Mr Justabout - Version 1 - 3700 words

Brian climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. Soon he was warm and cosy, he smiled as he looked around his room. Even though it was much later than his normal bedtime, it wasn’t to dark thanks to his new night light. It had been a good birthday, one of the best. He’d only had six before today, this one, his seventh had definitely been one of his best. He turned to look at the presents carefully stacked in the corner and planned out which he would play with first, then second then third, fourth, fifth and so on, but that would be tomorrow.

Rolling on his side he took a long look at another of his presents, the huge poster his Uncle had given him, it was enormous. It covered the whole wall and was the biggest poster Brian had ever seen, it was of a vintage steam train rushing out of a long dark tunnel. Steam swirled around the huge powerful engine its brass and steel glinting in the sun as it burst out from the dark tunnel and into the bright light. Brian examined every detail as slowly his eyes grew heavy and he began to drift of to sleep. Suddenly out of nowhere a soft breeze blew across his face. Brian sat up expecting to see his door open, perhaps with Mum and Dad slowly creeping in with one last surprise present, but no, his door was closed. Sleepily Brian climbed out of bed and checked his window, it was closed to.

Wrapping himself back in his blankets Brian once again began to fall asleep, as he closed his eyes the breeze swept across his face again ruffling his hair. It was stronger now and warm like summer. The scent of flowers and freshly cut grass filled his room.

Brian sat bolt upright, not sleepy anymore he jumped out of bed and wrapped himself in his new dressing gown. He wandered round his room trying to find were the breeze was coming from. Finally he stopped and stood in front of the huge poster. After a moment the breeze came again only now it had grown from a soft breeze to a steady wind, rushing from the tunnel. Spreading his arms Brian leaned forward pressing against the wind and laughed. He had never been so excited, the wind rushed past him from inside the poster, from out of the tunnel. What a fantastic surprise, this really was the very best birthday.

Brian walked a little closer, then a little more and peered down the tunnel, in the distance he could see a small circle of sunshine. That must be where the wind was coming from he thought, leaning forward so his nose touched the poster he tried to see right to the end of the long tunnel and out the other end.

The small dot grew a little bigger, then a little more. He was getting closer to the end of the tunnel, but Brian wasn’t moving towards the light, the light was moving towards him, Suddenly Brian realised he was somehow inside the tunnel with the huge train. He stood up straight and pushed himself flat against the cold wall afraid to move. He could see the bright sunshine clearly now and it made the tunnel seem very dark and scary. Brian jumped as the crashing sound from the trains whistle filled the tunnel, he turned and watched as the train thundered down the track its whistle fading in the distance. His bedroom was gone and so was the train. Brian stood very still for a very long time trying to decide what to do. Finally he decided it was best to get out of the tunnel. Slowly he moved towards the warm sunshine. When he reached it he stared in amazement, the two metal rails of the track twisted and turned their way between two hills to disappear in the distance. That wasn’t so strange, what was very strange, was everything else. The grass covering the hills and fields wasn’t green as it should be, It was blue. Deep blue, pale blue, sky blue, all shades you could think of. Each blade was tipped with orange, red or yellow and as the breeze passed over, gentle waves merged to form a wash of colour rolling down the hillside. One wave was followed by another then another Brian was hypnotised by it, ‘Wooow’ he said eventually.

Stepping out from the darkness of the tunnel he moved a little way from the track, not sure if the train might return he knew this was the safe thing to do. He walked in the deep grass trailing his hands through the long coloured blades. They were very soft and felt more like the silk scarves his Gran wore than the grass in his garden. There was a tree in the distance and Brian decided to take a look, as he got closer he realised that the tree was as strange as the grass. The trunk was the dark brown colour of most trees but it was smooth like glass, and just as shinny. When he reached it Brian could see his reflection staring back at him. The leaves on the tree were the opposite of the grass around it. Oranges, Reds and Yellows with tips of blue. Each one reflected against the shinning branches they hovered around. Brian couldn’t believe his eyes, the leaves really were floating around the branches and as the breeze rustled it’s way through them they swirled around each branch twisting and turning in a blaze of colour. Some moved between branches like tiny squirrels leaping from branch to branch, whilst others raced from one end to the other then back again.

