Kippy Schofield’s Adventures with the Fantastical Cat
by
Mary Barr
Copyright 2011-Mary Barr
Smashwords Edition
Dedication
To the many people who have touched my life, inspired me, encouraged me and believed in me.
I also dedicated this book to my brothers Alan and John and my beloved parents who taught me to believe I can achieve anything I chose.
With Special Thanks
With special thanks to Victoria Martin for editing my words, hearing my thoughts and listening.
Also, thank you to Stephanie Young for bringing my characters to life in her delightful illustrations.
To my many adorable young fans who share with me their views on my stories, who challenge me with their questions, and love or hate each of my characters. Every time you read my stories you bring life to my books.
‘While you keep reading, I’ll keep writing.’
Hugs,
Mary Barr
Contents
Chapter One: Christmas in Hawaii
Chapter Four: Far Away from Home
Chapter Five: At the Bottom of the Garden
Chapter Seven: Mr. & Mrs. Rabbit
Chapter Ten: Rolling Hedgehogs
Chapter Twelve: Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Chapter Thirteen: The Perfect Gift
Chapter Fourteen: Travel Inn Boys Club. MEMBERS Only
Chapter Fifteen: Gramps and Grandma
Sample chapter from Sethbar — The Changeling.
Chapter One
Christmas in Hawaii
“Hi Gramps!” Scotty said, racing through the open french doors and into the large room beyond. In his haste he almost overturned his mother’s favourite overstuffed yellow armchair. He was late for the Christmas gathering. As he passed Gramps, he lovingly tapped the old man on his shiny bald head.
“Well, it’s about time you showed up, Scotty,” Arabella Schofield chastised, sounding slightly annoyed with her eldest son. Scotty flashed her, his best smile before loudly asking his Gramps,
“How’re you feeling today, Gramps? I hope the heat’s not bothering you too much.”
“Well now,” the old gentleman said, slowly scratching his chin and thinking hard before answering his grandson. “I reckon I feel much like a newborn baby,” he chuckled to himself. Grandma was sitting close beside him and Scotty could hear her mutter under her breath, “not that one, again!”
“Dad, that sounds great, so you’re not noticing the heat then?” Harcourt Schofield asked his father loudly, turning in the direction of the old man who sat in the wicker rocking chair beside his wife.
“Nope, I reckon I’m not noticing the heat yet, but, I still reckon I feel much like a newborn baby - no hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet me pants.” he said laughing heartily as they joined in.
“Old man, you best behave yourself. Its Christmas day - show some respect.” Grandma administered, looking hard in his direction. Kippy knew Gramps didn’t say much, but when he did he’d probably be joking or bantering with Grandma. Kippy often felt they argued too much, but Grandma assured him it was merely the bantering of an old married couple. Kippy always told Grandma that he never intended to be old or married. But Grandma, in her gentle way, assured him that when he was older, he’d probably change his mind. Then she reminded him, yet again, that they loved each other very much.
“How much longer before lunch? Actually, what I really want to know is - has an old man got time to stretch his old legs for a while?” Gramps asked before he continued, “did I tell you that last night Myrtle and I dined at a new restaurant? Yes, us old ones can still experience new things. What was the name of it, old gal?” he asked turning slightly to his wife as she replied,
“British Airways, old man. We were flying here to spend Christmas with our family.” Everyone laughed again as Gramps uttered a loud “Humpf” before appearing to go silent.
“Gramps, if you want to stretch your legs I’ll take you to see the turtles. It’s not far and they swim close to shore about this time.”
“What you say, young Kippy? You can take me to see Mrytle? Why she’s right here. Right here sitting beside me. That really wouldn’t be much of a walk now, even for an old chap like me.”
“Oh Gramps! Not Myrtle…I said turtle. Remember, you’re here with us on Kona in Hawaii. I want to take you to the sea turtles.”
“Dad, I thought you just got yourself a new hearing aid?” Harcourt asked, although his father appeared not to hear.
“Did I tell you I just got myself a new hearing aid? Cost me over four thousand dollars. State of the art, it is.”
“That’s great, Dad. What kind is it?” Harcourt asked.
“Twelve thirty …” the old man replied.
“I thought it was supposed to help you hear?” Scotty asked joining in the conversation,
“Sure, I’ll have a beer. I remember not so long ago when you were too young to join us.”
“Oh Gramps!” Scotty said, as everyone chuckled and moved into the dining room.
Like so many days in paradise, it was a perfect day! Alba, the cook/housekeeper, had all the windows and shutters open. The long table was beautifully set with sparkling, crystal glasses, brightly wrapped bon bon’s and freshly polished silverware.
A light breeze danced off the cool blue ocean and chased the warm air around the spacious room. It was almost like being outdoors. As they sat at the big table enjoying Christmas dinner, Scotty caught Kippy’s eye. He told Kippy to check out Dad’s cufflinks. Sure enough, Dad was wearing the new gold cufflinks with his initials engraved on them. Scotty and Kippy had worked so hard to purchase the special gift for their dad. Scotty had used two weeks of his allowance and couldn’t even afford to put gas in his motorbike last week. Kippy didn’t get allowance until he turned ten, so all of last month he’d worked next door doing odd jobs for his friend’s housekeeper. Kippy saw the same pride in Scotty’s eyes as he felt himself — it was all worth it!
Grandma and Gramps had given Kippy a snorkel, mask and flippers for Christmas. Kippy really wanted to try them out. Even though he already swam like a fish, the thought of trying something new was almost too exciting to bear. To Kippy, at nine and three quarter years old-sitting over lunch for nearly two hours seemed like eternity. Finally, they moved into the living room. Kippy asked, “Gramps, are you ready to see the sea turtles now?”
“See what, young Kippy?” Gramps asked.
