J & P Book 3 - Please Don't Leave Me

Chapter 14

Andrew had been asleep, but then he'd heard arguing in the next room. It was Mrs Silva, arguing with a man, whose voice he didn't recognise. At first, he'd really hoped it was his Daddy, but no, it wasn't.

He couldn't make much sense of what was being said. Something about papers and hotel rooms. He heard his name mentioned. He heard the name Jenny mentioned. That was Mummy. Then he heard Mrs Silva saying something about him walking into the classroom and his eyes looking familiar, and something about Mummy, and the man she was arguing with.

It went quiet, and then the door opened, and the light was switched on. Mrs Silva was looking at him, kindly, and he noticed there was a man behind her.

"Andrew, your daddy's here. He's come to rescue you."

Andrew shook his head. "That's not my daddy..." He was terrified. He thought this man was going to take him away.

"Oh yes it is, Andrew. Your mummy has been lying to you."

"Baby, please.." the man said, upset. "Let me speak to him. Can't you see? He's terrified."

"Tell you what, Paulie," Mrs Silva said, in a strange way, "I'll give you two five minutes to get acquainted. You can tell him the truth, then he can get some sleep, and we can go to bed."

The man didn't look very happy with Mrs Silva. She left the room, leaving Andrew and the man alone.

Andrew tried really hard to be brave, but he couldn't help but start to cry as the man walked over to him. He was scared. The man looked kind and gentle, but he didn't understand why he was here.

"I'm Paul," the man said. "And you must be Andrew."

Andrew nodded, frozen.

"Are you okay? You've been here for quite a few days now, haven't you?"

Andrew nodded again.

"Have you had enough to eat and drink?"

He nodded again.

"Has she looked after you?"

He nodded again.

"What is she called, that lady?"

"Mrs Silva," Andrew said. "She's one of my teachers. She took me home from school one day and I haven't been allowed to go home."

"I know," Paul said. "Don't worry, you'll be going home soon, I promise."

Andrew looked at Paul. He was wearing glasses, and he had a very serious face. He liked him though. "Why does Mrs Silva think you're my daddy?"

"I think she's made a mistake," said Paul. "She knows your mummy. I used to be good friends with your mummy, before you were born."

"So you're not my daddy?" Andrew was confused.

Paul sat down on the bed next to him, and scratched his head. "Listen, Andrew, your daddy is out there somewhere, looking everywhere for you. With your mummy. They are both so, so worried about you. I hope they find us soon. I think they will."

"Is Mrs Silva bad?" Andrew was beginning to feel more scared of her than he had at the beginning.

"Bad's not the right word," Paul said. "Lonely. I think she needed you to keep her company. Have you been okay here with her?"

"Yes," Andrew said. "I've had really nice food, and watched good films and played with her computer, and she's given me nice cuddles when I cried?"

"Nice cuddles?" Paul asked, looking worried.

"Like mummy would do, if I was upset. I miss her."

"I bet you do," Paul said, looking less worried. "She misses you so much."

"I haven't seen you before," Andrew said. He thought it was funny that he'd never met Paul, if he was good friends with Mummy and Daddy. He'd never even heard them mention him.

"No. You haven't. I was friends with your mummy a long time ago, before she knew your daddy. I moved away, and I live a long way away now."

"Why did you come back?"

Paul looked sad. "Well.. You might want to ask your mummy about that when you get home. I suppose I wanted to help her to find you."

"How do you know Mrs Silva?"

"I was friends with her, as well."

"She says she was friends with Mummy. But she says Mummy doesn't deserve me."

Paul looked cross. He moved closer to Andrew. He looked as if he might put his arm round him, but then he didn't. "Don't listen to anything else she says. Your mummy loves you, and she has been a brilliant mummy to you. Of course she deserves you. You are so precious to your mummy. And to your daddy."

Andrew looked up at Paul, he looked very very sad. He was about to ask him why he was so sad, when Mrs Silva came back in. She was only wearing a nightie.

"Paulie, are you coming to bed?" she said in a funny voice.

"I'm staying here with Andrew," Paul said, firmly.

"Oh no you're not," Mrs Silva said. "I've waited long enough."

"Baby, get a grip," Paul said. "You're clearly not well. I'm not going to bed with you. Unless you were planning to tranquilise me again?"

Mrs Silva shook her head. "Okay, perhaps you're not quite ready. Stay here and get some sleep then. Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock there's a taxi coming to take us away."

"Just let us go, Baby. This isn't going to happen. If you let us go now, then the consequences might not be so severe for you."

"How can I let you go? We're a family now, Paulie. You, me and little Andrew. Just think, you're reunited with your long lost son. And I can be his mum!"

Andrew was so upset, he couldn't help himself. He stood up in bed. "I don't want you to be my mum!" he yelled. "I want to go home to my mum!"

Mrs Silva looked at him, she looked scary and mean. She then looked at Paul. "Get your son to shut up. Tomorrow we're leaving town whether you like it or not. Or I tell the papers everything."

She left the room, and slammed the door. It sounded as if she was locking it from the other side.

"What did she mean about the papers, Paul?"

"Listen Andrew, don't worry. She's upset and she's confused. She won't take us anywhere, I promise."

Andrew had had enough, and now he was crying. "I want my mummy..."

Paul put his arm around him properly now. "I promise you'll be back with her soon."

Andrew felt quite safe again with Paul. He imagined that Paul was his daddy, giving him a cuddle.