Brian walked around the tree three or four times before deciding it was safe then he sat down and rested his back against the shinny trunk. He could see the entrance to the tunnel from here. After a few minutes he began to feel worried. His stomach tingled and he felt hot, as wonderful as this strange place was it was not home. He wanted to go back to his bedroom, back to his presents and his warm bed, back to Mum and Dad. Brian stood up determined to go back down the tunnel for as long as it took to find his bedroom again. He tightened the belt of his dressing gown and began to walk back to the tunnel.

‘Wonderful, quite wonderful’ Said the voice from behind him.

Brian stopped in his tracks and looked back at the tree. He was about to turn and run when a small man appeared from behind the tree. He was approximately the same height as Brian, but he was not seven years old. Brian could see that straight away. He wore a long thick coat with big lapels and a split up the back to make two tails. Brian had seen similar coats in history books. This one was purple and it shone in the midday sun. The purple coat was fringed with yellow gold. Under it the little man wore blue trousers held up with bright red braces stretching over a pale green shirt. His hair was shocking pink and stood out like a handful of straw dropped on a head with little care. But the most striking thing about the man, from Brian’s point of view, was his nose. It was the longest Brian had ever seen, so long in fact it was starting to curl up at the end.

The two stood and looked at each other, not sure what to do next. Brian decided not to run just yet. Instead in a small voice he said.

‘Hello. My names Brian, What’s yours ?’

The little man smiled.

‘Hello Brian what’s yours, I’m Justabout right’

Brian smiled back at the little man. ‘No just Brian’ he said trying to correct the misunderstanding.

‘Very sorry, no just Brian’ said the little man

He put one hand to his chin and began to pace back and forth, ‘Now let me see, I’m not to tall, I’m not to short, not to thin or to fat, I’m justabout right , don’t you think ?’

‘Absolutely’ Said Brian.

The colourful little mans face glowed with excitement and he began to pace around in small circles muttering to himself. Brian watched , he wasn’t afraid any more and he chuckled as the little man muttered to himself.

‘Justabout right absolutely, mmmmm no no no that wont do. Justabout absolutely right’. ‘aha’ he said snapping his fingers. Then his brow wrinkled, ‘no no no, you can’t be absolutely right, not absolutely’

He began to pace back and forth again. Then he stopped right in front of Brian and threw his hands in the air.

‘ I have it’ he declared.

‘Absolutely Justabout Right’ he said beaming a huge smile. The little man held out his hand towards Brian and said.

‘Hello, No Just Brian, my name is Mr Absolutely Justabout Right, some of my friends call me Justabout, or Mr Justabout or Absolutely or Mr Absolutely. One should always start a new friendship with a new name, don’t you think ?’

“I really don’t know” Said Brian “ Won’t that confuse your friends, if you keep changing your name like that ? “

“No no” Said the little man. “ Friends always know your name, or they give you a new one”

Brian turned and looked at the tunnel, When he turned back the little man was staring up into the tree, Brian waited a moment but it seemed the little man had completely forgotten he was there.

“Well” Said Brian “ I think I should be getting back now, good bye”
With that Brian tuned and began to walk back to the tunnel.

“Don’t you want some scrumptious” ? The little man asked. Brian stopped, “what’s scrumptious” he asked. The little man was still staring into the tree, then suddenly he pointed up. “ That is of course”.

Mr Justabout was pointing at a large pink fruit, the size of an apple or an orange floating in the branches of the tree Brian had rested against. But their hadn’t been any fruit in the tree, Brian was certain of it. Then as Mr Justabout pointed the fruit began to fall to ground at his feet. All in all Brian counted twelve of the strange fruit but only two fell to the ground. Mr Justabout picked up the two fruits and Brian noticed that the little man had somehow managed to change his clothes. He now wore a smart suit like the one Brian’s Dad would sometimes wear except that every part of Mr Juastabout’s suit was a different colour. Brian also noticed that the little mans nose had shortened considerably and no longer curled up at the end. He was about to ask how he had done this when Mr Justabout said by way of an explanation.
“One should always dress for dinner, don’t you think”?
Brian wasn’t to sure about eating the strange fruit and so just watched as Mr Justabout offered him one.
“ Not to hungry then, well me to, perhaps we could share one” With that Mr Justabout casually tossed one of the fruits back up into the tree were it stayed, floating around the branches with all the others. “Want not waste not” that’s what I say. With that Mr Justabout sat crossed legged on the floor and broke the pink fruit in two. Brian carefully took one half as Mr Justabout took a large bite from his half “scrumptious” he said laying back in the long grass and continuing to eat. Brian lifted the fruit to his mouth and took the very smallest nibble of the smallest piece he could. He liked his lips, it was wonderful, it tasted of the very best bits of all his favourite fruits all rolled into one. Without hesitation Brian lay down next to Mr Justabout and joyfully ate his scrumptious.