“Sea turtles, Gramps - they’re really big and it’s not far to the ocean. Honest it’s not, just down the bottom of the garden,” Kippy assured him.
“Now Kippy, we’ve just flown half way around the world to be here with you. You had him up early this morning so you could open your presents. He needs to rest. He can see the turtles later perhaps.” Grandma said firmly but kindly. She moved her glasses further down her nose so she could fix her small blue eyes directly on him.
“I maybe a little hard of hearing, Myrtle, but I can still answer the boy myself.” Gramps answer surprised everyone.
“Yes, maybe you can, but you’ve never known what’s best for you now have you, old man?”
“Best indeed and for who? I’m only old, not dead!”
“You’re impossible, old man, but you know I’m right. We could both do with a few hours rest. Off you go now before you get too comfortable here. Maybe Kippy will help you up the stairs,” Grandma instructed firmly. Gramps looked annoyed but not defeated as he slowly rose from his chair. Just as he was about to disappear out the door, he turned and said, “humpf,” before farting loudly. He then put his shoulders back, held his head high and left the room. The smell was overpowering. The family immediately moved toward the open windows. Gramps walked slowly off, chuckling to himself as he went.
Kippy had always wanted to know just why Gramps often farted before he left the room. Today he was feeling confident enough to ask.
He moved closer to Grandma. Sitting at her feet he looked up at her old wrinkled face, soft blue eyes and gentle full mouth. She placed her warm wrinkled hand on his head as he cleared his throat to ask his question.
“Grandma, why does Gramps always fart when he leaves the room?”
“Oh Kippy, don’t you know?”
“No Grandma, I really don’t, but I’ve always wondered.”
“So have I, Grandma,” Scotty added.
“Oh, dear me. Why I thought the answer was quite obvious,” she began as they all turned to listen.
“Well…your Gramps has always wanted the last word…all his life he has wanted to have the last word. So when he knows I’m right and he’s lost the argument, he gets up, leaves the room, and on the way out he thinks he gets the last word by farting. Naturally, I don’t win all the arguments, just most of them, you understand. I always thought you all knew about Gramps’ strange habits,” she concluded with a chuckle as everyone joined her. They all seemed astounded at her words. All that is, except Arabella, Kippy’s mother, who added, “Quite disgusting — in fact, that old man is quite disgusting indeed!”
Chapter Two
The Ocean
Kippy knew Gramps hadn’t travelled all this way to rest. So, the moment he could sneak back into the dining room and out through the large open french doors, he did so. He thought Gramps would be sitting on the old bench under the tallest palm tree, but, as he looked in that direction, he wasn’t there. Maybe the old man was resting after all, Kippy thought. Just as he was about to give up, a movement down at the fish ponds caught his eye. There was Gramps!
He was leaning over the old fence that surrounded the ponds. Kippy’s dad had insisted it was erected when Kippy was little in case he accidently fell into the water. Most of it had long since collapsed but Kippy could clearly see his Gramps leaning over the ponds as he held fast to the railing. He was deep in conversation with Poohna, their old caretaker. Kippy ran just as fast as he could towards Gramps and Poohna.
“…Well, I definitely saw her, just as pretty as can be. I reckon she was brushing her hair.” Gramps finished as Kippy locked arms with him.
“That’s just what they do, always said so myself. I’ve seen the Mo’o many times doing exactly that. I’m making the Kapu Symbol now in my workshop to protect these ponds and the Mo’o also.” Poohna explained. Just then Kippy’s two friends Lani and Ahi raced over to where they stood talking. Lani and Ahi lived right next door. Their mother was the housekeeper to the Forrest family when they were in residence, which was almost never. Kippy could only ever recall seeing them once and then they’d ignored him completely. Lani was almost ten and a half years old and Ahi, her little brother, was nine. They were Kippy’s best friends.
“Hi Grandpa Schofield,” Ahi and Lani said together as Gramps touched them on the head and winked his greeting.
“Well, maybe your Mo’o is like our mermaid except I think she’s half turtle,” Gramps said as Ahi explained,
“The Mo’o is the guardian water spirit who we believe inhabits the fishponds. She is a supernatural being and resembles turtles or lizards. But, you must truly believe in order to see her. If you do, then she appears as a beautiful girl. Oh, look, there she is now on the rock over the other side of the pond!” Ahi said, pointing to a tall black lava rock that stuck high out of the calm brackish pond water. Together, they looked to where she pointed; they all exclaimed that it was indeed the Mo’o. Lani said how beautiful she was today! They readily agreed, shading their eyes as they stared. Kippy knew exactly where they were looking, but try as he may, he could see nothing but the rough black lava rock. Kippy always tried hard to believe, but still he could see nothing.
“Yes sir, there she is brushing her hair just like you said, Mr Horrace,” Poohna exclaimed.
Scotty snuck up behind the others as he whispered softly in Kippy’s ear,
“I never could see her either, Bones.” Kippy smiled as Scotty quietly moved away. Everyone loved Gramps and Kippy wasn’t at all surprised to see his friends arrive the moment they saw the old man outside.
“Look, Grandpa Schofield, this is the Naupaka-Kahakai,” Lani began, holding out a branch of flowers hidden in the large, shiny, lush, green leaves. Immediately Ahi interrupted her,
“Just call it the beach Naupaka. Do you know the legend Grandpa Schofield?” Ahi asked, obviously showing off his island knowledge.
“Well no, young Ahi, I don’t suppose I do. Why don’t I sit awhile as you explain the legend about this strange-looking flower. Only looks like half a flower to me actually,” Gramps said, slowly moving a few feet as he half-sat on a huge lava rock nearby.
