NO ORDINARY ROOM Read online

  ‘But that’s cruel, Daddy,’ Leanne said, obviously upset by the suggestion.

  ‘You can’t do that,’ Jamie said, supporting his sister.

  ‘I’m only joking. Of course I’m not going to lock the cat up,’ Kevin said and smiled at Rufus before adding, ‘but I will try and make sure that any butterflies in our garden don’t make too much noise.’

  Leanne was thinking that the man with the long pointy nose and very bushy eyebrows was even scarier than the one at Disney World whose face had kept her awake at night for the next week.

  ‘It would have been a shame if the fish had died,’ said Rufus, ‘just for the sake of a bit of attention, but I guess they have got a new keeper now.’

  He handed Jamie the large container of fish food. ‘Just give them about a quarter of a handful in the morning and the same before you go to bed. I hope you don’t go to bed too late.’

  Kevin was amused by the odd ball and thanked Rufus for his help when he’d handed the spare key to Kevin who asked him if he was a friend of his late Uncle.

  ‘No, I wouldn’t describe him as a friend. I don’t know where he came from because he didn’t have much to say, but he did have a funny way of talking though, which was a bit like you people speak I suppose.’

  ‘We’re from Liverpool,’ Kevin said proudly. ‘My Uncle Stanley moved away from there when he was a young man, so I thought he might have lost his accent. To be honest I don’t know a lot about him.’

  ‘He moved here after us, but I can’t remember how long ago it was exactly. Like I said, he wasn’t a great conversationalist, but we would sometimes chat over the back garden hedge. I suppose you would describe him as a loner, but he did have the odd visitor and we did occasionally talk about his goldfish or my cucumbers. I never knew that he had any family or anything else about him. I tell a lie, I do know that he was some sort of boffin working with radar and he fixed my television once.’

  Jamie thought old Rufus had a bit of cheek passing remarks about their accent when he talked so slow and sounded like a mudder. A mudder was how Jamie and his mats described someone who was a bit, well a bit thick, as in, thick as mud. Jamie hoped his accent wouldn’t change because he could just imagine the sort of looks that he would get when he went home to Liverpool and was cheering on his team in a voice that sounded like the son of Farmer Giles. Although it might have been worse if they had moved somewhere near London and he had ended up with an accent like an Arsenal or Chelsea supporter and saying things like, ‘Forty fahsund fevers on a frush.’

  Debbie was curious to know if he had any family and asked if there was a Mrs Crankeigh.

  ‘Yes, there is a Mrs Cranleigh,’ he replied, emphasising the name ‘Cranleigh.’

  ‘Nice one, Mum,’ Jamie said and smiled.

  ‘Sorry, I meant Mrs Cranleigh,’ Debbie apologised and asked if they had any children and grandchildren.

  Rufus frowned and answered, ‘No, I’m an only child. There’s just me and mother and I’d prefer it if you didn’t pry into our family business. Mother and I are very private people and we don’t encourage gossip.’

  It was Kevin’s turn to smile. ‘Mr Cranleigh thinks you’re being nosey, Debs. Bang goes your chances of a chinwag over the garden fence with Mrs Cranleigh.’

  ‘I wasn’t being nosey,’ Debbie said indignantly and thought, ‘So much for country folk being friendly!’

  ‘You won’t see much of Mother, unless you’re about on a Wednesday when she rides her bicycle to the market.’

  ‘Awesome,’ Jamie said thinking the bike must be a sit up and beg like he’d seen in one of his history books.

  ‘It’s one of those fancy mountain bikes. She traded her old bike in last year and treated herself to a new one. Anyway, I expect you’ll want to get inside. If there’s anything that you need,’ Rufus paused and Debbie was thinking that he was about to make a neighbourly offer of help and perhaps he wasn’t so bad after all. She changed her mind when he continued, ‘the local shop opens at nine o’clock in the morning. They’ll probably charge you visitor’s prices until they get to know you.’

  Kevin was tempted to say, ‘You mean in twenty-year’s time.’ but didn’t think Rufus would get the joke because he didn’t seem to have a sense of humour. When Kevin asked what had happened to the house next door Rufus told him that it was the victim of a freak storm about two years ago and the owners were in an ongoing dispute with the insurance company regarding a clause in the policy.

