Chapter 22: Stowaway

Abba

As Kari checked on the children I suddenly heard, "Gracious! Good gracious, what are you doing here?"

I knew it, Grace! If there was one woman that I did not want with us, it was Grace. What made it worse was that the giggling faces of the two twins as they emerged from below decks in their pyjamas and smiling as if they'd got one over on us, on me.

Oh shit! When I got up twenty four hours ago, I knew it was going to be a bad day. "What did you say?" I never waited for a response. I knew already. If there was one person I couldn't stand it was...

My mind was full of resentment, anger at being taken for a fool. I felt betrayed even the children had conspired to hide her away. I'd assumed some sense of loyalty, at least from children. I wanted to jump over onto the other boat, step down into the cabin and drag her out of Petetra onto the towpath, better still, into the canal!

Instead, I knew that I had to temper my anger. Stripping off my bulky suit, I just disregarded everybody and everything being said. I ignored the entire lot of them, their heads now emerging and I strode onto a patch of frosted grass. There, with my back to the canal, I closed my eyes and let the peace of Tai Chi envelop me. Soon, the only sound I heard was that of the oriental music in my mind. Habitually, I conjure up the original piece that was played when I learnt my basic moves.

That helped me transcend my corporeal sense into the world of Tai Chi. I warmed up slowly to immerse myself in the eastern mindset. From a series of co-ordinated gentle slow steps and arm movements, I soon adopted the mantle of a convert. When I finally re-emerged into the frosty morning, my body was exhausted and sweating from the most rapid and ferocious of exercises. Only as I warmed down into a pacific almost musical finale did my mind begin to clarify my thoughts of karma and peace. I was now ready to face anything, any confrontation that was needed. I was also confident that I would brook no opposition. There would be no argument.

The silence on board Petetra suggested that everybody was aboard Traveller. The two vessels, moored alongside each other, had now been joined by the opened hatchways amidships. Their surroundings were packed with old rags and now-ruined sleeping bags insulation. I stepped on board, and slid below. I couldn't be annoyed at the scared looking twins who faced me. Nobody could, Later, perhaps in a quiet, moment I'd explain what I thought of as loyalty. I should have a word about their acting behind our backs. Eh, they were kids.

I studied Sarita. She looked guilty. She knew that this morning's anger was a result of the continued aggravation that she had caused me the previous day. Kari too, was aware that I should never have been put in such a predicament. A female, she, should have offered to do what I'd been cajoled into undertaking.

It was the twins who concerned me. Surely my attitude had not made them frightened of me. That scared me. Both of them were now aware of my arrival, so I talked quietly, placing a hand on each shoulder.

The final figure at the table was quaking in fear, her back to me,. There was no way Grace was going to stay here but I was not going to lose control.

I first had to placate the terrified duo. That was more important than anything else. I knelt down to their height and in almost a whisper I apologised for raising my voice earlier. "OK, I was upset with each one of you here. Peter, Petra, you hid a stowaway in your room. By the very fact that you were hiding her, you knew that it was unacceptable. You are never to do that again. I wanted to trust you two. I'm sure that in the future I shall be able to. Now, I'm going to get some chocolate ice cream for breakfast if you two want to join me you can do so. It's in the little freezer next door could you go and fetch it, Petra and pass it to me, please?"

"But you were jumping around, angry, outside."

I couldn't help but laugh the very process that helped regain my peace of mind and they thought that was anger! "No, it was..." how do I express this so they understand? "It was a series of exercises the girls have seen me do before ... like a dance, maybe a fast dance."

I looked at Kari. "I had to ask, "Yesterday, why did you make me go through that. It was a woman's job. You knew I would be forced to do it. You made me feel like sh..." There were children present. "You made me feel very uncomfortable, more so than I've ever felt in my life. It's done now but I'm not going to have my life run by your likes and dislikes. Your disliking of blood and gore in future will be completely ignored, do you understand?"

A very quiet, "Yes, Abba," was all I heard.

I was already dishing out the ice cream, when Petra looked up, "Can Victoria have some?"