“Well,” began Ahi, feeling very important as all eyes were on him, “well, there are two varieties of Naupaka - one grows near the sea and the other grows in the mountains. Each bears what appears to be half a blossom. When the two are placed together, they form a perfect flower,” Ahi finished with a triumphant smile on his deeply, tanned dark face.
“Tell him the legend…go on…tell him Ahi,” Lani ordered. Ahi suddenly lost his smile, looked at the ground and started kicking the sandy earth with his barefoot. Quietly he muttered, “forgot…you tell them.” Kippy knew all the legends and he would have liked to tell Gramps himself but soon they were all listening as Lani happily told the story.
“Once upon a time there were two lovers, forever separated by the jealous wrath of the volcano goddess, Pele. However, Pele desired the young man for herself and appeared before him as the beautiful stranger hoping to gain his affections, but the lovers remained inseparable. Enraged, she pursued him into the mountains, hurling fiery lava after him. But Pele’s gentler sisters took pity on him. To save him from certain death they transformed him into the mountain Naupaka. Then Pele turned on the young woman, chasing her into the sea, but again, her sister goddesses intervened, changing the maiden into the beach Naupaka. Each, forever blooming as a half flower; the two lovers were never to be reunited. Isn’t it sad?” Lani asked, as she finished her story.
“Sad, yes, but very romantic,” Gramps said.
“Oh yes, having someone love you that much is very romantic. When you’re old and wise like Mr Horrace and me you’ll understand just how hard it is to get someone to love you at all.” Poohna added.
“Gramps, I love you like that,” Kippy said as he noticed the knowing look pass between the two old men.
“I know you do, young Kippy. Now, where are those turtles? I reckon they’ll all be asleep by the time we get to them.” Gramps added, slowly rising from his rock and moving in the direction of the ocean.
“Gramps, some of the sea turtles are eighty or a hundred years old…” Kippy said as Ahi continued adding, “…and some are even older. Maybe they got a right to be tired, but they won’t be sleeping at this time of the afternoon.”
“Just like us, Poohna, old but not yet dead.” Gramps added as the two men chuckled. Soon Ahi continued,
“They’ll be feeding in the lagoon. Grandpa Schofield, you can watch as we swim on their backs,” this time it was Lani who interrupted Ahi,
“…they’re an endangered species, silly, we’re not suppose to swim on their backs. We could get into trouble.” Lani said looking sideways at Gramps and Poohna.
“Off you go. We know you respect all living things. I think I’ve taught you that. We’ll be there in a while,” Poohna suggested. But first, Kippy had to ask Gramps a question before he followed the others.
“Gramps, how come you can hear alright now but you couldn’t hear so well inside?” Kippy said, looking up at his Gramps in earnest.
“Well now young Kippy, there’s several reasons. There are always a lot of people talking at once in the house so I have to tune in, much like a radio does. You understand.”
“Oh,” said Kippy, deep in thought before he decided it wasn’t a satisfactory answer. He asked again, “so Gramps, what is the other reason?”
“Well Kippy,” Gramps began with a chuckle, “that’s the simpliest one of all,” he said, still chuckling as he ruffled Kippy’s hair.
“So what is the answer, Gramps?”
“Kippy it’s the obvious one of course. My new, state of the art hearing aid was switched off,” he replied as Poohna and Gramps chuckled loudly. Gramps turned to Poohna and added,
“Still drives Mrytle crazy after all these years. I know just how to wind her up.” Both men positively laughed at this. Kippy was still thinking until moments later he understood. Kippy couldn’t decide which old man moved the slowest. After walking with them a while, he ran on ahead to join his friends.
“Hey Kip, look, it’s the big old gray guy and the two smaller ones. That’s one I haven’t seen here before,” Lani was pointing to the quietly rippling waters of the lagoon. Several feet in front of the three children were three turtles busily feeding on algae off the rocks just under the water’s surface.
Kippy loved the lagoon; he knew it like the back of his hand. Ever since he could walk it had been his constant playground. He knew all the fish, but his favourites were the Manini or Convict Tang, and the Ulua or Pompano. As Kippy grew older, and when Scotty was home on the weekends from boarding school in Honolulu, they would catch fish for the family. Kippy loved swimming beside his big brother best of all!
The moment Gramps and Poohna arrived, the three friends stripped off their shirts and shorts and waded out into the clear water, coaxing the turtles with them. Gramps stood higher up on a smooth rock and watched delightedly as they swam under the water and then skimmed the surface before diving deep again on the turtle’s backs. They soon tired of the game and began diving for brightly coloured coral to show Gramps. He picked out several pieces he thought Myrtle might like. As they emerged wet and laughing from their frolics, Gramps smiled broadly as he complimented them on being such expert swimmers.
“…What I wouldn’t give to swim with the fishes just like you. Never underestimate just how lucky you are living here in paradise and enjoying this wonderful life every day.” Gramps said, as a faraway look crossed his face.
All too soon the dinner gong sounded. No one could believe it was already past seven o’clock. Quickly, they said goodbye to Poohna and their young friends and headed slowly toward the old, white, rambling homestead.
“Well, Kippy, I hear you and young Scotty are doing real well at karate this season. Are you liking it?” Gramps asked as they walked slowly onward.
“Oh yes, Gramps, but actually we do Do Jitsu Ryu - it’s developed from basic karate. I maybe a small skinny kid but I just got my red belt. Scotty always seems to be ahead of me; he’s already got his black belt, and always seems to be head of the class.”
“Well, Kippy, that’s the way it is with siblings — he was, after all, born first. But, when you’re older, I promise you that will be an advantage. You’ll still be young when he’s old like me - you know, when he, also, looks like a newborn babe…”
Kippy was looking up at Gramps and laughing at his joke as they slowly ambled toward the house. Kippy had walked that way many times. However, on this occasion he didn’t see the black rock sticking up several inches from the lawn. Kippy fell hard on his face as the rock stuck deeply into his knee. Kippy yelled with pain as he lay face down on the lawn. His yells immediately bought Scotty, followed by his dad, out to where he lay.