  The family watched Rufus take the shortcut across their overgrown lawn to his own house and Debbie gave Leanne a nudge when she saw her sticking her tongue out at him, but then did the same herself.

  Kevin stepped forward and stood in front of the solid mahogany door with its antique looking door knocker.

  It was the moment of truth for Kevin as he inserted the key in the front door lock.

  The removal van would be here with their things tomorrow, but they’d brought sleeping bags, not knowing what they would find in the house. The tension increased when he pushed open the door that was hindered by the pile of junk mail that Rufus hadn’t bothered to clear.

  ‘What’s that pong, Dad?’ Jamie asked.

  ‘It does smell a bit musty.’ Kevin agreed. ‘Now let’s hope the electricity has been left on. Fingers crossed.’ He reached for the switch and pressed it. ‘Bingo!’ he said when the light came on.

  ‘Now we can see where the dead rats are,’ Jamie said, still thinking about the smell.

  ‘What rats?’ asked Debbie just before Leanne started crying and said that she wanted to go home. Kevin managed to calm her down and admonished Jamie for frightening his mum and sister.

  ‘I don’t know about rats, but something has died in here,’ Kevin said in a low voice and then he spotted the source of the smell. It looked as though the cat had brought in a collection of trophies, mostly field mice, but there were also the remains of a few of what must have been quite large birds that the cat would have had trouble dragging through the cat flap. Kevin used his foot to push their remains into the space under the stairs and told Jamie to throw them out into the back garden.

  ‘I’m not very good with animals, Dad, even dead ones,’ Jamie said.

  ‘Don’t be a wimp. You’re a country boy now. There’s probably a garden shed and you’ll find a spade in there and you had better bury them.’

  ‘I’ll do it,’ groaned Jamie, ‘but I’m not going to bury them until in the morning. I don’t want to dig up one of Uncle Stanley’s old pets by mistake.’

  ‘You’ve got too much imagination, son. That’s your trouble,’ Kevin said with a shake of his head and a smile.

  It was all hands to the pump as the family unloaded the car before they did a tour of the house. Jamie bagged the second biggest room, prompting Leanne to moan that it wasn’t fair. Kevin restored the peace by telling them that they would decide tomorrow who had what room, but Jamie could sleep there tonight. Jamie was itching to see his special room and it was his turn to moan when his dad told him that he would have to wait until they’d had some supper. He had sneaked upstairs and been surprised to find that door was like a very old outside door with a makeshift sign pinned to it showing that it was ‘JAMIE’S ROOM’, but the door was locked and his dad had the key.

  The decoration and fittings in the house were very dated and Debbie was thinking back to their little palace and she wasn’t encouraged by Kevin’s assessment that the place just needed a lick of paint. At least the extra space would be useful, including the fourth bedroom, counting the mystery room. It also had a separate sitting room which they planned to use as a television-cum-games room.

  * * *

  The family were quiet as they tucked into their first taste of a Steaderton fish and chip supper that Kevin had brought back from the only chip shop in the town. He’d got a blank response when he’d asked someone where the chippy was, but he suspected that was more to do with his accent than the fact that they’d never heard of the term in
this part of the world.

  Kevin stared at his empty plate, patted his stomach, yawned and then suggested that the family had an early night after their tiring journey.

  ‘You must be joking, Dad,’ said an indignant Jamie and then added. ‘What about my room? I wouldn’t be able to sleep without at least having a peep inside.’

  When Kevin jokingly suggested that perhaps Jamie should wait until the morning, Jamie threatened his dad with the Human Rights Act and said that he would consult a solicitor if he wasn’t allowed to see his room tonight.

  Kevin winked at Debbie and fished into his pocket for the mystery key which he handed to Jamie. ‘We’ll all have a look, unless you intend to bar us from your room.’

  Jamie agreed that they could have a look just this once and dashed towards the stairs, but when the family joined him outside the attic room door he was still struggling to open the door which didn’t have a handle on it.

  ‘Are you sure this is the right key, Dad?’ Jamie asked.

