FIND OUT Team - BRUNO and the Search for William by FIND OUT Team

Chapter One

HOW THIS STORY STARTED

“I had a dream,” Bruno confided to his friend Alfred, the honey-colored teddy bear sitting next to him on the shelf in the toyshop. “Did you? What was the dream about?” “It was night-time. Everyone was asleep. The dolls, the big stuffed animals. Even the noisy Action Men over there had stopped doing their scary stunts, and settled down for the night. In the dream I was sleeping quietly next to you, when suddenly a big bright shiny light appeared in front of me.” “Oh Bruno! You must have been dreaming,” said Alfred. “Honestly!” Didn’t I tell you that I had a dream?” “Yes, you did. And then what happened?” “Well, it may sound odd to you, but the big bright light spoke to me,” “The light spoke… Bruno are you feeling okay?” “Why shouldn’t I be feeling okay? Look, do you want me to tell you the rest of the dream? ” “Yes please. Tell me, what did the light say.” “Well, the light didn’t actually speak…” “… No? How did it talk then if it didn’t speak?”

HOW THIS STORY STARTED

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“Well, it did speak, but not with words… it just went straight to my mind… without words…” “Hm… to your mind, I’ve never heard of such a thing. So, what did it tell your mind then?” “The big white light told me not to forget my heart’s desire.” “I didn’t know you had a heart desire,” said Alfred, more confused than ever. “Of course I do. Don’t you?” Bruno asked. “Well, I might,” Alfred, replied, not altogether sure what a heart’s desire was. “Anyway, how do you get this heart’s desire then?” “You have to imagine it. You have to focus on it with all your heart, and it will come true. Which is why,” Bruno explained.“I have decided that from this moment on, I am going to wish for a boy of my own and for a bed to sleep on, instead of this shelf.” “What?” Alfred’s eyes nearly popped out and his jaws dropped from the shock of this startling development. Bruno, this brown bear of… of… well, this bear of unique views and ideas and fast held opinions… this plush, immaculate brown bear was his best friend. They had landed on this shelf together and been together since. And now he wanted to be somewhere different, with someone else? “Bruno, be careful,” Alfred, cautioned.“What if it really happens? What if you do get a boy and a bed? What’s going to happen then?” “I’ll leave the toyshop,” Bruno ex-

plained as though to a child. “Exactly! You’ll leave.” “Of course I’ll leave.” “But… I’ll miss you!”Alfred said, swallowing hard. “Sorry Alfred, my old friend.” Bruno said, his tone softening for a moment and patting his friend on the shoulder. “I will miss you too, but you must see that there must be more to life than sitting here on this shelf! No Alfred, I’ve made up my mind.” Taking his arm away from Alfred’s shoulder the brown bear sat upright and crossed his legs. Without saying another word, Bruno closed his eyes. He turned his consciousness away from the entire shop and all its toys. He shut his ears to every word, sound and giggle that filled the air, and pushing all thoughts out of his mind, he concentrated on leaving the toyshop for a new life, in a new home, with a wonderful, bright boy of his own. Had Bruno not been sitting with his eyes closed and his legs crossed like a statue, he would have seen the tall man that came into the shop. Ignoring all the other toys, this man walked purposefully to the shelf at the center of the toyshop that was filled to bursting with teddy bears. Even in that scramble of furs, Bruno stood out. How? Hard to tell, the bear was hemmed in, left and right. And yet, with just about a square inch to sit on, this brown bear sat erect, with his eyes closed, with a presence bigger by far than that of all the teddy bears in the shop put together. And something else struck the man about this bear, but what was it? How to describe it? Where did the sound of echoing laugh-

HOW THIS STORY STARTED

Chapter One

ter, running, skipping, jumping…. Where did it come from? Long forgotten memories? Dreams? Suddenly choking, this tall, grown man realized what it was! This bear reminded him of his very own. The soft, gentle yet firm truthful friend… the friend who’d looked after him for a long time. With shaking fingers he lifted Bruno from the shelf and held him close to his thumping heart. It even felt like his old friend… the friend he lost all those years ago when he moved from London to where he lived now. “But, he told himself coming back to the present and looking at Bruno, if his instinct was right, this was a one-in-a-million bear, and it would be perfect for his little nephew. “Yes, you are the one! Andrew will love you!” and without another glance to the other bears straining to be noticed, he walked off with Bruno. At first mesmerized, then alarmed, Alfred watched the scene unfold. The man was no longer just looking, he was walking away with his friend; he was heading for the cashier’s counter. “Bruno…”Alfred called out.“Bruno, open your eyes, wake-up, Bruno….” But Bruno was oblivious to everything. So engrossed in his inner vision was he, that if asked how long he’d been sitting there like that, he would have not been able to say…

