HALLS OF ACADEMIA BY JONAH
This is a work of fiction so be aware that every character herein is also fictitious. If you think you recognise yourself, or somebody else in here - you don't. Some places, and some institutions in here are real, but the people attached to those institutions in the story are not. At least one character is the creation of another author, Jacob Lion, in the USA. My thanks to Jacob for his permission to use his characters in my story.
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Chapter six
There were no sirens and no blues and twos. The two squad cars could have been taxis for the airport. They dropped us at Norwich Thorpe Station and departed, with the minimum of fuss, after a constable had handed us our tickets and seat reservations. We found the electric multiple unit that was to take us to London and found our reserved seats.
Garret and I sat together while three excited boys sat across the aisle from us.
All three were toting notebooks and I was not going to pass comment. At half past nine exactly the train began to glide out of the station. Under Carrow Road bridge we turned right and, almost immediately, clattered over the Trowse Swing Bridge. We went straight on at Trowse Lower Junction and were quickly in open country and speeding towards the capital.
The boys had scribbled down a few numbers at Crown Point, as we left Norwich, and were finding plenty to watch and point out to each other. Pete, I have to say, was the worst of them.
There were engines for them to spot at Ipswich and Colchester, and units at Ilford and several other places. We passed a fair few trains in the London suburbs and on the approach to the terminus, which we slid into at just after eleven.
Garret and I had just begun piling cases onto the platform when we were joined by a familiar figure.
"Hi boys. Need a hand?"
Rikki, Luke's significant "other", looked almost like a female version of Garret, except for the stud atached to the side of one nostril.
"Hi Rikki. Good to see you. Boys, this is your Auntie Rikki," my partner announced.
"I've got a trolley for these cases and, if they call me Auntie Rikki, you'd better head for the hills Buster."
"Sorry Rikki, it was too good to miss and they need friendly faces that they can trust right now."
"Awww, the poor dears. Well the cars are just outside. They're not exactly parked legally so Luke's stayed with them to flash his badge if necessary."
Sure enough, Luke's Merc, and Rikki's 4x4, were parked at the back of the cab rank. One or two taxi drivers were not happy about that but, at the sight of Luke's badge, they simply parked ahead of him without comment.
Pete travelled with Rikki and all the luggage while the rest of us climbed in with Luke.
"Chinese for lunch," Luke commented. "Jonah's put his order in so we've got to stop off in Watford to pick it up."
"Sounds good to me," I told him as we headed for the North Circular.
In Greater London, you cross county boundaries without noticing. We were soon in Hertfordshire and Watford beckoned. As soon as we parked opposite the takeaway on Watford High Street, the Rikkimobile, which I hadn't seen since Liverpool Street, parked behind us. Luke had a quick conference with Rikki, then disappeared across the road.
"I'll see if he needs a hand," said Garret. Then he disappeared too.
In no time at all, they were back and we were under way again, though the car smelled differently now.
Rayners Lane looked different from how I remembered it. The little electrical shop was a bookie's now, but we all piled into the stairway anyway. The door to the flat was open before anybody knocked on it and Pete was almost knocked flat by Flash.
"Come on you big, ferocious creature," he said (Pete, not the dog). "At least let us in before you devour us whole."
"So you DO remember how to get here," Jonah commented.
"Not really," Garret replied. "The police had to put us on the train and take us off again at the other end."
"They usually give me a cup of tea too," Jonah remarked.
"It's standing orders throughout the Met," said Luke. "Always give Jonah Cummings a cup of tea."
"Who are you?" Jonah abruptly asked, pointing to the nearest small boy.
"I'm Lloyd."
"What? Not the famous Lloyd?"
Lloyd giggled as Jonah turned to Adam.
"I already know who you are, and you already know where the biscuit tin is. Don't forget to give Lloyd one."
"They're just about to have their dinner," I pointed out.
"I didn't bring you up to be a spoilsport," he retorted. "Besides, I bet you didn't get a starter."
Jonah had obviously taken to being a grandfather. To be honest, it suited him.
Lloyd, on the other hand, was recieving an uncomfortable amount of attention from the golden retriever, and having a custard cream thrust into his hand did nothing to lessen the attention
Luke solved that problem by sitting on the sofa and pulling the front end of the dog into his lap.
"That means I'll be hoovering up dog hairs around the flat for the next fortnight," commented Rikki.
"Right," said Jonah. "We'll get this lot served up then, after dinner, we'll go for a walk."
"I'll leave you to it Jonah," said Luke. "I've got another night-shift to do tonight."
"Luke....."
"Jonah, I love Jacob like a brother, but his attitude gets on my tits sometimes."
"I know it does Luke," said Jonah, "but isn't that because you expect him to have a social conscience formed by things that happened before he was born?"
"I'd be happy if he had a social conscience at all," said Luke, and the subject was dropped.
We enjoyed our meal and Luke and Rikki took their leave.
