The Watchman

Chapter 1 - Tomorrow

Spring – 1988

It’s a little while later and I think we’re home. I’ve been on holiday before so I know how it feels when we will eventually go home. Holidays normally mean walks, arshee’s and Dad going off at night. The last few days have been unpacking, sandwiches and shouting. We never have sandwiches on holiday. And we’ve only had one long walk.

This time we are not going home. We’re home already. I’m pretty certain of that.

The day we left our old home was a funny day. I woke up to this horrible smell and all sticky bits on my face and pillow. Dad walked in and said “For fuck’s sake, Adam!” and then shouted for Mum. I heard him muttering something about today of all days. Jake and Jocelyn poked their heads round the door, smiled, and ran off.

I wasn't sure what to do so I just stayed in bed without moving. Mum then walked in with a smile. She smiled a lot. She walked towards me in a way that made me feel a little better. Mum always did that in the morning. She helped me out of bed.

I thought about running off and playing with her, but my belly felt a little funny, so I walked to the bathroom and started to run a bath. I took all my clothes off and sat on the toilet watching the water fill up the bath. The sound and look of the water filling up to the top of the bath always made me feel happy. I don’t why.

I hardly noticed mum walk in a few minutes later. She came into the bathroom, shut the door, put her hand in the water and stopped the water from running. She came over to me and smiled. I could hear Dad shouting at Jake and Joss.

I never know if I’m going to spend an hour or a minute in the bath until I’m actually in there. I climbed into the bath on that morning and didn't like the heat of it that much, so decided to make it a short one. After a short scrub I got up quick and covered my mum and the walls with water.

I was in a much better mood now, so after drying I ran out of the bathroom and went to sit in my usual seat at the table…but it wasn't there. My seat (the one that let me watch out of the window) had gone! Was it worth getting angry? I decided that breakfast was more important than my seat so I sat in the chair by the window instead and grabbed my bowl for cereal and my cup for Pom-Pom Parlar. I thought that this would keep Mum busy for a bit.

The first thing that was strange about breakfast that morning was that Mum walked off after filling my bowl. Normally she sat with me. That morning she just kissed me on the head and walked off after Dad. But I had my food, and I had my Pom-Pom Parlar, so I forgot about Mum and my seat and moved the chair so I could have a little watch out of the window.

The second thing that was strange about breakfast that morning was that my family were making too much noise. Jake and Joss were fighting over boxes that were full of all our stuff. Dad was walking from room to room and kept going to the front door to look outside. Every time either Jake or Joss came in with a box he’d always say “No! The big ones first! What the hell are we going to do with the little boxes now! The big ones go on the van first and the smaller ones later. Look – today you really need to think and not get in my way. To do that you must do everything I ask and do it right.”

I didn't normally listen to what people said, but Dad looked quite funny with his face all serious and hands all dirty. The others were getting a little scared of him; they always do when he’s like that. I had to spit my food out so I could laugh at him. He’s not as scary as everyone thinks. Mum ran in and told Jake and Joss to help her instead.

Of course I got away with doing nothing by simply sitting at the table and eating. I may have lost my seat and all our stuff may have been in boxes, but I had my cereal, my Pom-Pom Parlar and an extra watch to think about. But my Sugar Puffs were starting to run out. I couldn't remember eating that fast. Had Mum forgotten to give me the proper amount? This would never have happened if she’d sat with me. I decided that it would only be ok for me to pour some more Sugar Puffs into my bowl. If anything bad happened then it would be Mum’s fault – she should have sat with me like she always does.

So I poured. Something bad happened. It was Mum’s fault.

My family stopped what they were doing and looked at me with all my Sugar Puffs on the table and all the milk on the floor. Dad stood there shaking his head and Jake and Joss were trying not to laugh. Mum rushed to the kitchen to get a cloth, looking at the floor all the way, so she could clear up my mess.

I got up and went to my room. Everyone else carried on with what they were doing.