Chapter 1

June 1997

"Look, Paul ... the new neighbours are here, and it looks like they have young children ... someone for you to play with! I'll go over later and say hello!"

The little boy held his mother's hand as they walked the short distance to the next house. She rang the bell and they waited.

"Oh, Hello! I'm Carol Jennings, I live next door. I just popped over to introduce myself and see if you needed anything, and this is my Paul!" A little boy with light brown, curly hair peeked out from the shelter of his mother. " ... He's a bit shy!"

"Hello, Carol! I'm Christine Palmer. And how old is Paul?"

"He's five. He starts school in September."

"Oh, that's a coincidence ... my Penny's the same age! Is Paul going to St. Thomas'?"

"Yes, it's only about a fifteen minute walk from here. We can walk together."

"Penny, Stevie, come and say hello to Mrs Jennings from next door and her little boy ... he's going to St. Thomas' as well."

Two children ran up to her from where they had been playing. Stevie Palmer was a head taller at least than Paul, the little girl with her blonde hair tied in two bunches, was about the same height.

"This is Paul."

The older child snorted in derision and ran off again.

" ... Sorry about that, Carol! Stevie is seven, going on thirty!"

The little girl looked at Paul and smiled. She took his hand, which he wasn't entirely sure about, but he allowed himself to be led away by her.

"She's lovely!" Carol said, "I think they're friends already!"

Penny had led Paul to a big box of toys. He had picked up a book, but no sooner was it in his hands, than the older boy took it away from him. He didn't cry, he just stood there glaring at Stevie. Penny stood with her hands on her hips looking at her brother.

"That wasn't very nice, Stevie! It's my book and Paulie is my friend ... now give it back, or I'll tell Mummy!"

The older boy frowned, then tossed the book back into the toy box, before running off through the French doors into the garden.

"You looking forward to school, Paulie?"

"Hmm ... sort of ... What you going to be after, when you're bigger ... I'm going to be an engineer, like my dad ... or a spaceman."

"I'm not sure, actually. A ballerina, or maybe a princess. Or maybe I'll get married and stay at home and have babies."

As their parents also got friendlier, they often played together after that. Stevie rarely joined in their games, though: he seemed happy to amuse himself doing something else. The Palmer's indulged their children with a big paddling pool, and on the hottest days of that summer the two youngest children romped and frolicked in the garden without bathing costumes, and without inhibitions!

Come September, and the three children were dressed in their new school uniforms and walked to school by their mothers: Stevie Palmer was content to trot on ahead of the others, while Penny held Paul's hand all the way there in the morning and back again in the afternoon. Stevie was also happy at last, as he soon made friends in his class of other seven year olds; even though most of them had known each other since the age his sister was now.

In some primary schools, it is usual for the reception class and Year 1 children to be encouraged to nap in the afternoon. This was the case at the St Thomas Aquinas school in Harrow, in 1997. And that particular day was the very first day of the children's schooling: the first day of a compulsory eleven year period of their lives.

Ellen Thomas was the school's Year 1 class teacher and she had one full-time teaching assistant to help her, Samantha Collinson. This wasn't their first year working together, so at the prescribed time every day, Sam, as she was more familiarly known, was used to laying out the thick, cushioned floor mats, the pillows, and the blankets, in preparation for the school's youngest children's 'siesta'. The window blinds would then be closed, to shut out the harsh daylight; whereupon the children would be invited to find a mat and lie down.

Ellen was in her late twenties, then, and had been a teacher at St Thomas Aquinas Primary ever since obtaining her B.Ed degree. The school had been the one where she had undertaken her teaching practice period; and fortuitously for her, a vacancy arose at the school which she was offered. Although still nominally responsible for her class during this children's rest time, it was also a welcome chance for her and Sam to review and plan the next day's activities together.

After about fifteen minutes of this quiet time, Sam walked around to make sure that all the children were sleeping, or at least resting. This was routine practice, but today she walked quietly back to where Ellen was sitting. She smiled at her colleague and beckoned to her to follow her. They stopped when they got to one of the mats, which was now missing its intended occupant: the little blonde-haired girl was now curled up under the blanket of the boy with brown-curly-hair on the mat next to hers. They were both asleep. Ellen just smiled and walked back to her seat.

"That's Penny Palmer and Paul Jennings, Sam. They live next door to each other and came to the school's open day together with their mothers. Apparently they've only known each other a few months, but they're practically inseparable! We don't have to worry about them too much, but we'll have a quiet word with Penny tomorrow morning. But you have to admit, Sam ... it's rather sweet, isn't it!"

In the Year 1 class, Paul and Penny tended to stick together: not only because they were already friends: but because, educationally, they were both more advanced in some ways than their peers. Penny, as well as being bright, was also very outgoing and sociable, and during the breaks from lessons she was always at the heart of play activities. Paul was still shy and reserved, but he often found himself being, literally, pulled into games by his friend.

