The Cockney Canuck - 74. Chapter 74 On the Run

I knew that I was in trouble; big trouble. I wasn’t even supposed to be outdoors, let alone on my own and trying to cross something that resembled an assault course. I was meant to be convalescing from a serious head injury, barely two weeks out of a life threatening coma. The doctors had only discharged me early on the proviso that I was to rest at home under supervision. This was hardly the rest that they had ordered; if anything, it was the complete opposite.

It had stopped raining, but the undulating dirt trail was still muddy and covered in puddles that looked almost as deep as the tiny stream which it followed. It had crossed my mind that I may have been putting my life at risk, but there was no way that I would consider turning back. I had already decided that I would never willingly go back there, not ever! I would have preferred to be dead than set foot in that house again and suddenly that scenario didn’t seem like such a terrible prospect.

The small creek was part of a nature trail that ran across the northern edge of the town before winding its way down to the lake. It was heavily wooded with a dirt path that ran alongside the stream and a number of unofficial shortcuts heading in different directions. If you knew which one to take, it was the quickest way of getting across town by foot, but the thick foliage and uneven ground made them difficult to navigate. I had already tripped over once before slipping as tried to negotiate a steep bank and falling on my backside. In my panic, I had taken the wrong route, so I wiped my muddied hands on my bright green shorts and jumped across a puddle before climbing back up the embankment to rejoin the main pathway.

‘If the doctors at the hospital could see me now they would go totally ape-shit’.

My arms and legs were already aching and covered in mud and scratches. After setting such a gruelling pace, I was exhausted, but still too frightened to stop. It was unlikely that anyone would try to follow me by foot, but there was no room in my head for reasonable thought or common sense and I was certain that I was being chased. I could still see Don’s face in front of me, filled with hatred. He had scared me more than I would ever admit, and I was still shaking with fear and fighting back tears even half-an-hour later.

I never wanted to see him again; I was absolutely sure of it. I had tried everything that I could to placate him, but he just wouldn’t leave me alone, he kept coming at me like a wild dog, again and again until I inevitably lashed out. He would probably use my words against me to prove how unruly I was when it was him who had goaded me into retaliating.

I didn’t need to take all that abuse and I certainly didn’t deserve it. I should have left the moment he started shouting. The other thing that I regretted was not punching Daniel on the way out. It had actually flashed through my mind at the time as I pushed him out of the way, but I held back. I suppose that it wasn’t really me. I was never a fighter, I only pretended in England to keep the bullies at bay. I preferred loving to fighting and if I was going to land anything on a boy’s face it was always more likely to be a kiss than a punch. I couldn’t understand how this could make me such a bad person or why I should feel ashamed for wanting to love someone like Nathan, simply because he was a boy.

The trail was usually popular with dog walkers and kids, but that morning, the poor weather and muddy conditions must have kept most of them away, and it was a while before I stumbled across anyone else. I saw two boys walking towards me in baseball caps then, as I got closer, one of them recognised me from school and stopped me to say hello. He was a friend of Daniel and was surprised to see me, assuming that I would still be in the hospital. He asked me if I was okay but I told him that I was in a hurry before walking away. Their eyes told me that I looked every bit as bad as I felt.

I was obviously attracting attention straight away and it made me realise how futile it would be to stay local. I was sure to be found; Cobourg was a small community and Don knew everyone in it. If I stayed in that town I would be discovered within a few hours and handed back by the police, who were, after all, his buddies.

There was no one who I could think of that I could turn to for help who would have been prepared to hide me and lie to Don or the police when they called. The only solution was to leave Cobourg for a place where they couldn’t find me and the obvious destination was Toronto. With over two-and-a-half million people, it was the largest city in Canada, and easily big enough for me to hide. It was seventy miles away but just over an hour by train, and I had cash and a bank card. All I had to do was make it to the station.