Sarita nodded, caught unawares by the question, "For breakfast?" shook her head and then quickly added, "Yes."

I didn't say anything until the twins were sent off to give Victoria her portion with instructions to stay in her room and talk about which ice cream flavour they all liked best.

The moment they were gone, I passed the opened tub to Kari, "Put it back." It wasn't a request. No, 'please'

Turning to a nervous Sarita, I said, "Sarita, there was logic in what you had me do yesterday but you and that bitch, Heather took the piss out of me time and time again. It was at my expense. It will not happen again. You've done it once too often. I'm taking back control of this group. If you're not happy with it, reconsider if you really want to be a member of our group."

There was no need for her to say anything. She was afraid of what my reaction would be and scared of the option I had offered her. There was no choice. We both knew she would never leave. I could read her anxiety. In honesty, I wanted to go and hug her and I also wanted to hug Kari who looked so upset. I wanted to hug the lot of them, except the bitch with her back to me!

"Well! You daren't even face me. That's what I'll see of you, your back as you bugger off back down the canal tow path!"

She turned round, tears streaming down her face.

"You!"

I hardly heard the words, "I told PC Rowland you had let me come with you."

I stared at Sandra, "But you're not Grace!"

Everybody looked at me, as if I had gone out*.

"Grace?" I heard vaguely.

I was thrown. And I thought I was prepared for all eventualities. Now, I didn't even know how to respond.

In consternation, I sat down and spooned the tiny portion of ice cream into my lips. "I don't eat ice cream at breakfast time."

"You want some breakfast?" someone asked.

"No," it was the last thing on my mind, even though it was just something that Kari had said to break the stillness in the air. I'd not said a word to Sandra so far. I turned to the teenager, "The children need supervising. Go!"

And there I was thinking I had everything under control and then faced with a googly*.

I think I was asked if I wanted coffee. I'm sure I refused but a few minutes later I had a cup in my hand. I stared at Kari and Sarita. Shaking my head, I explained to them, "I was thinking, if it were just you, I'd be on my bike and on my way."

I ignored their protestations, "I felt really bad an hour ago. The trouble is; I love both of you and can't leave you." I took a deep breath, "And we all have commitments here with the children. We have to consider responsibilities now; Victoria and the twins. A few times, you lot have been making decisions that are not yours to make."

"But we didn't know that Sandra was..."

"I was upset at some things you did before Sandra was here. All I am going to say is that a fiasco like yesterday is never going to happen again. If you're not happy with me being in charge then..."

Neither would let me finish. They didn't want to hear what I might say and, in truth, I was relieved they had arrested my diatribe.

I turned to Kari, "Yesterday, you overstepped the mark threatening to control my sex activities with Sarita. Have you forgotten it was the reason I was so angry with her a week ago? You will never try to tell me if I can or cannot sleep with one of my girlfriends. You're behaving just like she did."

She was about to say something. I refused to let her, "I decide who I sleep with. If I want to sleep with Sarita I sleep with her. If I want you to come to my bed, you come. Understand? No argument? I'm not having another Marcie deciding when I can and can't have some cunt." I was purposefully crude to shock some sense into both of them. "If you ever want to complain about headaches rather than spend a night with me, fuck off now." Marcella used to do just that and then play her CDs so loud it gave ME a headache. "It won't wash. Go now and find some other sucker."

I recalled overhearing Jessica comments, "And when were you going to tell me of how P.C. Rowland and the Valkyries run their husband's life?" She could tell by my tone I was not happy. "Perhaps you and Sarita weren't going to say anything, just get me quietly under your thumb, were you?"

Sarita looked confused. She could find out later, "Oh just ask Kari what advice the good constable gave her. But you, Little Miss Prima Donna, trying to manipulate me all day yesterday, was that some practising how to make a fool of me, being taught by the hilarious Heather?"

