Stargirl of the Edge

Ch 22 - Back for Good

Another day, another chapter, more background to the family and their situation, but things will soon start to happen, things that will turn their world upside down!

The move to the countryside had been welcome, but Olivia had had to change schools when most others remained with their friends. She moved from the high school in the city to the nearby high school for boys and girls. It was a state school, so there were no fees to pay. The move had stretched their finances and it would have cost too much to send her to a private school, as many local residents did. However, many parents knew that state schools in affluent areas could be very good indeed. Some considered them to be better than private, fee-paying schools.
It was lucky there were no school fees, as the bills were much higher than they had been in the old house. Listening from the top of the stairs, Olivia could overhear her parents’ conversations . She didn’t fully understand what a mortgage was but her parents often talked about it. Sometimes they would speak to each other with raised voices. She would go into her room and listen to music on the headphones.
When Olivia started at the school, she was well taken care of by staff, but she didn’t make many friends. Perhaps being half Chinese might have been a factor too. There were no other Oriental students at the school, though there were a few from India and Iran. Most of those around her didn’t share her artistic interests. The girls seemed to be more interested in make up and watching soap operas on TV.  The boys were interested in football or computer games. Cliques had already been formed, she was a newcomer. She formed friendships with one or two girls but found many of the others not to her liking.
Olivia kept to herself and got on with her studies. At age 16 she took her GCSE exams and did well.  If she had had the choice, she would probably have preferred to leave school and go to a sixth form college, where 16 to 18 year olds studied for their A Levels. But the nearest one was quite far away, so she decided to stay where she was. Like thousands of other students of her age, she would study for her A levels, the Advanced level examinations, a preparation for university. After one year in the sixth form, at age 17, most students took AS levels. After that, continued onto A level courses. A high A level grade was usually necessary to obtain a place at a good University.
She would study Art, of course. But she surprised her teachers and parents by choosing to study Science subjects as well. She was influenced by her father’s interest in astronomy. Since her earliest childhood, she had been fascinated with the stars and planets and wanted to study astronomy in depth. In order to make progress, she would need Maths, Physics and Chemistry.
In her first year she had done quite well and had achieved very good AS level grades. But it was in the second year that she had encountered difficulties. The A level course was much more demanding. She felt a growing feeling of dissatisfaction with the school and many of her classmates, as well as a few of the teachers.  The situation got worse towards the end of 2011.
And then of course, things had deteriorated even further, on that cold wintry day in January she was in desperate need of help, and found it, though not in a way she had expected. And in a few short months, her self-confidence had been restored, and her mental powers had been enhanced, as never before.  The future looked bright, she felt confident about her exams.
In addition there was another reason to be cheerful. Her father would be home for good on the Thursday before the Easter weekend. According to her mum he would be going into semi-retirement. He would have lots of time to spend with the family, though he would also be playing golf.
Olivia, of course, believed that he had been going to China on business, and he had worked there over many years. But then his work took him into parts of the world he had not visited before, countries that were more unstable, where there were opportunities but also risks. They decided to keep this fact secret from Olivia and other family members in England and Hong Kong. It wasn’t difficult. Now he was working for himself, with only a part time assistant, John, providing support.
Liz was uneasy. She felt that he was being drawn into something he ought to avoid. She felt people were taking advantage of him. In the part of the world where he was working, the risks were real. Foreigners were attacked, injured or killed. Or they were kidnapped, either for ransom or to gain the release of prisoners. Sometimes they were taken for no reason at all. They might be set free after a few days, or a few weeks, or months, or years, or never.
The problem was widespread but Dennis was confident nothing like that was going to happen to him. He had worked in many countries. He was able to get on with locals. He was Chinese, therefore not perceived as a Westerner, despite holding a British passport.
And in return for working in such an environment, there were rewards that could only be found in countries like this.
But on Thursday 5th of April he would arrive back home and from then on he would stay at home with his family and any work to be done would be carried out from his office upstairs.
On Wednesday Liz and Olivia went to the airport to pick him up. It had become a kind of ritual, going to the airport to pick up dad. He was arriving on the late evening flight from Amsterdam. As Liz drove along Ringway Road, towards Terminal 3, the lights of the planes were visible in the distance. After about half an hour, he had made his way through baggage hall, immigration and customs. They met him in the Arrivals area and then the family walked back to the car park, relieved. They could hardly believe that this was the last time they would do this.
On the way home he confirmed that the project had gone well and from now on he would be able to monitor it remotely via e-mail and conference video. He also mentioned quietly that some payments had come through, and if Liz wanted to go to the shops and treat herself to some new clothes, spend a bit of money on herself, and on Olivia too, that would be fine.
But it was now time to put work to one side. It was spring and the Easter holidays were approaching.
The following night Dennis and Olivia made their visit to the astronomy society and on Friday all three went to the Good Friday service at the parish church in the village. There was a mood of reflection and thanksgiving.
Psalm 23:4 took on a special meaning “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”
Dennis had been there. But now, unless something unexpected were to happen, he would never go away again, he was back for good.
Thanks for reading PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE VOTE! Next chapter later this evening (11 Nov 2014)