Page 52 of Hope and Happiness in Bluebell Wood
‘What are you doing out here calling for birds to come andmeet Merlin?’ he asks jovially as he jogs towards me. Today he’s wearing long running trousers and a waterproof jacket like mine, but unlike me his head is uncovered, so perspiration has mixed with rain, leaving his hair and face damp.
‘What?’ I ask, not understanding.
‘What you were calling just now, about a robin?’ Callum says, breathing heavily as he stops in front of me. ‘You’re as likely to see one of those in your garden as out here in the wood.’
‘No,’ I say, suddenly understanding. ‘I’m calling for Robin – you know, the boy I met at the school sale. He’s gone missing.’
‘What?’ Callum asks in concern, immediately forgetting about his breathlessness. ‘When?’
I look at my watch. ‘About an hour ago now. If we don’t find him soon, we’ll have to call the police.’
‘Where’s his mother? Why are you looking for him?’
‘It’s a long story,’ I tell him. ‘I’ll explain later. Right now we have to keep searching.’ My phone rings. I grab it and answer at once.
‘Linnet?’ I say optimistically. ‘Oh . . . oh, right. Yes, I’m quite a long way into the wood. Callum is here now too; he’s going to help us search.’ I glance at Callum. He nods. ‘Right, yes that’s a good idea . . . Okay, keep in touch and I’ll let you know the minute we find him.’
I end the call.
‘Linnet bumped into Lonan while she was on her way back to the wood from her house. He’s going to help her round up some of the villagers to help us search.’
‘Good, Lonan will be an excellent person to be involved. Right, where have you searched?’
‘Everywhere we’ve walked so far. All our usual routes.’
‘What about up by the little stream?’ Callum says. ‘Youknow, where it broadens out into the river. Where I bumped into you that time?’
‘It’s possible; we haven’t gone that far yet. But do you think Robin would wander that far into the wood? He’s only, what, six or seven?’
‘I think he might just be eight,’ Callum says. ‘But it’s worth a try, isn’t it?’
Callum, Merlin and I set off at a brisk pace, following the path towards the river. We regularly call Robin’s name as we walk, stopping to listen for a moment or two when we do. Then we carry on until we get to the little clearing where Merlin and I had paused for him to drink from the cool flowing water. We split up and have a good search around, but to our dismay there’s nothing, only the rhythmical pitter-patter of the rain falling on the trees above us and slowly dripping down to the ground below.
‘Do you think he’s sheltering somewhere?’ I ask a very damp-looking Callum. Merlin’s coat is also beginning to cling to him where the steady rain has slowly made it wetter and wetter. I’m the only one looking and feeling quite dry underneath my waterproof coat and hat, and I feel sorry for the other two as the weather takes its toll on them.
‘Hopefully,’ Callum says, running his hands over his wet hair to try to remove some of the water from it. ‘Otherwise he’ll be soaking wet and freezing cold by now.’
‘Is there anywhere around here he could shelter, though?’ I ask, looking around. ‘There’s only trees, aren’t there?’
‘Wait a minute,’ Callum says, his blue eyes suddenly shining with hope. ‘What about the ruins?’
‘What ruins?’
‘The ones up on the hill? It used to be an old manor houseback in the day, I think. That’s what someone told me, anyway. I discovered it on one of my runs when I first came here. I often pass it, but I don’t think anything of it any more. There’s barely anything left now. But a young boy might find it extremely interesting.’
‘Which way?’ I ask urgently.
‘This way,’ Callum says, pointing, and we set off again, this time at an even faster pace and with an ever-deepening resolve.
‘I think I know where we’re heading for,’ I tell him as we hurry along. I’m certain Callum could have moved a lot quicker than this, but he’s gallant enough to keep to a pace I can cope with. ‘I found Merlin sniffing around some old bricks here once.’
‘These bricks?’ Callum asks as the path beneath us begins to be strewn with the cream and terracotta remains of an old building.
‘Yes, they were something like this.’
‘This isn’t what I meant,’ Callum says, marching onwards as I struggle to keep up with him now. We’re currently climbing up a fairly steep incline, and I’m starting to find it difficult to catch my breath. But eventually Callum reaches an opening in the trees and he pauses to let me catch up. ‘Thisis what I meant.’
I reach his side and I’m amazed by what I see.