  ‘Of course it is. Here, let me have a go.’

  Kevin pulled on the key while turning it and an anxious Jamie looked on. Kevin pushed open the door after his second attempt and stepped aside to let an excited Jamie have the first peep inside the mystery room.

  ‘I don’t believe it,’ Jamie cried out after he had flicked on the light switch, but remained in the doorway.

  ‘I don’t believe it,’ Jamie repeated, ‘Uncle Stanley must have known that I would like this. It’s fantastic.’

  Jamie was followed into the room by Debbie and Kevin who were now curious to see what had caused Jamie to get so excited and ignored Leanne when she asked from outside the room if she could have a sign on her door like the ‘Jamie’s Room’ sign.

  ‘It must be a train set,’ Kevin quipped before he saw the array of equipment.

  ‘It’s just what I wanted,’ said an overjoyed Jamie.

  ‘It’s a bit old fashioned, son and looks like something out of a war film. But as my old mum used to say, we shouldn’t judge a book by the cover. Anyway, what is it?’

  ‘It’s a computer, Dad.’

  Kevin muttered something about it being a funny looking computer and Debbie mentioned that the room was dusty. Leanne yawned before announcing that she was going to bed.

  ‘Can I have a play with it, Dad? Just to see what’s on it?’ Jamie asked.

  ‘You’d better not, son. Not until the rooms had a bit of a clean and we get settled in tomorrow after the furniture’s been delivered.’

  Jamie reluctantly accepted his dad’s suggestion and they all left the room. His dad locked the door and kept hold of the key, scuppering Jamie’s plan to sneak back into the room later when the family were asleep.

  * * *

  Debbie and Kevin squeezed into Uncle Stanley’s old bed and laughed when the springs made a loud squeaking noise.

  ‘What do you think of the house then, Debs?’ Kevin asked after they had snuggled down.

  ‘I really like it. I have a good feeling about this place, even if we do have a bit of a misery next door. How old do you think he is?’

  ‘Hard to say, but probably in his mid fifties I would think. He reminds me of my Uncle Trevor when I look at his big hooter.’

  Debbie laughed and said, ‘I forgot to tell you that our Leanne thinks he’s got the longest nose in the world.’

  ‘It is long though and a funny shape,’ Kevin replied. ‘Anyway, he’ll be all right. Our two will soften him up and make him sociable, especially Jamie. You know what a chatterbox he is. He takes after his mum in that department.’

  Debbie elbowed him in the ribs and then kissed him goodnight.

  * * *

  Jamie was regretting not taking his dad’s advice to kip on the settee as he tossed and turned. Leanne had been given the spare mattress, but Jamie only had the thin sleeping bag between him and the hard floor. But the reason for his wakefulness was more to do with him thinking about the computer equipment than anything else, but he finally drifted into a deep sleep.

  * * *

  Jamie didn’t know whether it was the discomfort of the hard floor or the scratching noise that seemed to fill the room that had woke him up. His first thought was that it was the cat and then he remembered that his mum had insisted that it was locked in the kitchen before they came to bed. Now he was wishing that he hadn’t watched the film at a mate’s house a couple of nights ago. It was about someone who had been put in a coffin when they were still alive and their frantic scratching had been heard by the family who gathered in church for the cremation. The scratching sound in the film was identical to what Jamie was hearing now.

  He knew that his dad wouldn’t be too pleased, but Jamie had no intention of opening the wardrobe door where he had decided the sound was coming from. He dismissed the idea of sleeping downstairs and leaving it until tomorrow, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to sleep, wondering what, or who, was in the wardrobe.

  ‘Dad, Dad,’ Jamie called quietly from outside his parent’s bedroom.

  He listened carefully and wasn’t hopeful when he heard the unmistakable sound of his dad snoring. Jamie gave a huge sigh and then tried calling again. This time he heard some movement inside the room and the snoring stopped.

  ‘Blimey, Dad, they went out of fashion a long time ago,’ Jamie said when his bleary-eyed dad appeared at the door wearing baggy underpants with a union jack pattern.

  ‘Never mind my grundies. What do you want?’ Kevin asked, trying to keep his voice low.

