PLAYING MUM

Harry wandered aimlessly around the noisy playground, stomach churning, racking his empty brain to come up with a solution. Josh was not helping, freaking out and badgering him with dumb questions.

“What are we going to do, Harry? Are we going to go to prison? Shall we run away, Harry?”

“I’ll think of something, Josh, give me some space, go and play with your friends.”

“I can’t, Harry, I feel sick. I don’t want to go to prison.”

Harry stopped aimlessly wandering and put his hands on Josh’s shoulders. “You have to trust me on this, I will fix it, but we have to try and act normal, okay?”

“Okay, Harry.”

Whatever you say, Harry. Three bags full, Harry. He would jump off a cliff if Harry told him to. Harry watched as Josh ran off and joined in a game of tag, trying to act normal, the poor kid. The weight of responsibility on Harry’s shoulders was unbearable, this was all his stupid fault. He had buried his mum and ruined his little brother’s life.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Harry spun round to see Holley with a cheesy grin on her face. “Have we met? My name’s Rapunzel, I’ve been trapped in a 1980’s pink tower for over a month…”

Harry was too preoccupied with his own problems to get the joke. There was a moment of apprehensive silence, until they both attempted to speak at the same time.

“Harry, I think my dad knows…”

“Holley, I know you don’t believe…”

Holley chuckled. “Sorry… you go first.”

“I need to tell you something, about my mum…”

“Harry, wherever she is, it’s no one’s business, my dad interrogated me this morning but I didn’t say a word. If Poirot thinks grounding me for the whole bloody summer’s the answer, he’s more stupid than I thought.”

“I’m sorry you got grounded…” Harry felt bad, that was all his stupid fault too, and this could be his last chance to make it up to the girl he had fallen in love with. “How about we go to the open cinema tonight, Day of the Dead’s on?”

“Harry, I really like you but…” Holley stopped. She’d seen something over his shoulder.

Harry turned around to see her cooler than cool, arrogant, two-timing jock of a bighead ex-boyfriend, Sid from sixth-form looming towards them.

“Hey, Jonesy, what you doing talking to my girl?” he put his arms around Holley and squeezed her tight. The school bell shrieked. “Later, babe.” Sid kissed Holley full on the lips. “Day of the Dead tonight, be ready at six,” he winked, then pointed an imaginary gun at Harry as he strutted off.

Holley squirmed with embarrassment.

“You really like me, but… you’re going with him,” said Harry, choking on his words.

Holley didn’t say anything, she didn’t need to. Her red face said it all. Harry was crestfallen. Holley was back with Sid the snake, Lurch was on his case, and the professor was going to the police tomorrow lunchtime. Could things get any worse?

***

Paige squeezed her eyes shut tight and crossed her heart as the airplane wheels bumped onto the tarmac, taxied along the runway and came to an abrupt stop. The captain’s voice crackled over the tannoy.

“Ladies and gentlemen thank you for flying with us today. On behalf of Qantas airlines I’d like to wish you a safe and pleasant onward journey.”

***

Harry hadn’t slept a wink all night. Josh was still in his pyjamas, curled into a ball on the bedroom floor. Harry paced around him in circles cracking his knuckles. “Today’s the day, we have to confess, Josh, before the professor goes to the police.”

Josh unravelled himself. “No, Harry! We can’t! They’ll put us in an orphanage! Or put us in prison! You said you would fix it!”

“We don’t have any choice, Josh! Don’t you get it? We’re done for! It’s over!”

“Wait!” Josh had a glint in his eye. “Harry, I’ve got an idea!”

***

It wasn’t even winter in the UK and she was freezing. Paige wasn’t used to this Ice Age temperature of seven degrees Celsius. She finished her wake-me-up coffee, unzipped her suitcase and pulled out a hat and scarf. Wrapping herself up nice and warm, she made her way out of the terminal and hailed a taxi.