I had to assert myself. I couldn't think of things I'd order her to do at the spur of the moment. I had to determine that she, both of them, were going to do anything I say. What? What had annoyed me with Marcie, the controlling bitch? She used to tell me when she wanted sex, how she wanted it and when she didn't want it. Oh, no, that was NOT going to happen here. "From now on, I tell YOU what to do. If I don't want you in my bed you don't dare come near. If I tell you to come, you come. Do you get it? If I want to fuck you upside down in a hammock you bloody put up a hammock before I've finished speaking. Remember, anytime when I tell you, get in bed with your legs apart!"

I swung around to Kari, "And you too!"

"Yes, I'll do what you want, any time but ... except when I have my period..."

Ostensibly, that was a reasonable excuse for refusing such a demand but I was not feeling reasonable. I was making a point. I glared at them both. In all honesty I'd never had sex with Marcie on her period. I'd heard couples did and had no idea how they managed but that was not the point I was making. I spoke very slowly, "I do not think you heard me." I never raised my voice, sensing that the children were now at the other end of the galley earwigging*. I don't think the twins understood what was being said but Sandra certainly did. This should give her second thoughts about wanting to entice me into her bed, "If I want sex with you, come to my bed and come eagerly. If I want it swinging from the chandeliers be prepared to get off the ground holding the bloody light fitting. If I want it outside, upside down, be prepared to stand on your hands in the freezing cold."

I tried to keep my voice calm as if I were discussing the quality of the food, "If that isn't in your list of capabilities, you can leave us now, or rather have a rest first and get your things and be on your way in the morning. I'll drop either or both of you off somewhere more convenient."

I shrugged as if I were not affected by her flood of tears, "And turn off the waterworks."

"I understand, Abba," I heard through a choked response.

I could see by their attitude that this was devastating them. It's not what I wanted either. I had to relent, this was not me, "Fuck it, I was starting to love you, both of you but that playing about was too much. I don't think you realise how much it upset me. I'm serious. I don't expect anything like that to ever happen again. I'm sure you both knew what was planned at the hospital and put me in a predicament that I couldn't get out of."

"I'm sorry," they both said.

"You weren't sorry yesterday and you were not considering my feelings when you invited all those people here last night." You've been doing things behind my back. Who asked them for the meal?"

"I said it would be OK," Kari stumbled over the words, "I didn't think that..."

"Didn't think... ?" was my critical response levelled in a quiet tone.

"Now, what do we do about Sandra?" I changed the topic.

They were shocked but before they adapted, I turned around to face the galley. "I told you three to a talk to Victoria. Is she awake? You've left her on her own again." They had no idea I had seen their reflection in an ornamental polished brass lamp. Hmphh! Not my choice of décor.

I waited until they had left. "Now, Sandra? Does she stay or go?" I posed the question again.

"I didn't know that she was coming," that was Sarita.

Kari quietly added, "I didn't know either, not until this morning when I saw her in that top bunk. When I went in last night they said Sandy was in bed. I thought it was the cuddly toy."

The pair of them was petrified that I wouldn't believe them. But I did. "So what do we do about the problem?" I asked, calmly for once. Though I think that may have scared them even more.

"We could send her back."

"A young girl walking along the towpath almost forty miles, on her own?" I shook my head, "Use some common sense, Kari."

"One of us will go back with her." Sarita said flatly.

"Oh, well thought out." I drawled sarcastically, "And then that one will have to travel back on her own. You think I'd let you travel on your own thirty plus miles down a towpath? Be sensible. No way."

Kari was biting her bottom lip. "She's been helpful..."

I nodded thoughtfully, "Sarita?"

She was frightened to agree with Kari and said nothing. Her guilt prevented her from venturing a response.

The trouble was, we were hard pressed for grown-ups while we were on the move. Then Kari almost blew it there and then, "She's got a crush on you."

"The last thing that I want is a thirteen-year-old girl mooning over me."

"She's not thirteen she is fourteen, sorry, fifteen. I think."

That scared me even more. I tried not to let my reaction falter, "What shall we do about Sandra?" I repeated yet again.

"She really wants to come with us."

