Chapter 1. The renewal.
I was sitting up in bed in my lofty perch with a frozen nose, a box of hankies and hot water bottle close to my toes. In short I had an obnoxious cold and speaking honestly I was fed up to the teeth, well fed up to the ones I had left at least, so I have decided to recount what my father had told me after that terrific bomb strike all those years ago. So Dulcie bought me one of those battery operated voice recorders, a neat little thing that fitted very nicely in my hand. But frankly it does not feel entirely right just talking to myself. So I waited until I had company, then Maise swept in with a hot cup of broth then swept out again before I had a chance to ask her to stay, but then a shy knock on my door and my prompt 'come' revealed a dishevelled grand nephew holding a broken flower pot.
"Was in my way Uncle, and I tripped trying to jump over it."
'What happened to the plant then?'
"No plant the pot was empty down by the bottom step, I think my great aunt was planting a rose and she probably left it on the step and forgot it."
'So along you came and decided to play hop scotch on the step instead of taking in to your great aunt Dulcie.'
The dark head of hair nodded.
'Well for that you can leave the shards on my table over there, and plonk yourself in that chair with the cushion and listen to a story, that is of course if you have nothing better to do like jumping down my steps in a disorderly fashion.' A shake of that dark hair and a measured jump into the chair, then a hand held out for sweet, a humbug with those yellow stripes was offered and accepted with alacrity.
'So this was told to me by my father and concerns the new fire place which you already know about.'
"A bomb through the roof and several floors punched through.'
'Indeed,' said I, 'now don't interrupt as I've turned this infernal machine on.'
"What does it do Uncle?"
'It has a clever genie inside that records my voice and at the same time pulls out a strap and belts boys who interrupt.'
"But you are a boy Uncle and if you speak you might get belted!"
'That's true but I've adjusted it down to ten years and younger.' A muffled exclamation came from the chair, peace at last restored, I began. Well I took a breath and Robroy's face appeared around the open door after the lightest of knocks, he then spotted Fig on the chair and no doubt the sucking of the sweet. I wondered if he guessed the type?
"Grandpa can I have a humbug as well please?"
'Yes if I had any left, which I don't, Fig had the last one, but you are welcome to a pear drop if you can reach them and pull over that chair and sit quietly.'
When all was quite again after the chair was dragged across the room so I began.
'As you know a bomb was dropped on the house right smack in the middle of the four turrets and it carved its passage down to the basement and beyond, I'm led to believe. Apparently they filled in the hole it had made then after the war we got reparation
damage settlement and that's when everything was rebuilt and the large room fire installed with all its pipe works. But my father in his wisdom decided not to enclose the roof in lead but to cover the opening with a glass and metal structure and this became known as the bell window in our family.'
"But grandpa I've never seen it, you've never shown me."
'Presumably you both want to see it now?'
Yes came the reply from them both so I grabbed a handful of tissues and directed the boys to follow me closely. We came down those stone steps until we reached Dulcie's bedroom then took a right along a passage way till we reached a large timber door. I opened it and we swept through into a beautifully furnished room, fully lit by the high domed glass octagonal window. Fig gasped in delight and Robroy danced into the middle of the room, it had a round brick feature jutting into the room,
'The chimney.' I explained.
They looked up though the window at the stonework holding the two chimney pots.
"Whose room was this its quite the most beautiful in the whole house, has it ever been used. I know its close to Grandma's room it must be hers!"
'No it was my fathers space, when my mother died it was here that he fled to, and no one was allowed in. They rang a bell if they needed him but rarely was he ever disturbed. It was his study, his sitting room and sometimes his bedroom. We children were never allowed in here and it still makes me nervous coming! Still a new generation has arrived so please come when you wish and tell your cousins, but let me ask you all not to move anything, just enjoy this inner sanctum of your great grandfather.'
I left them both there sitting on the long couch admiring the room and enjoying the peace that emanated from that glass dome above. Yes I had enjoyed that and having both boys with me soothed my nervous fears of entering my fathers domain. I closed the door and went along to Dulcie's bedroom and told her where I had left the boys in case their parents were worried. Back to bed so I scurried back to that box of tissues whilst those I had already taken flew out of my pocket to leave a trail of my passing. It then occurred to me I had not used one at all in Fathers room.