***

Josh’s idea was the only idea. Yes, it meant leaving lots of stuff behind but – a PlayStation versus a prison sentence – no competition. Harry rushed around, frantically stuffing his clothes into a backpack, as did Josh, until they heard a loud knock on the front door. Josh gawped at him. Harry placed a finger to his lips and looked out of the bedroom window.

“It’s Holley,” said Harry, surprised.

***

“Can you take me to this address please?” Paige handed the taxi driver a piece of paper and climbed into the back of the cab.

“So, what part of New Zealand you from?” quizzed the driver as he drove away.

“A little place called Australia.” Paige grinned, British people; so funny.

“Oh, you’re an Aussie, sorry.” he laughed. “You all sound the same to me.”

***

“Why aren’t you in school?” asked Holley.

“Why aren’t you in school?” Harry replied, holding the door open an inch.

“Because I’ve been looking for you! Harry, I saw my dad walking across the playground with the professor.”

“What, why?”

Holley sighed. “He overheard our conversation that day, about your mum being in Devon. I told him she’s not but he doesn’t believe me. Harry, I don’t know how to say this, but, well, I think she’s met someone else and living with another family, like my mum.”

“What are you on about?”

“She’s still around, Harry, I’ve seen her, in your garden, and I’ve seen her sitting on the church step at the graveyard, she looked upset. I think she feels bad for leaving you.”

“Holley, my mum’s dead…”

“Harry, my mum’s dead to me too… look, I understand how you feel, I haven’t come here to give you a lecture, I’ve come to warn you, my dad said at breakfast, he’s going to the police.”

***

“So, what brings you here from the other side of the world? It’s a long old way to come,” said the taxi driver, making friendly conversation.

“I’m visiting my sister.”

“Ah, a family reunion, nice, how was the flight?”

“Twenty-two hours long,” Paige yawned, “and I spent the whole time with my eyes closed listening to my hypnosis CD trying to sleep and forget about it.”

“Your sister must be one special lady, wild horses wouldn’t get me on a plane for that long.”

“Ha! Famous last words, that’s exactly what I said to my best friend.”

“Oh well, you’re here now, love, the worst is over,” smiled the driver.

***

Harry looked at his watch, it was past lunchtime, the professor’s deadline for going to the police. That’s if he hadn’t gone already, knowing the boys hadn’t showed up for school, and especially after speaking to Lurch. They could turn up any minute. It was all such a mess, they had to get out of there fast. Harry flew up the stairs to see how Josh was getting on.

“Hurry up, Josh, take the bare minimum, we’ll get a taxi to the train station then...”

Harry was disturbed by another loud bang on the front door. He crept over to the window.

“It’s a woman?” he whispered, peeping through the glass.

A voice called through the letter box. “Hello? Anybody home?”

“It sounds like the Crocodile Dundee woman!” Josh whispered as he pigeon-stepped over to the window and spied out. The woman looked up.

“Harry, it looks like Mum!”

“Oh no!” Harry whispered. “It must be… Paige!”

“HELLO?” shouted the Australian voice.

“How did she find us, Harry?”

“God knows, some nosey neighbour probably.”

“What are we going to do?”

“Let her in, pretend Mum’s at work, talk to her for a bit, then sneak out the back door, okay?”

“Okay, Harry.”

The front door opened. Paige gasped and dropped her handbag. “Oh my God! You must be…” her hand flew up to her mouth. “You look just like my sister!”

Paige followed Harry and Josh into the lounge, dragging her suitcase behind her, she looked around the room ever so slightly disgusted. “Ugh… squalor.”

“What does that mean?” asked Josh.

“It means, I had higher hopes for you mother’s standard of living.”

Josh grimaced. “You talk funny.”

“Josh. Don’t be rude,” Harry retorted.

Paige laughed. “That’s alright…” adopting an English accent she continued. “Would one prefer one to talk like this?”

Josh stared at her aghast. “Hey, that’s really good.”