It was a warm afternoon in early August so shoes were donned and, in Flash's case, a lead, and we all set out for Pinner Woods. The footpath through the woods and over the Yeading Brook hadn't changed much. The brook was only a trickle and the trees were encroaching on the path but we strolled and chatted merrilly while the dog, and the three children, ran and played.
The little bungalow opposite Cannon Lane Church was still recognisable too. Jonah knocked on the door and then opened it without waiting for it to be answered.
"Anyone home?" he shouted.
A handsome teenager with fair hair and blue eyes appeared.
"Mum and Dad are doing something across the Church," he said. "Make yourselves comfortable and I'll tell them you're here."
"No, that's fine Jacob," said Jonah." "They're bound to come home sooner or later anyway. How are you?"
"Alright," returned Jacob. "It's alright Jonah. They spend too much time over there anyway. They're only feeding people who are too lazy to feed themselves."
"You mean like they used to be?" I asked before I could stop myself. I got a look from Jonah.
"It's hardly the same thing," said Jacob imperiously.
Peter was openly scornful.
"You try living in a shop doorway in Winter and then tell me if it's the same thing. What A levels are you doing?"
"Advanced maths, economics, History and design tech."
"Only four?"
"No, it's six, but I don't know about the other two yet."
"I'd go Sociology and Media Studies," Pete remarked. "With your right wing attitude, you'd be a natural."
"Peter, that's hardly..." began Jonah, but Jacob was getting into his stride.
"I thought my parents were Trots," he remarked. "I know where they get it from now."
"How much are you paying them to let you live here?" Peter demanded.
"They can't chuck me out until I'm eighteen."
"Typical capitalist, " Pete crowed. "Take every hand-out the left will give them, then criticise the left for giving hand-outs."
"Gentlemen!" said Jonah firmly.
I thought it was time the subject got changed too.
"Fancy a cuppa Jacob?" I asked. There must have been a split second glance in my direction - if that.
"Yeah, you know where everything is," he mumbled.
I did, but that was hardly the point. I would blush for shame if a guest had been in our house for several minutes without being offered a cup of tea. Not the time though.
"Yeah," I muttered and made for the kitchen.
I knew why Luke hadn't wanted to join us.
It was another hour before Joe Davis, and his wife Miriam, returned from the Church.
"Simon, Peter, it's been ages. Jacob, you should have come and fetched us. We'd have come back."
"They didn't want to interrupt your important work," said the teen.
"Did he give you a cup of tea?"
"Yes, we had one of those," I told him before anybody else could say otherwise.
"Well you'll be staying for dinner," he said as if it was a foregone conclusion. "I'm going to do a toad-in-the-hole."
" Lucky toad," muttered Jacob but, if his father heard, he gave no sign of it.
Of course it was a foregone conclusion. Joe was a much sought-after chef and one didn't turn down an invitation to eat with him.
As soon as Lloyd had been introduced to him, a fuss had to be made. Both boys were settled with scoops of ice cream while the adults were obliged to deplete Joe's store of beer or Scotch. It didn't surprise me that their cupboard also contained a chew for Flash. Joe and Miriam were that sort of people. It was just a pity that their son didn't take after them.
Joe produced the sort of meal during which one does not talk. After the toad-in-the-hole with mash and two veg, the fruit bowl was produced, after which the port was passed while the boys drank orange squash.
It was nearly seven when we took our leave and headed for Rayners Lane. Both boys struggled manfully, or at least boyfully, with Flash while Pete and Garret supervised. I walked behind with Jonah.
"Don't you ever wonder why some people are so good while others are oxygen thieves." I asked.
"He's a teenager," Jonah replied, without needing to ask who I meant.
"Meaning that he'll grow out of it?" I responded skeptically.
"You did," he replied.
"I was never like that," I protested.
"Joe and Miriam are good people because they've known hardship," he said. "You and Peter have known some of that and so have I. That didn't stop you from being a typical teenager but it was Kori who sorted you out. He had the advantage that you were gay. If you'd been straight he wouldn't have been able to. As to whether Jacob will snap out of it - I really couldn't say. I'm hoping that he will, and I'm hoping that he does it before Luke blacks his eye for him."
Wow! Jonah isn't usually the most loquacious of men but, when he gets going, he can certainly give you something to think about. Hardly another word was spoken the rest of the way home.
Back at the flat Jonah brought out the Cluedo board. I remembered that the television in Jonah's flat saw very little service. He paid for a license but he didn't get much for his money.
Both Lloyd and Adam proved to be naturals at this game. I suggested we played as we had in America, adopting different characters, but Jonah said that would be too complicated for the boys. It kept us occupied till supper-time anyway.
Hot chocolate, then bed.
Garret and I had the double bed in the spare room (our old room) while Pete had to share with Jonah. Lloyd and Adam shared a huge double airbed on the floor in our room.
Just like old times? No, old times don't come back, but sometimes the new ones are just as nice.