  ‘There’s a noise coming from the wardrobe in my room. It’s a scratching noise and it’s really loud. I think someone is in there and trying to get out.’

  ‘Don’t be daft. It must be an insect. Maybe it’s a moth or a fly. Go and open the door and let it out.’

  ‘What sort of insect has claws, or finger nails?’ Jamie asked, thinking his dad could always come up with some excuse for not doing anything he didn’t want to do.

  Kevin sighed. ‘Come on then, let’s see what you’re making a fuss about.’ and then groaned when he saw Leanne appear on the landing. ‘Now you’ve woken your sister up as well.’

  ‘What’s happened?’ asked Leanne who then yawned and stretched her arms above her head.

  ‘There’s nothing for you to worry about, Princess. You get into bed with your mum until this is sorted out. It won’t take long.’

  Kevin waited until Leanne was in bed with her mum and then made his way towards the source of the disturbance. Jamie followed him, but not too closely.

  ‘Bloody hell! I see what you mean, son,’ Kevin gasped when he got close to the wardrobe. ‘Nip down and get me the torch that’s on top of the little cupboard near the front door.’

  Jamie was soon back upstairs and handing the torch to his dad who had his ear against the wardrobe door.

  ‘Right, you little beggar. Let’s see what you look like.’

  As Kevin slowly eased open the door the scratching stopped and was replaced by a scurrying sound and then a squeal just before he slammed the door shut.

  Kevin let out another, ‘Bloody hell!’ and then held the door closed as though he was expecting it to be forced open.

  ‘What is it, Dad?’ Jamie asked nervously. He had never seen his dad look as concerned as he was now.

  ‘A great big rat,’ Kevin whispered and then quickly added, ‘but we mustn’t tell Leanne. We’ll say it’s a tiny little field mouse and we’ll let it loose tomorrow. Now, don’t you dare wind her up!’

  Jamie was thinking that Leanne wouldn’t want the bedroom if she knew that there had been a rat in there, but he wouldn’t take advantage and frighten his little sister.

  Jamie was pleased when his dad suggested that they slept in Leanne’s room and that’s where he headed to bagsy the mattress before his dad did.

  ‘It’s just a little field mouse,’ Kevin lied when he saw Leanne huddled up against Debbie. ‘It probably escaped from the cat and hid in the wardrobe and I’ll let it go in the morning
when the cat’s not about. You stay with mum, Leanne and me and Jamie will sleep in your room.’

  ‘Daddy, can we keep the mouse in the budgie cage? I don’t like that cruel cat downstairs and I haven’t got a pet. Can we, please?’

  Kevin said that he would think about it, but was already planning to get rid of the rat in the morning before anyone else was up. He would tell Leanne that the ‘mouse’ must have found a way out of the wardrobe and gone back to its family in the field.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Kevin was slurping his third mug of tea of the morning when Debbie and Leanne joined him in the kitchen and there was a buzz of excitement as they prepared to start the first day in their new home. Leanne looked very disappointed when Kevin told her that ‘Fred’ the mouse had escaped. When Debbie asked what the banging was that she’d heard earlier, Kevin said that he would explain later. He had managed to trap the rat in Uncle Stanley’s old overcoat, but things hadn’t worked out as planned.

  Jamie joined the rest of the family in the kitchen and pestered his dad about using the computer, but was told once again that he would have to wait until the removal men had been before he could play with it. In the meantime he was ordered to take Leanne on a walk to the local shops for some urgent items that his mum needed.

  ‘That was a bit mean, Kevin, keeping our Jamie in suspense,’ Debbie said after she had waved the children off.

  Kevin smiled. ‘You know want he’s like. If there’s something of interest on that computer we won’t get any help from him once he gets playing with it and there’s a lot to do. Anyway, he’ll enjoy it all the more by having to wait.’

  ‘I suppose you’re right. Leanne was disappointed about the mouse. It’s a pity he escaped because it might have taken her mind off being homesick.’

  Kevin coughed and then explained that it was a rat and that’s what the banging was about.

  Debbie pulled a face. ‘Oh, Kevin, we can’t stay here, not if we’ve got rats!’