When they’d finished they lay in the colourful long grass and stared up at the sky. Mr Justabout reached into his pocket and pulled out two small towels. He wiped his hands and face on one and handed the other to Brian. The cloth was warm, damp and clean, Brian wiped his hands and face and handed the cloth back. Mr Justabout tucked the two cloths back into his pocket and sprang to his feet.

“Coming” he said.

“Were to” Said Brian ?

Mr Justabout stood perfectly still with his eyes closed tight, Brian thought he looked his friend Tom when they were stuck on a question in maths lessons. Suddenly Mr Justabout open his eyes and spun round pointing towards a hill behind the tree. “That way” he pronounced and immediately set of marching towards the hill without a second glance back at Brian.

Not sure what he should do Brian first looked towards the entrance to the long dark tunnels, then back at Mr Justabout. He really should be heading back down the tunnel but he decided to stay a little longer. Just to see what was over that hill Mr Justabout was marching towards.

Brian had to run to catch up with the little man who moved very quickly for someone with such short legs. He caught him just as they reached the top of the hill and looked over. Beyond the hill was a long curving beach of yellow sand lying against a deep blue sea. The water was perfectly flat and smooth except for the small ridges made by the waves moving in to gently lap against the sand.

“No no that won’t do, simply won’t do”

Brian looked at Mr Justabout who seemed a little upset.

“What’s wrong” said Brian “it looks fine to me”

“No no not fine, not fine at all, far to blue”

With the Mt Justabout set of down the hill at a pace Brian could not match. Soon the little man had left Brian behind again and sped off towards the waters edge. When Brian reached the bottom of the hill he looked at the little man as he raced away and began to regret following him. He should have gone back to the tunnel, back to his bedroom and his Mum and Dad and not followed the strange little man who again seemed to have completely forgotten he was here.

Brian turned back and looked up the long hill. He would say his goodbye’s to me Justabout and head back to the tunnel and he would do it now. He tuned to shout his farewell when he noticed two things he hadn’t seen when he looked a moment ago. The first was a huge tap, the same as you’d find on your bath but much much bigger. Mr Justabout had just climbed to the top of it and was sat on the handle. The second was a person lying on the yellow sand with his feet soaking in the blue water.

Brian could hear Mr Justabout shouting as spun on the huge tap handle like a fairground ride. From out of the spout gushed a stream of colour falling in to the clear blue sea. Slowly at first and only under the tap the colour of the sea turned from a blue to a red then a purple then back to red then slowly the red faded to a light warm rose colour. It was hard to just what colour it was, not red, not pink, crimson thought Brian but that wasn’t right either. It was the colour of a sunset as it dipped below the horizon a blur of red, yellow, pink and blue that instantly said warm. As Brian watched the warm colour trickled out from under the tap to slowly merge with the whole sea. Before his very eyes this strange little man had changed the colour of the whole ocean. He looked down at Mr Justabout who was now stood at his side with a hugely satisfied grin on his face.
“Now that right he said, that’s Justabout absolutely right for swimming” “Don’t you think ?”

“I suppose so” Said Brian still a little shocked and amazed by what he had just seen.

Again Mr Justabout seemed to read the question on Brian’s lips and interrupted him saying

“ Cold and blue simply won’t do, not for swimming, for swimming you want warm and rosy” “Now come along lets not waste the day, there’s swimming to be done”

With that Mr Justabout threw of his jacket to reveal the longest pair of swimming shorts Brian had ever seen.

“But I Don’t” said Brian.

“Don’t, don’t what ?” Asked Mr Justabout.

“I Don’t swim”. Said Brian.