HOW THIS STORY STARTED

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A moment, a day, a month? No, he could not tell. But something now disturbed his peaceful meditation. He could tell that he was no longer sitting, goodness gracious was he…. Was he… floating? Could it be? It must be, for the hard shelf was no longer under his bottom. As though waking from a deep sleep, he could hear Alfred’s faint but urgent call for Bruno to open his eyes. Shaken from his blissful inner world, and taking stock of his surroundings, Bruno realized that Alfred was no longer next to him. Nor was he floating as he had imagined. As he stretched and strained to get his bearings, he heard rustling noises. He was aware of being propelled forward, but he was not moving. At last reality hit him and he nearly screamed with shock! Bruno had gone into his inner retreat with a clear vision of his desire. Believing what the light had conveyed to him… focus all your thoughts on your heart’s desire and it will come true… come true. Yes, it was his dearest wish, but now that it was manifesting, Bruno was shocked, even worried. “I better tell Alfred,” quick as a flash, Bruno scrambled to his feet and holding on to the edge of the white gift bag, he lifted himself up and poked his head out. “Goodbye Bruno,” he heard his old friend call out. “I’ll miss you. But I’m going to close my eyes and wish for…” but before Alfred finished the sentence, Bruno had been whisked out the door.

ON THE ROAD – SYDNEY TO LONDON

Plucked point blank from the quiet of his inner retreat, Bruno’s exposure to the outside world was as dramatic for him, as it must be for a baby to be expelled from the warm, watery peace of the mother’s womb. A myriad sights and sounds never before heard, or seen, overwhelmed the little bear senses. Even the gentle breeze blowing from the Harbor, felt harsh on his body and sharp to his lungs. Giddy and shaken, Bruno let go of his hold of the bag’s edges and fell to the bottom with a deafening sound of rustling paper. The shelf he had occupied with Alfred and the other bears now seemed like a lost paradise. Where had this pea-brained idea of leaving the world he knew well for the complete unknown, come from? “Why couldn’t I just be like Alfred, happy to sit on the shelf and be happy watching the people coming in and out of the shop all day?” How could something that he had wanted so much, be so frightening now that it was becoming reality, he asked himself as he looked around trying to get his bearings. But all Bruno could see wherever he looked, were walls of white paper.

Chapter Two

“Hold on a minute,”Bruno thought out loud.“This here is not a house, there is no bed and… where is the little boy I’ve been wanting?” He had to seize the initiative while there might still be time. As he had done when he was leaving the toyshop, Bruno stretched his arms as high above his head as he could, grabbed the thick handles with both paws, and pulled himself up until his head was clear of the bag. Resting his chin on the zigzag edges of the paper, his gaze fell on a pair of feet in blue socks and brown shoes. After a moment to work out which way was up and which was down, Bruno realized that he was looking down at the ground. Traveling up along the route of a pair of blue jeans followed by a grey, softlooking sweater, Bruno’s gaze reached a spectacled face with brown hair. Even though closer to the ground than to the person’s face, the bear could tell that this was a grown man. A nice looking man even if he swung the bag about too much and Bruno in it, but he was not a boy, and a boy was what Bruno wanted! Bruno looked around to see if a boy was following, but there was no sign of one. From the picture books in the toyshop, he recognized the Bridge arching over the waters of Sydney’s Harbor. Surrounded by real-life ferryboats, the sail-shaped Opera House was ahead of them and getting closer and closer, until it disappeared altogether. They entered

ON THE ROAD – SYDNEY TO LONDON

an elevator and when they came out, what Bruno saw was an underground car park. In the enclosed space, the man’s footsteps echoed eerily. The temptation was to retreat inside the bag. But if he did that, how would he keep track of what was happening? No, he must keep watch. No sooner did he renew his hold on the paper handles, than the man stopped in front of a blue car, unlocked it and plopped the bag with Bruno in it onto the back and shut the door. “God Almighty,” Bruno called out in alarm. The bag had landed on its side and was tipping dangerously over the edge. Before he knew it, the teddy bear had fallen out the bag, on to the floor of the car. No sooner had Bruno picked himself up and was starting to climb back up onto the seat, than the man sitting at the wheel, gunned the engine and sped away, sending Bruno sprawling on his back again. Tossed around on the floor of the speeding car, with not even the tiniest clue as to where he was being taken, Bruno felt like a hostage. Searing pain of fear shot through his body and left him panting and exhausted like a rag doll. “I wish I’d never seen the light,”Bruno thought and berated himself for listening to it.“Look what happens when you have a big dream for yourself, you end up in the back of a car with a maniac driving you God only knows where.” Just then, the car stopped at a traffic light. Seeing his chance, Bruno scrambled up using the pocket at the back of the driver’s seat, like a stepping stool. Bruno climbed up and up until he reached the driver. Without stopping to think he tapped him on the head and gave him a fright. “What on earth…” the man said. Taking his eyes off the

