Getting Home

CHAPTER ONE - Bad News
NARRATED BY JOLENE
My name is Jolene Evans. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland. I moved here when I was two years old and I don’t remember my first house in London. I came here before the war started and came back when the war ended. The war changed my life; it changed every one’s life here. And it all happened because oil producing countries were refusing to sell oil to England, Scotland and other western countries.

It was winter. The ground was covered with a thick layer of snow. My brother was making us a cup of tea. The whole family was silent, war had been declared that morning. It was half-term and my school had been hit in the first wave of missile attacks. “What if the kids had been in school this morning?” my mother kept repeating. The whole household including our dog, Sebastian were in shock. I was scared, my family was scared, the whole country was. If we wanted to be safe we would have to move to the countryside. And we would have to move soon – very soon.

CHAPTER 2- Abandoned

NARRATED BY JOLENE

“Have we got everything?” my mother asked.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“Yup,” chorused my siblings.
“Lets go!” said my father enthusiastically.
Everyone stared at the floor.
“Oh cheer up, let’s see some happy faces,” my dad encouraged.
My sister gave a half-hearted smile and my mum tried her best not to look nervous as we walked out of our front garden. The car ride to the station was only five minutes but it felt like forever. The war could last for two days but it could also last for twenty years. I was worried that it would be the latter and it was clear that my family thought the same. I would miss my house. At least the move was temporary. I stared out of the car window at my house: it got smaller, smaller, until it was only a tiny speck in the distance. Then it faded into the grey horizon.

Waverly Train Station was packed. Everyone was agitated, making arrangements to travel to a safer place to live in during the war. Luckily, my parents had booked our tickets. I held on tightly to Sebastian’s lead. There was an announcement saying that our train was going to depart in five minutes.  We rushed through the crowds. By the time we reached the platform the train was about to leave. I ran as fast as I could. My brother got on first. Then my mother. My dad and sister got on at the same time. There were so many people trying to get on to the train.

I fought my way desperately through the crowds. I was too late. The doors were already closing. I saw Mum banging on the window shouting for me to come quickly. Sebastian whimpered and I jumped up and down trying to get the driver’s attention; it was useless. The train drove mercilessly away.

Everyone at the platform stared at me. Embarrassment. That was all I felt for two seconds. Then panic. It was rising up inside me urging me to run, to kick the train I had missed. A fluttery feeling was now in my tummy. I felt weak and helpless. I forced myself to think clearly. All I had to do was wait for the next train.

Sebastian could see that something was wrong. His eyes were wide with panic.
“Don’t worry, we’ll catch the next train,” I reassured him.

He did not calm down. I realised it was my tone of voice. I sounded nervous. You can’t normally hear your own voice but that day I did. I felt nervous and it was obvious that Sebastian sensed it.

Sebastian looked up at me and I bent down to stroke him. He calmed down a little, but I felt a sudden urge to ease myself. Everyone around us had stopped staring. I put my dog on a bench and walked away to the WC.


When I came back there was an announcement. The noise level shot up as if a thousand horses had marched into the station. I’d missed the next train but that was not the bad thing. There had been a bomb. That’s what the announcement was about. The bomb had blown up that train. People were rushing around. Their friends and family had probably been on that train. What if it wasn’t just that train that had blown up. What if it was my parents’ train too?

I saw a woman with her face buried in her knees. A man looked pale as he staggered to a pole where he supported his weight. Everything was chaotic. Members of staff tried to slow down the flow of people, but I could see that even they were very shocked.

I was worried that we would be trampled so I grabbed Sebastian and made for the nearest exit.

Outside it was quieter. I did not know where to go and what to do. The only thing I could think of was asking someone. I felt abandoned because my family was gone. A little girl walked by followed by her father. I decided to ask.