And of course there were the out of school activities. For example, when the other children in their class had birthday parties, Penny was always one of the first to be asked ... to which her usual reply was: 'Yes ... and Paulie, too!' This happened so often that he was seldom asked to attend directly ... it was just assumed by everyone that any invitation to Penny automatically included her next door neighbour as well.

There is that time in most children's lives, though, when they stop being just small people: biologically and emotionally similar in so many ways; and they start to become characteristically boys and girls. Increasingly, thereafter, were the times when the different genders went their own ways, and even Penny Palmer appreciated that Paul Jennings didn't always want to do the things that she did with her girl friends! He sometimes ran around the playground with the other boys: kicking tennis balls, or pretending to fight battles; but he was equally happy to sometimes sit on his own and read. But if he and Penny just happened to be looking in the direction of the other and their eyes met, they would invariably both smile warmly, before going back to whatever it was that they were doing. And although Paul rarely initiated it, Penny still liked to sidle up to him sometimes and take his hand in hers.

"So is Paul your boyfriend, Penny ... do you love him?" her friends would ask. At such times she just giggled.

"No! He's just my friend, like you!"

"So why do you hold his hand if he's not your boyfriend?"

At this she just wrinkled up her nose and shrugged her shoulders.

" ... Don't know ... it's just nice!" But she didn't stop doing it...

"Do you like me holding your hand, Paulie? Do the other children tease you?"

"Well ... your brother, a bit ... but it's all right..."

"Good!" she said, " ... Do you want me to punch him, Paulie ... I will if you want me to!"

"No! I don't want you to punch anyone, Penny!"

"Okay!" she said, smiling.

Penny and Paul were now both six and had been at school for nearly two terms, and during that time they had continued to become very close.

"We're taking the kids away for Easter this year, Carol," Christine Palmer said to Paul's mother, Carol Jennings: her friend and next door neigh­bour. "Penny wants to know if Paul can come with us. Frank and I don't mind, but I don't know if he'll want to leave you."

"I'll ask him, Chris. He's stayed at his grandparents without us before, and he and your Penny get along so well ... Where were you thinking of going?"

"We've already booked: Center Parcs, Elveden Forest, in Suffolk. We've been thinking about it for a while, but Penny wasn't really old enough before."

Paul was naturally shy, but since Penny and her family had moved in next door and he had started school, he had begun to get bolder. He was also intelligent and curious, and once he'd seen the glossy brochures he had decided that he'd like to go.

It took just over an hour for them to get from their home in Harrow to Brandon, in Suffolk, and for the children: especially the youngest two, used to the streets of North West London; it was a strange environ­ment. Neither Paul, Penny, or her older brother, Stevie, were really familiar with forests ... let alone living in one! After checking in, they found their accommodation and unloaded the car, then Frank Palmer took it to the nearest parking area.

When the Palmer's had booked their break, they had of course only thought they needed two bedrooms. Christine Palmer had anticipated that now Paul was joining them, Penny would be sharing with her brother, while Paul would have the second single bed.

"But why can't I share with Paulie, Mummy? He doesn't mind and Stevie's much too big to share with!"

Her brother never said anything; but Chris knew her son well enough to know that he wouldn't object to not having to share.

"What do you think, Paul?" Mrs Palmer asked him.

"It's all right," he replied, "I don't mind." Penny beamed.

"Okay ... we'll see how it goes tonight, then!" Christine said, "Leave your coats on, we'll go and have a look around the place."

There was a complex of facilities on the site, and with hardly any cars being used they could walk safely. Penny usually held one or both of her parent's hands when they were out together; but with Paul there she preferred to hold his, as she did when they walked to and from school. Christine and Frank Palmer held hands, too, while Stevie hurried off on his own ... as was his custom.

With so many tall trees around them, the two smallest members of the party seemed even smaller than usual, and while not afraid of her surroundings, Penny held on tightly to her friend's hand. Even Christine, who took her daughter and son to school everyday, accompanied by Paul and his mother, and who had seen the sight many times, never failed to be gladdened by seeing it!

The amount of activities on offer was very impressive: as were their choices of places to eat. They could have a meal somewhere different every day that they were there and Christine wouldn't have to cook at all ... which certainly impressed her!

There were supervised outdoor things for the older child to do, and lots of indoor things for the two youngest. And while the children were being looked after, the adults could indulge themselves in some more grown-up pursuits ... either organised activities; or private and spontane­ous ones back at their lodge...

On that first day they ate their main meal in the afternoon, and in the evening they just stayed in and relaxed. The adults had a bedroom with its own bathroom, with a bath, and there was also a shower room. The Palmer's had relaxed their children's bedtime schedule for the holiday, so at about 7:30 Penny and Paul shared a bath before getting into their pyjamas. The eight year old Stevie, like his father, preferred showers.

By nine o'clock both younger children were becoming weary, so they went to bed. Both had obviously shared their parents bed at some time, but now they usually slept alone; but sharing didn't seem at all strange to either. They both started off on their backs, but they were soon on their sides, facing each other ... which is how they slept for most of the night.

Chapter 2 »