I had heard plenty of horror stories about Toronto from some of the kids and even a few of the adults in town. Drugs, gangs, murders, robberies. Sure, it was the same with every big city, none more so than London, where I had lived in relative safety for most of my life. I wasn’t scared of a big city and foolishly considered myself streetwise, so Toronto seemed to be the best option and a place which I was sure they wouldn’t expect me to run to until it was too late. I wasn’t stupid, I had enough money in my account not to end up on the street. It would give me a chance to think things through and come up with a long term plan. A plan that would involve Nathan, because life without him wasn’t even an option anymore. That was the main reason why I couldn’t go back, no matter what.

With a definite plan to follow and enough cash to implement it, I decided to head south to the train station which was less than a mile from the house. Following the creek meant that I couldn’t be spotted from the road, but it would lead me away from the centre of town so I would have to continue my journey in the open along the normal roads.

It was a relief to swap the treacherous footpaths for the relative safety of the concrete sidewalk, but I felt hopelessly exposed and fearful of every car that I could see in the distance. I must have looked suspicious, and when I passed a middle-aged couple at a bus stop they stared at me as if I was something from outer space.

I jogged most of the way to Division Street, which was the main road that ran through the centre of town to the beach. The train station was about halfway down and I could see the railway bridge in the distance, so I turned into one of the smaller streets that ran parallel. Avoiding the main road was a smart decision and for the first time since leaving the house, I allowed myself to relax a little as I walked along the quiet tree lined avenue with small houses and cars parked on either side.

‘I can clean myself up in the washroom at the station’.

It seemed like a good plan. I would call Nathan once I was on the train, but my priority was to get out of town, before being spotted. I was determined to make Don regret every hateful word that he had hollered at me earlier that day, and this was the best way that I could think of doing it.

‘He’ll have to cancel his stupid little party tonight, that’s for sure’.

I was trying to imagine what excuse he would give to the rest of the Cobourg mafia when I was plunged into a panic yet again by the sight of a police cruiser up ahead. I was sure that Don would have alerted them and they would be looking out for me. If I didn’t act fast, I was facing certain discovery and the embarrassment of being handed back within an hour of running away.

There was no time to look for a place to hide, so I ran towards the closest house and jumped over a small wooden fence at the side of the garage landing in a muddy flower bed and crumpling whatever had been growing beneath me. There was more mud added to my already soiled clothing, more scratches to my legs and arms, and more tears as I watched the police car drive past, through the gaps in the fence.

I had expected him to stop, certain that he would have seen me running away, so I closed my eyes, held my breath and tried to stop myself from shaking. I didn’t want to show myself too soon, in case he had stopped just out of sight. It felt as if I was stuck in a bad dream and couldn’t wake up. It was the end of the road for me; on the run and lying face down, sobbing in a flower bed at the side of a strange house. I didn’t think that it couldn’t get any worse, but it did.

It felt as if I jumped a foot in the air and I was sure that my heart missed a beat or two as I heard a dog suddenly barking behind me. If I wasn’t already scared out of my wits then this certainly did it. I yelled at the top of my voice and curled up into a ball with my arms either side of my head, expecting to be mauled.

“PERRY STAY!” It was a man’s voice coming from further away and although the dog was still barking, the expecting attack didn’t happen. “QUIET PERRY, BE QUIET!”

I was still sobbing and shaking as I heard the man approaching behind me. Then I felt the dog’s wet nose on my leg and pulled it away before rolling onto my side to see the danger. It wasn’t what I expected. It was a small sheepdog and it didn’t look all that fierce as it obeyed its owner’s instructions and stopped barking to sit looking down at me with its tongue hanging out, panting in the humid conditions.

“Who are you?” asked the owner; who was an old man with light grey hair. He looked very tall from the flower bed and understandably, I suppose, he wasn’t very happy. “Why were you hiding from the police?” He scowled at me and demanded an answer. “What have you done?”

“I haven’t done anything,” I said and I stood up rubbing my leg.

“You’ve destroyed my flowers for a start,” he said pointing towards them and I stepped warily onto the lawn, keeping my back against the garage wall.

