Nobody Came by Robbie Garner Read Free Book Online Page B

the string. He pulled out a small wooden toy soldier with a rifle over its shoulder.
    Davie immediately dropped to the floor and began marching his soldier up and down.
    ‘Here’s yours, John,’ said Stanley.
    It was a wooden pencil box with a sliding lid.
    ‘Thanks very much, Stanley,’ said John politely but without much enthusiasm. ‘That’s just what I need for school.’
    He gave Denise a soft little teddy bear and she shoved it straight into her mouth.
    ‘And now it’s your turn, Robbie.’
    There was only one present left – the big one that lay on the floor. Stanley gave me a smile as I ran across to get it. My heart was pounding as if it was going to jump right out of my chest. I fumbled at the knot and ripped off the paper, then I gasped. It was a wooden easel, just the right size for me, and with it came a thick stack of drawing paper.
    Stanley set it up for me.
    ‘I know you like drawing, Robbie, so I thought now was the time for you to have this.’
    I was flooded with such happiness I could hardly tear my eyes away from it.
    John said, ‘That’s nice, Robbie,’ but I could see something sad in his expression.
    I rushed over to Stanley and hugged him around his legs and he gave me a pat on the head.
    Maybe it was the excitement of the Christmas presents or maybe it was the gin but Stanley somehow persuaded Gloria to cook us lunch. Of course, she complained a bit but she ended up frying some pork bangers on the two-plate cooker. She also managed to make some lumpy mash and opened a tin of baked beans.
    Stanley produced a punnet of jellied eels, which we had first, and a tin of peaches from South Africa was emptied into a bowl for afters. He’d also brought a bottle of sweet sherry and he poured some into a glass and gave each of us boys a taste. Davie took a sip and pulled such a funny face we all laughed. The only ones who didn’t have any were Denise, who had wakened and was sitting propped up on the couch watching us all with interest, and Gloria.
    ‘I’ll stick to my own poison, thank you very much,’ she said, holding out her glass for Stanley to top up with gin.
    Although to other people that might not seem much of a Christmas lunch, it’s one of my great memories of happiness. I can see us all now: Gloria with her head thrown back laughing, Stanley looking content, Davie excited, John relaxed, and me – I just wanted to get to my easel.
    After we had eaten, Gloria put her new record on the turntable. The smooth tones of Johnnie Ray filled the room and Stanley got up and, with a mock bow, asked her to dance.
    ‘Oh, go on with you,’ she said. But she eventually agreed. She and Stanley started to dance and John picked up the baby. Holding her in his arms he slowly danced around the room with her. For once, Gloria didn’t yell at him to leave her alone. I took Davie’s hands and we did a sort of gallop around the room. We were all laughing and Davie started to shriek with delight.
    ‘You lot had better keep it down or you’ll have the old bitch from downstairs coming to complain,’ was all Gloria said.
    When the record was finished Gloria played it a couple more times before Stanley said the lunch and sherry had made him feel sleepy so he and Gloria went into her room and closed the door.
    John walked over to the window and stared down at the street. It had started to rain earlier and was pelting down.
    ‘Bleedin’ rain,’ he said. ‘I wish it would stop so I could go and see my mates.’
    But going out was the last thing I had in mind. I took a sheet of paper and carefully set it up on the easel. I fetched my crayons and started to draw a picture of us all dancing.
    John found himself an old Beano to read and Davie and Denise fell fast asleep clutching their new toys but I was in another world as I worked on my picture. I let my imagination go and had us dancing around a Christmas tree. We were all smiling.
    Later, when Gloria and Stanley came out of the bedroom, he turned on