“Well, I was born in England you know, when did you say your mum gets in from work?”

“Um… later?” Harry offered.

“I hope she won’t be too shocked to see me?”

“She won’t!” said Josh, excited. “She talked about you all the time, didn’t she, Harry!”

“Yes, Josh, she DOES.” Harry glared at him.

“Do you have a spare room?” Paige enquired.

“What for?” asked Harry.

“So I can freshen up, empty my case, I was hoping to stay for a bit. Oz to UK, it’s not exactly a day trip, and I need to chill, that journey almost killed me. I wouldn’t be much good to your mum if I was dead, now would I?”

Paige bumped her suitcase up the stairs. The boys followed her closely. She turned the handle to their mum’s bedroom.

“NO!” Harry shouted. “I mean… no, you can’t go in there, that’s Mum’s room,” he said, trying to sound casual.

Too late. Paige opened the door. There it was, the shrine, exactly the same as it was that awful day when Harry went in there with a black bin bag and tiptoed out of the room, never to go in there again. There were no curtains, just an untidy sheet on the bed and unopened boxes everywhere. It was cold and smelled musty.

“Ew… I can’t believe your mother sleeps in here, it’s revolting.”

Paige noticed the picture of her and their mum on the bedside table. “Oh my.” She made a beeline for it, picked it up and smiled. “I have the same picture on my bedside locker too.” She put it back down carefully and spotted the spilt pot of pills on the floor next to the bed.

“Moron!” Josh murmured to Harry.

Paige bent down and picked up the empty pill pot. “Who’s a moron?”

“You’re the moron! Big mouth!” Harry glared at Josh.

“What are these spilt pills all about? What on earth has happened to my sister?”

***

Paige stood on the newly grown grass patch, the old opening to the secret den where their mum was buried. Harry had told her the whole story. She knelt down and stroked the grass, tears streamed down her face. “No matter what happens to us, Pam, always know, wherever you are, we are sisters and we will find each other, I promise…”

Gutted, Harry and Josh remained motionless.

“I knew something was wrong, if only I had got through to her sooner, poor Pam…” Paige looked at the boys, heartbroken. “I do get it, I understand why you did what you did.”

“Can you help us?” Josh begged.

“Josh, I cannot condone what you have done, what you’ve done is so bad.”

Harry hung his head in shame. “I know.”

“How could you do such a terrible thing, Harry?”

Josh burst into tears. “He did it to protect me! To stop them taking me away!”

Harry didn’t know what to say. He just stood there in silence, shivering in the cold, huddled together with Josh. Paige let out a sigh and studied the sky as if searching for an answer. A shaft of heavenly light cascaded down on them. It was a moment before she spoke again.

“No, there’s no excuse, Josh is a kid, but you’re old enough to know better Harry…”

Harry waited, quietly dreading what she had to say next.

“You have to hand yourselves in to the police. Do you understand?”

Harry nodded in agreement, he was ready to meet his doom. He’d known all along, deep down, this day would come.

“Don’t blame Harry, it’s not his fault! It’s all my fault!” Josh defended him.

“No, she’s right, Josh.”

“Go inside, wait for me in the lounge, I want a few minutes alone, then I’m taking you both straight to the police station.”

Tired and defeated, Harry knew the game was over, he bowed his head in disgrace and slowly walked away, dragging his heavy feet.

“Where are you going?” Josh raced after him and grabbed his arm. “You’re not listening to her, are you?”

Harry, like a programmed robot, did as he was told. Josh followed him into the lounge.

“Let’s go upstairs and grab the backpacks, she’s in the garden, we can sneak out the front door! Like you said, Harry!” Josh tugged at his sleeve and shook his arm violently. “Harry?!”

Harry couldn’t move, he felt like he was stuck in glue. Josh slapped his face. That did it. Harry suddenly came to his senses and snapped out of his pitiful trance.

“Why am I standing in here like a bonehead?”

“I don’t know! This is our chance, Harry!”