“I’m sorry, I’ll pay for new ones. I have money.” I reached into the pocket of my shorts and pulled out the notes that I had earlier shoved in there. I didn’t know how much was there but there were a few twenties and some fives, maybe fifty dollars. I would have happily given him all of it, knowing that I still had my debit card.

“I’m calling the police,” he said.

“NO!” I looked towards the fence with the intention of jumping it, and then at the dog, whose eyes were still fixed on me.

“Did you just steal that money?”

“What? No, it’s mine. I’m not a thief.”

“Why were you running from the police then?”

I shook my head. “It’s not what you think. I’m not running from the police.”

“But you’re running from somebody.”

“My uncle,” I mumbled. “He would have called the police and told them, but I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“If you’ve done nothing wrong then you’ve got nothing to worry about then, have you?” he said, as he watched me brushing myself down. My legs were caked in mud and there was a cut just above my knee, which started to hurt the moment that I noticed it. My face was wet from tears and sweat but as I tried wiping it with my forearm, I smeared it with a layer of dirt.

It seemed to amuse him briefly as he tried to contain a smile and remain angry, but I could see that this wasn’t an easy thing for him to do. My chances of getting away looked a lot better all of a sudden, but I was a real mess and there was still the dog to contend with.

“Why are you running from your uncle?” he said. His voice was a lot calmer all of a sudden, but I wasn’t expecting that question and I didn’t try to answer it.

“Look, I don’t mind paying for the damage to your flowers, but I have to go. I have to catch….”

He nodded and there was another brief flicker of a smile as he let go of the dog’s collar. She walked over and started to lick my leg, making me flinch.

“She won’t hurt you, she’s being friendly,” he said, but he must have noticed my hand shaking as I moved it slowly to stroke its head.

“Why are so scared, boy? What kind of trouble are you in?”

“I’m not scared,” I said but I pulled my hand back swiftly when the dog tried to lick it.

“Perry, leave the poor boy alone.”

“That’s an odd name for a girl,” I said, trying hard to smile. It was difficult to do and I don’t think that I pulled it off.

“That’s where she comes from,” he said. “Port Perry. I got her from the animal rescue place. Nobody knew her name, so she became Perry.” It was a nice story but I wasn’t in the mood and I didn’t have time. I tried to smile hoping that he would allow me to leave and then tried to hand him some money for the damage.

“I don’t want your money kid,” he said. “You’ll need it for your train fare.”

“I didn’t steal it,” I said. “I’m not a thief.”

“I know that,” he said looking into my eyes. I stared back at him with a little more confidence, trying to work him out. Then I patted the dog on the head again and tried to change the subject. “Does she round up sheep?”

He laughed. “No, but she’s very smart. Smarter than you.”

‘Cheeky sod’.

I ignored his insult. “Can I go now then?”

He laughed. “If you want, but they won't let you on the train looking like that.” I followed his eyes to my muddied t-shirt, shorts, and legs. “You can use my bathroom to clean yourself up if you want?”

I stood up straight and looked at him with suspicion. Once again it wasn’t what I was expecting to hear. I had just jumped into his garden, hiding from the police and destroyed his flowers, now he was offering me the use of his bathroom to clean up. He didn’t even know me. He smiled and took a few steps back.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to,” he said. “I was just trying to help you, but I can understand you being cautious. It’s probably a good thing.”

“Why do you wanna help me?” I said. “You don’t even know me.”

“Do you have a name then?”

He might have seen the panic on my face. “Yes,” I said. “London.”

He laughed. “I should’ve seen that one coming. I’m guessing by your accent that’s where you come from?”

“That’s right.”

“And are you a stray like Perry was; they were gonna put her down, you know?”

I glanced at the dog, whose eyes hadn’t left me. “I suppose you could say that.”

“I thought so. It’s okay, I don’t need to know. I wouldn’t expect you to talk to a strange old man.”

