Angel, Afterthoughts and an Adoption
By: Carrie-Anne
Chapter One…School trips and a get away scheme
A days later, not to far away from Glenbogle, a woman, named Susan, sat at her desk, typing profusely at the computer and in between her thoughts and notes, her son Nigel appeared at the door. He stood there for a good ten minutes before finally interrupting his mother.
"Mum…"
"Hmm," Susan replied, with her reading glasses hanging on the tip of her nose and a pen in her hand, as she crossed out sentences on a note pad.
"Mum…" Nigel asked again, as Susan continued in deep thought. He approached the desk and placed a piece of paper on it. "Mum…"
"Yes, Nigel, what is it, sweetheart? I'm a little bit busy." Susan smiled at her son, as her eyes cast down up on the piece of paper.
"It's the school trip to the Wild Life Centre, remember? It's tomorrow. Mrs. Paisley needs this form back so we can go." Nigel answered, while trying to get his mother's undivided attention. Susan glanced at the paper, Oh crumb, and then glanced in the direction of her son.
"I'm sorry, Nigel, I have to work, honey. I'm not going to be able to go with you." Susan began to explain, as her son's face grew long with despair.
"But Mum, you promised!" Nigel frowned with a pout.
"I know, honey, I just can't make it with all of my deadlines." Susan stood up from the desk and wandered over to her son, to tussle his dark hair.
"Mum, I want you to go." Nigel whined, as Susan's head slanted downward to look at him.
"I know you do sweetheart and I will make it up to you." She smiled, as her son still wasn't convinced. He continued to frown.
"Nigel, I will make it up to you." Susan tried to cheer him up.
"You won't break this promise?" His head tilted up towards hers.
"Yes, I promise, for sure, infact this weekend we'll do something important. You and I can do anything you would like to do. "
"We could go to the Wild Life Centre again, so I get to go twice?" He asked simply, as Susan gave in, "We can do anything your little heart desires, just let Mummy get her work done. Go off to bed you, and I'll be up to tuck you in shortly."
"Do I have too?" He asked gloomily, and let down since he wanted his mother to go with him on the school trip since all of the other kids in his class had their parents going with them.
"Nye, yes, you do, off to bed." Susan gave him a tap on the shoulder, as her son walked out of the room. She called after him, "Don't forget to wash, and don't forget to brush…"
"And don't forget to flush, I know, I know," Nigel hollered back at her.
Susan's mouth went into a small grin as she looked at the permission form and then took out her pen to sign it promptly, Susan I. Thatcher-Higgins. She capped her pen and then decided to wander up to her son's room to tuck him in.
"Nigel, are you ready for bed?" She called out to him, as she walked right into his room. He had mobiles of planets hanging from his ceiling, glow-in the dark stars, and modeled trucks and trains sitting on his desk. He also had posters plastered everywhere of mountains, movies, and in the far corner a guitar sat. Susan's eyes fell upon her son's bed, as Nigel had the covers tucked under his arms while looking at a comic book.
"Now, no more reading, and I don't want to catch you with the light on doing so, it's late and you have a big day tomorrow." Susan snuggled her nose to his, and attempted to get some kind of a laugh out of him, trying to get him to answer her. He kept smug look since she wasn't going with him on his school trip. Nigel didn't budge, as he continued to read, finally Susan's tickling, brought a goofy smile to his face. "All right, Mum! That's enough!"
"Good, then you go to bed, and when you wake up,"
"Tomorrow is a new day, I know, I know, Mum, just like sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite."
"Exactly," Susan gave him a hug and a big sloppy smooch on his cheek, which made Nigel wipe it off with his hand immediately.
"Ewwww, you know, Mum, I'm kinda old for this." He eyed his mother warmly.
"You're eleven, Nye, you're never too old for your Mummy and you know this!" She laughed, while he smiled, "That's a hot ticket, Nye. Smile. Good night. Sweet dreams."
"Night," Nigel handed over his comic and Susan placed it on his desk, before switching off the light and then leaving the bedroom.
