Lost Soul - John/Christian - 2. Part 2

John crawled into bed feeling... well, he was unsure what he was feeling. He was tired. John knew he had worked hard the last couple of days helping Christian, cleaning, polishing and moving furniture. He had helped in the garden and helped wash two of the limousines. John was very tired. For the first time in months, he felt calm, almost serene, as he drifted off to sleep.

As he slept, he felt a pair of strong arms holding him tight but also gently, and he felt secure. There was a gentle breathe, on the back of his neck, and he felt the kiss that followed. Then there was that smell, the masculine muskiness he associated with Christian. The strong yet light touch of hands, as they stroked his body, aroused feelings in the pit of his stomach as his legs felt weak. He turned over and kissed the lips he saw before him, and he was transported to another world where he experienced the feelings of true love. He felt things welling up in his groins. He could not hold on any longer and exploded his boy juice, drenching his bed. As he woke, he realised it was just a dream and felt guilty about the feelings he harboured. Then he panicked. How was he going to explain the mess in his bed? He felt sure that Ethel would be angry with him, a boy his age wetting the bed!

In his rush to get to the bedroom, he did not notice Phillip on his way downstairs, but Phillip noticed him and the embarrassing condition he was in. John quickly used the toilet, then jumped in the shower to clean the sticky mess from his body. As soon as he finished in the shower, he ran to his room with a towel wrapped around his body, ready to clean up the mess in his bed and wash his sheets. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw John Watson stripping his bed with fresh bed linen at the ready. John was mortified.

John Watson carried on with what he was doing. When he was done, he ruffled John's hair. “It's alright young man, I'll just put these in the wash while you get dressed, and then me and you can have a little chat, okay?” Quietly and reassuringly, he continued. “Christian is right. You are a little worry wort, aren't you? Well, stop worrying. You're not in any trouble.” He then went to the laundry room, leaving John to get dressed.

Now fully clothed, John's mind went into overdrive, 'I know what he said, but I know he's angry with me, well I'll save him the trouble I'll pack and go now.' Quickly he packed what he could into his school bag, ran down the stairs and straight out of the front door.

After running for what seemed like hours, but really only about ten minutes, he stopped and looked about. He did not know where he was. He was not familiar with this part of town. Then he heard a car turning into the road. He knew the sound of the car. There was no mistaking the sound of John Watson's limousines. 'Oh god, what do I do now. Please god help me.' Then he spotted the bus shelter and hid behind it as the limousine drove past. When it was out of sight, he carried on walking and walking. Always listening out for the sound of the limousine's engine.

Back at the house, Ethel was having a panic attack worrying about John. “Honestly, Phillip, he's a sweet boy. All he needs is someone to love him and help him come to terms with what's happened to him. We care about him. I just want him home.” Then she sank back into the chair behind her, crying with her head in her hands.

“Don't worry, Ethel. If John doesn't catch up to him, we will go out looking for him.” Just then, John Watson came in the front door after unsuccessfully going after John. “John, you shouldn't be trying to run after young boys at your age. Let's get one of the cars and go look for him. Maybe we could get Christian and the rest of your staff to look for him too. Then we stand a better chance.”

Nodding his head in agreement, John Watson stood to regain his breath while Phillip put things into motion. Three limousines drove around for more than two hours looking but had no luck. There was no sign of him. Christian did not see John as he hid behind the bus shelter watching as the limousine drove past. The only thing that could be done now was to inform the Police and Social Services.

The Police and Social Services were informed, details were given, and reports were made and filed. The Police had left, and everyone sat in the Watson household quietly thinking, 'What can we do now.'

It was approaching lunchtime, and Phillip could feel the pangs of hunger starting to strike. “Okay, everyone, I think we all need to find something to do, occupy our minds, or all we will succeed in is precisely nothing. John, may I make a suggestion?” John Watson nodded. “Good. Ethel, Emily, it's nearing lunchtime, if nobody is feeling hungry yet, they will soon, so why don't you make us some sandwiches for lunch, get whoever you need to help you. Christian, you take a couple of men from the yard and get the limo's refuelled. John, you come with me. Let's look in the lad's room and see if we can find anything that may help us to find him.”

Everyone rose and set to the tasks appointed by Phillip, except Christian, who called the office asking that the men at the yard get the limousines ready, and then he went to help Ethel and Emily. Phillip and John checked young John's room but came up with nothing. As food and a pot of tea had been made, they all gathered in the kitchen, which was a little crowded.

Suddenly Christian shouted, “That's it. I think I know where he may be.” As he went to leave, Phillip caught him by the arm.

“Christian, would you like to share. Then we can all go and look.”

“Sure, sorry. I think John may be going to the cemetery. He's sometimes confided in me, and he often says that he never got a chance to say goodbye to his parents properly. I know he feels guilty about that, so I think he may be heading there before he does anything else.”

“Excellent Christian, good thinking. John, you take one of your men. I'll go with Christian, we can go different ways and meet up at the cemetery. Maybe that will improve our chances of finding him. Emily, you stay here and look after Ethel until we get back.” On that note, the men left for the cemetery and the women remained home, just in case John turned up.

Like most boys, John had not thought anything through that morning, he had not eaten breakfast, and now he was getting hungry. He just wanted his Mom and Dad, but he knew that would never be possible. John carried on walking with his hands in his pockets. His fingers hit on some change which he pulled out and counted, one pound and sixty-three pence, not much, but at least he could buy something with it.

