Chapter 5: A First For Vernon

Tell them you and he have become good friends. Then you drop the bombshell. Tom is a policeman you tell them. So don’t have a fright if he calls for me in uniform anytime.’

‘But I don’t have a friend called Tom.’ he said puzzled. ‘Yes, you do,’ Danny said. ‘You just haven’t met him yet. Tom is a friend of mine so that makes him your friend too. The thought that you are pally with a policeman should frighten them into leaving you alone. At least long enough for us to find a permanent solution.’

‘If Graham turns up early,’ Danny said, ‘Text me right away. Then I’ll arrange for Tom to call to pick you up in uniform on the pretext of going out somewhere, so that Graham sees him. That should keep him away from you too.’

‘I don’t have a phone.’ Vernon said sounding disappointed. ‘I’ve got an old one he could have,’ John said. ‘But it hasn’t got a sim card.’ ‘That’s fine,’ Danny said, ‘I’ve got a pay as you go sim I bought for Llandudno. I’ve no further use for it now.’ They were both surprised that someone Vernon’s age didn’t have a phone but didn’t pursue it.

‘Do you know how to use one?’ Danny asked. ‘Yes, I think so.’ Vernon told them. ‘Can you put it on charge?’ Danny asked John, ‘Then when we finish Vernon can come home with me and I’ll put the sim in it as well as both our phone numbers.’ John got up and went to fetch it.

‘I have a friend who works in a filling station locally,’ Danny told him. ‘What I’d like to do if you are agreeable, is to ask him if you can go and spend all of next week working with him. You might not get paid, but it would give you some experience of working. It would also mean that he would be able to give you a reference to help you get a permanent job.’

‘That would be great,’ Vernon said, ‘I get so bored.’ ‘Don’t say anything at home about that until I’ve got it sorted,’ Danny told him, ‘But if it happens you can say it’s been arranged by your course at the Civic Centre as part of your training, but you don’t get paid.’

‘Vernon, do you have any special feelings for the house you live in?’ Danny asked. ‘No,’ Vernon answered sounding puzzled, ‘It’s just somewhere to live.’ ‘Good,’ Danny said. ‘Tell me how you would feel if you never saw Graham ever again?’ ‘Very pleased,’ he said. ‘What about Matthew or Shirley?’

‘I’ve enjoyed most of my experiences with Shirley,’ he said, ‘But it wouldn’t bother me if I never saw them again.’

‘What do you think should happen to them for what they did to you?’ Danny asked. ‘Shirley didn’t hurt me,’ he said, ‘Although she has hit me in the past. Even Matthew didn’t really hurt me this time. Although he also has hit me a lot in the past. It doesn’t bother me though, especially if it’s going to stop happening now.’

‘What about Graham?’ Danny asked. ‘He’s different,’ Vernon said. ‘What he did was vile, I’d like to chop his dick off.’ ‘If he was here now, all tied up and you had a knife, do you think you could cut it off?’ Danny asked. Vernon shuddered at the thought. ‘No,’ he said, ‘I couldn’t even watch someone else do it.’

‘Now I need some information off you,’ Danny said. ‘Give me your full name and address first.’ Danny typed it into his phone. ‘Now Shirley and Matthews full name.’ That was entered in. ‘When you go to the unemployment office, do you have a reference number to quote or a card to show?’ ‘Yes, it’s a card.’ Vernon said fishing it out of his wallet. Danny made a note of his number. ‘When Graham comes to visit how does he get there?’ ‘He has a car,’ Vernon said. ‘I don’t suppose you know the registration number?’ Danny asked not expecting it.

To his amazement Vernon reeled it off. Danny typed it into his phone and then asked, ‘How come you know that so well?’ ‘I just notice things like that, and they stick in my memory.’ Vernon said. ‘That’s a really big help,’ Danny told him, ‘Very well done.’ Vernon felt good, he wasn’t used to being praised.