The next morning, Paul managed to get to the Wild Life Centre office within no time. As soon as he got there, Archie had met up with him. "Paul, we have a school coming from Inverness, you did remember this right? They'll be here any second."
"Yes, Archie, I know." He replied, as Archie then added, "Well, where were you? They're going to be here any second."
"I'm supposed to clue you in on all of my wanderings? Archie, I was at the house helping Lexie with Maeve, the school's not here yet so don't worry." Paul answered, but he could tell his brother got uptight.
"Where's Megan? She supposed to be helping Lexie." Archie inquired, and pestered for more information.
"Never mind, Arch and here comes that bus of school children. See, I got it all covered," Paul answered as if he were saved by the bus and not just a bell as the bus drove into the parking lot.
Mrs. Paisley, the teacher, was the first off of the bus as she instructed thirty of her students to split into groups of ten, "All right, and children! Children! Natalie, Anita, George, cut that out, please. I want everyone into groups of ten so get into a line," Mrs. Paisley's eyes lifted, as she watched a group of boys in the back, one of them being Nigel, "Nigel, Declan and Stuart, separate please."
"Fine, Mrs. Paisley," the three best chums announced with chuckles. Mrs. Paisley lined up the children and had them count out one, two, and three. When the line got down to Nigel, he spoke, "Two."
Archie and Paul walked over to the group of children as Mrs. Paisley, excitedly spoke up, "Hello, I'm Mrs. Paisley and this is my class."
"Very nice to meet you," Archie gave his head a nod at the odd looking old woman with her glasses on her face, dressed in a grandmother-ish pink coat and flowered dress underneath and big black boots as she resembled, 'Mother Goose.' Mrs. Paisley shook Archie and Paul's hands.
"Nice to meet you," Paul gave a nod of his head too.
"Children, good morning!" Archie announced, "Welcome to the Wild Life Centre, my brother and I will be giving you all a tour of the grounds. Please stay on the paths provided, remember, we don't want any of you to get lost here at the Centre."
"Will we see wolves?" A boy from the back of the group yelled out to Archie.
"Will we see rabbits?" A girl from the back of the pack hollered out to Paul.
"Yes, yes, you will see both, and if not more! Come long children, I'll take group one here, and Paul will take group two and Mrs. Paisley will take group three, we'll set up into our lots at the head of the trail," Archie announced as the group of kids followed him towards the head of the Wild Life Centre trail, while they were walking, Nigel and his friends began to talk, "This is going to be fun."
"Declan, you're acting like it's meant to be fun, it's gonna be bor--ring. We should just ditch the group and go off on a journey of our own." Stuart schemed, as Nigel listened in. The boys hushed up as Mrs. Paisley glanced over to their way as she was their group leader.
"I dun no about this," Nigel replied, still trying to act cool with his buddies, as he still wished his mother was there.
"Oh don't be a spoil sport, Nye. This is meant to be an adventure." Stuart commented, as the boys glanced at each other.
"Now how do we ditch Mrs. Nasal-ly?" Declan began as Stuart finished. The boys had cleverly nicknamed the woman, because every time she talked her voice was squeaky and high pitched, like someone was pinching her nose as she jabbered on and on about subjects in their class (which also none of the boys seemed to care about).
"Easy, just duck behind that building over there after we get to the back of the lot."
"There are tons of parents here." Nigel stated in disbelief of them being able to escape, as the children continued to walk. The boys started to lag behind, as it was part of Stuart's plan. They finally managed, without Mrs. Paisley, Archie or even Paul noticing, to scoot behind the building. The boys where now standing behind the office, as they looked at each other for their next 'game plan.'
The boys could hear the hoots and hollers from the children as they were walking off down towards the trail. "Look over there, we could go down that trail, or off into the woods." Stuart announced, like he had no fear in the world.
Nigel now wasn't sure about wandering off, as he answered, "Maybe this isn't such a keen idea, Stu."
Stuart and Declan laughed at him, "Scared of the willy woods, Nye?"
"No."
"Oh you are, Nigel Higgins is willy woods scared!" Stuart and Declan chanted on and on, egging Nigel to feel awkward.