CHAPTER 3 - Memories

NARRATED BY SEBASTIAN

Jolene asked the man and his daughter about night buses.
“Um, excuse me, Sir. Er…do you know where I can catch a night bus? My train just got blown up.”
Jolene did not get any answers from the man – only questions about the train. She blurted out everything that had happened in the last day. The man looked astounded.
“The bus stop is not far away. If you like…I can drive you there. Your dog too,” he offered, pointing at me.

It was obvious that Jolene would never go anywhere without me. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “Yes, please”.

Jolene grabbed my lead and we followed the man and his daughter to their car. The man said that his name was Bob and Jolene told him who she was. After Bob unlocked the car, we jumped in. I sat with the little girl in the back. She patted me.
“What’s your doggy’s name?” she asked Jolene.
“Sebastian,” Jolene replied.
“Hello Sebastian,” said the little girl. “My name is Flora.”

“You must be hungry, have some of these sandwiches,” said the man to Jolene. This is egg and this is – aah, hold the tray for a minute.” The car swerved  “Wait, how do you drive this thing? Whoa, sorry. This one is tuna and lettuce,” said Bob. Jolene took one of each and sneaked some pieces to me. I enjoyed the food but I could not ask for more (in the way that humans understand) because Bob did not know that I had already had some. Jolene guessed that I wanted more and she gave me some. After some time, I dozed off. I found myself dreaming about Jolene’s stamps that she always keeps in her pocket. In my dream, the queen came off and started shouting at me. I stole her crown and then it turned into a river of melted gold. The river carried me along with it until we got to a waterfall. I fell, dreading reaching the bottom…

I woke when Jolene led me out of the car. It seemed like she’d already thanked Bob. “He gave me some money,” said Jolene. Tired, I slowly followed her.

An announcement told us that the next bus was coming in two minutes. When it stopped, Jolene paid the driver and got on with me. “Lucky we did not miss this one.” She chuckled. I did not respond. We were still lost. I fell asleep again on the bus. This time I had no dreams. I woke two stops before our destination which was two-thirds of the way to our new house.  Jolene had fallen asleep and was still napping. I was not sure what to do. An old lady saw me and started patting me.

“Hello,” she said, “You’re a Husky aren’t you? Are you with that girl? Where are her parents?”


I looked up into her eyes. Then she said, “You’re keeping her safe, right?”
I wagged my tail.
“There’s a good dog.”

She was holding a sandwich and broke off a bit for me. It was the second time I’d had a sandwich that day, but I still enjoyed it. The woman smiled at me. A man walked up behind her and said “hello” to her. They started talking about how buses these days were different to the ones that they used when they were children. The man was talking about the poles that always used to be red and the woman about how the bus conductors had special coin dispensers.

Jolene woke up a few minutes later.
“Hello,” the woman said to her.  “You’re travelling with the dog, aren’t you? Here,” she said, giving Jolene a toffee eclair sucking sweet.
Jolene replied and asked for a street name.
The woman told her that she should get out at the bus station that was coming up soon.

“Thanks,” said Jolene.

It was our stop. Jolene said goodbye to the woman, and I wagged my tail. We got off the bus.

What would we do now?

There was nowhere to sleep. The only option was the dirty streets that we were standing in. They were not at all inviting. That was when we first realized the situation we were in. No food. No drink. No toilets. Nowhere to sleep. Nothing. Nothing! I sat down on the dirty street floor. Jolene stood around; I don’t think she knew what to do. She paced up and down stepping on the crisp packets that people had littered earlier. It was freezing. Then she spotted a bus driver and asked if there was a waiting area.

We walked in the direction that he pointed to. We saw a kiosk with cushioned seats, so we opened the door and we sat down. We were the only ones there.

It had been around three hours since we missed our train and it was pitch black. The stars had already appeared and they were twinkling beautifully in the night sky. The last time I had seen a sky like this was when I was only a baby. It had been night before I was to be sent to live with a family of humans. The people who my mother and I lived with were also going to send my mother away. We talked with each other in a way humans would not understand. Soon it was dawn. When dawn turned to late morning, I was sold to a family.

