Grantly - 2. Grant Chapter 2

It was an amazing journey, although at some points the sea got a little bit too choppy, which made it a little uncomfortable for Aunt Sophia, but after a short sleep, she was fine again.

We stayed overnight in Monte Carlo Bay before we boarded a train in the late morning to go to Genoa, Italy, which would take three hours to travel, after a good look around the city, we boarded another train north to Milan, which would take 90 minutes, and from there we said farewell to Italy as we boarded a flight to Zurich, Switzerland, were we stayed for the remainder of our holidays.

Mum met us in Zurich, and from there we made the long journey back to Tasmania, with a 2 ½ hour stop in Hong Kong, and an overnight stop in Sydney, before flying to Hobart the next day. What I did for this trip was to buy postcards from a number of the main cities that we saw, and while in Hong Kong, I posted them to my good friends, Nicholas and Simon, and they would receive them about a week after Mum and I arrived back in Hobart.

Sure enough, on the Monday morning of our second week back at school, my friends cornered me as I arrived at school. “Ok Mr, what’s the big idea, with the postcards? Did you honestly go to all of those places?” Nicholas asked me, and I just smiled and nodded my head yes, as I tried to escape. “Oh no you don’t, not before you give us more information,” Simon added as he stopped me from going anywhere.

“At lunchtime, I will tell you all about it, for now, we better get moving if we are going to get to class in time,” I replied, and we soon dashed to our lockers to collect the books we needed for our first two classes. At lunchtime, I explained to my friends that I spent two weeks with my father in Europe during our mid-year holidays, and this year we did a southern Europe trip through France, Monaco, Italy, and Switzerland.

I also mentioned to them that during the Autumn holidays this year, my Mum and I went for a holiday to New Zealand, visiting both islands and seeing some incredible sights. Nicholas wanted to know where in Switzerland we went since that is his home country, and I explained to him all the places we went, starting at Zurich, where we arrived from Milan, Italy, and that is also where my mother and I left Europe and flew back to Australia, via Hong Kong.

Nicholas said to us that although he was born in Bern, the capital city, he has spent very little time there, because of his father’s diplomatic work, and they have relocated twice since leaving Switzerland, firstly to Singapore, and then to South Africa, before coming to Tasmania. Simon said that he has a similar situation, with his father also working as a diplomat, and they have moved just once since he was born, and that was to Scotland.

I had been doing very well at school in Australia, but I was always looking forward to my yearly trips back home to the Isle of Man, as I escaped most of the southern hemisphere winter, and instead, I enjoyed a mild northern hemisphere autumn.

My life was very much the same for the first six years in Australia, with yearly trips home to the Isle of Man during the Southern Winter holidays, and during the Autumn holidays, Mum would take me on a trip to somewhere in Australia or over to New Zealand, while I remained at home for the Spring holidays, where I usually stayed on the property, or went over to my cousins place down the road.

When we arrived in London in July for my usual holiday with my father, we were met by Aunty Sophia, which caught both my Mum and I, by surprise. “Don’t worry, nothing has happened, your father is caught up in a business meeting, and I have spare time as always. I thought we would go and do a tour of Kensington Palace tomorrow morning, as Christopher, your father, will be busy again. My, you have grown so much in the five years since you have been travelling back and forward from Australia” Aunty Sophia said to us.

“Well, he is 11 years old now, Aunty, and yes he is growing so fast, it is hard to keep up with clothes for him,” Mum commented. “So, you will be starting high school next year then?” Aunty Sophia enquired, “Yes, that is right. He is already enrolled to attend the senior school attached to the Primary school he has been attending at Kingston, which is twelve kilometres south of Hobart,” Mum replied.

As we gathered for dinner that evening, Dad cleared his throat to make an announcement. “It is good to have the family together again, even if it is for a short while. Sebastian, your mother, and I have been talking over the past two days, and we have agreed on a few changes that directly affect you.