"No, I'm not." Nigel announced, as he and the boys ventured behind the office and started to head towards the feeding area for the wolves. As the boys journeyed on, Golly from a distance had noticed the little men tramping towards the wolves pen. He was concerned first for their safety since the fence around the wolves was electric and very dangerous, second, he had to alert Archie and Paul of the 'absent students.' Third, he decided to radio to them, "Arch, Paul, do a head count on that school group, there's three boys wandering by themselves towards the wolves."
"What's that Golly?" Archie spoke into the walkie talkie, as the children he was leading stopped walking.
"I have some students over here, do a head count." Golly turned off his radio and traveled over to the pen, walking right up behind the three boys.
"Hey, what's in there?" Nigel asked curiously, as he walked into the rabbit hutch. Declan and Stuart stayed outside as they continued to look at the wolves.
"Sons, shouldn't you be with the lot?" Golly boomed aloud, as the boys turned to give him a 'we gotta go, gotta jet, and gotta run' look.
"Uh, oh," Declan and Stuart shouted as they added, glancing at each other, "Run!" as the boys took off fast and Golly didn't have time to catch them.
Nigel finally walked out of the building to call over to his friends, when he noticed they were gone. Golly caught Nigel standing outside of the hutch holding a rabbit. "Uh oh."
Golly, knowing he had scared the other two boys, decided he had to put Nigel at ease. He had radioed to Archie and Paul the direction which Stuart and Declan had run off in. Mrs. Paisley wasn't at all pleased when she figured out two of her students had gone rogue, since Declan and Stuart were in her group. She knew nothing about Nigel disappearing as he was in Paul's. "Nice rabbit, ya got there? What's yer name, laddy?"
"Nigel Higgins. I like rabbits. Mum says I can have one when I get to be 12," Nigel commented, as he held the rabbit gently to his chest.
"That's a nice of yer Mum, huh?" Golly spoke quietly as he watched Nigel rub the rabbit's ears with his hand.
"Aye, am I in trouble?" Nigel spoke innocently, knowing he probably would be in trouble, just like Stuart and Declan once Mrs. Paisley figured out they were missing. Golly paused and smiled, "Not at all, unless you don't get back to your group."
"Oh," He frowned and Golly picked up on his disappointment.
"Why da long mug?"
"My Mum was supposed to be here with me."
"I see. Well, let me take Lopsy there and we'll get you back to your group." Nigel complied as he handed over the rabbit to Golly.
"Lopsy?" Nigel inquired as he followed Golly into the hutch.
"Aye, Lopsy, she's me daughter's." Golly nodded his head towards Nigel. Golly wasn't one to become attached to pets, but his daughter was. He remembered that Jess always wanted a rabbit too. He had talked to her last night over the phone, telling her he'd had a present for her when she came back to visit him.
"Cool." Nigel added, as Golly decided it was time to take Nigel back to his group. Golly and Nigel walked out of the hutch as they ventured down a trail. Golly radioed into Archie, "There's one more missing and I've the lad here."
"We got the other two. Mrs. Paisley has them and she's been apologizing ever since. My group is all accounted for, hers is too. I'll radio Paul. Ask the student what his number was, when he counted out."
"What group did you belong to, son?" Golly asked Nigel as he peered over to his way.
"Two." Nigel answered quietly, hoping he wasn't in any serious trouble with his teacher. His mother would be very upset with him. She always had work to do, and he didn't like her getting mad at him for not letting her do it. If she knew he was in trouble at school, he'd never hear the end of it.
Golly pressed the button on the walkie talkie and announced, "Group Two."
"Righty, have Golly meet me at the second trail marker." Paul added into his radio, talking back to Archie.
"He said to meet him at the second trail marker." Archie radioed to Golly.
"Aye, let's go son." Golly and Nigel hiked towards the second trail marker. Paul stood with a group of nine children, as Nigel and Golly made way. Paul waved at them, and smiled on, as Nigel strode up to him. Golly then turned to head back to the wolves pen. Paul spoke up when Nigel approached him, "Let's not get wee lost again, aye?"
Nigel hung his head, as if he were being scolded, "Aye."
