Innocent on the run. Part 23.

Chapter 6. Ricky slowly regained consciousness, blinking at the daylight streaming through the window. For a second he didn't know where he was, then the realisation hit him and he sat up quickly. His head was splitting and he looked around him with narrowed eyes, shielding them against the glare from the window. He was on the carpet behind the settee, and he raised himself to his knees and looked over the back of it to the clock on the mantlepiece. It was nine twentyfive! No ! It couldn't be! His eyes weren't focusing properly! He dragged himself to his feet and stumbled across the devastated room. The mess was incredible! Beer, food, cigarettes, and ash had all been spilled on the carpet and trampled in. Empty bottles and packets, half eaten hamburgers, sausages, crisps and nuts were strewn around. There was a girl's shoe in the fireplace and a boy's shirt draped over the standard lamp. Al was snoring on the carpet in front of the fireplace and Ricky shook him until he awoke, grumbling and complaining! `What, what ?' he mumbled. `The ship. She'll be gone.' Ricky shouted, panic gripping him. `What? What ship?' `My ship. The Llanerin.' