The Happiest Days by Jonah
This is a story about love - real love - at work in the lives of good people. It follows on from "Halls of Academia," but the story really began many, many moons ago with "A Letter from America". There are no real people herein so, if you think one of the characters is based on you, or on somebody you know, have another think and come up with a different answer. Having said that, I didn't invent every character. A couple of them were originally crafted by another author. I have to (well, actually, it is my pleasure to) thank Jacob Lion, in the USA for his permission to use his characters in my stories.
I hope you will enjoy this story, and I'm grateful to Nifty for enabling me to bring it to you. Nifty does not charge either me or you for doing so, but it does cost money to do it. Please consider donating to Nifty at https://donate.nifty.org/ to help keep this site going.
Chapter 6 This is the Day
Saturday had been hot, in a way that is not uncommon in June. In the small hours of Sunday morning there was a thunderstorm. I don't think either of the boys noticed it, but both Garret and I were awake. The storm, as so many thunderstorms had been in the past, was the occasion for a cup of hot chocolate before going back to sleep again.
We awoke to the patter of raindrops as well as the patter of feet. I instructed Lloyd to get himself showered and dressed for church while I started breakfast.
I don't know (and I didn't ask) whether Philip had ever attended Church before but I wasn't about to give him an option. As soon as we were all breakfasted and made presentable, we piled into my mini.
The rain had stopped and the ground was beginning to warm up to the extent that vapour was rising from it. If the sun managed to burn off the mist, it could get really hot.
Newton St. Faith does not boast a Methodist chapel. It did once, but no more. I drove us to Horsford Methodist Church, where Fred Gilpin was leading worship. Fred was a local preacher of the old school. We were treated to a traditional hymn sandwich. Some of the hymns were ones I could remember from my schooldays. Who sings "Summer Suns are Glowing" nowadays? Well, nobody whose Church uses "Singing the Faith" certainly.
Coffee and biscuits after the service was the same merry gathering that it is in Churches the world over, and it took us to dinnertime.
Driving back to Newton, I found that I couldn't park on our drive as, apart from Garret's 4x4, there was already a Mercedes parked on there. Lloyd was instantly excited.
As Garret took the boys inside and instructed them to get changed, I trundled round the back and down to the engine shed, where my step brother was raising steam on the diminutive 0-6-0T that lived in there.
"You never told us you were down this weekend Luke," I told him as I came up behind him.
He didn't even turn as he said,
"Well, if you hadn't kept sending Ben to the box yesterday, you'd have known."
I couldn't deny the truth of that, even if there was no reason for me to suspect that Luke had been working Weybourne box. Since I had worked at Sheringham all day, I hadn't seen the staff at Weybourne or Holt.
"We could have saved you a hotel bill for last night," I told him.
He turned finally, but shook his head.
"You wouldn't have had room," he said. "I've got Dad with me as well. You'll see him later."
I was more than surprised. My half brother doing strange and mysterious things was one thing, but I'd have expected Jonah to have said something.
"He said it wasn't fair for us all to descend on you for Sunday dinner at a time when you've got enough mouths to feed."
So that was it. The Cummings family grapevine had been working overtime despite the fact that neither Garret nor I had said anything to anybody - and, from the sounds of it, Luke thought we should have.
"You know I'd have told you yesterday if I'd known you were there?"
"Simon," he said, "it's cool mate. Don't worry about it. You already know Jonah will be over the moon and, as for me, I'm proud of my big brother. Pete would be too, only him and Adam are dog-sitting for Jonah."
A thought struck me.
"Luke, when you said Jonah didn't want you ALL to descend on us for Sunday dinner - does that mean that's what you're doing?"
"If that's all right mate."
"It will be if one of us tells Garret. I'd better do that."
My lover was in the kitchen basting beef.
"It will be ready to serve up in ten minutes,"he told me.
"Good!" I said. "You know we'll be five for dinner?"
"I guessed," he said with a grin. "He can have Elijah's portion".
I was surprised by that. Both my dad, and Jonah had always been in the habit of keeping back an extra portion at mealtimes. Jonah always said it was for Elijah. Garret hadn't grown up in our household.. How would he know about it?
"Elijah's portion?" I queried.
"Old Jewish custom," he told me. "At passover meals they always set an extra place and provide an extra portion because, when the Messiah does come, Elijah will come first, but nobody knows when he's coming."