Paul smiled at him again, "Come on." Nigel followed Paul and joined the others, totally unaware of how much they resembled each other.
Chapter Two…Nigel's Family Tree
Over a month had passed, a teacher, Nigel's new teacher (since Mrs. Paisley had decided to leave the school due to retiring) wrote on the class chalkboard in rather large letters, "Family Tree" as her students looked on behind her. They sat in neat rows of ten, dressed in uniforms, as each seat went boy, girl or girl, boy. Nigel was trying to read his comic, which was disguised in his geography book, as he heard, "Psst…pass it on."
"Now, students, here's something I'd like you to think about over Christmas holidays, when we get back weeks from now, we're going to work on our family trees. It's important to find out where you come from, and your roots. Think a wee bit about it…"
Declan and Stuart passed notes back and forth in class as Nigel was the 'go between' and then Natalie, then Anita and soon George. The new teacher a pretty curly haired blonde, with eyes of sea, turned around to watch her class. Nigel sitting at his desk received the note and as he was handing it onto to Natalie, his teacher caught him in the act.
"Nigel, hand it here." The teacher announced, as she stood in front of him. Giggles and chuckles came out and then whispers from student to student as the children gawked at Nigel, while trying to play innocent to 'note passing in class.'
"Ms. Finlay, I…" Nigel spoke up, as she held out her hand, "Give it here."
Nigel hung his head, as his hand reached out and gave his new teacher the note. Katrina Finlay stood there as her face turned bright beet red, after reading the childish babble her students were saying behind her back, "Miz. Fin-sway is…"
"Who wrote this?" Mrs. Finlay announced as she glanced around the room. The children were quiet. The girls, Natalie and Anita, pointed in Declan and Stuart's direction.
"I meant it. Who is taking our precious class time to pass around notes? Children, you should all be shamed at this behavior. Especially since it's nearing Christmas," And then Declan and Stuart started to laugh as Ms. Finlay stood there getting agitated.
"Boys, you owe me a report." She scolded them, and her eyes went to Nigel's, "You owe me one too."
"But Ms. Finlay that's not fair, you said no studying over Christmas holidays," as Stuart tried to reason with her.
"Everyone else doesn't have to study, but you three boys, owe me reports and guess what they are on…your family trees. I want them when you get back, or else. I know you boys have issues with your grades, so I suggest you study hard, or you will fail."
"Ms. Finlay…" Declan spoke up, and the girls giggled and whispered to each other, as she walked over to her desk and picked up three papers, which said the Family Tree Report , added each of the boys names and then looked at the whispering girls, Natalie and Anita, "Would my tattlers like reports to write too?"
The girls glanced at each other, and quieted right down as Ms. Finlay walked over to the boys and dropped the papers on their desks, "Since you three like to pass things, I suggest you pass this to your parents for signatures and turn them in tomorrow morn."
"What? Oh man," Stuart replied bummed out as he knew after the school trip to the Wild Life Centre when his father found out he had taken an excursion with Declan that he'd be grounded if he did anything else bothersome to his teacher at school. Nigel sat still, quiet not sure of what to do as he didn't know much about his family tree.
Susan sat at her desk again, typing speedily, as she waited for Nigel to come home from school. The door to the flat opened as he came strolling in. Nigel's head hung down as he knew his mother wouldn't be pleased that he had gotten himself in trouble with Ms. Finlay.
"Nigel, how was school?" Susan heard him creep into the home, never taking her eyes off of the computer monitor as he tried to tip-toe past her office. He stopped in his tracks and walked backwards as his head turned to look at his mother. Susan took her eyes off the monitor and peered up at him.
"Okay, Mum, going to go play, bye!" Nigel shouted out as he ran off. Susan decided to take her mind off her work and go check up on him. Nigel scooted to his bedroom and closed the door, letting out a sigh of relief, like it was a 'close call.'
Susan trotted up to his door and knocked on it, "Nigel, is something a matter?"
"Nothing Mum! Nothing at all!" Nigel yelled out, as he spoke up again, "Just changin' into me play clothes!"
"Okay." Susan gave a strange look at the door and shrugged, before voyaging back into her office.