“Well I never saw it either. He’s hurt, lift him, Scotty,” Gramps instructed. Scotty easily scooped Kippy into his arms as he whispered, “big boys don’t cry, Bones.” Kippy tried to stifle his sobs. Scotty had always called his little brother - Bones. Kippy secretly hated it; he wished he could look more like Scotty. Scotty was about five foot eleven inches tall with broad shoulders and a masculine body. He had a round face that was usually flushed from the sun, a square jaw, and clear blue eyes. He had a round nose and round generous lips. His hair was thick, curly, and a light red. Kippy’s dad described Scotty as stocky in a handsome sort of way.
Kippy, on the other hand, was small for his age. He was very skinny and you could see all his bones as he moved, hence the nickname - Bones. Kippy was shorter than Ahi and Lani. He had thin, straight, brown hair that stuck up in the front no matter what he did to it. His thin pointed nose was covered in freckles; he had small brown eyes, thin lips which never seemed to cover his buck teeth, and a small pointed chin. In fact, he looked nothing at all like his brother. His dad sometimes said he took after Arabella’s side of the family. His mother was tall and willowy, with pale skin that never saw the sun, long shiny blond hair, blue eyes and full pink lips. There had never been a doubt in any one’s mind that she was a beauty. Kippy also knew his dad, who was tall and dark, was very handsome. Scotty always said they were the most handsome couple on the island.
“Now Kippy, big boys don’t cry,” Dad said, taking his younger son from Scotty. Carrying him carefully into the large sunny kitchen, Alba immediately hugged him close, quietening his sobs before tending lovingly to his cut knee, bleeding nose and scraped face.
Chapter Three
The Letter
“Wow, Gramps, that was neat…I can swim faster than ever with my new flippers!” Kippy said, delighted. He emerged from the early morning ocean as the sun blessed the earth with its golden rays and welcomed another new and perfect day in paradise.
“Gramps, I love them — thank you very much,” Kippy said, removing his flippers and mask. Kippy moved closer to the old man he loved who was watching patiently over him from the large lava rock overlooking the water.
“Well, young Kippy, if I’d known how you already swim better than a fish I don’t think I would have bothered. I see your friends don’t have anything to swim with, other than what they were blessed with at birth.”
“I can’t wait to show them. I know they’ll think the flippers are real neat.” Kippy said, the excitement evident in his voice.
“Kippy, if you’re going to wait here until your friends wake up, this old man is going to creep back into bed beside his wife before she finds he’s missing and he gets into even more trouble,” Gramps chuckled slowly getting to his feet.
Several hours later Kippy’s stomach was growling loudly; he was starving. Lani, Ahi, and Kippy spent the morning swimming in the ocean, each taking turns to try out Kippy’s new Christmas present for themselves. As Kippy’s stomach continued to growl loudly he realized the lunch gong hadn’t sounded nor had anyone been down to the shore to check on him. This was highly unusual and something deep inside told him it wasn’t good.
“I gotta go,” Kippy said suddenly, racing off toward the house.
“Hey Kippy you forgot your…” they called after him but he was already too far away to hear them.
The moment Kippy entered the house he knew things had changed, he didn’t know how or why but he knew something was different.
“…I never really believed we’d get the letter in time, all the way over here…” Arabella was saying. She sounded more excited than usual.
“Dearest, wouldn’t you say it’s more important that he was accepted. Now you know the importance of study, my boy …” His dad was saying to Scotty. Kippy was about to race into the room where everyone was gathered but he stopped short. He immediately felt guilty. This was obvious something to do with school. Kippy hated school and, like most of the kids on the island, he didn’t attend regularly, even though his parents thought he did. He was, however, a better pupil than most and usually showed up for half a day either in the morning or the afternoon. As a result his grades were never very good. He knew he was fortunate that he understood things quickly but he seldom remembered to do homework. Even when Arabella yelled at him and reminded him, he usually found a way to get out of it. On the occasions he did his homework, he would forget to take it to school the next time he attended.
“I never doubted you could get into Oxford, after all, you’re a Schofield.” Grandma said, hugging Scotty as Kippy quietly entered the room.
“I’m going to start the arrangements and open the house in England. Looks like all your wishes will soon be coming true, my dearest,”
“Oh, Harcourt, I can’t wait to be out of here. I only ever stayed because of you. It will be much better for us in England, you’ll see,” Arabella promised, as Kippy felt suddenly sick deep in the pit of his stomach.
“Arabella my dear, England’s changed quite a bit in twelve years. I do hope you won’t be disappointed. Why, you positively live in paradise here.” Gramps added, noticing Kippy sneak into the room for the first time. He also noticed the frightened look on his face.
“Horrace, you don’t have a clue what it’s like living here year after year, stuck on this stinking hot, isolated island,” Arabella responded, none too kindly. Kippy had always thought his mother was happy living on the beautiful island of Kona. He was shocked to hear her words.
“Humpf,” Gramps replied.
“And Kippy,” Mother said, noticing him for the first time, still wet and wearing only his swimming shorts.
“…Soon you’ll be attending a proper school and wearing clothes all the time. It’s about time things went my way for a change,” Arabella concluded, before getting to her feet and leaving the room. Kippy walked over to where Gramps and Grandma sat. As his shorts were wet, he sat on the floor at their feet.
“Gramps, Grandma, what does this mean?” Kippy asked in a small voice as he stared with wide, innocent eyes up at his beloved grandparents. They exchanged a quick glance before Grandma said,
“Kippy, it won’t be all bad. We can see much more of you, in fact, anytime you want.” Grandma patted him lovingly on his wet head. But for once, Gramps wasn’t chuckling.