There was something different about this strange old man though, he was unusual but likeable. I studied his face. It was a lot friendlier than when I first saw him, but he had big bags under his eyes and slightly yellow skin.

He didn’t look like a weirdo and I didn’t feel like I was in any danger of being molested by a guy who looked as if he was in his sixties either, so I decided to lower my defences a fraction. He was, after all, prepared to help, even if I couldn’t understand why.

“I could do with washing my hands if you don’t mind?”

He turned towards the back of his house and led me into his kitchen before pointing towards the bathroom. Then he threw me over a clean towel. “You can use this, it’s Perry’s towel.” I caught it and put it up to my face to smell it. “I’m joking with you kid. It’s clean and so is my bathroom; I want it left the same way. Understand?”

I felt a little better about accepting his offer after he had laid down a few ground rules. It made me feel like I wasn’t taking advantage, even if I was. I shut and locked the door behind me, before studying my face in the mirror.

‘Shit. I look rough. No wonder everyone was staring at me’.

I removed my shirt and washed my face arms and legs, then did what I could to clean my shorts. It wasn’t a big improvement but it made me feel a lot better.

‘This is so weird. I’m having a wash in a complete stranger’s bathroom. At least Don won’t be able to find me here. No one would ever find me here’.

I started to panic again, as I conjured up an image of this guy forcing me into his basement at gun point. I had heard similar real-life stories on the news channels. Mostly on the American channels, but there was no reason why it couldn’t happen anywhere else.

There was a loud knock on the door and for the second time, I almost jumped out of my skin. “Are you alright in there?”

I was nearly hyper ventilating but other than that I was fine and I let him know, before throwing my shirt back on and taking a couple of deep breaths. The door creaked as I opened it slowly, just like they always seemed to do in the creepy horror movies that Daniel loved to watch. I was half-expecting to see ‘Freddy Kruger’ standing in front of me. There was no sign of the old man though, so I opened it all the way and stepped out into the kitchen.

“I hope that you haven’t left it in a mess,” he said loudly from behind me, startling me for a third time. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” I hung on to the wall and swallowed hard. “Would you like a drink of something before you go, you look a little pale, or is that your usual colour?”

‘No, just when I’m petrified’.

“I should be going,” I said. “Thanks anyway, for all your help and stuff.”

“I’ve already poured you a Coke,” he said handing me a glass. It was cold and I was thirsty, so I gratefully accepted it and took a large gulp. “You can sit down if you want?”

“It’s okay,” I said gasping as I stood next to his kitchen table, taking quick, large mouthfuls of the cold drink.

“You were thirsty; do you want some more?” I was sure that he was trying to hold me up, but my body was craving more and I handed him back the glass and nodded.

‘What if he’s put something in it; like a drug to knock me out, like on the Bond films’?

He filled it up again and this time I took a much smaller sip, swishing the fizzy liquid in my mouth like a wine taster, but it didn’t seem to be any different from usual.

“So,” he said. “You’re off to Toronto I take it?”

“I didn’t say that,” I replied.

“But that’s where you’re going, isn’t it? It’s a popular destination with runaways.”

“I’m not running away.”

“I thought you said that you were running from your uncle?” I didn’t reply. “It’s okay kid,” he said. “I’m not gonna tell anyone, I’m just trying to help.”

“I don’t need any help.”

“You do; you just don’t know it yet.”

I glared at him as I swallowed the last of my drink and wiped my mouth with my arm. “Thanks for letting me use your bathroom, mister.”

“It’s Walter,” he said and held out his hand for me to shake. “It’s been nice meeting you…London.”

I smiled. “It’s Robbie,” I said, shaking his hand.

“So, you can smile after all,” he said. “It almost suits you.”

I frowned at him. “I’ve got no reason to smile.” I put his glass down on the table and walked towards the back door.

“Wait up kid,” he said. “Do you mind if I walk with you. I need to take Perry for a walk and I think that she likes you. Unless you’re too embarrassed to walk with an old man?”