“Can’t swim, Can’t swim” chorused Mr Justabout

“I never said I couldn’t swim” Interrupted Brian “ I said I don’t swim”

“Can’t swim, Don’t swim, it’s all the same thing, just what have you been doing with yourself. What are doing not swimming, nothing that’s what, nothing and it simply won’t do, just what is a boy of your age doing, doing nothing when you could and you should be swimming”

Brian felt like he was back in school being shouted at when the science block window had been brocken, he hadn’t kicked the ball then but it didn’t stop him being shouted at with the rest of the boys. Just then Mr Justabout said something that made Brian very angry.

“I blame the parents, for allowing boys to do nothing when they should be swimming or running or something other than nothing”

Don’t you say anything about my Mum. This time though Brian was not going to keep quite. He needed to defend himself, but more than that he was not going to let anybody talk about his Mum and Dad.

“I can swim, my Mum and Dad made sure I went to lessons. Lots of lessons till I could swim properly. I just decided I don’t want to anymore that’s all and that’s all there is to it.”

Mr Justabout turned to Brian looked him straight in the eye and said “ Bye then” With that he turned on his heel and ran down to the water’s edge leaving Brian alone on the beach and feeling a little silly. Mr Justabout reached the edge of the water and let on of the strange waves wash over his feet, as if testing the temperature, then he ran out into the sea up to his waist before diving forward to disappear under the water.
Brian watched from the bottom of the hill. He almost set of running to follow Mr Justabout but stopped himself. He had a point to prove and Mr Justabout hadn’t been very nice to him. It would serve him right if Brian just watched from here and made him swim all on his own.

“Hello” Said a sad, fed up sort of voice from beside him.

Brian turned to see the very tall person who had been lying on the beach now stood beside him. Brian looked up and up. The strange man wasn’t just tall he was very very tall. His legs were longer than Brian was high, and his head seemed to be a very long way from the ground.

“I’m Mr simply won’t” He said.

“Hello” Said Brian. “ I’m Brian, how do you do” Brian’s Dad had once said that that was a polite way to introduce yourself to people you don’t know and he thought he’d give it go.
“Note very well actually”
Brian’s Dad had also said there was always the danger that people actually told you how they did. But Brian was sure at the time that this had been a joke, he wasn’t so sure now.
“Oh” said Brian. Not knowing what else to say, he looked out at the water as Mr Justabout surfaced long enough to take a breath then disappeared under the waves again.
“Why don’t you go for a swim with Mr Justabout” Brian asked. “ I’m sure he’d like that”
“I won’t if you don’t mind” Replied the strange man.
“Oh said Brian, Can’t you swim ?”
“Yes I can swim, I swim very well, I simply won’t that’s all”
“But that’s silly” replied Brian
Mr SimplyWon’t sat down in the yellow sand. His head now only just higher than Brians. He looked down then out at Mr Justabout, then back at Brian.
“Yes it is isn’t it” Mr Simplywon’t said as he continued to look at Brian.
“That’s different” Replied Brian realising why the tall man was looking at him so strangely.
“I just don’t feel like swimming and any way I don’t have anything to swim in and I’m not swimming in my pajarmers”
“What’s that then ?”
Brian looked down and saw for the first time that he was now wearing his favourite swimming shorts under his dressing gown. He looked out at Mr Justabout splashing around in the warm water, then back at Mr SimplyWon’t. He was being silly, he knew it and he felt it. He could swim and he wanted to swim, so he should swim and enjoy himself. He decided there and then that he would be more like Mr Justabout and not become a Mr SimplyWon’t. Taking of his dressing gown he turned to Mr SimplyWon’t.
“Bye” He shouted as he raced down to the water, he didn’t stop at the edge instead he raced as fast as he could until the water reached above his knees then dived forward for all he was worth. He was warm and laughing when he plunged out from under the surface.

He was back in his bedroom, back in his bed, his blankets wrapped tightly around him. It had all been a dream, or had it. Brian climbed out of bed and walked over to the poster. The train was back in the tunnel just as it had been.

Brian tried to see to the end of the tunnel but it seemed to far away now, as he stared up at the huge train he noticed something different. Sat in the first carriage was a very very tall man looking out of the window. It was Mr SimplyWon’t . Brians heart raced, if Mr SimplyWon’t was here then perhaps !. Then Brian saw it. Through the window of the drivers cabin he saw a nose. A nose so long it had started to curl up at the end.