Much later Kippy headed for the kitchen. Lunch was usually served promptly at twelve thirty. It was already after one o’clock and Kippy still couldn’t smell any delicious cooking smells from the stove. As he walked into the large sunny kitchen he saw Alba sitting at the big wooden table in the center of the room. Huge tears rolled down her brown face as her massive body shook all over like the jelly she often made him.
“Alba, it’s not that bad, is it?” Kippy asked quietly. She didn’t reply, instead, she just opened her arms. Immediately, he was engulfed by the woman who had brought him up since birth. Alba had always been there for him - loving, caring and worrying about him for as long as he could remember. Kippy had never seen Alba cry - she was usually singing, laughing and happy. As he felt her huge body heave with sorrow, it saddened him more than he could ever have imagined.
“Oh Kippy, you’re like my own boy. I love you more than anything in the world,” she sobbed, quite unable to stop. She was hugging him so tightly he could barely breathe. But somehow he knew that was the least of his troubles.
“Alba, please don’t cry…we’re just going to England. Are you afraid you won’t like it there? Oh, please, don’t cry. I’ll have to leave my friends too,” Kippy said, trying hard to comfort her. But he knew instantly his words only made it worst as her sobs became even louder. As he watched her large body heave with sadness he knew he didn’t sound convincing at all.
“Oh Kippy,” she began squeezing him even tighter.
“I’m not going. I have to stay and look after the house, it’s my job. I’ll be just like Lani and Ahi’s mom except without any children. I’ll be in a big house all alone and waiting forever for the Schofield family to return. Just like your friends wait and watch for the Forrest family to come home,” she said, as again huge tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped off her chin onto the old wooden table. They splashed salty and wet just inches from where Kippy’s initials were scratched deeply into the wood. Alba’s huge body continued to shake uncontrollably with each giant sob.
Chapter Four
Far Away from Home
Kippy preferred the little aeroplane that had taken them from their home on Kona across the ocean he so loved to the international airport on the island of Oahu and the busy city of Honolulu. He was exhausted by the many people and things going on around him. Until now, his life mainly revolved around six people, and he was quickly learning he preferred it that way. Kippy hated leaving Alba behind and couldn’t understand why she didn’t come with them. He cried so much his mother had finally promised him that Alba might, one day, join them in England. Although looking at Alba, as she tried to hide the tears that were still falling, he knew she never would.
Kippy felt a deep sadness in the pit of his stomach; he hated saying goodbye to his Dad. Kippy couldn’t bear leaving anyone, especially his Dad. He cried even though he knew his dad was just heading to New York and then onto the Pentagon in Washington D.C. for business. Somewhere, deep inside, Kippy felt that he would never see his dad again. So Kippy held tightly to him as long as possible and gave him several extra hugs until he had to leave.
“I’ll see you soon in London, son,” Dad said holding him close as the tears ran down Kippy’s cheeks.
“Hey, Kip, you’re almost ten years old, remember…big boys don’t cry,” Dad said kindly, squeezing him hard. He then kissed Arabella again one last time, ruffled Scotty’s hair, and raced through the boarding gate. Then Kippy was dragged through a whirl of shopping in Honolulu with his mother. He had not enjoyed the day at all nor any of the other new experiences since leaving his home on Kona. The best part of his time in Honolulu, however, was the evening he spent on the beach with Scotty. Scotty tried to tell him about London, about the old house where he was born and where he had spent the first four years of his life. The only part Kippy actually remembered was when Scotty described the smooth, round, gray magic rock at the bottom of the garden. Kippy realised that Scotty had only been four years old when they’d left for Hawaii so he probably hadn’t remembered correctly. Although Scotty assured him he had. However, Kippy had only ever known Hawaii and with the exception of the magic rock he found it impossible to imagine any of the things Scotty was telling him.
All too soon they were headed into the wild blue yonder. Below him, Kippy watched the beautiful islands, with their brightly coloured flowers, blue waters and the people he loved slip away. Before he closed his eyes, he felt the life he knew and loved was already a whisper of happiness in his past. Kippy slept soundly on the big jet all the way to London, England.
Now, they had been in the tall, narrow house in Whetstone just outside London for nearly two long months. It had tall, narrow windows, lots of narrow stairs and an attic which was really only a long narrow room. The front garden was small and narrow and still covered in patches of snow. The snow was the first Kippy had ever seen. He was excited at first to actually touch and hold real snow, but he quickly learned that snow came with cold temperatures, and he didn’t like the cold at all. The back garden was very long and narrow and sloped away from the house. It always seemed to be shrouded in greyish-white fog. Kippy never managed to see just where the bottom of the garden ended. Scotty had described it as an overgrown tangle of climbing roses, jasmine, nettles and brambles, accordingly. Kippy decided he never needed to venture that far from the house.
This tall, narrow house now seemed like Kippy’s prison with its gray paint, narrow windows, dark curtains, and even darker dusty rooms. Shortly after they arrived, a tall man in a dark coat knocked at their door. He then informed Arabella that her husband, Major Harcourt Horace Schofield, had been involved in a fatal accident. For several weeks after that, everyone seemed to cry and, like him, the house was wrapped in sadness. The only person Kippy ever saw was Scotty, who always seemed to have tears lurking at the back of his eyes and Olivera, the cook/housekeeper. She was shy, polite, well mannered and very proper. It was Kippy’s fault, though, she would soon be leaving.