Chapter Two

road he whipped his head around and saw Bruno perched on the headrest, staring at him. “Where are you taking me?” Bruno demanded. “Where am I taking you? I… I can’t believe this! “Did the teddy bear just speak?” the driver asked out loud. “Look here Sir, if you wouldn’t mind, where are you taking me?” Bruno asked again. The light changed from red to green, but gob-smacked, the driver kept his foot locked on the brakes, while the growing line of cars behind them honked furiously. The man was reminded of his lost bear, the only other stuffed animal he’d ever known to speak. He couldn’t believe how lucky he’d been with his choice of a gift for his nephew, for he knew, he knew what a magic relationship awaited Andrew and this bear. The honking outside was growing louder and louder, he had no choice but to move on. Besides, he had a plane to catch and time was tight. Taking his foot off the brake he stepped on the gas and made it through the light as it changed from green to red again. “ Excuse me? Sir?”Bruno said when they were on their way again.“Where am I being taken?” “I’m taking you to London. We are going to get on a plane and go to London.” “To London? What for?” “To visit my family.” “And what about me, what are you taking me to London for?” “You are a present for my fourteen months old nephew, Andrew.” As soon as he heard those words Bruno screamed Yippee!

ON THE ROAD – SYDNEY TO LONDON

threw his arms up in the air and fell off the headrest landing on the floor of the car with a soft thud. Laughing, Andrew’s uncle reached behind his seat, grabbed Bruno and sat him on the front seat. “I am very happy,” Bruno said, as soon as Andrew’s kind Uncle had put him on the seat. “I have been wanting a boy of my own. But when you took me from the shop and you had no boy with you… I thought… to be honest, I wasn’t very happy at all.” “Well, I am glad that you are happy now. And you’ll be even happier, when you meet Andrew. By the way, my name is Jack, what’s yours?” “Bruno,”Bruno said.“And what about Andrew, does he have any brothers and sisters?” “Andrew has an older sister. Her name is Florentina and she is three years old. Bruno was thrilled with the news. “And what about the parents?” “Andrew and Florentina’s father is my older brother, his name is Hugh. And their mother’s name is Esmeralda. I am sure you’ll like them Bruno.” Uncle Jack said. Bruno sat quietly for a while, enjoying the thought that he no longer was a teddy bear sitting on a shelf at the Harbor Toyshop. And soon he would meet his new family. How soon though? How long would it take to get to London, Bruno wondered, glancing outside. He noticed that there were fewer houses along the streets and less cars on the road. Not too far though, he could see airplanes in the sky. Soon they turned left and drove into a car park. “Here we are Bruno,”said Uncle Jack, parking the car. Soon

Chapter Two

we’ll be on our way to London, I don’t suppose you’ve ever been on an plane” Jack asked as though reading his mind. “Don’t worry,”he added, without waiting for Bruno to answer. “You’ll probably fall asleep and wake up when we arrive.” “I could do with some sleep,” Bruno yawned. Bruno was familiar with planes; he’d seen them at the toyshop. But he’d never been on one and this one was so much bigger than he had imagined, and it was quite full. On the way to their seats Uncle Jack had to stop a couple of times while passengers stored their hand luggage in the overhead lockers. A little girl caught sight of him as they walked past, and stretched her hand to stroke him. Bruno didn’t mind. When they got to their seats, a stewardess coming from the opposite direction stopped by their seats and smiling sweetly, offered to hold Bruno while Uncle Jack stored his luggage, then sat down and strapped himself. “Everyone is on board now,” the stewardess explained. “Nobody will be sitting in the seat next to you. Feel free to spread out,”she said with a smile before moving on to assist other passengers. “Here, you can have your own seat,” Jack said sitting him next to him, by the window. “You can go to sleep now, I’ll wake you up when we are in London.” It had been an eventful day for the little brown bear, and he was glad to sit down on the comfortable padded seat. Jack must have been tired too, for he had closed his eyes and was leaning his head on the headrest. A voice on the loudspeaker asked

ON THE ROAD – SYDNEY TO LONDON

everyone to remain seated with their seat belts on until after takeoff and the overhead signs were switched off. Without warning, the engines roared and the plane lurched forward going faster and faster until the nose of the plane tilted upwards, first the front wheels then the whole plane lifted from the runway and headed for the clouds. Bruno’s heart was pounding in his chest, his head was spinning, his nose could no longer distinguish one smell from another, his ears were ringing with the myriad noises he’d absorbed since leaving the toyshop. But sleep rescued him and soon he was sleeping peacefully and dreaming of Andrew and his new family. When Bruno woke up the next morning, the Jumbo Jet was on its final approach to England. Yawning quietly, he rubbed the sleep off his eyes and shuffled closer to the window until his nose was squashed against it. Far below lay the ancient city of London. The River Thames, sparkling like a diamond in the early morning sun, snaked its way between the City’s north and south banks. Flying above the River until it gave way to the runway at London’s Heathrow airport, the plane finally landed, and the twenty-four hour flight was over. Checking to make sure that nothing had been left behind, Andrew’s Uncle made his way toward the exit with Bruno in one hand and his hand luggage in the other. After such a long flight everyone was tired and keen to get off the plane, but probably no one more so than Bruno. Hardly able to contain his excitement, the teddy bear stayed still as he was been carried off the plane, but his eyes were looking at everything. Taking long, fast strides, Jack got to the luggage carousel