I was having trouble figuring him out. I didn’t really know too many old people and I wondered if they were all as eccentric as he was. I was still a little wary of him, but he didn’t seem threatening in any way. He was more of a nuisance, maybe he was just lonely. After, damaging his plants, using his facilities, and drinking his Coke, I didn’t have the heart to deny him the pleasure of my company, during the short walk to the station. If anything, I thought that walking with him may even help me evade detection as they would probably be searching for a boy on his own.

“I don’t mind,” I said. “But I’m in a rush.”

“No need to be; you’ve got plenty of time,” he said and I assumed that he was talking about the train times.

It took him ten minutes to find his house keys, so when he began searching for the dog leash, I decided to leave without him. I had barely made it as far as the next house when he caught me up.

“I’m quite fit for sixty-seven,” he said. “I hope you can keep up.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Do you know people in Toronto, Robbie?” he said.

“No.”

“It’ll be the biggest mistake you ever made.”

Once again, I was surprised, and I didn’t care for his opinion. “What do you mean…what do you know anyway?”

“I know more than you think.”

“You don’t know anything about me.”

“Okay,” he said. “You’re right, I don’t. Run away to the big city, you never know you may find your fortune there…but you won’t, because you’re not even old enough to work legally.”

I sneered at him. “I’ve got money…a lot of it, actually.”

“Not for very long, if you go around saying that to complete strangers,” he said. “There are plenty of people who’ll be willing to take it off you.”

“They can try,” I said putting on my toughest expression, but it only made him laugh.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “I can see that you’re no pushover kid. You’re gonna have everyone running scared of you, and with that accent, you’re gonna stick out a mile.” He started to laugh, which annoyed me even more.

I frowned at him. “Laugh all you want,” I said. “I don’t give a shit!”

‘Interfering old git, I wish I’d left him behind’!

We had made it barely ten yards before he started again. “Why are you so scared of your uncle?” he said.

“I’m not scared of him.”

“You looked pretty scared earlier. He must have done something bad. Do you live with him?”

“Why are you asking me this, It’s none of your business.”

“Is he your legal guardian?”

“Yes.”

“What about your parents are they both dead or something?”

“Yes!” It was a familiar conversation but this was the point where the person would usually buckle and start feeling sorry for me. Most people didn’t know how to deal with that subject and were uncomfortable talking about it. It enabled me to play on their sympathy and use it to my advantage, but this guy was different.

“That’s tough,” he said nonchalantly, and I glared at him. “So, what was the argument about?”

“What are you some kind of social worker?”

“Kind of,” he said. “You’re not as stupid as you look.”

“What?”

“Forget it. I’m retired now, so you don’t have to worry. I just do this as a hobby nowadays.”

“Strange hobby, if you ask me?”

“Why are you running Robbie?”

“Why do you wanna know?”

“I told you, it’s my hobby.”

“I already told you, I had an argument with my uncle, he was being unreasonable.”

He nodded. “Is that all? I mean kids don’t usually leave home because of an argument, even if he was being unreasonable, whatever that’s supposed to mean.” He was mocking me in a childish voice and I reacted.

“It means he insulted me, he hurt me.”

“Physically?”

“No…not exactly but nearly. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because you wouldn’t.”

“Try me.”

I wanted to shut him up or at least get some kind of a reaction from him, although, I wasn’t sure why I was even telling him any of this.

“Fine, if you really want to know,” I said. “My uncle found out that I’m gay.” I watched for his reaction but his expression didn’t change and he didn’t even look at me. “And I’ve been seeing some boy, who is his son’s best friend.” Once again, there was no sign of shock. This guy was infuriatingly bland and impossible to read.

“I’VE BEEN HAVING SEX WITH HIM,” I shouted. It was my best card and I was expecting at least some degree of indignation, especially from an old guy. A woman on the opposite side of the road heard me and looked over, but he didn’t flinch.

“Aren’t you the lucky one,” he said. “Is he nice looking?”

“WHAT?”