Kippy quickly met the three children who lived in the house next door. Just like everyone he met, they also, had strange accents. Basil was the eldest, and proudly announced that he was eight and a half years old. Basil thought Kippy was much younger than him. Sage was six years old. She was very fat and quite ugly with red hair that hung in thin spirals around her freckly face. Boxer, was the baby of the family, he was five and about to start school. Kippy thought him a horrid, obnoxious child also. Pimples was their skinny little dog. He was, by far, the strangest dog Kippy had ever seen. much of Pimples fur was missing and what he had was sparse, long and a spotted greyish white. Through the missing patches of fur you could see the little dog’s pink skin. It had huge ears and big eyes although he appeared friendly enough, he seemed to shiver continuously and barked all the time. Basil said it was because Pimples didn’t like Kippy. Kippy replied that he didn’t like Pimples either. The little dog just ran around and around. Kippy just stood there watching him with its huge eyes and loud high pitched barking.
Basil then told Kippy that he could visit and play with Sage and Boxer whenever he wanted to. He said his young siblings annoyed him and he needed someone to look after them while he did more grownup and important things. Kippy had no idea just why he would want to play with Basil’s young siblings and he told him so. Basil then said that he would play with them because he was being told to. Kippy replied firmly that he wouldn’t.
An immediate fight broke out between Basil and Kippy. Kippy soon gave Basil a bloody nose before Basil ran screaming to his mother. Basil had annoyed Kippy so much he wanted to practise his Do Jitsu Ryu on him. Kippy thought Basil was lucky he only recieved a bloody nose. That proved the end of their very short friendship and the end of Kippy’s necessary association with Pimples, the balding dog.
When they first arrived, Kippy had attended the local school, but only for one month. That’s as long as it took for his mother to be summoned to the principal’s office. Kippy had tried to make friends and fit in. The other students said that in order for him to be accepted as one of them, he must first complete a dare. They dared him to glue tacks to his teacher’s chair. So, Kippy had done it. Once he was caught, they’d decided not to become his friend after all. Kippy told the Principal exactly why he had played such a trick on his teacher. So, when they all got into trouble, they quickly told the Principal that Kippy was solely to blame. Kippy knew without a doubt, they had turned on him and would never be his friends but instead, his enemies.
Kippy didn’t care though. He felt like no one even knew he existed and no one, except Scotty, cared about him at all. Scotty delayed leaving for university due to his dad’s death. But now the house was bustling with the excitement of his imminent departure. Everyone Kippy loved seemed to be leaving him. He cried himself to sleep most nights and dreaded even more the thought of Scotty’s departure. Olivera was also leaving as Arabella had decided, due to his disruptive behaviour at school, that Kippy should now be home-schooled. They were awaiting the arrival of Kippy’s new nanny/tutor, Ms. Beatrice S. Meane.
“She sounds horrid,” Scotty commented when they were first told her name. You know she might actually ‘B Meane,’ poor Bones.” Scotty said.
It was a freezing Thursday evening; the snow was again falling in little blasts as the wind drove it sideways. All was quiet inside the house as Arabella readied herself for her date with Lord Randolph Winchester III. Kippy seldom saw his mother these days. He watched Lord Winchester’s limousine arrive regularly and the old fat Lord escort his mother to the waiting vehicle. She never turned to see if he was watching from his window. Shortly after they left a loud thumping came from the front door. Kippy thought he should answer the loud knocking as it was rapidly becoming persistent and more urgent.
The freezing snow blew immediately into the entranceway followed by a tall, wide, ugly woman dressed entirely in black. As Kippy looked up at her he saw several long curly, black hairs growing from the large black warts on her chin and from the ends of her nostrils. Small, black, beady eyes glared down at him. Kippy couldn’t help but stare at her gray blotchy skin. It looked like it was falling off her face as it draped in folds around her neck. She lifted two, huge, black suitcases a few feet into the house before dropping them at Kippy’s feet.
“Well now, ya must be the problem child, Lypton, or some such rather strange name. Ya left me out in the cold much too long, so I for one won’t be a warmin’ to ya anytime soon. Best be gettin’ a ladies bags and quickly,” she instructed, poking him several times with her wet umbrella in the ribs. Kippy continued to stare up at her in astonishment. The sound of her raspy voice was like nails over a chalk board. He shivered as much from the sight and sound of her as he did from the freezing air that had entered the house.
“What ya waitin’ for — cat got ya tongue has it an all?” she asked in her strange voice and even stranger accent. She poked him again with her umbrella, harder this time.
“No,” Kippy said, still staring at her.
“No what me boy, no what?” she questioned. Kippy had no idea what she was talking about so he said nothing and kept right on staring up at her. She glared right back down at him and for several long minutes neither of them moved or said anything.
“Confound you child. Get me bags and get them this very instant. Do ya hear me, you horrid boney little creature?” Kippy couldn’t believe how she was speaking to him. It was at that moment that Scotty came bounding down the stairs and almost ran head first into the woman standing in the entranceway. Kippy would never forget the look on Scotty’s face as he stood almost eye to eye with the woman dressed in black.
“Oh,” was all Scotty could say “oooooooooh…”
“And you’d be?” she asked. Kippy saw the astonishment on Scotty’s face as she spoke. Scotty, however, regained his composure much faster than his younger sibling and quickly introduced himself, but not before shooting Kippy a sideward look that said it all.
“I’m Scottington Hilyard Schofield,” Scotty quickly managed to say.
“The babysitter I assume. Why the lady of the house must be hard up if all she can get is the likes of you to look after this tyke. Me bags boy, me bags,” she demanded as she was about to use her umbrella as a dangerous weapon again. Scotty quickly avoided contact and scooped up her heavy bags before turning and asking, “Just who are you and where do you think these are going?”
“Firstly, young man, you’ll be showin’ some respect for your elders by addressin’ me correct like. And secondly, I think they go into the bedroom off the kitchen if I be remembering right.”