Chapter Two

ahead of everyone else. Grabbing a trolley he put his backpack on it and sat Bruno on top of it. As soon as the suitcase came out they hurried to Immigration. Thankfully the lines were not too long, and when their turn came, Jack had his passport ready. “Welcome home Sir,” Officer De Punto smiled.“And what do have we here, a Koala bear?” he joked handing back the passport. “No, it’s a grizzly bear for my little nephew,”Jack explained. “We had better not keep them waiting then, had we?” the officer smiled and waved them on. While Andrew’s Uncle walked on, Bruno turned quickly around, and winking, he gave the officer the thumbs up. Officer De Punto stared at the bear wide-eyed, shook his head, and then turned to the next passenger in the line. Reaching Customs, Uncle Jack sped through the“Nothing To Declare”lane and followed the exit signs. The whole of Bruno’s being, his eyes, ears, fur and body were looking ahead, hardly breathing from the trepidation of the momentous encounter. Andrew and his family cannot be far now, he thought. He could see a crowd of people just ahead, Uncle Jack was almost running now, he was smiling from ear to ear, a tall man was stepping forward… a little girl was calling out… “It’s Uncle Jack, It’s Uncle Jack.” And there was… that must be Esmeralda and that blond little boy wriggling in her arms must be my Andrew! Uncle Jack and his brother hugged each other, smiled and laughed. Then Uncle Jack bent down and scooped Florentina into his arms. Bruno took a good look at her, she was very pretty, lovely, Bruno liked her but… Oh Andrew,

ON THE ROAD – SYDNEY TO LONDON

Bruno couldn’t wait any longer and while Uncle Jack took a present for his niece out of his bag, he nearly threw himself out of Jack’s arms. But there was no need… “Andrew,” the tall uncle said, putting Florentina down and taking the little boy into his arms.“Look who’s come all the way from Sydney to be your friend,” he said, giving the bear to his little nephew.“His name is Bruno.” “Bruno,”Andrew repeated, taking the bear and looking at it. Soon a big smile spread across his face and he hugged the bear then tucked him under his arm. “I am so happy,” Bruno said to himself crying tears of joy. Great chapter Mummy… but you should think about consistency with Uncle Jack’s name… sometimes you call him Andrew’s uncle, sometimes Jack, sometimes the Uncle… I would pick one and stick to it.

Chapter Three

BRUNO’S NEW FAMILY

“Here we are, Saville Road,” the children’s father said turning off Twickenham High Street onto Saville Road. Half way up the cul-de-sac lined with cherry trees, Uncle Jack’s brother, Hugh, pulled up in front of number thirty-six. Bruno liked the house before even going in. It was a handsome, two-storey-1930s house. Still in the car, he noticed the bow windows with lace curtains. The front garden was in full bloom, pretty baskets with trailing blue Lobelia, white Alyssum and pink Dianthus hung on each side of the front door. Fox gloves, oldfashioned roses, red Poppies and yellow Broom were in full bloom in the flowerbeds. A big rosemary bush filled a corner by the front door, and white clematis climbed up the sloping roof of the front porch and came down the other side. Looking up and down the street, Bruno saw that Saville Road was a charming little cul-de-sac lined on both sides with houses similar to Andrew’s. Yet, without even having gone in, the bear felt an instinctive attachment to number thirty-six. “Dear Uncle Jack,”Bruno thought, stealing a grateful glance

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at Andrew’s kind Uncle, as they walked into the house amid laughter and luggage. It was more than love at first sight, Bruno told himself when they were all in the living room. The grown-ups were having tea and the children were looking at the books and toys that Uncle Jack had brought them. Bruno was sitting quietly on Andrew’s lap, his heart melting with love, telling himself that even before resting on his boy’s little chest and feeling his loving little heart, that even before burying his face in Andrew’s little arms and smelling his smell, even before breathing in Andrew’s sweet breath, just seeing him, Bruno knew that he and this boy were meant to be together, forever! Hot tears of gratitude spilled from his tired eyes, he wondered how he had managed to live so long without him. Silently, he thanked the light that had appeared to him that night in the toyshop, and he also thanked himself for listening. For without listening and taking action, trusting that he could make his wish come true, Bruno knew that he would still be one of the teddy bears on the shelf of the toyshop in far away Sydney, Australia. That Andrew was uncommonly sensitive was apparent to Bruno from the beginning. The way the boy responded to people was dictated solely by his instinctive yet accurate perception of their true nature. He had a quick and sophisticated sense of humor, quite uncommon in one so young. Bruno had seen many a young boy and girl come in an out of the toyshop, their tantrums and stomping of feet weren’t unusual spectacles at the shop. Of course Andrew wasn’t