When you have your summer school holiday break in mid-December, you will be flying here, where you will be spending Christmas with us from now on, and every two years your Mum will travel with you to spend Christmas here too. When she is not coming to the UK, Aunt Sophia will be travelling down to Australia for a short holiday, and to bring you back with her.

After Christmas, you will commence your education at King William’s College in Castletown, where you will spend one term a year there. When the school breaks for the Spring holidays in late April, you will spend one more week here, before flying back to Australia, with Aunty Sophia taking you as far as Perth – Western Australia, where your Mum will meet you and take you back to Tasmania, so that you can start term two of high school at your current school, and I will see you again in July for your usual two week holiday,” Dad announced to me.

I looked towards Mum for confirmation, and she smiled and nodded her head yes. “Wow, that is going to be a heck of a lot of travelling in one year, let alone being at two schools,” I commented, “Yes it will be. We have already spoken with both schools, and they are agreeable to the arrangement, so it is up to you whether you want to do this or not,” Mum said to me.

“Wow, that is going to be very interesting,” I commented. “That is not all son. Your mother received a letter from the principal of your school at Southern Christian College in Kingston a few weeks ago, asking for suggestions on places to visit with the Year Six Classes to be going on a school trip to the UK. After consulting with me, she sent a reply, suggesting that the Year 6 class visit the Isle of Man, as she has a family friend who lives there, who is willing to sponsor a day trip on a sailing yacht along the coast of the Isle of Man,” Dad announced to me.

“Yindyssagh” I said in response, and both Aunty Sophia and Dad smiled, while Mum frowned, “I said Wonderful” I translated for Mum, who chuckled at this. “ I have given your Mum a suggested itinerary of what the class can do during the four days that they will be on the island, including the 4-hour ferry journey over from Heysham and back, the steam train from Douglas to Port Erin, the yacht cruise to Calf of Man.

Maughold at Port e Villan is probably the best place for group accommodation, with 2 x ten-bed bunk rooms, 4 x 8-bed bunk rooms, I x 5-bed cabin and 2 x 2-bed cabins, and they have all sorts of outdoor activities available too, and I have already made enquiries about that,” Dad said. “I think that would be perfect Dad. Boy will they be surprised when the class learns that they have a local amongst them,” I stated smiling broadly, which had the adults laughing.

“It might be best to keep it quiet until the group gets to Douglas, and spring the surprise them then,” Dad suggested, “Ok, understood, but can I at least tell Simon and Nicholas?” I asked, “Yes, I guess that will be ok, as long as they don’t say anything to anyone,” Mum replied.

The next day, Dad and I headed for home, while Aunty Sophia remained in London for a couple more days, and Mum started her annual holiday in the UK. When we arrived at Douglas airport, I was waiting for my luggage to arrive, when two lads about the same age as I approached.

“Excuse me, are you by any chance Sebastian,” one of the lads asked me, which surprised both Dad and me, “Who is asking if I may ask?” Dad responded. “You may not remember us, but about seven years ago we were at Castletown Preschool together. I am Jordan Crebbin, my dad is a GP Doctor at Castletown, and this is William Quine, his Dad is a School Teacher also at Castletown, but they live in Colby, while I live in Ballasalla,” one of the lads replied.

“You remember me from that long ago when we have all grown and changed in looks so much?” I asked and both boys chuckled at this comment, “It is your accent, it’s Australian if I am not mistaken,” Jordan responded.

“Wow, that is spot on, and yes, I am Sebastian Grantly, but in Australia, I am known as Mitchell Grant, with Mitchell being my middle name and Grant being my mother’s maiden name. I have no idea why this is so, some sort of agreement between my parents when they separated,” I commented, I said as I indicated towards my father.

“It is complicated, but that is about the gist of it. Now while you boys are here with this little reunion, Sebastian has some news for you both,” Dad announced, and it took me a moment to realise what he was saying. “Oh yeah, after the Christmas break, I will be attending King William’s College for the first term each year, and the rest of the time I will be attending a School in Australia,” I said to Jordan and William.

