Stand by Me by Judi Curtin

Author:Judi Curtin [Judi Curtin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781847179944
Publisher: The O'Brien Press
Published: 2017-10-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

We found a quiet bench in a park and we sat there for ages.

‘I’m sorry Graham,’ said Beth. ‘We trusted Rico and his stupid door. We really thought this would work. We really thought you’d get to spend some time with Jeanie.’

‘And if that didn’t work,’ I said. ‘If we arrived just after the accident, like Beth and I did earlier, we thought you could visit Jeanie in the hospital.’

‘That would have been nice,’ said Graham.

‘And maybe seeing her and talking to her would have made you feel better,’ I said. ‘But now …’

‘Hey, Graham,’ said Beth. ‘I’ve had an idea. How old did you say Jeanie was when you last saw her?’

‘She’d just had her thirteenth birthday.’

‘And that was nine years ago – so she’s twenty-two now – she’s all grown up,’ I said.

‘But you can still find her,’ said Beth.

‘But she won’t be …’ began Graham.

I looked at his sad face, and for a second I could understand what was going on in his head.

‘I know you wanted to relive the wonderful days you had with Jeanie when you were thirteen,’ I said. ‘And it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen now – but maybe …’

‘… maybe this is the way things are meant to be,’ said Beth. ‘No offence, Graham, but if … er … old you showed up and tried to race around the fields with Jeanie, that might be a bit … weird?’

‘I suppose you’re right,’ said Graham. ‘I doubt I’d be able to keep up with her – and that would be hard to take. Maybe this way is best. This way we can find grown-up Jeanie and I can apol—’

‘Graham!’ said Beth.

‘I know you keep saying I’m not guilty of anything,’ said Graham. ‘But I’d still like to tell Jeanie that I’m sorry for what happened to her – and for any part of it that might have been my fault. And I’d like to see if she’s OK – if her life isn’t too … grim.’

‘That sounds fair enough,’ I said. ‘But how do we find her? You said her family moved away from Orchard House?’

‘That’s right,’ said Graham. ‘They moved a few months after Jeanie’s accident.’

‘Do you have any clue where they went – or where Jeanie lived when she was twenty-two?’ asked Beth.

‘I’m guessing it must have been around here somewhere?’ I said. ‘Otherwise, Rico wouldn’t have sent us here.’

‘Jeanie might well have been in Dublin in 1969,’ said Graham. ‘But I have no way of knowing for sure. Maybe your phones that know everything can help?’

I took out my phone and looked at the screen. ‘Sorry, Graham,’ I said. ‘Molly and I have been time-travelling for a while now. We’re getting quite good, but our phones haven’t got the hang of it yet.’

‘How did you find out stuff in the olden days, Graham?’ asked Beth.

‘The library,’ said Graham. ‘The source of all knowledge in 1969.’

* * *

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