آغاز وقایع

Chapter one

The beginning of things

They were not railway children at the beginning. They lived with their father and mother in London. There were three of them. Roberta - she was always called Bobbie, and was the oldest. Next came Peter, who wanted to be an engineer when he grew up. And the youngest was Phyllis, who was always trying to be good.

Mother was almost always at home, ready to play with the children, or to read to them. And she wrote stories, then read them to the children after tea.

These three lucky children had everything that they needed. Pretty clothes, a warm house, and lots of toys. They also had a wonderful father who was never angry, and always ready to play a game.

They were very happy. But they did not know how happy until their life in London was over, and they had to live a very different life indeed.

The awful change came suddenly.

It was Peter’s birthday, and he was ten years old. Among his presents was a toy steam engine, and it quickly became Peter’s favourite toy. But after three days, the engine went BANG! Peter was very unhappy about his broken toy. The others said he cried, but Peter said his eyes were red because he had a cold.

When Father came home that day, Peter told him the sad story about his engine, and Father looked at it very carefully. Mother and the children waited.

‘Is there no hope?’ said Peter.

‘Of course there’s hope’ said Father, smiling. ‘I’ll mend it on Saturday, and you can all help me.’

Just then, someone knocked at the front door. A few moments later, Ruth - the maid - came in. ‘There are two gentlemen to see you,’ she said to Father.

‘Now, who can they be’ said Father.

‘Try to be quick, dear,’ said his wife. ‘It’s nearly time for the children to go to bed.’

But the two men stayed and stayed. Father’s voice got louder and louder in the next room, but the children and Mother could not hear what was said. Then Ruth came back and spoke to Mother.

‘He wants you to go in, ma’am,’ she said. ‘I think he’s had bad news. Be ready for the worst.’

Mother went into the next room, and there was more talking. Soon after, the children heard Ruth call a taxi, then there was the sound of feet going outside and down the steps.

Mother came back, and her face was white.

‘It’s time to go to bed,’ she said to the children. ‘Ruth will take you upstairs.’

‘But, Father-‘ began Phyllis.

‘Father’s had to go away on business,’ said Mother. ‘Now, go to bed, darlings.’

Bobbie whispered, ‘It wasn’t bad news, was it?’

‘No, darling,’ said Mother. ‘I can’t tell you anything tonight. Please go now.’

Mother went out early the next morning, and it was nearly seven o’clock before she came home. She looked ill and tired, and the children asked her no questions.

Mother drank a cup of tea, then she said, ‘Now, my darlings, I want to tell you something. Those men did bring bad news last night. Father will be away for some time, and I’m very worried.’

‘Is it something to do with the Government?’ asked Bobbie. The children knew that Father worked in a Government office.

‘Yes,’ said Mother. ‘Now don’t ask me anymore questions about it. Will you promise me that?’

The children promised.

Everything was horrible for some weeks. Mother was nearly always out. Ruth, the maid, went away. Then Mother went to bed for two days, and the children wondered if the world was coming to an end.

One morning, Mother came down to breakfast. Her face was very white, but she tried to smile.

‘We have to leave our house in London,’ she said. ‘We’re going to live in the country, in a dear little white house near a railway line. I know you’ll love it.’

A busy week followed, packing everything up in boxes. The children almost enjoyed the excitement.

‘We can’t take everything,’ Mother told them. ‘Just the necessary things. We have to play “being poor” for a while.’

On their last night in the house, Peter had to sleep on the floor, which he enjoyed very much. ‘I like moving,’ he said.

‘I don’t’ said Mother, laughing.

Bobbie saw her face when she turned away. ‘Oh, Mother,’ she thought. ‘How brave you are! How I love you!’

Next day, they went to the railway station, and got on a train. At first, they enjoyed looking out of the windows, but then they became sleepy. Later, Mother woke them. ‘Wake up, dears,’ she said. ‘We’re there.’

There were no taxis, and a man with a cart took their boxes. The children and Mother walked behind the cart along a dark, dirty road, which seemed to go across the fields. After a while, a shape appeared in the darkness.

‘There’s the house,’ said Mother.

The cart went along by the garden wall, and round to the back door. There were no lights in any of the windows.

‘Where’s Mrs Viney’ said Mother.

‘Who’s she’ asked Bobbie.

‘A woman from the village. I asked her to clean the place and make our supper,’ said Mother.

‘Your train was late,’ said the man with the cart. ‘She’s probably gone home.’

‘But she has the key,’ said Mother.

‘It’ll be under the doorstep,’ said the man. He went to look. ‘Yes, here it is.’

They went inside the dark house. There was a large kitchen with a stone floor, but there was no fire, and the room was cold. There was a candle on the table, and the man lit it. Then a noise seemed to come from inside the walls of the house. It sounded like small animals running up and down. Then the cart man went away and shut the door. Immediately, the candle went out.

‘Oh, I wish we hadn’t come’ said Phyllis.