier if we were friends?"
"Look, New Kid, I've been in foster homes since I was nine," Mike said. "This is my third, and it's the best, but kids come and go. Since I came here, six foster kids have left. Katie left at Easter, and Connor and Liam left a few weeks ago. There's no point in making friends unless you think they'll probably stay in touch."
"Was Katie the girl I saw you with at school? I wondered if she was your girlfriend."
"Eew, no! She was like my sister and best friend. Anyway, as I was saying, I don't know how long you'll be here. Sometimes you do something, and they decide to move you."
"Do something?" the older boy asked, "Like what?"
"Anything. Doesn't matter. Mistakes," the redhead said, shrugging and making it clear by his expression and body language that he would be annoyed if John pursued the matter.
"It can get lonely," John said plaintively, without specifying what he meant by 'it'.
"You've always got your brother," Mike replied, unable to hide his envy. Taking pity on the other boy, he added gently, "Maybe we can play a video game sometime over the weekend."
Breakfast was later at weekends, so the following morning, John stayed in bed for an extra hour. When he got down to the kitchen, Mike was already there and was in an unusually happy mood.
"Is something special happening today?" John asked, half expecting his question to be ignored.
"Paul's coming this afternoon, and we're going for a run in Lytton Dell."
"Oh, I know the Dell. I used to go there on my bike," John replied. "The first time I saw you running around the school fence, I thought it was a punishment. Then I saw your fancy kit and shoes, so I guess you must like running."
"I don't like it… I love it!" the redhead enthused, showing yet another side to his personality that John hadn't seen before.
The weather that afternoon was overcast but dry and relatively cool for July. Mike declared it to be perfect weather for a run, and Sarah pointed out that the ground would still be wet and that he should take care he didn't slip. When Paul arrived, he was already dressed in his running kit, though he wasn't wearing the shoes. With him were his two brothers and Stephane, and they all came into the house to say 'hello' and bring in two cake tins.
"I'm not complaining," Sarah said in an amused tone, "but you do know that you don't need to bring cakes every time you visit, don't you? Or have you changed your mind and decided to stay for tea?"
"No, we can't stay for tea," Paul replied, "and you can't blame me for the cake. It's Connor's fault. The feedback on the last ones he made was so good and boosted his ego so much that he insisted on making more."
"Yeah," Connor said proudly. "I made a chocolate orange cake and some more fairy cakes."
Susie had been standing next to her mother, and when she heard the words 'fairy cakes' and 'orange', her little face lit up in delight.
"Let's go," Mike, already dressed in his running kit and shoes, said impatiently.
"Wait a minute," Paul said, frowning as if he'd just noticed something. "What about John? We can't leave him here on his own."
"That's okay," John said, blushing.
"If we take our car as well, we can all go," David suggested. "I was hoping to do some gardening, but the ground's still too wet to do anything useful."
When they got to the wooded valley known as Lytton Dell, they split into three groups. As far as John could tell, there was no preplanning, and it just happened to work out that way. Paul and Mike went running, and Sarah, David, Susie and Liam went exploring by the small stream. Meanwhile, Connor and John took up a position where they could keep their eyes on both of the groups. John's eyes remained glued to the redhead.
"Are you settling in okay?" Connor asked, initiating the first-ever real one-to-one conversation between the two boys.
"Yeah, David and Sarah are nice, and the food's great."
"You've not had Sunday lunch yet, though, have you?" the younger boy said knowingly. "Sarah does the best Sunday lunches I've ever had, and even Paul can't do better. But he does the best cakes. And mine are almost as good."
"Paul's a good cook, then?"
"He's good at everything," Connor said proudly. Then as an afterthought, he added, "Except gardening and football. Liam's best at gardening, and I'm best at football."
John felt a twinge of disappointment when Mike moved out of sight behind some trees.
"I know having to go into a foster home is tough, even when it's nice like David and Sarah's house. But at least I had my brother living with me," the younger boy continued sympathetically. "Still, you have a brother, even though you don't live together."
"I think Mike's jealous about that," John commented, not really intending to say it aloud.
"Of course he is. I don't even want to imagine not having a brother."
"I guess that explains how he is," the older boy said sadly.
"He's a lot better now," Connor said, knowing exactly what John meant. "You know, the first few months we were with David and Sarah, I thought Mike hated us. He kept saying nasty things about us, and once it was so bad that I hit him."
"What did he say that made you do that?"
"That's personal."
"But now you're friends," John observed.
"Yeah. He's nice when you get to know him, and he can be really funny."
"You mean funny as in laughing, or funny as in weird?" the older boy asked.
Considering his observations of Mike over the past couple of years and even recently, John found it difficult to imagine the redhead making people laugh.
"He tells some good jokes," Connor said, a little annoyed at the boy who suggested that his friend was weird, even if it was true.
"Anyway," John said, detecting the younger boy's disapproval, "how did you become friends?"
"I followed Paul's advice, but if you want to be his friend, it's not easy, and probably it will take a long time."
"What advice?"
"Well, no matter how nasty Mike is, even if it hurts your feelings, you have to keep on being nice to him. At first, he thought it was a trick and started being even nastier, but if you keep being nice, he'll give in and start being nice back. But it took a couple of months," Connor said. Then, half joking, he added, "Maybe it would be faster if you went running with him."
"Okay, I'll try that," John replied, wondering if Connor might be winding him up.
"Another thing, if he ever does trust you, and if he tells you private stuff, don't ever tell anyone else or he really will hate you. And I wouldn't want to be living in the same house with Mike if he really did hate me."
aAuthors deserve your feedback. It's the only payment they get. If you go to the top of the page you will find the author's name. Click that and you can email the author easily.* Please take a few moments, if you liked the story, to say so.
[For those who use webmail, or whose regular email client opens when they want to use webmail instead: Please right click the author's name. A menu will open in which you can copy the email address (it goes directly to your clipboard without having the courtesy of mentioning that to you) to paste into your webmail system (Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo etc). Each browser is subtly different, each Webmail system is different, or we'd give fuller instructions here. We trust you to know how to use your own system. Note: If the email address pastes or arrives with %40 in the middle, replace that weird set of characters with an @ sign.]
* Some browsers may require a right click instead
