Page 20 of Atticus Arnott's Great Adventure
Chapter Eight
Atticus stood in the old barn’s workshop and rocked on the balls of his feet. His body was tense as he dug his hands into the pockets of his moleskin trousers and stared at his little house on wheels. Beside him, Jake, on an Inset Day from school, stood back to admire the newly refurbished Winnie. He held a cloth and leaned in to give the bright yellow paintwork a final polish.
‘Grandad, I reckon that you are all set.’ Jake folded his arms. ‘There’s nothing left for us to check. Winnie is ready, so you need to decide if youaregoing to be on tomorrow night’s ferry.’ He turned to face him. ‘It’s now or never.’
‘Aye lad, I know,’ Atticus replied, one hand subconsciously stroking Ness.
Ness sat between the two on a blanket in her box. The dog cocked her ears, as though determined to hear Atticus’s decision too.
‘Arthur reckons that if I go, I should set off in the earlyhours to avoid heavy traffic on the motorway,’ Atticus said, his voice hesitant.
‘That would make sense,’ Jake said. ‘The ferry doesn’t leave till nine at night, so it gives time for you to wander around and have a look at Portsmouth.’
Atticus nodded, still uncertain of his decision.
‘I’ve put everything in a file for you,’ Jake said. ‘All in the correct order as you travel. It’s on the passenger seat.’
‘Are you sure everything’s in there?’
‘Yes.’ Jake rolled his eyes. ‘My dad might think I’m hopeless with learning and schoolwork, but when something matters, I make sure I’m organised.’ He turned to Winnie and opened the driver’s door, and reached in to grab it. ‘Look, we can go through all of this before you set off,’ he said, holding up the thick file. ‘We’ll also have another lesson on your mobile.’
Atticus stared at the file containing everything he would need for his journey.
Suddenly, his shoulders visibly relaxed. Rubbing his hands together, he gave a nod of his head and smiled at his grandson.Finally, he’d made his decision!The crossroads had been reached, and it was now or never. With determination, Atticus slapped Jake on the back.
‘Well, I suppose it wouldn’t make sense to waste that ferry ticket,’ Atticus said. ‘And all the money paid out for Ness.’
Hearing her name, Ness leapt from her bed and began to paw at Atticus’s leg, her tail thumping excitedly.
‘Brilliant! You’ll be like the oldest hippy in town!’ Jake’s eyes shone. ‘Just wait till I tell all my mates that mygrandad is driving across Europe to the beat of his own drum.’
Atticus raised his eyebrows. Jake may be falling short in most subjects, but he’d get an A-star in English if he continued to be so profound.
‘When will you tell Dad?’ Jake asked.
‘Better get it over and done with at lunchtime,’ Atticus replied.
‘Will you let Aunty Mary know too?’
‘Aye, I’ll do that.’ Atticus nodded as he reached down to swing Ness’s box into the back of the camper.
Inexplicably, an inner voice told him that his daughter already knew. Atticus remembered Mary’s departure from the farm. With her luggage and kids packed up in the Range Rover, she’d stood in the yard and embraced him. As he felt Mary’s silky head against his cheek, Atticus heard her whisper, ‘The road less travelled is the one that leads to the most exciting adventures. Remember Mum’s words and don’t let the old man in.’
‘You’ll need a sleep this afternoon before you set off,’ Jake said.
‘Alright, I know.’ Atticus was acutely aware of youth over age, reminding him that a four-hundred-mile journey in the middle of the night required an alert pensioner behind the wheel.
‘I can’t wait to see Dad’s reaction,’ Jake grinned. ‘He’s going to blow a fuse.’
Atticus sighed. He didn’t want to encounter Mungo’s reaction and knew his grandson was undoubtedly right.
‘Oh well, I’d best get it done,’ Atticus carefully closedWinne’s sliding door. ‘But in the meantime, let’s go over to the cottage and review that file of yours together.’
Lunchtime in the family farmhouse didn’t go as Atticus had planned. As Helen served soup and sandwiches, Eliza dragged a chair noisily across the kitchen floor before throwing herself down at the table. She moaned about how an Inset Day from school shouldn’t be spent doing homework.
‘Why can’t I go into the village with my friends?’ Eliza complained.
Atticus kept his head down as Mungo berated his offspring, telling both Eliza and Jake to sit in his office that afternoon so he could supervise them while they did their homework.