"That's obvious," I said in a resigned fashion, "that's why she is here, isn't it"

I looked at my two girls, "I shouldn't be seriously considering bringing her with us because she has a history of trouble." They were both surprised when I went on. "She's been no trouble to me. Sarita is supposed be able to manage her. I'll be honest here, I think we need her. We need somebody else to look after the children. We need somebody else to help run the boats. But I'm fucked if I'm going to have her deciding what she wants to do every five minutes like the pair of you have been doing. She's got a fine pair of examples to follow hasn't she?"

"We'll be more sensible."

"Damn right, you will!"

"We will," added Kari.

I ignored her, time to deal with that later, "Votes! Who thinks we ought to let her stay?"

Both girls looked to me for their guidance.

"Free vote," I said, "but I retain the power of a veto. What do YOU think?"

Both girls signified almost silently that they thought her help was needed.

"The trouble is," I went on, "if she thinks she can do what she likes, she'll carry on doing it."

Kari spoke up, "If we said she could stay only if she agreed to do as she was told and look after the children and..."

" ... and no making decisions off her own bat*." That was Sarita.

I glared at her, "Pot calling the kettle*, eh?"

"Oh she can do all the dishes for a week for stowing away." suggested Kari.

"We have a dishwasher."

"Fuck that, Sarita! We don't have to use it. She does them by hand for a whole week and no complaints," I insisted. I'd made the decision; she was coming with us. Apart from anything else, the problems of returning her were too difficult to surmount.

I hated doing them when I was at my uncle's and there's loads of dishes here. There's six of us."

"Seven," countered Sarita.

"Washing the dishes?" I asked. "Punishment?"

"The sink here, it is so tiny. It's an awful job. At my uncle's, everyone else watched the TV. You don't have to watch a DVD but when you do the dishes it's purgatory if you think everyone else is playing. At that age..." she faltered and as we all stared at her.

Almost reluctantly I admitted, trying not to laugh, "She does the dishes on her own for a week as a punishment for stowing away."

Oh, Sarita was a crafty little thing. She suggested; "We'll ask everybody to have a vote if she can come with us. The kids will all vote for her but we vote against and so it's a draw. Then she has to try and convince us that she will behave in order to stay. She will have an incentive not to muck about, thinking we don't really want her and she has to prove herself."

"You've a devious mind, Sarita. I'm not sure I like that. It's dishonest."

But that was what we decided to do, letting her know she was skating on thin ice. "And I don't want her doing a Grace on me?"

"A Grace?"

"You said she has a crush on me. Tell her to keep her legs crossed and out of my bed. The first time she steps out of line, one of you two will punish her in way you KNOW will put an end to her silliness."

I was not going to have sex with a child.

That's how it ended up; with Sandra, scared stiff of being rejected, sitting in front of the three of us, trying to convince us that she would behave properly and apologising for stowing away without asking us.

In truth, I recognised that we would never have accepted her on-board if she had asked.

It's amazing what centring your self does, I finally announced to everyone, except Victoria, "We're all over-tired. Its ten o'clock now, we have four hours, no, three hours rest and then we get up. Sandra, tidy everything up and wash the dishes. Then all three of you; Sandra, Kari and Sarita will get up and be ready by two o'clock. We shall have a Tai Chi session on the bank."

"That dance stuff, it's too fast. I can't..." started Sandra who suddenly recognised she was on her own. The other two stared her down. They were not going to allow any insurrection.

I signified that Kari could explain, "We just follow the slow moves that Abba makes. He'll keep it easy for us."

"You're the one wanted him to teach you the martial arts," added Sarita.

"Martial what? That dance stuff?" Sandra was convinced of nothing and I was not minded, at this moment, to put her right.

I set out the diary for the rest of the day, "Then after forty minutes or so, you three will have some target practice. You two girls can train Sandra. She needs to be able to fire in an emergency but I want you to go over the safety precautions we used whilst at the barn. Tonight, it's only going to five or six hours travelling." I looked around, "Any objections? In future I'll take advice from any of you but I decide what we do from now on."

It was a very cowed group that retired while Sandra looked after the children. Oh, that was after she had washed the dishes.

We all switched around. I decided to sleep in the master bedroom on Petetra and I made it quite clear I was to be on my own. I wanted to sleep.