“Is he nice looking; your boyfriend, is he hot?”

I stopped to turn and stare at him. “Yes,” I said slowly. “Of course he’s nice. Are you….?”

“Robbie, you’re a sweet boy, but hopelessly naïve. You don’t really believe that you’re the first person in this world to be attracted to the same sex, do you?”

I shook my head but kept my eyes on him as he carried on walking. “I know that.”

“Good, because that would be really stupid, wouldn’t it? You may be smarter than you look, but you didn’t invent gay. It’s been around forever, even longer than I have.”

“Nothing’s that old.” He shot me a look, but I was only kidding and I smiled to let him know as I caught him up. Payback for the constant references to me looking stupid.

We walked in silence for a while, but every so often I would turn to look at him and laugh to myself.

‘I run away from home and just happen to hide in a garden belonging to a gay, social worker. What are the chances of that happening'?

I didn’t even know there were any other gay people in Cobourg, other than Nathan, myself, and half of Alex.

Walter’s street ran up to, and then alongside the railway lines, before joining Division Street. I was expecting Walter to turn back at this point or continue around the block, but instead, he pointed to a decrepit looking old diner across the road.

“I’m going to grab a coffee,” he said. “Do you wanna keep me company for a while?”

“It looks closed.”

“It’s better on the inside and they let me take Perry in there.”

“I dunno,” I said. “I need to find out the train times.” Walter was starting to freak me out. First all the questions and now he was acting as if we were friends; like he had known me for years.

‘Maybe he’s just lonely or maybe I’m being really stupid. Is he trying to’?

He may not have been your average senior citizen, but I knew that it wasn’t normal for an old man to want to hang around with a teenager.

“Walter,” I said. “You’re not trying to…you know…I mean you’re not thinking that because I’m gay?” I think that I finally managed to rile him because he looked angry all of a sudden.

“You think that I’m trying to hit on you?”

“No, of course, not…well, it did cross my mind.”

“Don’t insult me, Robbie, I’m not into little boys.”

“I’m not a little boy,” I said. “I’m fifteen.”

“Fifteen is a little boy in my book. You’re fifty years younger than me for God’s sake. You think that I’m doing all this to try and solicit you? If that’s what you think then the train to hell is in that direction.” He pointed down the road and turned his back on me. “Come on Perry, I got better things to do with my time than listening to insults.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to insult you. Don’t be angry at me. It was a mistake. I was just being cautious like you said.”

I waited as he stopped, looked at his watch and then turned around slowly to smile at me. I got the feeling this was just a game for him, but I couldn’t help smiling back and this time I didn’t need to coax it.

* * * * *

“Why are you living in Cobourg?” I asked between sips of my strawberry milk shake. “There’s not a lot here.”

“Why are you here?”

“I don’t have a choice, if I did I would live in Toronto. It’s not so stuffy and old.” I smiled apologetically. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “I am stuffy and old and I love it here. I lived in Toronto for thirty years.”

“I knew it,” I said loudly. The half dozen or so other patrons in the tacky diner were all looking at us, so I smiled at them and lowered my voice to just above a whisper. “You moved here to retire, I bet?” He nodded and I laughed. “Yeah, everyone does, but when you were young, you lived in Toronto.”

“It was different for me,” he said. “I worked there, with kids of your age, sometimes even younger. I didn’t particularly like what I had to deal with. It can be a tough place if you don’t know anyone. You’ll find out soon enough.”

“I’m not stupid, I lived in London for years.”

“Where, on the street?”

“No, of course not. My mom had an apartment.”

“Figures,” he said. “So where are you gonna stay tonight Robbie?”

“I’ll find someplace. It’s better than staying here, there’s nothing here for me,” I said.

“What about your boyfriend; he’s here.”

“Yeah but.”

“I suppose you’ll find someone else,” he said. “You shouldn’t have too much trouble in a place like Toronto.”

“I don’t wanna find someone else,” I said.

“Then why are you leaving? Does he even know that you’re running out on him?”