It was dawn. Jolene was awake. She stroked me for a while. We went out into the street and walked for about five minutes.  A woman walked past. “Hello,” she said, cheerfully. “It’s cold out here. There is a library just round the corner that I work in, you can come in if you like,” she said with a smile. “It opens early,” she said with another smile. We walked round the corner to the library. I’d never been in one before because they normally had signs outside saying that dogs weren’t allowed in. Inside, the light was dim. There were computers and endless shelves of books. Jolene opened an old looking book. It looked interesting but she put it back almost as quickly as she took it off the shelf. I don’t think it was because she thought it was boring. Jolene looked like she’d had an idea. She walked over to a computer and switched it on. Jolene typed something in and clicked a few times. Then she started to write some more. As I read over her shoulder, I saw she was writing an email.

It read:
“Dear Millie,
I don’t know if you have heard what happened to me: I missed the train I was supposed to take with my parents. The next one was hit by a missile. I don’t know if my parents are safe. Please can you ring them? I don’t know their mobile numbers and my parents never gave me their email addresses. We did not think I would need them.

I had to spend one night without sleeping last night because there was nowhere to sleep. I spent it in a waiting room. I am in a library now. The street the

library is on is called Redsworth Avenue. Please, please can you do me a favour by telling them where I am and that I’m all right. Please tell them to pick me up?

Lots of love,
your cousin, Jolene”

Jolene clicked send and then sat back in her chair. She looked relieved.
“My parents will get us,” she mumbled, it sounded like she was trying to convince herself. I nuzzled her leg. She looked at me with damp eyes.
We sat there while Jolene looked at the latest news about the war. Thirty-three people had died from the missile that hit the train.
She was about to shut the computer down when a new email appeared on the screen. She clicked it and started to read.


CHAPTER 4 – The Search

NARRATOR: OMNISCIENT

The email said:

“ Dear Jolene
Yes,  I have heard about what happened to you. I just phoned your parents and told them about the email you sent me. They are so glad you are safe and they told me that they had sent people to look for you at the train station. Your mum and dad were frantic with worry.

Do you have a telephone in the library? They could not find Redsworth Avenue on the map. You can get a taxi to your new place. Your mum said that she will pay for the taxi  when you get there. Keep safe.

Lots of love,
Millie ”


Jolene shut the computer. The woman who had told her about the library walked in. “Hi, can I help you?,” she offered.
“Um... do you have a telephone I could use?” Jolene asked uncertainly.
“Certainly, it’s over here,” said the woman.
“Do you know a number I could dial for a taxi?,” asked Jolene.
“Certainly,” the librarian said. She took out a leaflet with a number on it, and handed it to Jolene. Jolene dialed the number and asked for a taxi. When she put the phone down, Sebastian walked over to her. After patting him for a while, Jolene saw a taxi parked next to the library. She said goodbye to the librarian and she and Sebastian walked over to the taxi and stepped in.

The journey was long. Jolene gazed out of the window. She saw many houses and flats along with shops and supermarkets, at first. As the taxi went further away from the city, the number of shops and supermarkets lessened and soon there were only a few houses. When the taxi was even further from the city, Jolene saw more and more farms. Soon the taxi stopped and parked outside a small cottage. The door was number eighteen. They had reached their new home. Jolene could not control her excitement and relief. She ran around, with Sebastian barking at her heels even before knocking on the door.


CHAPTER FIVE - A Reunion

NARRATOR: OMNISCIENT

Jolene’s brother opened the door and was shocked to see her standing there. He hugged her and called everyone in the house to come. Jolene’s parents ran over and told Jolene how worried they had been. Her sister grinned and asked lots of questions. After they had said hello, Jolene’s family fussed over Sebastian. Soon Jolene found herself telling everyone what had happened. The taxi driver had been reading a newspaper in the car and Jolene’s mother ran outside to pay him. When she got back, she hugged her daughter.



It was still wartime. Missiles were still being shot. There were still food shortages. But all Jolene’s fears had disintegrated. She was with her family. And that was enough.