The John Reddisson Saga by Freddy Johnson

Author:Freddy Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781781484326
Publisher: Grosvenor House Publishing
Published: 2014-11-07T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

The week following my return from Hong Kong, I was back at work at the Institute in Eltham. I reported to Colonel Robert, the Commandant, on the Monday. ‘How did it go, John? I suppose it was all ‘hush-hush’ and you can’t give me any details.’ ‘It all went very well, Colonel, and there are no security grounds why I can’t now tell you the reason for my visit. I spent my time debriefing Soviet Jews who had been allowed out of the Soviet Union to emigrate via Hong Kong to Australia.’ ‘Did you find out why the MoD insisted on your going to do the job and no-one else?’ ‘I think there was a misunderstanding somewhere along the line. I personally think someone else could have done the debriefing. I doubt if they’ll call on me again.’

‘To change the subject,’ the Commandant continued, ‘the BILC Conference went splendidly. Your colleague, Jim, did very well. I know he collected a lot of lecture notes for the BILC magazine. Now, regarding your annual Confidential Report. It’s been written up and it’s awaiting your signature. It is a positive report. Nevertheless, there remains the question of your needing to have more experience in standard Education Branch work. To that end, I can tell you that your present appointment here at the Institute will finish in mid-January. The good news is that you are to be the Group Education Officer (GEO) for London District. Eltham Palace Officers’ Mess will continue to be your Mess and there’s no need to move from your Bromley address. You should receive the posting order in the next week or so. I’ll let you get back to your office. You must have a lot of catching up to do.’

The fact that I could continue living in my maisonette in Bromley was good news, indeed. It had crossed my mind that I could be posted hundreds of miles away from the London area. More to the point, it could have been hundreds of miles from Dulwich and from Maria. The GEO posting would probably be for three years, so I could now relax on that score.

Maria was delighted when I rang her with the news. She confessed that it had occurred to her more than once that I could be posted miles away, meaning that, at best, we would only have seen each other at the weekend, with perhaps even longer periods away from each other. Later in the week, Maria and I went out to dinner. She mentioned that the subject of her having spent the weekend with me in Bromley hadn’t arisen with her parents. ‘I’m twenty-five, after all, not some headstrong teenager. Anyway, you are invited to dinner in Dulwich next Saturday, but it’ll be back to Bromley for you after the meal.’

Dr. Galeski and his wife were as charming as ever during my visit for dinner. They asked me lots of questions about Hong Kong although the nature of my work there was never mentioned.

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