The next day after school, Susan wasn't impressed, as she had left her interview with a local farmer to pick Nigel up from school. Apparently, Ms. Finlay wanted to see her right away and wouldn't let Nigel go home until she did.
"Nigel, what's in heavens is going on?" Susan walked down the hall and towards the classroom he was in. She entered the room just as Katrina stuck out her hand, "You must be Nigel's mother. I'm Katrina Finlay."
"Yes, I am. What's the meaning of keeping my son after like this?" Susan asked simply.
"I'm afraid to inform you that your son owes me some work over the holiday. You didn't sign his assignment paper."
"Homework? Over the holiday?" Susan glanced at her confused, and then she figured out Nigel had gotten himself into trouble yesterday, no wonder he was acting strangely when he came home from school.
"Yes, he and two other boys owe me assignments about their family trees." Ms. Finlay said, peering in Nigel's direction. Nigel sat uncomfortably at his desk with his coat and backpack on.
"Oh," Susan paused, not sure of what to say, but then she added, "I'm sorry, I'll sign it now. Why does he have homework?"
"He was caught passing notes in my class."
"Ah, well, I see, can't you assign this after holiday?"
Ms. Finlay stared at Susan and how she didn't agree, "You don't agree with my discipline on the subject? This is my classroom, and I'm only trying to teach the children right from wrong."
Susan sensed tension between her and the new teacher and stared to give her an excuse, "No, I'm sorry. It's just I have to go away because of my work and I won't be back much before Christmas Eve and so Nigel's Aunt Claire will be looking after him."
"The assignment requires a parent work with him." Ms. Finlay interjected.
"Right, sure, um…"
"Mrs. Thatcher-Higgins."
"Ms. Higgins, please."
"Ms. Higgins, your son is trouble of failing some of his studies, aren't you aware of his progress in school? Don't you care?"
Susan stared at the new teacher blankly, "I do care, Ms. Finlay, however, assigning school work over a holiday isn't suitable by any means."
"You mean your means?"
Susan stared at Ms. Finlay and then at Nigel, "I see." Susan signed the paper in front of Ms. Finlay and then told, "Nigel, we'll be going, and with your assignment."
"Thank-you," Ms. Finlay replied, relieved she had won 'the battle'.
"Let's go, Nigel," Susan followed her son out of the classroom.
"Aren't you the least bit angry with me, Mum?" Nigel asked as Susan remained quiet down the school hallway, out of the building and to the car. She didn't have much else to say, except, Oh crumb echoed again in her poor mind.
Chapter Three…
All I know
Is everything is not as it's sold
but the more I grow the less I know
And I have lived so many lives
Though I'm not old
And the more I see, the less I grow
The fewer the seeds the more I sow
"When's Aunt Claire comin' again?" Nigel asked aloud, as his mother was in the middle of packing her luggage for her next trip to London. Her clothes were everywhere on her bedside, as she folded her suit pants, added a few colorful blouses, and continued to listen to her son.
"She'll be here any minute and then I'm off to do…"
"Yer job." Nigel's face dropped in a pout.
"Nye, it's my job that keeps a roof over…"
"Our heads keeps food on our table and keeps you…" Nigel had heard his mother's speech over and over again. Susan's own face dropped, as she noted, he knew her well, too well.
Then I see you standing there
Wanting more from me
And all I can do is try
Then I see you standing there
Wanting more from me
And all I can do is try
"Nye, I'll be home in just a few fortnights, and everything will be grand. We'll be together just like I…"
"Promised!" Nigel started to get upset, "You always promise! It's not fair, Mum! You're hardly here and I hate it when Aunt Claire watches me! She's not you!"
Nigel had enough of dealing with his mother as he stomped off into his bedroom and slammed the door shut, just as his Aunt Claire strolled in. She glanced at her sister and wondered what was going on, until realizing that Nigel had thrown a temper tantrum, one of his many when Susan would leave for a work trip back to London.
I wish I hadn't seen all of the realness
And all the real people are really not real at all
The more I learn the more I cry
As I say goodbye to the way of life
I thought I had designed for me
"Nigel." Susan replied, as her sister looked at her.