“Awesome, we will be going there too, so hopefully we will be in the same classes,” William said and as I changed to Manx, I said that I would be looking forward to getting reacquainted with old friends, and the look on their faces was priceless, as Dad and I burst out laughing. “My son has been coming home for two weeks each year since he moved to Australia, and he and I speak regularly on the telephone and always in Manx,” Dad said to the lads.

“I must say that you are a lot better at the language than we are, maybe we need to get lessons from you,” Jordan commented, “So you are home now for the holidays?” William asked me, “Yes, we just spent two days in London, so now I am on the island for nearly two weeks of the Winter holidays,” I replied.

After exchanging email addresses and mobile phone numbers and agreeing to catch up while I was back on the island, the lads headed off, while I collected my luggage, which had already gone around twice while I was chatting to William and Jordan. Dad had the car in the car park this time, so we drove directly home, and I was happy to be back again.

“Hey Dad, will I be coming back here during the midyear holidays like I usually do, once I have started school at King William’s College?” I asked, after I had unpacked, and found Dad in his study. “We thought that maybe not for the first year, to allow you to get settled into a new routine, and we will review that when you start your second time at King William’s,” Dad replied. “Ok, fair enough, I guess. At least I won’t be a stranger when I start there, as I will have William and Jordan who I already know,” I said.

Two days later, I agreed to meet up with the lads, agreeing to meet at Castletown, so we could catch the first steam train to get there, with me the first to board on the south-bound train at Seaton, and Jordan boarding at Ballasalla, while William would be travelling north from Colby, with both trains arriving at Castletown at about the same time, and after handshakes in greetings, we headed down to Castle Rushen, which I had not seen yet, as well as some of the museums and other historical buildings in town.

It was like we had been mates all our lives, I was getting along with William and Jordan so well, which surprised me a little, as we walked along The Parade, which runs alongside the coast and as we came to the end of the town, with the ocean on the right and a low stone wall and fields on the left, I stopped to look at the old buildings in the distance. “Hey lads, what is that place over there?” I asked, and both boys started to laugh.

“That our friend is your new school – King Williams College,” Jordan replied, once he had calmed down a little, and I felt a bit embarrassed for asking the question now. “Never mind lad, you were not to know, anyway, it is a huge area as you can see,” William added. “I guess, I will be going to see it sometime before I head back to Australia, whenever my dad arranges it,” I commented.

Once back in the centre of town, we stopped at the Victoria Grill Café for some lunch, and it was while we were there that I had a call from Dad. “Hi Dad, we are just having an early lunch in Castletown, then I’m not sure what we are doing next,” I said when I answered the call. Dad suggested what we could do, and I smiled broadly, “Hang on a second and I will ask,” I responded to the idea.

“How would you guys like to go on a luxury camping trip for a few days, my dad will cover all costs,” I said to the lads, and I could hear Dad chuckling through the phone at how I described a three-day trip on his luxury sailing yacht. “I’m not a big fan of camping, but if you are saying it is luxury, then I guess I will be okay with it,” William responded, “I am in, I love camping,” Jordon responded, as I put the phone on loudspeaker.

“Good, I will pick you guys up in about twenty minutes, so you can get permission from your parents and collect luggage for four days of fun, see you then, bye,” Dad said before ending the call. “Where exactly are we going?” Jordan asked me.

“Well firstly once we have you guys sorted, and I am sure Dad will have a bag packed for me… we are heading down to Port Saint Mary, and that is when the fun begins. I hope you guys like swimming?” I responded. “We are both excellent swimmers and members of the local swimming club at the Southern Swimming Pool at Castletown,” William said to me. “Excellent news, well I think we will have an awesome time,” I commented.

“Are you going to tell us where exactly we are going?” Jordan asked me. “Ha, ha ha, you are going to have to wait and see my friends,” I replied. When Dad collected us, we headed to Ballasalla to Jordan’s place first, and both parents were home when we arrived there. “Hello, Dr and Mrs Crebbin, I am Christopher Grantly, Sebastian’s father,” Dad said when Jordan’s parents appeared, and they shook hands.