Kippy thought she must have been here before. He snuck a sideways look at Scotty and he knew he was thinking the same thing. When he spoke he mimicked her accent and asked, “to whom am I addressing and how do you know where the bags go?”
She turned quite crimson in her gray floppy cheeks before answering none too kindly,
“I be Nanny Meane…Ms Beatrice S. Meane… of the Duxbury Nanny Corporation. I specialize in problem children and just looking at this young scoundrel I knows he be one. Always remember young Lypton, I’s be Meane by name and mean by nature. Remember that and we’ll get along just fine and dandy, yes we will. I’s be instructed as to where my room is. Need to check it isn’t too far from the lavatory, mind you.”
Kippy was then instructed by his new nanny to make her a cup of tea. She liked it with seven teaspoons of sugar and a generous amount of cream. She reminded him not to forget the biscuits. He had to serve it on a tray and take it to her room. She said she needed to rest after her long journey. As he walked into her room he noticed immediately that it already smelled different. So that’s the smell of Meane he thought, carefully setting the tray down beside the bed. It was the very first time he had ever made a cup of tea for anyone, and by the look of the old lady, it wouldn’t be the last. Kippy was rapidly regretting being taken out of school. Just this afternoon, Kippy was thinking that things couldn’t possibly get any worse; that was until Nanny B. Meane arrived, and now he knew they could.
The next morning Scotty’s bags were neatly waiting at the front door. How Kippy wished it was him leaving. Nanny B. Meane was still asleep when Scotty said goodbye. He’d seen Arabella earlier in her bedroom also packing a large suitcase. When Scotty inquired where his mother was going, she had told him and, asked him to also tell Kippy. Arabella Schofield was soon leaving for Europe where she would be marrying Lord Randolph Winchester III. She would be on her honeymoon for six weeks.
“Oh, Bones, I feel just awful leaving you especially with ‘Meane’ in the house. I have to go to Oxford and do well so I can make our mum proud. I promised dad ages ago. A promise made is a promised kept, Gramps always said, remember, Bones? So, I really must leave…” Scotty said, holding Kippy close as his boney shoulders shook with huge sobs. Kippy was holding Scotty tight. He was the only one who seemed to care and now he was leaving too.
“I hate it here…I hate her…and I never see Mummy. I don’t care if she’s going away. She never really cared about me. But, I’ll miss you, Scotty!” Kippy cried. His brother then knelt down and held him close again. Kippy didn’t see Scotty crying too. Moments later the big black taxi cab pulled to the curb. It tooted several times outside the gate. Scotty hugged him tightly one last time and said, “Bones, I’ll be home before you know it. Remember, big boys don’t cry.
And Kippy…” Scotty said holding him a little distance away and looking deeply into his eyes, “…don’t forget when things get really bad go down to the bottom of the garden and sit on the magic rock.” Scotty said sounding and looking very serious. He then briefly held him close again before grabbing his bags and shutting the door. Before Kippy could wave goodbye, the cab had gone.
Chapter Five
At the Bottom of the Garden
Kippy spent most of the day crying on his bed; it seemed like everyone he loved had deserted him. The only time he went down stairs was when Nanny B. Meane screamed at him to make her lunch, dinner or a cup of tea, and to fetch the packet of biscuits she ate twice a day. He did everything she told him to do but she was still never happy. She reminded Kippy of a volcano - very unpredictable with the chance of eruption at any time.
It was late in the evening when Kippy decided he had to write a letter to Gramps and Grandma. He knew they didn’t live far away but exactly where, he didn’t know. Gramps had made sure he had their contact details should he need them. He needed them now!
He’d tried to sneak down the stairs earlier and call them on the phone in the front hallway, but he could never remember which stairs squeaked. He was quickly learning that Nanny B. Meane must process a bionic ear as well as her other ugly attributes of curly black hairs and warts. Kippy was also learning that Nanny B. Meane never really slept, but sat with her back to the window in the old rocking chair in the kitchen all the time. She watched her small TV night and day and listened for Kippy moving around. She expected him to stay in his room until she called him. Kippy wished very hard she’d go back to wherever she’d come from and leave him alone, forever!
When they had arrived at the house in London, Scotty insisted that Kippy occupy his old room. Scotty said it was bigger, had a double bed, and a bay window complete with a soft window seat. Scotty easily took up residence in the guest room saying he wouldn’t be home that much anyway. Kippy loved being in Scotty’s room; it was full of all Scotty’s childhood toys and drawings. They were much too young for Kippy to play with, but they comforted him and made him feel more a part of this old house and its previous occupants. Scotty had shown him just how to sit on the bottom corner of the bed and look out the large bay window. If he sat at just the right angle, he could see all the way to the bottom of the garden. Kippy had done this several times now but each time he looked down the bottom of the garden it was shrouded in gray, misty fog. He got brief glimpses of tangled overgrown plants before they quickly disappeared under a cover of dense mist.
Just before Scotty left for Oxford he had installed a lock on the inside of Kippy’s bedroom door. “Just in case she really can B Meane,” Scotty had said. He’d also shown Kippy how to sneak out of the bay window and onto the small roof below. From there, he could climb down the tree. Kippy thought his brother a very adventurous four-year-old and also a very good climber if he had done these things at such a young age. “No fear.” Scotty had told him. Kippy sat on the end of his bed and remembered just how Scotty had described the magic rock yet again. “Once you’re twelve years old the rock is no longer magic. Until then, you must sit very still in the middle of the rock and look into the mist very hard and then you’ll see it Kippy… you really will…” Scotty had instructed.
“See what?” Kippy had replied, only half listening as he’d dreaded Scotty’s imminent departure the very next morning.
“You’ll see, Kippy, you’ll see.” That was all he said. Kippy thought Scotty was probably just trying to cheer him up.
