A Child In Need

He was running late. Since when did court cases ever run to time? he thought bitterly, grabbing his overnight bag and heading for the station with speed. He had minutes before the train left. Please let Wendy have Harry on the platform.

She did, and she had tickets in her hand as well. Bless her. The whistle blew as she handed over tickets, Harry’s overnight bag-and Harry.

‘Have fun, boys,’ she called as they disappeared into their carriage. And then she grinned.

‘And have fun, Shanni,’ she added, and she walked away with her fingers crossed.

Car three, compartment five…

The train jolted into motion; Harry clung onto Nick’s hand like grim death and they made their way carefully down the corridor as Nick checked seat allocation.

‘I wonder if we have the compartment to ourselves,’ Nick said, and then he stopped.

He was at the right door, but there was already a passenger in the compartment.

It was Shanni.

For all of ten seconds they stared at each other, shocked into immobility. In the end it was Harry who broke the silence. His smile, unused for so long, now threatened to split his face.

‘Are you coming to Melbourne with us?’ he asked her, deeply pleased.

‘I am, but…’ Nick saw she was as flabbergasted as he was. ‘Are you going on the train to Melbourne, too?’

‘Yes,’ said Harry firmly, hitching himself up on to the seat beside Shanni and wriggling his small backside deep into the leather. ‘I am. Me and Nick.’

‘Why,’ she asked carefully, looking at Harry and not at Nick, ‘are you not driving to Melbourne in Nick’s car?’

‘I don’t like cars,’ Harry said.

Silence while she chewed that one over. Nick put the baggage up in the racks and tried to think of something to say. Anything.

She was as stuck for words as he was, and when she finally spoke her voice was loaded with bitterness. ‘I think,’ Shanni said carefully, ‘that I’ve been set up.’

‘Not by me,’ he told her, and sat down opposite. Nick’s voice sounded angry, and Harry looked at him in surprise. Unnoticed, the train gathered speed and Bay Beach faded into the distance behind them.

‘I guess I could always get off at the next stop.’ Shanni looked as if she’d like to jump off right now.

Great. But… Nick bit his lip and looked at Harry’s drooping face. He’d looked so pleased! ‘Why are you going to Melbourne?’ he enquired at last.

‘To visit my Aunt Adele. She’s ill, and my mother’s worried.’

‘I see.’

‘Except now…’ She was deep in thought, not seeing him, and she was almost talking to herself. ‘My family have been odd. Mary’s been telling me how worried Mum was about Adele, and Mum was sort of agreeing-only not saying much-and then when I said I’d phone Adele, Rob said Emma phoned her this morning and she was miserable. Then Mary offered to buy me a train ticket. As the family contribution…’

‘You think they’ve set this up?’ Nick said. He couldn’t see any other reason behind this, and he wouldn’t put it past Mary for a minute.

‘I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.’ Shanni’s anger matched his. ‘John came around last night and Louise told him-right in my hearing-that he wasn’t welcome and I was in love with you! He drove off before I could reach him. I ask you. In love with…you!’

She said you as if he was some sort of dung-beetle-and, despite his annoyance, Nick had to grin.

‘Which is ridiculous,’ he said politely.

‘Which is ridiculous,’ she said, and glowered.

‘So what do we do?’

‘We’re all going to Melbourne,’ Harry said, pleased again now Shanni had stopped talking of getting off. ‘You and me and Nick.’

‘I imagine we can put up with each other for the journey,’ Nick said politely. ‘You never know, your aunt might be sick.

‘She might not be.’ Shanni sighed, anger giving way to exasperation. ‘I guess I can shop.’

‘Will you shop with me?’ Harry asked anxiously, and Shanni managed a smile.

‘Hey, you and I shopped last Saturday. You haven’t worn those clothes out yet?’

‘No, but…’

‘You and Nick are having a boys’ weekend,’ she told him. ‘You don’t need a lady.’

‘You’re not a lady,’ he told her. ‘You’re you.’

‘That sounds the very nicest thing anyone has ever said about me,’ she told him, still smiling. ‘But flattery will get you nowhere, Harry, my lad. It’s a boys’ weekend and I don’t need anything to do with it.’

Which meant, as the train arrived at Melbourne, Harry and Nick prepared to bid Shanni farewell. Or Nick prepared to. Harry had other ideas.

‘Where does your aunty live?’ Harry demanded.

‘Brighton.’

‘Is that close to where we’re going?’ This was one bright kid-and he was certainly persistent.

Nick nodded reluctantly. ‘Yes. We’re going to St Kilda, which is on the way to Brighton.’ Then, because it was the only polite thing to say, he added a rider. ‘Would you like to share a cab?’

‘That would be nice,’ Shanni said, smiling at Harry but eyeing Nick with reservations. ‘And then separate directions. Right?’

‘Right.’

Only, once in the cab, Harry started to talk. He’d been his usual silent self on the train journey, but now he seemed to sense there was some urgency about proceedings.

‘What will you and your aunty do for the weekend?’ he asked Shanni.

‘If my aunty’s sick then I’ll look after her. What are you boys going to do?’

Nick shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. We’ll think of something.’

‘Will you meet us for just a little bit?’ Harry said, and suddenly there was the faintest tremor in his voice. He looked uncertainly at Nick, and his look said he’d suddenly remembered he didn’t know this man very well. For all he knew, Nick could be planning a weekend doing very boring grown-up things-and Miss McDonald was fun.

‘I…’ Shanni wasn’t sure what her response should be. She’d heard the tremor.

‘Come shopping with us,’ Harry urged.

She glanced at Nick-and then glanced away again. ‘I may not be able to.’

And Nick sighed. He knew when he was being bulldozed, and he was being bulldozed now. It would make Harry feel more secure if he knew he’d see Shanni again, so there was no choice.

‘I’ll take Harry to one of the cake shops in Acland Street tomorrow morning,’ he said grudgingly. ‘Join us for coffee. If your aunt can spare you…’

‘Or if I can spare my aunt,’ she said-and looked at Harry. ‘Okay, Harry. I make no promises, but you just might see me tomorrow morning.’

There was no time for more. The taxi pulled up outside the address Nick had given, and she gazed up in stunned silence. Nick’s apartment was in a three storeyed block right on the esplanade overlooking the ocean. She didn’t need to see any closer to figure this place had cost him a mint.

No wonder he hadn’t been too impressed with his sea view at Bay Beach. He had his own sea view here, surrounded by city comforts.

‘Wow!’ said Harry.

‘Double wow,’ said Shanni. St Kilda was only ten minutes from the city and her aunt’s place at Brighton was further out. It had made sense, therefore, for the taxi to drop Nick and Harry off first. So now she knew where he