an angel, goodness, no! In fact he could be quite stubborn at times, but always out of his inner principles, for his was a loving nature. Once, when Andrew accidentally dropped Bruno and saw him tumble all the way to the bottom of the stairs… the kisses, the hugs, the “I love you”s, and “I am so sorry”s that Andrew showered on him… that was what Bruno remembered, not the bump on the head and his aching ribs. As for Andrew’s older sister… if Bruno had had to have a girl instead of a boy, Florentina would have been the one. Andrew and his sister doted on each other. The dark-haired girl was pretty, kind, always smiling, and very protective of her younger brother. Andrew’s sister was often to be seen with her friend, a colorful, extrovert teddy bear called Jackalyn. When asked why her bear was called Jackalyn instead of Jacqueline, Florentina would say: “Because that’s Jackalyn’s name.” Both children had their own room, on the small landing on either side of their parents’. But something else was on that landing, a trap door on the ceiling; it was the only way up to the attic. A string dangled from the small door. To open it, one had to grab the string, pull it, and then a metal ladder would come down all the way to the landing. The children could not reach the string by themselves, even Esmeralda, the children’s mother had to jump to grab it, which always made the children giggle. But for the children’s 6 feet and 3 inches tall father, it was no problem. Bruno remembered the first time he had gone up to the attic. The children’s father was tall; he reached up with his

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hand, took the string and pulled. Florentina went ahead, then Andrew with Bruno, and the children’s father brought up the rear. “Keep your eyes closed,”Andrew had said on their way up. “You can open them now,” he said when they stepped into the attic. “Not that way,” Andrew said, turning Bruno face’s so that instead of looking at the dusty cupboard and boxes in the corner, he was facing the huge train set that took pride of place at the center of the attic. Wow, thought Bruno wide-eyed. The tracks were laid flat amidst green pasture land, climbed into the mountains, through a tunnel and finally down to the straight stretch back to the town and the station where The Fat Controller and the passengers stood waiting for their train. In the weeks and years to come, Bruno would come to know well the engines and coaches, how they worked, how to operate the signals and general maintenance. “That’s the Duchess of Gloucester,” Andrew said pointing to a deep burgundy steam engine. “And the green one next to it, is Oliver Cromwell.”

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“And the black one is Princess Elisabeth,” said Florentina. And then they showed Bruno the White and Grey Intercity Diesel 125, the blue and gold Euro Star, Thomas, a red diesel engine, the Hover Speed that went to and from Dover taking people to the Ferry. Hitched to the Duchess of Gloucester were the chocolate and cream Pullman coaches fitted with tables, chairs and lamp stands. There was more of course, freight engines, stations, the tractor in the fields, the buses coming and going from the stations, the cars parked in the car park, level crossings, the maintenance yard, the animals in the fields. The attic, with the train set put together over the course of time by the children’s father, was one of Andrew’s favorite places to be, and Florentina often went up there as well, as did Tom, Andrew’s best friend who lived a few doors way down the road. Yes, life in Saville road with Andrew and his family was everything that Bruno had wished for, and more. The house was always clean and tidy and it either smelled of furniture polish or espresso first thing in the morning, or of the lovely food that Esmeralda cooked every day, like her freshly made tomato sauce, or lasagna or the apple cake that would get even Jackalyn, Florentina’s bear, away from one of her books or magazines and come running down the stairs… yum, yum! Even though she was very different from him, Bruno liked the beige colored Jackalyn. “My name is Jackalyn,” she had

introduced herself when Bruno first arrived. They chatted for a while about Bruno’s toyshop and the long journey from Australia to England. “And what about you Jackalyn, where do you come from?” “I come from Paceco,” “Where is that?” “Paceco is a small town on the west coast of Sicily, Italy. It takes three hours to fly to Sicily from London.” “What was your toyshop like Jackalyn?” “It wasn’t a toyshop.” “No?” “No, it was a book and gift shop. It was great, sitting on the books every day I taught myself to read and write.” “I’m impressed,” Bruno said. “And something else too,” Jackalyn added. “The owner of the bookshop had spent some time in India when he was younger and while he was there, he learned yoga and meditation.” “What is that?” Bruno asked. “Hm…” Jackalyn thought for a moment.“Yoga is a group of exercises that help align the vital energy in the body, the life force. Yoga and meditation help quiet the mind and connect with the Universe.” “That’s amazing,” Bruno said, and went on to tell Jackalyn about his own experience with the light that had appeared to him at the toyshop and how, following the light’s advice he had focused his

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thoughts on his desire to be with a boy and live in a home. “Yes,” Jackalyn nodded. “That is called positive visualization,” she said, before going back to her room. I am so happy, Bruno thought that night as he went to sleep snuggled up with Andrew.