“I’m not running out on him. I love him!” My voice had crept up in volume again as I became annoyed and I looked around the diner at my growing audience.

‘I guess I’m out here too’.

“I don’t wanna call him yet, he’s grandad died yesterday,” I said.

“Poor kid, first he loses his grandfather, and then his boyfriend. I feel sorry for him.”

I sat in silence for a while as I contemplated his words, but I knew what he was doing.

“This is why I hate social workers,” I said. “You think you know everything, but you don’t. You think I should go back and say sorry to my uncle. So that he can call me depraved and sick and stop me from having any contact with Nathan, or see him ever again.”

“He can’t do that; you have rights like everyone else.”

“No, I don’t. Not if I go back there, I won’t have any rights at all…I know it!” I sat back in my chair fiddling with the place matt and staring at the table.

He glanced at his watch. “Well, it’s been a pleasure meeting you Robbie. I hope it goes well for you in Toronto,” he said. “Not that you’ll be going there any time today.”

“I will,” I said. “My mind’s made up.”

“You won’t.”

“I definitely will.”

“You definitely won’t. Unless you’re planning on walking.”

“What do you mean?”

“There are only two trains on a Saturday and the last one left five minutes ago,” he said.

‘Bastard! He deliberately held me up so that I missed the train’.

“Sorry Robbie, but I couldn’t let you ruin your life.”

‘And he can read my fucking mind’.

“I’ll go tomorrow instead,” I said, but I knew somehow that I wouldn’t and I think that he knew it too. Walter was, I had to admit, quite a wily old git. He knew exactly what he was doing and played me like a fiddle, extracting information from me that I wouldn’t normally reveal to anyone. He was extremely irritating but at the same time, impossible to ignore and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, he was probably right about Toronto.

I sat back down and rubbed my sore eyes, relieved rather than disappointed at not being able to go to Toronto. It was an ill-conceived plan, born out of frustration, anger, and fear of going back to the house, but as my mind cleared, I began thinking of other less drastic options. There was one in particular that I had been considering for a while, someone who I was certain would be able to help me out if I asked and who wouldn’t give me away.

“Sorry,” he said, but I wasn’t angry. He had won fair and square.

“Whatever. I’m sorry if I insulted you about being old and stuff.”

“That’s okay, I am old…and stuff,” he said. “You need to go home and talk to your uncle. Running away will only make your situation worse. I think you understand that now don’t you.”

I nodded although I had no intention of going back to the house.

“However, I also know that it’s not always that simple and from what you told me, you may need some help dealing with your uncle. You have more rights than you may realise and he will have to respect them whatever his personal views are.”

“Yeah, right.”

“He has no choice, Robbie. There are laws to protect you and people who will make sure that he does. He may not have physically harmed you but he did hurt you and I saw the result of that earlier when Perry found you cowering in the garden. Abuse isn’t just physical, Robbie.” He stared into my eyes and waited for a reply which I wasn’t going to give. I knew that what he was saying was right though; it made sense.

“It was obvious to me from the beginning that you were running, but it’s not necessary for you to do that.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, which he then handed to me. “These people can help. They’re a local charity; I know them well and you can trust them. They will be able to advise you on your rights.

“Thank you, Walter?” I took the card from him and studied it before he snatched it back.

“Wait a minute,” he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen.

‘Old people are always so organised’.

He scribbled something on the reverse and handed it back. “This is my home number. Call me tomorrow sometime just to let me know that you didn’t go to Toronto…or as a last resort if you’re ever in trouble and you’ve got nowhere else to turn.”

“Thanks,” I said and smiled.

“I better get Perry back for her dinner,” he said. “She gets a little testy when she’s hungry.”

‘Don’t we all’?

I patted my little friend on the head as she dutifully followed her owner to the door, leaving me with the bill. “You don’t mind do you?” he said. “Think of it as reparation for my dahlias.”

I had no idea what that meant, but I paid it anyway. It was the least that I could do after squashing his flowers.