Damn I was hungry too!

I think my girls slept in the bunk bed room on Petetra to leave Traveller free for the children's playing without disturbing us. It let Sandra keep an eye on Victoria.

In the afternoon Sandra almost raised a further objection to the 'prancing around on the grass' but I was aware that Kari put her right on that.

She did object when the archery equipment was produced, "Who wants to play cowboys and Indians?"

I'm afraid I offered no explanation but was curt in my reaction, "If you can't do as I tell you, go."

But Sarita jumped in, "Abba used an ordinary bow to shoot the bloke stripping off Kari's clothes." There was nothing ordinary about the recursive bow I had used but compared to the crossbows it 'looked' ordinary. "And he was wearing a bullet-proof vest." I think it was designed to be stab-proof and I tried to shoot him where he was left exposed but she was emphasising how deadly the weapons were.

Kari added, "And Sarita shot the other one dead." She signified the crossbow.

Sandra just stood there flabbergasted as I added, "You're in our group; you learn to shoot and to kill anyone who attacks any of our group. You do it because I tell you to and you do it because we look after each other. Understand?"

She stared at us and then at Kari as if relieved that she, at least, was not dangerous. Gasping, she tried to verify, "They both killed someone?"

I saw no reason why not to impress the girl, let her know who she had opted to join. "Better watch Kari, she used a knife last time I saw her kill anyone."

She thought I was joking, "You never?"

The look on her face said it all. The silence told her far more than any expressive words would. "You didn't?"

She stared around at the three of us as I was sorting out the crossbow bolts. Sandra turned to me," I thought it was you, who was meant to be dangerous with that dance stuff but it's not that."

I couldn't see it myself but both Kari's and Sarita's looks must have expressed it.

She stared at me. "You've hurt someone with that dancing!"

I think it was the laughter of the girls that released the tension.

Sarita quietly made me afraid by the deathly way she enunciated, "It's a dangerous place since the plague and men who attack Abba's girls don't live." It came to me how true it was. It was, as if we were all bloodthirsty murderers.

"She doesn't need to know," I protested in a measured tone.

Almost apologetically Kari spoke up, "She should know. She's with us now. Our Abba's killed more than once with his bare hands to save Sarita and when he hit two men who attacked me."

"The policemen?"

"Before," Kari, muttered.

I had had enough of this and levelled my eyes at Sandra, "I'd do the same to save you. Not one word to anyone, including P.C Rowland, is that clear? No-one outside our family is to know, got it? You never say anything about it."

Sarita jumped in to tell Sandra, "There were women arrived at Canderwell who had been raped and seen others killed for no reason at all except they had some food. They had some awful tales to tell. You don't know what it's like outside Canderwell. That policewoman was trying to protect you. It's bloody dangerous. We don't travel at night for fun. We don't shout or show lights, we try not to attract attention and if we have to kill anyone to protect any of the family we keep it quiet in case they have friends."

She was getting scared, so Kari came in, "Hey, not everyone's bad. There's lots of good people; like those at Canderwell and some we saw in the hills but no one can be sure, we just play it safe."

Enough of that, I thought, "Sarita, start showing her how to fire a crossbow and instil ALL the safety precautions into her. They kill, as you well know. And I'll be checking on everything you've taught her tomorrow." I retired inside, knowing full well that we had made an impression on Sandra ... However, I wasn't sure it was the one we wanted to make.

Outside, I could hear the safety instructions being detailed but I had another problem.

My original plan had been to use the canal to get as near the Bow Valley is possible. An examination of the map that we were using had revealed that, following the canal, we would arriving at Bo'chester in some two days' time, three if we took time to gather our breath. I was in favour of that. Victoria wasn't ready to be moved yet and Peter's hand was still heavily bandaged.