NOISES IN THE NIGHT

When Bruno had first arrived, Andrew could barely walk. Four years later, not only could he walk, but he could also run, jump, skip and climb. Andrew spoke well now which made it easier for everybody to understand him, but for Bruno, with or without spoken words, communicating with his boy had never been a problem. For their understanding of each other was complete and transcended words. One thing had never changed though: Bruno’s wonder of the great fortune that had brought him and Andrew together. Lying awake while Andrew slept, Bruno remembered how Andrew’s hair had gradually gone from ash blond to light brown. His face, with high cheekbones, deep eyes, a captivating smile and dimple on the chin, had grown more and more good looking as he grew older. High in the summer sky, the full moon took the edge off the darkness and Bruno cast a loving glance at his friend and snuggled up against him. He could feel Andrew’s chest rise and fall as he inhaled and exhaled, his breath smelled sweet and clean.

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“Time has flown by,”Bruno thought, drowsy with gratitude and contentment. “Never slept apart since… four years… yes four years in… July… last… w…” Before he knew it, Bruno was sound asleep and snoring softly. He hadn’t been asleep long before he was awake again. Lying still, listening, Bruno could tell from his breathing, that Andrew was awake too. “Andrew… Andrew?”Bruno called softly.“Are you awake?” “Yes I am. Something woke me up.” “Me too… There! Did you hear that?” Bruno asked pointing toward the ceiling. “It sounded like someone tripped and fell up in the attic,” Andrew said, sitting up in bed, fully awake now. “And what was that?” Bruno asked. “It sounded like… no it can’t be.” “What?”Andrew asked.“What did it sound like?” “It sounded like… there it goes again. Did you hear that Andrew?” “Yes, it sounded like…like one of the engines is running… but it can’t be, can it? Everybody’s asleep. No one’s up there.” “Maybe your father couldn’t sleep and went up to the attic to play.” “Let’s go to Mummy and Daddy’s room and see if they are asleep,” Andrew said getting out of bed. “Let’s be quiet,” he said, putting a finger to his lips and tiptoeing into his parents’ room with Bruno on his heels. Peaking into the darkened room from the doorway, they could see that Mummy and Daddy were both in bed, sleeping. Quietly, they backed out of the room, and made for

Florentina and Jackalyn’s room. “They are also asleep,” Bruno said. “Let’s go back to our room,”Andrew said. Climbing back into bed with Bruno, Andrew wondered what could have made the noises that had woken him and Bruno up. “Engines don’t turn themselves on and off, do they?” “No, they don’t.”Andrew agreed. “Could it be an electrical malfunction?” “I doubt it,”Andrew said shaking his head.“Daddy always makes us unplug the controller, there is no electricity going into the mains. It must be a ghost.” “A ghost?” Bruno asked sliding deeper under the blanket. A chill creeping up his spine. “It must be, mustn’t it?”Andrew said.“Trains don’t run by themselves, do they?” “I guess… not…” Bruno agreed. “But… it’s all quiet now. Let’s go back to sleep. Tomorrow morning we’ll talk it over with Florentina… and Tom…” The following morning after breakfast, Andrew told his sister about the mysterious noises that he and Bruno had heard during the night. “Let’s get Tom to come over,” suggested Florentina, and left the room to find her mother. “Mummy, Andrew and I would like to play with Tom. Could you call Christine and ask her if he can come over please?” “Alright Darling. I’ll call his mother and ask her,” Esmer-

NOISES IN THE NIGHT

alda said walking toward the telephone in the hall. “Okay, Tom will be here in a few minutes,” she said putting down the phone. “You should go and get dressed.” The children had just finished dressing when the doorbell rung. “Hello Tom, come on in,” said Esmeralda opening the door. “Children… Tom is here,” Esmeralda called out from the foot of the stairs. “Come upstairs,” Andrew shouted from the top step. “I’ll be in the garden,” Esmeralda told the children. Taking his shoes off, Tom bounded up the stairs. “Tom!” Florentina and Andrew cried, pleased to see him. “We’ve been waiting for you,” Andrew said grabbing Tom by the hand and pulling him into his room. “Andrew and Bruno heard noises coming from the attic in the middle of the night,” Florentina couldn’t wait to tell him. “Who was up there?”Tom asked. “This is it. Jackalyn and I were asleep, and so were

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Mummy and Daddy.” “It’s true,” Andrew and Bruno confirmed, nodding their heads. “Then it must have been a ghost!”Tom decided. “That’s what we think too,” said Andrew. “What shall we do?” asked Tom. “There’s only one thing to do,” said Florentina. “We must go to the attic and catch the ghost.” “Yea… but… does anyone even know what a ghost looks like?” Bruno asked. “A ghost looks like a sheet that walks,”said Jackalyn, walking into the room. “No, no. A white sheet that walks is a phantom,”Tom explained.“A ghost is more elusive. Yep, that’s what it is.” “Elusive?” Bruno asked, not feeling too well all of a sudden. “What does elusive mean anyway?” asked Florentina. “I am not sure,”Tom said. “It means that you can’t catch it. It slips away,” Jackalyn explained looking up from her Yoga Journal. “I… I don’t like the sound of that, Andrew, do you?”Bruno asked, jumping on Andrew’s lap. “No, I don’t. Still, we have to do something.” “I think that our best chance of catching it, is if it is a phantom instead of a ghost,” said Florentina “Florentina is right,” Tom agreed. “There’s no other way, we’ll have to get up there and investigate,” said Tom pointing his finger to the ceiling. “Umm, yes, that’s all well and good,” said Bruno, poking

