Boys on Bicycles and Pirate Girls
At the age of 12 Jack Robinson sold the coin collection he'd inherited from his uncle and used the money to buy his first bicycle. On that bicycle he rode further than he had ever ridden before. Through the uncharted wilds of North Richmond; where even Captain Flint didn't dare to tread and the Pirate girls of Collingwood ruled the waves.
A guest reviewer just questioned the fact that I have Aunt P. living in a place like Richmond. Funnily enough I did check and there were some wealthy people living in large houses around the edges of North Richmond, higher up, away from any potential flooding. I admit to taking a little poetic licence with this one.
Thank you for all the lovely reviews. I know it's greedy of me but please leave more.
Note:
Captain Flint - Was the captain who hid the pirate plunder on Treasure Island. Long John Silver was his quatermaster and had a parrot named after him. Thanks to Roseandthistle for the reminder.
Willy-willy – a mini tornado or whirlwind (also called a Dust Devil).
Penny-dreadfuls - Cheap sensational story books (often published in serial form)
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The Captain was trying to secure her friend's arms as they clung desperately to the branch. She urged Maj (whose eyes were wide with fright) to hold on before looking up at the boy on the branch above her. "Jack help!"
Though he didn't understand her panic, the Lieutenant was with her in a moment. He placed his hands reassuringly over hers. "It's alright Cap'n. They've got her, she won't fall."
The agitated girl spoke sharply. "Don't be a dolt Jack. We can't let them have her.
Fletch and his lot don't play fair and they won't let the fact that it's three against one girl stop them!"
"You mean?" Horrified, he didn't wait for confirmation before reaching down to grab the back of the redhead's pinafore whilst the Captain tried to haul on her arms. But all their efforts were to no avail. The boys had the advantage, Maj's grip was soon broken and she carried away from the tree, kicking and struggling. The Captain screamed her fury and made as if to leap down on top of her foe's heads but sensible Jack stopped her.
"Don't be a fool, you'll only end up hurting yourself and then what use will you be. Come on." Calling up to the now crying Fish to stay where she was, the pair of them hurried down to meet the wicked boys. Maj was surrounded, still and white faced. Fletch had her arm and had twisted it up behind her back. Jack itched to wipe the smug smile off the boy's face and after a quick glance at the girl beside him, he knew she was feeling the same way.
Fletch couldn't resist gloating. "Ah Collingwood and her ragamuffin, how kind of you to join us. Is there something you want?" He increased the pressure on Maj's arm and she bit her lip hard though her eyes were sparking with furious anger; so her friends knew she wasn't a beaten as their adversary thought.
"Let her go Fletch!" The Captain was a miniature tempest, wild hair, wild eyes, looking as if she would spit venom.
"Or what girly? Will you cry?" His compatriots chuckled and mimed sobbing into their hands.
"No." The Captain took half a step forward, silent communication was happening between her and the hostage. "You'll be the one crying by the time we're done with you." She shot a look towards her Lieutenant, lightning fast and speaking volumes. Be ready! Jack's fists were already clenched, he was visibly shaking in fury himself.
She suddenly took another half step forward. Now! Maj lifted her foot and stamped down as hard as she could on Fletch's ankle, spun out of his grip as it loosened and turned to meet the smallest boy (still half a head taller than her) with a raised fist as he came at her. The smack he received to the nose had him kissing dirt moments later, just as Jack sprang forward and landed a sweet punch on Fletcher's jaw whilst the Captain took out Roger (who was almost twice her weight) with a hard jab to the stomach and a knee to the chin. It was all over in seconds, Fish was cheering from the tree top and there were definite tears in Roger's eyes. Fletcher was ignobly sprawled on the ground looking decidedly the worse for wear and quite dazed.
The Captain and her crew were triumphant. "That'll teach you to pick on girls wont it?"
The plucky Fish climbed down to join them as they crowed over the defeated boys. "Yah, who are the ragamuffins now you son's of fleas."
The Captain cocked her head and turned her dazzling eyes on her Lieutenant, once again causing his heart to skip. "Nice to have you along Jack."
He grinned back at her. "Happy to be here Cap'n."