‘Now, just suppose you managed to get a full-time job and earned enough money to get your own flat,’ Danny said. ‘How do you think you would manage?’ ‘I think I’d be lonely at times,’ Vernon said, ‘But it would be better than where I am now.’

‘What about feeding yourself, cooking, cleaning and handling your money?’ Danny asked. ‘I do a lot of the cooking and cleaning and washing at home now,’ he said, ‘So that wouldn’t be a problem. I’ve never really had to deal with money, but I’m sure I could learn it easily enough. Especially without Shirley and Matthew interfering.’

‘Right, that’s about all we can do for today.’ Danny said. ‘If you walk home with me now, I’ll put the sim card in your phone for you and run through how to use it.’

As they all stood up, Vernon went over to John and hugged him. ‘Thank you for staying with us,’ he said, ‘I know I would have been fine with Danny, but having you here too was like I remember when I had my dad to look after me.’

‘It was my pleasure,’ John said hugging him back. ‘What have you got planned for tomorrow?’ ‘Nothing,’ Vernon said, ‘Just hanging around at home or going out for a walk.’ ‘If you’d like to,’ John said, ‘You can come round here for ten o’clock and perhaps we’ll go out somewhere for the day.’

Vernon’s face lit up. ‘Yes, please,’ he said, ‘I’d love to do that, are you sure you don’t mind.’ ‘I’d be glad of the company,’ John told him, ‘I get lonely at times too.’ ‘What about Danny?’ Vernon asked clearly feeling that he was being left out. ‘John knows I’ll be spending the day with my girlfriend,’ Danny said, ‘So don’t worry about me.’

Vernon gave him another hug and a kiss. ‘Thank you so much.’ he said. John gave Danny a hug and a kiss too. As he did, he said quietly in his ear so Vernon didn’t hear, ‘Call back whenever you can.’

As Danny and Vernon walked back to Dannys, Vernon was bubbling over talking about a day out with John the next day. Clearly, he was delighted at the idea. At Dannys they went in, and Vernon was introduced to Dannys mum who made him welcome.

Danny put the sim in the phone and entered his and John’s phone number in it. He ran through how to use it with Vernon who seemed to pick it up quickly. Joan gave Vernon a hug and a kiss as he left and told him it was nice to meet him.

Danny walked part way home with him. ‘Your mums lovely,’ Vernon told him, ‘You’re so lucky.’ ‘I know,’ Danny said. ‘But remember that one day you will have a wife and you can be the sort of parents to your children that you’ve missed out on.’ ‘Do you think that could ever happen?’ he asked sounding unsure.

‘Yes, definitely,’ Danny said, ‘Now you have friends, they will help you learn everything you need to know to get and keep a girlfriend. Then you will have the confidence to ask girls out on dates until you find the one you want to live with forever.’

‘That sounds lovely,’ Vernon said, ‘If it happens, it will be all down to you and John.’ ‘Not all of it,’ Danny said, ‘We can only help and teach, you will have a lot to do with it too.’

They separated then, Vernon heading home and Danny heading off to see Ken at the garage. They parted with a hug and Danny told him he’d be in touch soon, but to ring him if he had any problem.

‘At the garage, Ken was delighted to see him. He introduced him to Barney as his best friend. Then they went into the tearoom. Over a coffee Danny explained about Vernon and what he would like him to do if he was agreeable.

‘He sounds a lot like me,’ Ken said. ‘I’d help him just because you asked naturally, but from the sound of it I’d want to help him anyway. The district manager told me that if I found someone to fill the vacancy, I could hire them myself and they would just confirm the appointment after they had done a month’s trial.’

‘Well let him think he’s doing it free as work experience for the first week,’ Danny said, ‘At least until the end of the week. Then if you think he’s ok you can take him on for the months trial.’ Danny thanked him for his help and told him Vernon would be along for eight on Monday. Ken gave him a hug. ‘It’s me should be thanking you,’ he told him as he saw him out.