his head from under Andrew’s arm, “but how are we going to get the trap door open? None of us can reach the string, even your mother has to jump to grab it and anyway she is busy outside, look,” Bruno said pointing at the Esmeralda working in the garden. “I know what we can do,”said Florentina.“I’ll put my desk chair under the attic string, climb on it, grab it and pull the door down. And then we can pull the metal ladder down.” “Good idea,”Andrew agreed, making for the landing with Bruno and Tom while Florentina went to her room to get the chair.

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Chapter Five

SURVEYING THE ATTIC

Florentina had hardly stepped inside her room when she rushed out again with her wooden desk chair. Carrying it to the exact spot under the string that was attached to the attic door, the little girl plonked it down and climbed onto it. “Grab the string,” urged Tom, standing by the chair. “Yes, grab it, grab it…” echoed the others standing with Tom in a circle around the little chair. Not taking their eyes off her, they held their breath and waited. Her cheeks flushed with excitement, Florentina stood tall, took a deep breath and stretched her arm as high as she could… but… she could not reach the string. Of the three children she was the tallest and yet, even standing on a chair, she was not tall enough to grab the string and pull the door down. Florentina stroked her lips repeatedly with the thumb and index finger of her right hand, a sign, her younger brother knew, that she was thinking hard.

SURVEYING THE ATTIC

Chapter Five

Never had they wanted to get up to the attic as much as they did now, and never had their attic seemed so far out of reach. After what seemed like ages, Florentina took another deep breath, lifted herself high on the tip of her toes, stretched her arm as high as she could and again tried to grab the string. Her fingers brushed against it this time. She tried again, lifting herself so high that she almost toppled over… but she just could not get hold of it. “Blast,”Andrew said out loud, bitter disappointment ringing in his voice. “Oh dear…” said Bruno, who was practically glued to Andrew’s side. “Take the bathroom stool and put it on the chair,”Jackalyn suggested, staying cool as usual. “That should do it,” said Tom cheering up again. “Yes,” echoed Andrew, making for the bathroom ahead of his sister to get the plastic stool.“There,” he said, handing it to her. Taking the stool from her brother, Florentina plopped it on top of the chair. Tom, Bruno, Andrew and Jackalyn crowded around again. “You are panting, Florentina. Slow down, breathe deeply,” said Jackalyn who talked little but missed nothing. Blowing her dark hair away from her face, Florentina climbed slowly on the chair for the second time, then carefully on to the stool while her brother held it steady for her. Squaring her feet, Florentina took a deep breath, lifted her arm high above her head and… “yay!” Tom cheered when

he saw that the string was in her hand. “Yay!” echoed all her cohorts, including Jackalyn. “Pull now, pull!” they shouted together, like a mob. All eyes were on her, watching as Florentina pulled the string, but the attic door didn’t budge. With bated breath they continued to watch. To give herself leverage, Florentina stood on her tiptoes. When she reached for the string a second time, her body was stretched to the limit. Small beads of perspiration dripped down her forehead into her eyes, blinding her as she pulled and tugged at the string with all her strength. The expectation painted all over Andrew, Bruno, and Tom’s faces turned into disappointment when again, despite all efforts, the door would not open. “Why doesn’t it open? It isn’t locked, is it?”Tom asked. “No, it isn’t locked. The door is just too heavy for me,” Florentina sighed, stepping off the makeshift ladder. “I can’t believe it,” said Andrew,“ I cannot believe it.” “What are we going to do now?” Bruno wanted to know. “Andrew? Andrew, didn’t you have a string from a broken kite?” Jackalyn asked, calmly. “Yes. I still doas a matter of fact, ” replied Andrew after thinking for a moment. “I think that if we tie the two strings together, and everybody pulls…” Jackalyn explained, “I think that we will be able to get the trap door down and reach for the ladder.” “Yes!”Andrew cried. The big wicker basket by the window in his room was the place to look. That’s where Andrew kept all his treasures,