Kippy not only felt lonely and unloved, but very sad. He didn’t believe in magic rocks or magic of any kind. If there was any magic in the world then why was he left here with Nanny B. Meane. It was several days later that Kippy found the paper and envelope Scotty had left him. He couldn’t find a pencil anywhere, so very quietly he crept into his mum’s bedroom. There he saw a red pencil lying on her dresser beside her lipstick. He was just about to pick it up when he noticed the cufflinks he and Scotty had given their dad for Christmas. A single tear rolled unchecked down his cheek. He didn’t wipe it away but raced back to his own room. He quickly locked the door so he could sit at the window and write a letter to Gramps and Grandma. He told them how he hated it here and wanted to live with them. When he was finished he addressed the envelope and placed a stamp in the top right hand corner. He folded the letter neatly in half before placing it carefully inside the long white envelope. He then snuck down the stairs to hide it in the hall table. Kippy would watch from his bedroom window for Toby, the postman,and then call to him asking if he would post it.
Kippy knew several of the stairs squeaked and he had manage to miss most of them. As he turned to head back up to his room, the voice he dreaded most in the world startled him,
“And just where do you think you’ve been?” Nanny B. Meane asked menacingly, looking down at him from a few inches away. She usually carried a cane and just as Kippy thought she must have forgotten it, she flashed it out from behind her back and wacked it hard on the hall table, missing him by only a few inches. Kippy jumped with fright as terror rippled through him.
“You’ll be openin’ that drawer in that there table me boy you will, an all,” she commanded, moving slightly closer to him. Kippy could see her black eyes glowing like polished coal in her gray flabby face. He stayed where he was…he didn’t move. He stared up at her and waited.
“Don’t you understand me ya stupid child,” she yelled, her gray cheeks beginning to turn crimson. Kippy stood very still and stared up at her.
“I said open the draw in that there table this instant,” Nanny B. Meane commanded again. Kippy still said nothing as he saw her cheeks positively burned with colour. Kippy tried to take a step backwards, he hated being so close to her. He could smell her body odour and clearly see each curly black hair on her face and each of her large menacing purple warts. Quickly he stopped as she raised her cane above his head.
“And you’ll be doing it now, me boy,” she screamed, her face positively crimson with large gray patches. She looked hideous and just the sight of her told Kippy he was in trouble. Seconds before she was about to bring the cane down heavily on his head, he moved toward the drawer. Slowly he opened it, before again looking up at the menacing creature standing over him.
“That will be a letter ya have written, it will an all? Take it out,” she instructed. Kippy was ready to run for his room the moment she took it from him. He was ready to bolt up the stairs. He could feel every muscle in his body taut and tense. He may be small and skinny, but he could run.
“Now me boy, you’ll be tearin’ that there letter up into four pieces and placin’ it back on the table now won’t ya?” she instructed again whacking her cane heavily on the small table. Kippy jumped with fright as he noticed the mark it had left on the edge of the table. So much for my plan, he thought, beginning to get really scared now. He stared up at her a moment longer before he realised he couldn’t win this time. Quickly he tore up the letter to Gramps and Grandma into four pieces. He threw it on the table and bolted up the stairs. Behind him he heard her cane whistle through the air before it came down hard and whacked the banister. He kept running all the way to his room. Slamming his bedroom door loudly, he locked it firmly before sitting on his bed and trying to control his shaking.
“And ya best stay there until ya need to make Nanny’s tea me boy, an don’t ya be forgetting. Nanny is Meane by name and she can sure get mean by nature real quick if she misses her cup of tea and biscuits, me boy.”
Kippy shuddered at the voice he could so clearly hear coming from the entranceway. So much for his letter to Gramps, he thought as he sat on his bed catching his breath and thinking hard.
He moved slightly so he was on the bottom corner of the bed. From there he did indeed have a clear view of the garden, although halfway down it was still heavily shrouded in mist. Kippy hated the weather - the fog, the mist, the rain - but he hated the snow most of all. He tried again to remember the clear blue oceans of Hawaii, the soft sand, bright coloured fishes, and especially the sea turtles. But most off all he tried to remember Alba, the woman he loved so much, and his best friends Ahi and Lani. Several tears ran down his cheeks as he knew he missed them all very much. There was nothing about the beautiful islands he didn’t miss.
Kippy wiped the tears from his face before grabbing his jacket from the chair. His mum had bought it for him in Honolulu and it wasn’t nearly warm enough, but it was all he had. The old bay window hadn’t been opened in many years and resisted the change. Kippy persisted and soon there was a space just wide enough for him to squeeze through. Kippy wasn’t much of a climber and he could feel his heart beating fast at the thought of falling. But he figured if Scotty could do this when he was only four years old, then Kippy could do this too. After all, he was going to turn ten in just a few weeks. It turned out to be easy once he’d squeezed through the small opening. The roof below hung out over the living room and was almost flat. Since Scotty had used the tree it must have grown much taller. This was to Kippy’s advantage as its strong thick branches made his escape to the ground just two quick steps.
Kippy was careful to stay close to the house. After getting up his courage he didn’t want to alert Nanny B. Meane to his plan. He moved into the overgrown shrubs and bushes. When he passed the kitchen window he could see Nanny B. Meane rocking to and fro with her eyes glued to the TV screen.
The garden, like the house, was long and narrow. It was very overgrown and Kippy could only walk down the center. The many plants reached for him, some touching him while others tried to hold him. As he pushed forward it seemed like he was moving through a strange, misty jungle. He couldn’t see a rock, he didn’t even know for sure if he was at the end of the garden. He kept going, moving forward slowly as the fog and mist swirled around him, clinging to his clothes and hair as it penetrated his bones. He shivered with the dampness.