“This is our chance… this is our last chance, isn’t it?!”

“Yes! Der! Come on!”

“Let’s go, Josh, quick!”

Harry tore up the stairs, with hot-footed Josh right behind. He zipped up his backpack. Josh zipped up his. Another loud thump on the door resonated up the stairs. Harry stared at his brother with dread then rushed over to the window. A police car was parked outside the gate.

“Too late, the police are here, Josh…” Harry dropped his backpack onto the floor. Josh dropped his. Harry put an arm around his little brother’s shoulders and pulled him close.

“It’s game over, buddy.”

Hand in hand, partners in crime, Harry and Josh walked solemnly to the front door.

“Harry I’m scared!”

Harry squeezed his brother’s hand gently and winked. “Don’t be scared, Josh, be strong…”

“Harry, I don’t want us to be split up! What if we never see each other again?” Tears spilled onto Josh’s cheeks.

Harry wiped his little brother’s tears away with his cuff. “No matter what happens to us, Josh, always know, wherever you are, we are brothers, we will find each other, I promise…”

Harry felt strangely comforted knowing Josh would have a new family, a better family, the poor little kid deserved one. It was Harry’s stupid idea to bury their mum, and it was Harry who should face the consequences. So be it. He opened the door. Professor Evans, Lurch, and two police officers were standing there.

“Is this the Joneses’ residence?” said the policeman.

“Yes,” said Harry.

“What’s your name, son?” the policewoman asked.

“I’m Harry Jones, this is my brother, Josh.”

“We need to speak to your mother, Pamela Jones, is she here?” enquired the policeman.

“No, she’s not,” Harry confessed.

“I bloody well knew it!” exclaimed Lurch.

“Son, it’s time for you to tell the truth, where is your mother?” the policewoman quizzed.

The charade was finally over. Harry took a sharp intake of breath, mentally preparing himself for the godawful thing he was about to say next.

“She’s in the garden… buried…”

The two police officers, the professor and Lurch stared at him in horror.

“Under a ton of brambles!” called an English female voice.

Harry twisted his head around to see Paige, carrying a pair of pruning scissors, marching towards them. She put her arms lovingly around the boy’s shoulders and smiled.

“What’s happening here, then? Everything alright, officers?”

“I… um… we… um,” the policeman stammered and turned to Lurch. “Can you confirm, is this the boy’s mother?”

“I’ve never met the woman, but he has.” He pointed at the professor.

The police officers and Lurch were eye-balling the professor awaiting an answer. The professor stared at Paige intently. Her face was smiling but Harry could see the desperation in her eyes. There was a tense uneasy silence. It was like the world had stopped revolving. Finally the professor spoke.

“Indeed it is,” he said.

“Lovely to see you, again.” Paige shook the professor’s hand. “Sorry, I’ve been keeping a low profile for a while, the boys have been keeping a very big secret, haven’t you, boys?”

Harry turned to Paige. “Oh no, you’re not going to tell them now, are you?”

“Yes, Harry, I have to… I didn’t want to tell, but… I’ve had a mini face lift. It causes a lot of bruising, I had to go into hiding. It’s not the sort of hideous thing you want people to see.”

The professor suppressed a smile. Lurch squirmed with embarrassment.

“Ooh, looks good.” The policewoman waggled her head in that understanding female way. “You’ve got a lovely tan as well, hasn’t she?” she said, turning to her colleague.

The cringing policeman nodded and took his hat off. “Sorry to have troubled you, ma’am.”

“That’s quite alright, thanks for your concern, now if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got a lot to sort out, haven’t we, boys?”

Harry and Josh were speechless. So too, were the police officers, the professor and Lurch as they humbly backed away. Paige smiled sweetly, and closed the door.

“Does this mean… you’re not going to tell the police?” asked Harry.

“It means, Harry, we’ve got a bit of breathing space, to make a plan.”

“But… you’re not our mum,” said Josh.