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Chapter Five

sticks, twigs, conkers, yo-yos, paper clips, bouncy balls, candy wrappers, apple cores, dry leaves… anything that might come in handy at any moment. “Like now”, he thought to himself,“what if instead of keeping it; he’d thrown the string away. But where is this blue string, now that I need it?” “Bruno?” Andrew called. “Bruno, where is the string?” he asked. But without waiting he grabbed the basket with both hands, turned it upside down and dumped all its precious contents in a pile on the pastel green carpet. “Here, let me help you look,” said Bruno, coming into the room. “Where is it?” Andrew muttered, rummaging in the big pile and scattering everything all over the floor of his little room. “What’s that?” asked Bruno, pointing at something sticking out from under Captain Hook’s black hat. “There it is, that’s the string. Well done Bruno!” Andrew shouted, grabbing the string and hurrying back to the others on the landing with Bruno hot on his heels. “Here, give it here,” said Tom, snatching the string from Andrew and giving it to Florentina. For the third time the little girl climbed first on the chair, then on the stool, then she grabbed hold of the attic string

and carefully tied it to the nylon rope of Andrew’s old kite. “Come on everybody,”said Tom, pushing the chair and the bathroom stool out of the way as soon as Florentina had stepped down again. “Let’s all grab the string and pull.”“All together now… at the count of three… one… two, three, pull!”Andrew shouted. They pulled on the rope with all their might. Nothing happened. Groaning they pulled again and they kept on pulling and pulling, again and again, until, exasperated, they gave the rope one mighty tug and suddenly the trap door sprang wide open, lifting Bruno clean off the floor and sending the others sprawling on their backs. “It’s open… it’s open… let’s go!” cried Florentina, the first to pick herself up. “We did it!” said Tom jumping to his feet, jubilant. “Help!” Bruno called out. “Bruno… Bruno? Where are you?”Andrew asked, looking around the floor as he got up. “Here, here. I’m up here, look up.” “Oh Bruno! Darling Bruno… let go of the rope. I’ll catch you.” Trusting his friend not to let him fall to the ground, Bruno let go of the rope and landed gently in Andrew’s arms. As soon as Bruno was safely off the rope, they pulled down the metal ladder that was attached to the back of the attic door. Florentina was first up the steps with Tom, Andrew and Bruno right behind her. “Aren’t you coming?” Bruno stopped to ask, when he saw that Jackalyn was not getting on the ladder with them.

Chapter Five

SURVEYING THE ATTIC

“No, I’m staying here. There are some new Yoga poses I want to work on. I’ll be in my room. You can tell me everything when you come back down.” “Oh, okay then. See you later Miss Yoga,” said Bruno and hurried up the ladder. By the time Bruno caught up with them in the attic, Andrew, Florentina and Tom were already standing by the train set that occupied the whole right side of the Attic. “Look!”said Tom, pointing to Andrew’s favorite engine, the Duchess of Gloucester, perilously dangling over a mountain pass. “And look at Oliver Cromwell,” said Bruno, seeing that the green steam engine was lying overturned in the open pasture fields, next to the track. “Careful,” the brown bear warned, seeing Andrew almost trip, as he circled the train set. “What…” muttered Andrew, bending down to see what it was that had almost made him fall. “Look at this,” he said, holding up the Intercity Diesel 125 and the Eurostar that he just had picked up from the floor. Bruno was amazed. For the life of him he could not fathom who could have done all this. But there was more. Florentina noticed that Princess Elizabeth, a sleek, elegant, black engine, was resting precariously on top of a meter in the car park. Then there was the Hoverspeed, the bus, the tractor, the cars that were normally parked at the station, the passengers, the station building itself; all were strewn across the

track. The cows and the sheep were lying unnaturally on their backs, with their legs up in the air. Nowhere to be seen at the station, the normally impeccable Fat Controller, was eventually spotted hanging for dear life on the edge of a mountain precipice. What made him look even more vulnerable on that dangerous mountain’s edge was… what was it? Something was missing, but what? “He’s lost his hat… the Fat Controller’s lost his hat,”Bruno was the first to notice, and that discovery, for some reason, shocked him more than the rest of the havoc on the track. “Who do you think did all this?”asked Tom.“Do you think it was the phantom?” “Must have been. But he is going to be sorry he did it!”said Andrew, shaking with fury. “We’ll catch him the next time he comes out.” “How?” asked Bruno reaching for Andrew’s hand for comfort, suddenly uneased by talk of phantoms.“Maybe being woken up in the night has a bad effect on me,” Bruno thought quietly to himself. “I was wondering,” said Florentina, “don’t phantoms only come out at night?” “Look, this is boring,” said Tom suddenly, in a loud voice butwinking at the same time. “Let’s forget all about this phantom-Ghostly-thingy and let’s go and play in the garden instead,” he continued, walking towards the ladder. “Hold on a minute Tom. What about…” Andrew said, grabbing Tom by the arm.

SURVEYING THE ATTIC

Putting a finger to his lips cautioning his friends not to talk, Tom shook himself free and walked away, stepped on the ladder and left the attic. Making a lot less noise coming down, than they had going up, one by one the daring four stepped down the ladder and back on the landing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How did it go?â&#x20AC;? Jackalyn asked, coming out of her room as soon as she heard them on the ladder. Signaling for her not to ask questions, they kept walking down the stairs and Jackalyn followed them. At the bottom they turned left, walked through the hallway into the kitchen, and out into the garden.