She was about to say something more when they heard a distant sound. "Bother! That's the first dinner bell. I didn't realise how late it was." She turned to the others. "Come on you lot, we better get cracking." She spoke again to Jack. "Sorry, we've got to go. Aunt P has definite views about people who are late for their dinner and we need to wash up first of course." She reached down and took hold of the smallest boy's arm and hauled him to his feet. Fletch and Roger were already moving off (presumably for their own dinners). "Stop complaining cousin." She brushed some of the dirt off his clothes before handing him a grubby handkerchief to hold against his streaming nose. "Honestly, what did you expect to happen, taking Fletch's side like that? You know what he's like, you ought to be ashamed of yourself."
As she was busy chastising her cousin, Maj stepped up to her friend and brushed the tangle of brown hair out of her eyes. The Captain groaned. "It's a mess again isn't it?"
"It's going to take hours to work out the tangles I'm afraid."
"Oh well, perhaps Aunty will let me cut it this time." She looked at Jack. "Sorry to duck out on you."
"That's alright. I better head for home myself."
Fish spoke up, clutching at his arm "You'll come back tomorrow won't you Lieutenant?"
He smiled down at the little blonde girl. "If you want me to."
"Oh yes, we're going the reserve to bathe in the river aren't we Frye?" But, the two older girls were already on the move and simply shook Jack's hand and reassured him of his welcome.
"Come on Janie, get a move on." Jack stood in silent farewell as the four children squeezed through the bushes of what was presumably their home and then went to retrieve his bicycle.
He was just wheeling it into the street when there was a sudden rush of movement behind him and before he could react, someone tapped his shoulder. He spun to face the bold, bad girl with the pretty green eyes.
"I forgot something."
"What?" His heart was suddenly inexplicably in his throat.
"This." She leant forward a kissed him sweetly on the cheek. "See you tomorrow!" And then, like a willy-willy, she was gone leaving nothing but a waft of hot air and the warm tingle of her lip print on his skin.
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Epilogue:
Phryne Fisher, Lady Detective and retired buccaneer was enjoying an intimate candlelit dinner for two with the man she loved and would one day probably marry.
They had been talking about some of their happy memories of childhood. Jack Robinson had been surprised to find that, though Phryne had generally lived poverty and suffered the unbearable loss of a beloved sister, she had many a good rollicking tale to tell.
Jack's memories were, by contrast, very plain and ordinary. His conservative parents had carefully controlled his movements and it had only been his bicycle that had allowed him a glorious taste of freedom.
Phryne caught his smile as he reminisced and questioned it.
"Nothing really, I was just remembering how I used to feel when I was out on my bicycle. It was if I could fly. There wasn't a street I didn't explore in that first summer."
"Through the darkest wilds of North Richmond I think you said?" She remembered their conversation after their return from Queenscliff. "Boys on bicycles..." Phryne looked thoughtful, something was tickling her memory.
"... and Pirate Girls... "Jack had realised their mutual history the night after that very conversation; he carefully schooled his features to look innocent. If Phryne had noticed she would have been instantly suspicious.
She caught the memory. "I met a boy on a bicycle once."
"There's always some innocent boy in your stories."
"Don't be silly Jack." She play slapped his arm where it was resting next to hers on the table. "This was a boy on a bicycle in North Richmond." Bingo! That's what he'd been waiting to hear. Jack settled back in his chair to listen, he was going to enjoy this.
"We were staying with Aunt P. Mac was with us, her father was Aunt P's doctor you know. Anyway, we were great friends and my Aunt rather approved of her, so she was invited to stay too. I think I was about 12." Her face was suddenly wistful. "Actually, it was the last summer before Janie..." Jack silently kicked himself for steering her towards the story, he hadn't thought about how close to Janie's death it would take her.
He reached out and took her hand. "Don't tell me if it upsets you."
Her fingers squeezed his in gratitude. "It's fine. I'm fine. It's actually nice to remember her like this. I've been caught up in the sad memories for far too long; it's time to recall the laughter." She let go of his hand, patted it and picked up her glass of port. "Now, where was I?"
"The boy on the bicycle." Jack was still concerned but was prepared to hope for the best. After all, there was no reason to suddenly stop trusting her judgement now.
"Ah yes!" She took a sip. "There was a fig tree in the street outside Aunt P's place, one of those really big ones with all the twisted roots."