Bo'chester wasn't that far away from Gramps's, probably fifteen miles or so, perhaps a few more. That was my intended destination. If it were just Victoria, with us, it would be bad enough because I couldn't see her sitting on bicycle saddle for that distance. Now we had the twins aswell. I was very wary of trying to find motorised transport in case the sound of the engine would attract attention. I knew what the roads were like, winding down the Bow Valley, passing through woodland and moorland. To be honest, I was scared of travelling down the B79324*. Before I could even hope to take a laden lorry with all our goods down that direction, I would have to reconnoitre the whole route first. It was dangerous. It scared me. Even after I'd checked once, there was nothing to say we might not meet unexpected non-friendlies who popped up after I'd covered the route.

I picked up some maps. Thankfully, Kari had filched quite a few from other vessels. I must've spent ages perusing them before the others came in. It was now starting to get cold as the light was fading.

I don't usually expect other people to get me a drink. But I was trying to make a point, "I'll have a cup of that chocolate. In fact hot chocolate for all of us and I want you three together, around this table."

Peter and Petra were trying to get Sandra to play with them. It was Sarita who suggested that they went back to Petetra to play or watch a video. "After what you did last night, this is not the day to annoy our Abba."

They crept back into their room after I heard another nervous muttered, "Sorry, Abba."

Ensuring that the children's cocoa was a lot cooler, it was I, with my long reach, who passed it though to them with a smile. I gathered the three around the table and indicated the problems we had. "Travelling by canal is a terrific idea, it keeps us hidden but it's a very slow journey. If we go on to Bo'chester, I'm worried about the route onwards. I'd be scared to take this large party along the roads and lanes on a twenty mile journey without a really careful recce. That might take a couple of days, maybe more."

They were looking worried now.

"It never struck me that there were any canals nearer Gramps' farm. I know there's one goes to Bo'chester, it runs right past the market place, quite picturesque it is. I've travelled all over the area, particularly this last summer. There are a few bridges mainly over streams. Thinking back, I'm sure that Belly Button Bridge went over a canal but from the road you don't see much of it." That's the thing with canals built over two hundred and fifty years ago, they're hidden by trees along the towpath. Mostly you just assume they're a wide stream or a little river. "I was driving articulated lorries and you don't look over the parapets of small bridges when you've just got a few inches clearance and approaching a sharp bend."

I tried to explain further, "It was Peter got me thinking; it was something he said about being on a canal boat when he was very little. Had I not been on a canal when I was young?"

The group stared at me, not having a clue as to what I was saying. "I went on an old barge with Gramps. That must have been when I was only five or six." He was going to sell the barge and wanted me to enjoy the last trip on it. To me, at the time, it was a long walk to the canal but it's no more than a couple of miles perhaps less. I may only have been four years old so the distance could be even shorter. What I'm saying is, there should be no reason why we can't go almost all the way by canal."

"Where are we going exactly?" asked Kari.

It's time to tell you exactly where we're headed in case you have to end up going on without me." They knew what I meant and I forestalled objections but Sandra wanted to ask something.

"Why shouldn't we just go back to Canderwell?"

"The whole advantage of where we're headed is that we can hide away there for years without being bothered by all the murder and mayhem around the countryside. We can subsist on fresh farm food." I never mentioned that I hoped what Gramps had stored was still there. The fewer people, who knew that, the better.

"But why not just go to the nearest farm down a side lane off the beaten track?"

"Kari, that's a good point but believe me when I say this is better? Apart from anything else, I reckon you can get the water-powered generators working. If that's the case, we don't have a tell-tale smell of smoke when we're burning wood for fuel. Have you ever smelled burning wood fires? You can identify them miles away. They'll attract anyone to us. And that's not the only advantage. There are others."

"If you say so." She accepted my assertion as a foregone conclusion that I was right. Thank goodness, we appeared to be back on trust now.

"Let's have a look," I produced the only map I had of the Bow Valley explaining, "I didn't bother getting a detailed map from the university because I knew the area or, "I added ruefully, "I thought I did." I indicated the big curve in the Bow River below the small market town of Botunfud.

"Botunfud, never heard of it."

"Not many people have; the town on the River Bow with a ford. That's the mediaeval origin of the name," I expounded. "Where we're bound for is this big bend in the River Bow where it narrows."