There's No Accounting For Love

PROLOGUE - PART ONE

                                                           PROLOGUE 

                                                            Part One

Bristol, England    -   1975

 Clare ran down the garden path clutching a bag and a book in her little hands.  She was spending the day with Alan. She usually did, or he with her, but today had been pre-arranged as her mother was going to the Dentist for protracted treatment.  As her mother closed their front door Clare heard her say, "What a glorious day, unusual for the summer holidays," then she followed Clare out onto the pavement and up the garden path to the front door of 59 Sycamore Grove, where Pam and Alan Harding stood waiting.

"Hello sweetie, how are you?" asked Pam patting Clare's dark curls.  

"I'm fine, thank you." replied Clare. "Hello Alan." 

Alan said nothing, but grinned a welcome from ear to ear.  

Kathy, Clare's mother, handed Pam a bag of spare clothes, which accompanied Clare wherever she went.

"Thanks for this, you're a good friend." Kathy said, then turning to Clare, 

"Be good, won't you?" 

Clare nodded.

"She's always good.  It's this cheeky little monkey I have to watch," Pam replied wagging her thumb towards Alan.  Kathy stroked Alan's cheek with her fingers and bent down towards him whispering, "Don't tell anyone, but I've got a soft spot for cheeky monkeys."  

Alan grinned and Clare giggled.  Kathy walked down the path and waved to them from the front gate, then went on her way to catch the bus.       

"Come on in, then." said Pam, ushering Clare into the hallway and closing the front door.  

"This is our lunch." said Clare happily, holding up her bag.

"Ooh, what is it?" asked Alan, grabbing the bag and peering inside. 

"A tin of spaghetti hoops, two apples, two bananas and four chocolate biscuits." replied Clare.

"Well, that was kind of your mum.  I'll put them away for later."  Pam took the bag into the kitchen and Alan rushed into the lounge, followed by Clare.

 Alan's racing game, with four cars, was set up in the middle of the floor with exciting loops and bends.  Small toys and cars filled a plastic box to overflowing and larger action figures lay abandoned on the sofa and the floor, having fought their war and lost.  

Clare sat down on the red patterned carpet resting her book about the human body on her knees.  Alan sat beside her with his legs crossed, looking at the pictures.  

"See, that's a heart." said Clare, pointing with her finger.

"Yuk, it's horrible!  I haven't got one of those!" said Alan pulling a face.

"Yes you have.  It pumps the blood around your body."

"I haven't got any blood in my body." said Alan turning up his nose.

"You have!  You had a nosebleed, remember?  All your blood dripped onto the floor and Miss had to clear it up.  You're silly!" 

Annoyance showed on Clare's face.  Alan said stupid things at times, giving his family cause to wonder if he did actually have a brain in his head.  She knew he had one, otherwise he wouldn't be alive, but he didn't use it very often.  Strange really as Alan was very clever, being second in the class, so she assumed it was merely lack of concentration on his part.