“However, I had aquick word with George before we set off today because I had been so alarmedabout you chatting with Juliet at breakfast. He explained everything to me. Iam so sorry, Thomas, but they simply do not exist.” I hear her words, butnothing sinks in. It feels as though I am in shock and floundering, unsurewhere to turn next.
George takes over proceedings. “I fearedthis might happen and this is why I brought you out here. What you perceive tobe true and real and what is actually real are two quite different things.Thomas, I have something to tell you and you are going to find it verydifficult to hear. Please, let’s take a seat.” He motions towards a bench justmetres away from us.
“No, I’m not leaving them! You can’t makeme!”
Janey this time; “No Thomas, we can’t makeyou do anything you don’t want to do but don’t you want to hear what George hasto say? You came all the way up here to find out as much as you can about yourpast, please, just hear him out.”
An inner battle ensues between my head andmy heart as I wrestle with what to do next. I see George and Janey walkingtowards the bench. They sit down and both look in my direction, waiting on meto make a move. I feel torn in two. I don’t want to leave Caroline’s side inparticular (since I’ve just been reunited with her) but the truth is whateverGeorge has to say, Janey is right, I need to hear it.
Still in denial aboutwhat George and Janey are telling me, I address my sister – “Caroline, wouldyou mind if I left you with Juliet for a minute? I just need to go and see whatGeorge wants. I won’t be long.”
“Of course, why would I mind being leftwith Juliet? She’s my sister after all.”
“I know, of course … it’s just that Ididn’t want you to think I was leaving you again.”
“Thomas, I didn’t think that for oneminute. Now please go, they are waiting on you!”
As I glance in George’s direction, Inotice the solemn look on his face, and I brace myself. Whatever he has to say,I can deal with it. As I draw closer, the two of them shuffle up, leaving aspace for me. Janey is sat next to me and places a protective hand on my thighwhen I settle down.
We sit in a brief silence as we wait forGeorge to gather himself. Eventually, he starts: “Thomas, did you never wonderwhy your father didn’t go to prison for what he did that day?”
“Of course I wondered. But he was soclever, and manipulative, I guess I just assumed he had somehow wormed his wayout of it. Maybe he made it seem like an accident or perhaps he lied aboutbeing there in the first place. I never got to find out what happened becausewhen I recovered in hospital I went from there straight into foster care (asyou know), and never heard from mother or father at all. I wouldn’t put it pasthim to have put me in the frame for Caroline’s death though. That would havesewn it up nice and neatly for him. There was no-one else there that day sowith no witnesses it would be easy for him to lie about what happened. I wasclassed as a minor at fourteen years old so he knew I couldn’t go to prison forit.”
“Thomas, you do realise you have justmentioned Caroline’s death. So, you know she is no longer with us?” A sharppain like an electric current starts to trace across my skull with the impactof those words as I am desperately confused. I gaze in front of me and as clearas a bell I see Caroline and Juliet standing there, both looking directly atme. My hands move involuntary in the direction of my head to cradle theafflicted areas. This provides only temporary relief before another currenttracks right over the crown of my head and a single word escapes from my lips,barely audible: “No.”
“Sorry Thomas, what did you say?” Despitethe pain I am more determined this time.
“No, I said! I don’t know what’s going onhere. Maybe you are trying to trick me? What’s your game, George?”
“I am not playing any games, Thomas; Isimply want you to learn and understand the truth. And on that note, Thomas,there was a witness at the scene. Had there not been, it is unlikely you wouldhave made it to hospital.” I am momentarily distracted by Janey who is shiftingaround in her seat, clearly feeling uncomfortable. George too seems distractedwith Janey’s movements so we both wait for her to settle down.
“Do I know this witness? This really makesno sense, George. There was no-one else out there that day. It was wild. We werethe only ones there.”
“That is not the casebecause the authorities were notified, and an ambulance came to the scene totake you to hospital.” He pauses and I wait for him to fill in the blanks, totell me who the witness was. “And I am sorry, I am unsure who witnessed it, butto be honest, Thomas, that is all pretty irrelevant. I need to speak to youabout what happened next that day and what has happened out here today.”
“Go on then!”
“Firstly Thomas, I have tried to explainall this to you before but perhaps you just weren’t ready to hear it at thetime. And Janey, it is good you are here too because