"A Morton Bay Fig."
"That's the chap. Best tree for climbing that you ever saw. We loved that tree and spent every minute we could in it."
"It's not there now." He'd gone back and checked after he'd remembered.
"No, more's the pity. Something about drains or course, but it's a real shame. It was a beautiful tree, with a whole world in its branches." She let her mind drift a little, recalling magical adventures and the distant lands of childhood. Jack gave a small cough which broke through her reverie. She laughed and for a moment her eyes looked just as young and carefree as he remembered. "Sorry Jack, I'm being a bit scatterbrained tonight. I was telling you about the boy."
"What was he like?"
"Well handsome of course, you know me. Fair hair, wide shoulders." She eyed Jack's shoulders, square and strong. "I've always been rather partial to a broad shouldered man and I think that's down to him."
"Made quite an impression did he?"
"You could say that."
"What was his name?"
"Actually, I never did find out. We were playing Pirates. I was the Captain, Mac was the ship's surgeon and Janie was our cabin boy. He appeared on his bicycle and we invited him to join the crew, we made him first mate or something."
Phryne launched into the tale. She told it well, though a little differently from the way Jack remembered it.
The boy on the bicycle had appeared from nowhere. She'd clobbered him on the head with a pinecone.
"Just your little way of saying hello I suppose?"
Her eyelashes flirted. "You know me Jack, I like to make an impression." She continued her tale. The boy had taken it well and his smile had made her heart race.
The adult Jack's sudden warm smile raised a similar flutter. "Don't laugh, I was only 12."
"And had secret passion for penny-dreadfuls I suppose." It wasn't a difficult guess considering the colourful Pirate language the girls had used. Phryne was impressed though.
"How on earth did you deduce that my Sherlock?"
"Must I remind you that I am a Detective Inspector. They tell me that deduction is part of my job."
"Is it indeed? I'll have to keep that in mind."
She picked up the threads of her story. The young Jack Tar, as they'd called him, had turned out to be a gallant hero, fiercely defending their 'ship' from marauding Spanish Pirates. He'd proved to be an excellent shot and when Mac had been captured, he'd been prepared to risk life and limb by flinging himself from the 'yardarm' onto the enemy in a desperate attempt to rescue her.
"It sounds like you were quite taken with the lad." Enough to kiss me at any rate.
"I was rather, though I wasn't the only one."
Jack quirked an eyebrow. "Really? Surely not Mac?"
"No, Janie. He was all she talked about for week afterwards."
Jack wrestled down a surge of embarrassment. "And you never saw him again?" As far as you know.
"We were supposed to meet the next day but we were in a bit of a state when we got home. Guy's nose was twice its normal size from where Mac had punched him. Aunt P. was furious as it was." She rolled her eyes. Jack was somewhat sympathetic, he'd seen her Aunt in a snit. Phryne hadn't finished though. "Then, to top it all off, the ringleader's father came around to complain. According to him we'd been trailing round with a gang of ruffians from Collingwood and had set upon poor little Fletch and Roger. We all spent the next day in bed and then we were sent home."
Well that explained a lot. He suddenly sat up straight. "Wait! Did you just say Fletch and Roger?" He'd forgotten the names of the other boys.
Phryne was surprised by his sudden start. "Yes, why?"
"Sidney Fletcher and my ex-brother-in-law Roger went to the same school; I believe they grew up together over that way."
"No! I don't believe it. Surely not..."
As Phryne debated the idea with herself, Jack sat back in contentment, sipping his Port. It was nice to have one over on Phryne for a change but the memory of punching Sidney Fletcher in the jaw was distinctly satisfying. He interrupted his lover as she came to the conclusion that he was right.
"You left something out of your story you know Miss Fisher."
"Sorry? What do you mean?"
"The silver breakfast tray, where on earth did you acquire it?"
"What?!" The bold, bad girl who could make his heart skip a beat, choked in shock and then her green eyes widened with dawning understanding. "You?... But... Good Lord!"
"Aye Cap'n!"
THE END
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I wish I could write more young Phryne and Jack adventures but sadly it would mean a departure from my universe. After all, if they had continued to meet, Jack would have eventually learned her name and there's no way he would have then forgotten something that unusual.