John continued walking until he reached the end of the road and then realised where he was. He knew if carried on a bit further, there was a convenience store, and just past that was the cemetery. He walked to the store and went in to find something to eat. His luck was in. He could just afford the cheapest sandwich and a small carton of juice. Picking them up, he went to pay at the till before leaving for the cemetery.

John soon found his Mom's and Dad's graves. There was a small marker stone there with their names on it. The headstone had not arrived yet. He knew that there was a delay. He sat to the side at the head of the grave and tried to talk, but all that came out was a gargled wailing sound as he cried, and all of his emotions were let out. After some time, he quieted and realising his thirst and hunger, took out the egg mayo sandwich and the small carton of juice he bought earlier.

Once his sandwich was eaten, John started to talk to his Mom and Dad, telling them how much he missed them. He knew they did not have much but, the caravan they lived in was home. It was where he knew he was loved and wanted. The more he spoke, the more emotional he got. Curling up in a ball, he lay down with his head where his Mom's and Dad's chests would be. In his exhaustion, he cried himself to sleep.

The two limousines approached the entrance to the cemetery from different directions and parked up. The men got out and spoke between themselves before entering the cemetery. Phillip and Christian went to the chapel while John Watson and his companion Fred went to where John's Mom and Dad were buried.

As they got close to the grave, Fred spotted something on top of the grave. He stopped John and pointed, “Look, John, is that him, lying on the ground? I can't see him moving. You don't think he's ….” He never got to finish as they ran to the graveside shouting.

The noise the men made startled John as he woke. Seeing them running toward him, he did not think about his bag and jumped up, running as fast as he could. He had to take the long way around to avoid them and ended up near the chapel. He momentarily stopped to catch his breath. He saw Christian come from the back of the chapel, so he ran toward the cemetery entrance. This took him by the front of the chapel. He did not see Phillip but felt his strong arms surround him as he tried to run. Phillip lifted him up in the air, which stopped his escape, and pulled John into his chest.

Christian went to take him from Phillip's arms, which resulted in John screaming and shouting, kicking out to try to get free. Phillip told him no and to stay there to let John Watson know the boy was okay. Then took John into the chapel. After a few minutes, exhausted and almost 'cried out', John calmed down and sobbed into Phillips's shoulder.

Phillip sat with him in one of the pews holding him close. “It's alright. I promise you everything is going to be okay.” He continued to hold him and gently rocked, trying to calm the boy more.

Then Phillip heard the door opening. When he checked, he could see Christian and the other two in the doorway. He shook his head 'no' and signalled them to go. It took a few more minutes before John calmed down, and began to relax. Phillip sensed that John may now be prepared to talk.

“John, do you feel up to talking to me now?”

Resigned to his fate, the boy nodded.

“Good, you know you had all of us worried about you,” Phillip changed his grip so that he was hugging John and placed his chin on top of John's head. “We were just waiting for you to come down for breakfast before we decided what to do today. I hoped to talk you into going to Blackpool to see the lights. I haven't been there for years. I've missed it living in London.”

“I'm sorry. I would have liked that, but I couldn't go with you anyway.”

“Why not? John and Ethel were coming, and they would never leave you at home on your own.”

“Mr Watson was angry with me. I know he was, and he was going to phone the social worker to take me away.”

“Why would he do that? He likes you, and so does Ethel. In fact, even Christian said that he thinks you're an adorable boy.”

“They might say that, but Mr Watson doesn't think it and when he tells everyone what I did. Nobody will like me. He even said that me and him had to have a private chat, so I know I'm in trouble, and he's angry with me.”

Phillip was not a religious man, but given where they were, he thought he'd use it.

“John, do you know where we are?”

“Yeah, we're in a church. This is where we had the service to bury my Mom and Dad.”

“Well, it's not exactly a church, it's what's known as a chapel, but it's like a church.”

“Yeah, so.”

“Well, you shouldn't lie in a church to anyone. That would be like telling lies to God. You do understand that, don't you?”

“Yeah, I'm not stupid.” John had not been raised in a religious house, but he was taught to respect the church and clergy. In fact, he was taught to respect all religions and beliefs.

“Then can you tell me what you did that was so bad for John to be that angry with you?”

John was caught like a deer in headlights and felt the shame and embarrassment he felt that morning. First, he looked down at the floor and then gulped. “I did something bad. I ruined the bed. I wet myself in the night, but I think something is wrong with me because it was all sticky, and I made a mess, and Mr Watson found it.” He threw himself into Phillip's arms and sobbed. “Please tell him I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I promise I won't do it again if they will let me stay. I like them and I don't want to make them angry. Will you tell them for me, please?”

Phillip put two and two together, and thinking about what he had seen that morning and his conversations with John Watson, he realised what had happened. He then spent the next fifteen minutes giving John 'the talk,' you know, the one about 'the birds and the bees.' He emphasised the part about nocturnal emissions, and 'wet dreams', and made it clear that it is normal and nothing to be ashamed of. At the tender age of eleven, John's body was changing.

When Phillip had finished 'the talk', he held John at arm's length, looking him in the eye. “John, I promise you now, here in this chapel in front of God, that you have nothing to worry about. You are not being sent away everybody likes you, and we care about you.”

John threw himself back into Phillips's arms, hugging him and whispered, “Thank you.” He then kissed Phillip on the cheek like a boy does. At that point, Phillip knew what he had to do.

Standing, Phillip took the boy by the hand, leading him to the door, “Let's go home, son.”