That made sense of that. Neither my dad, nor Jonah, were Jewish, but they must have just used the Jewish custom as an excuse to be prepared for unexpected guests. That must be true of Garret too, since he wasn't Jewish either.
The boys were both changed into casual wear, but were otherwise spotless and were seated at the table before Luke came in to wash his hands.
"Art'noon all!" said Luke as he headed for the sink.
"Good afternoon Uncle Luke," said Garret, with exaggerated formality.
The boys took the hint.
"Good afternoon Uncle Luke," they both chanted in unison.
Luke shot a look of mock annoyance at Garret as he soaped his hands.
Garret carved, served and said the Grace. He was keen to find out what had brought Luke to our humble abode. Personally, I thought Garret's cooking would have been good enough reason, but Garret didn't seem to think so.
As we devoured our dinner, Luke didn't neglect the boys.
"Lloyd," he began. "When we've finished dinner, can you uncouple that diesel from the coach?"
"Do you need the coach for "Joem"then?" Lloyd enquired.
"No Lloyd," Luke returned. "I don't need it at all. The J69 has its own riding truck, but it's only for the driver. If you boys want to ride, you'll need something to ride on."
He turned to Philip.
"You're Ben East's son then?"
I opened my mouth to object to that line of questioning, but then realised that it was not my brother,but a Metropolitan Police officer speaking.
"Yes Sir," - barely audible, but Luke heard it. He smiled.
"You're a good boy Philip. It's not your fault that your dad is like he is. He might have learned his lesson now, but it's a bit late."
"I HATE him" said Philip through gritted teeth.
Luke waited for the boy to calm down before quietly and calmly saying,
"No you don't son. You're far too good a person to hate people. Hating people damages you - hurts you really badly. You don't deserve that. Do you say your prayers Philip?"
The nod was hard to spot but Luke saw it.
"When you say them, ask God to look after your mother because she's with Him now, then ask him to help your dad to be a better man. That's better than hating him. Jesus told us to love people, not hate them. Do you understand what I'm saying Philip?"
I strained to hear,
"Yes Sir!"
"Luke?"
"Simon."
"Where did you and Jonah stay last night?"
"The Burlington at Sheringham. Jonah's just had his dinner there now. I've to go and fetch him in a little while."
"Oh no you haven't. Did nobody ever teach you not to leave steam engines unattended? Garret, since we'll have all these people, how about another barbecue?"
"Yeeeesssss!" chorused two little boys, lest my partner should dissent - he didn't.
"If you're taking your car to pick up the stuff, you may as well pick up Jonah too."
I don't know whether it occurred to Garret to argue with that. He could have suggested that I might like to go fetch them myself. Actually, I don't think he could have. His good nature woudn't have let it happen. With a smile, he acknowledged that he had been outmaneouvred and he reached for his car keys.
Well Luke soon, with Lloyd's assistance, had the little tank engine coupled to his own driving truck, followed by the ride-on coach that Lloyd used with his diesel.
I cleared the signals and with a toot of the whistle the steam train was underway, taking two noisy little boys with it. On such a hot afternoon we could barely see the exhaust from her chimney. Even if the safety valves lifted, only the merest feather of white steam was visible.
I left the signals off and went to see to the barbecue. We had some sausages already, but I was sure Garret would bring plenty of supplies.
TOOT!
The steam train rattled past with a volley of cheering from her young passengers. The garden climbed slightly away from the patio so Luke had just put on more steam. We had toyed with the idea of digging a cutting through that bit in order to ease the gradient, but we eventually decided that we didn't want it elevated across the front of the patio, so the locos just had to cope with it. Both locomotives were powerful enough.
Garret was back within the hour with Jonah in tow. Jonah had heard of the railway but had not seen it. Immediately Lloyd vacated the coach to let his grandfather have a ride. Philip followed suit.
At about fourish the signals went back on and rail traffic ceased so that we could eat. We were a happy crew. Even Philip seemed to be enjoying himself. Since the London branch of the family were not to fly South until next morning - and we would not hear of them checking back into the Burlington - the railway running continued after tea. When Luke deemed it time to dispose his steam engine, Lloyd fetched the diesel and commenced giving rides with that. I had to put my foot down about stopping traffic by eight o clock, since tomorrow was a school day. Philip would still be staying with me, but Lloyd and Garret had school.