"Not happy yer off an' goin' is he?" Claire smiled, as Susan glanced at her watch, "Bger! I gotta go, my plane leaves soon."
"Go and I'll tend to him." Claire spoke up.
"Thank-you for doing this."
"Well, not a problem."
Then I see you standing there
Wanting more from me
And all I can do is try
Then I see you standing there
I'm all I'll ever be
But all I can do is try
Try
"I know, and I just feel bad for sticking you with him like this. These trips will stop, once they find a replacement for me at the paper. I wish it was sooner than latter!" Susan hollered out.
"Well, it's only been a couple months, I'm sure they'll get it together."
"It's training for the job. I believe I'm actually training someone this week to take over. I can't keep going back and forth like this and leaving Nye on his own."
"I know. Go, or you'll miss yer plane!" Claire waved her sister on and Susan high-tailed it out of the door with her suitcase in hand.
All of the moments that already passed
We'll try to go back and make them last
All of the things we want each other to be
We never will be
And that's wonderful, and that's life
And that's you, baby
This is me, baby
And we are, we are, we are, we are
Free
In our love
We are free in our love
Nigel had his face into his pillow with tears stinging his eyes, as he was frustrated once again because his mother had left him. Aunt Claire waltzed into the room, sat her self down on his bedside. She rubbed his head, trying to sooth him, "Nye, she'll be back, you know."
"I hate her."
"No, you don't. Ya love yer mother." Aunt Claire smiled.
"Then why won't she tell me where I come from?" Nigel piped up as he turned to face his Aunt.
"What brought this on?" Aunt Claire stared at him, wondering what was going through the poor boy's mind.
"I have a school report to do because I got in trouble at school and Mum, didn't even get cross wit me! She doesn't want me doing it, yet, she tells Ms. Finlay she will do it!" Nigel pouted.
"Maybe, your Mum is so busy that she forgot she had that assignment to do with you."
"She's always busy. It's an assignment that's due when I get back to school. I have to do it."
"Nigel, if yer Mum isn't…"
"If Mum can't do it, can you help me with it?" He asked innocently, as his Aunt stared at him blankly and then added, "Sure, but it's…"
"Yer Mum's family, you must know lots about me family tree!"
"Aye, I do," Claire wasn't sure if she would be helping Nigel dig up skeletons in his past, without her sister's consent.
"Then help me!" Nigel chanted, as if his Aunt was the only one who could get him out of trouble.
"Nye, I'd…"
"Please!" He begged with a helpless stare.
"I…okay, we'll find something about the family tree while I'm here, okay?"
"Let's do it now!" Nigel suggested as he booked it out of the bedroom and Claire followed right behind him. He ventured into his mother's office and pulled open the desk drawers. Claire replied quickly, "Nigel, I'll help you, but you can't search in here."
"Why not? Mum keeps her things in here! There's got to be something about me somewhere!" He declared aloud, as his Aunt watched him.
Claire then stopped him from going any further before adding, "Come wit me,"
Nigel stopped going through the drawers of files, small boxes and pens and trailed behind his Aunt out of the room. They made way to Susan's bedroom and entered her closet, as Claire tugged the rope to turn on the light. She pulled down from a shelf a big floral box, as Nigel's eyes grew wide, "That's Mum's."
"Aye, it is." Claire nodded her head and brought the box over to her nephew. Nigel gawked at the photos in the box, the small papers, and then Claire pulled out an envelope, as she sighed, "Nigel, I'm not sure yer Mum wants to see this."
"Open it? What is it? It's about me, right?" He challenged his Aunt as Claire opened the envelope and pulled out a record of birth for Nigel.
"What's that?"
"It says where you come from, silly potato."
"Oh. Where did I come from?"
"Well, I could read it to you."
"Please." Nigel announced hoping and praying his Aunt knew something about his family.
Nigel glanced at the certificate, as it read:
Nigel Alain Higgins,
born on March 11, 1994
to Susan Isobel Thatcher Higgins
and Paul Lloyd Bowman.
"Who's Paul Bow---men?" Nigel asked quietly, as he stared up at his Aunt.