“But I am your aunt, Josh, and you’re my nephews, we’re family, and families stick together. I’ve got a lot of money, boys, and a lot of contacts. I will wangle something if I can, but if I can’t you’ll have to hand yourselves in, and so, goddammit, will I. Do you understand?”

Harry and Josh nodded in stunned silence.

***

It was a beautiful cold frosty December morning. A taxi pulled up outside the cottage and its horn beeped. The cottage door opened. Paige, Harry and Josh stepped out pulling their suitcases. All three of them were dressed in woolly hats, gloves and scarves. For the first time in a long time the boys were well dressed, healthy and happy. Paige exhaled a breath of crisp winter air and put her arms around their shoulders.

“Right boys, are you ready for the land down under, 29 degrees and Christmas on the beach?”

The boys gazed up at the SOLD board and grinned at each other.

“You in, brother?” asked Josh.

“Oh, I’m in definitely in, brother,” laughed Harry.

They high-fived then did the special handshake.

~ EPILOGUE ~

Everything was epic in that land down under.

Paige’s house was hugely epic. Their new shared bedroom (the boys had insisted on being together) was crazily epic with all the latest games consoles and a wall-mounted 72-inch TV. And Paige’s pool was epic, too.

Harry liked to sit on the edge of it, his feet dangling in the water, and think of his dear mum as he gazed at the pool’s stunning centerpiece – a beautiful fountain featuring three huge koi carp with water spouting from their mouths.

The same fountain that was now in the garden back in England. Before they left for Oz Paige had told them she was worried that whoever bought the cottage might unearth their secret if they decided to do any digging. Or, worse still, what if the old pit collapsed and the new owner unearthed a fright?

She wasn’t lying when she said she had plenty money. No expense spared, Paige had the entire garden landscaped, concreted over, paved, walls built, seating areas, a fire pit, a barbecue pit, and a replica of the fountain from back home stood proud in the middle.

“No one will want to change this,” she’d said, “it’s beautiful, just like my sister and my boys.”

It had been a crisp and frosty day when they’d lit that fire pit. And the barbecue. Paige had put Harry in charge of cooking the burgers and sausages. Harry had felt, for the first time, like a real grown up that day as Holley watched him cook and then told him how delicious it was. She’d kissed him on the lips before she went home. And soon, Holley was coming to visit in the holidays, all paid for by Paige.

Something else Paige did – before the landscaping took place – something Harry doesn’t like to think about too much. She’d hired a concrete mixer, bought enough mix to fill in the old pit. Harry and his brother, along with Holley, had been sent into town with enough money to visit McDonald’s (twice), Nando’s (once), see three movies at the cinema, take an open-top bus tour and enjoy a scary ghost walk, with the orders to stay away all day. Paige had been exhausted when they’d got home. All the mix was gone. The pit had been filled. No risk of collapse. The boys had flung themselves at her, despite how mucky she was, and they’d all cried together. Paige truly was epic, just like Mum.

And speaking of ghost walks. Face-timing Holley every day, she insists she can see dead people. When she comes for her visit, Harry has plans to take her to the local graveyard. It’s old and spooky and, well, he’s pictured it many times, Holley’s lips on his, in the graveyard. Maybe that will be a story for another day.

~ THE END ~

Thank You!

To my amazing preditor, John Hudspith – for being much more than ‘just’ an editor, thank you for forcing me to explore the unknown world of POV and not giving up on me when I tried to cheat

To my fantastically brilliant cover creator, my better half, Oliver Martin – for breathing life into my ideas for cover design.

My beta readers, Teri Coffey, Lisa Edwards and Tracy Jordan – thank you for believing in me, your inspiring words, and great ideas.

Special thanks to Tony Jordan, for being the sole reason I put pen to paper in the first place.

And finally, to my boys, Dean and Joe, for being the inspiration behind the birth of this story, and without whom it would never have been born.

~~~~~~~