"He's your father, Nigel." Claire smiled, as she started to tell him a story.
"My father? Mum says I never had one."
"You have a father, silly potato." Claire announced with a laugh.
"But, Mum said I don't got one. She said that I never got one because we didn't need one. I always wanted a father though, but she said we couldn't afford it, just like a rabbit."
Claire laughed again and Nigel sat there straight faced, as she couldn't understand why Susan couldn't just come out and tell the truth instead of creating fables on the whereabouts of Nigel's father.
"If this is me Dad, and then where is he?" He asked Claire.
"Well, he's not in Inverness that's for sure. Look, we should really wait fer yer Mum to tell ya more about 'im."
"But, I want to know more." He pouted.
"Fine, let's go search fer 'im." Claire knew she was already in enough trouble to tell Nigel he had a father and giving him his name, why not add to the situation and help him search?
"How?" Nigel asked, as Claire tossed the birth certificate back into the box. "Follow me!"
As the tag team pair traveled out of Susan's room and to her office as Claire booted up the computer, "On here silly potato." Nigel sat down in his mother's office chair as Claire wheeled him up to the desk and they turned on Internet Explorer, as Claire typed in 'Paul Bowman' in a search engine and then hit enter on the computer keyboard. The search generated tons of "Paul Bowmans" as Nigel let out a groan.
"Hang up here…let's type in Ballachulish with his name."
"What's Ballachulish?" Nigel asked.
"You mean who? It's a place in Scotland, silly potato. It's where yer Mum last saw yer father and when they lived on together fer a little while."
"Wait, Mum lived with my Dad?"
"Yes, Nye, now give me a moment to search." Claire stared at the screen and kept adding, "Scotland, Paul Bowman, Ballachulish" and a photo popped up, it was an Army photo.
"Who's that?" Nigel looked at the screen cross-eyed.
"Yer father was in the Army, Nigel, and he was in Ballachulish for some type of training—I think Mountain training."
"Oh, so one of these men is me Dad?"
"Maybe," as Claire typed in Scotland, Paul Bowman, and then another article popped up.
"What's that?" Nigel's eyes lit right up…
"Let's see." Claire and Nigel clicked on the article which was about Glenbogle's new Wildlife Centre. Nigel then gave a huge shout, "I've been there! It's such a cool place! Let's go there! Let's go! That must be him!"
Claire then tried to calm him down, "Whoa, hold up, no."
"No?" Nigel blinked at his Aunt in astonishment.
"No. Yer going to wait for yer Mum to tell ya more," Claire then closed out the window and Nigel frowned once again. In the back of his mind, he knew he had to get to Glenbogle.
Nigel was in bed with the covers up to his nose as he was dozing, until he woke from his slumber. He sat up in bed, rubbed his eyes, and saw her. This woman dressed in white with beautiful blondish brown hair and one big smile, "Hello Nigel."
At first the poor boy thought he was seeing things as he rubbed his eyes again, but she was still there. "Hello, who are you?"
"I'm your guardian angel."The woman replied, as he glanced at her closely, blinked his eyes twice but she was still there.
"My guardian angel?" Nigel replied quizzically.
"Yes. I have come because of a wish…one you have had every night since you were a young child."
Nigel sat there wide-eyed with a big blooming smile, "My wish for a father?"
The woman nodded her head.
"So I should go find him then…right?"
The woman nodded her head again.
"Will my wish be granted if I go to the Wild Life Centre to find him?"
The woman nodded her head again, and as Nigel climbed out of bed to check to see if the woman was real, but she vanished into thin airNigel's head turned, "Where'd you go? Where? Aunt Claire!!!!!!" Nigel yelled loudly, and kept on shouting until his Aunt who was still half asleep walked into his bedroom. Claire had been sleeping on the living room sofa, "What is it, Nye?"
"I just met my guardian angel and she said I should go find Dad!"
Claire gave a yawn and shook her head, while adding, "Good night, Nigel, go back to bed…"
"But…but…" Nigel pleaded, as his aunt shut his door to his room…He knew he had to do what his guardian angel suggested…go find his father.
Try by Nelly Furtado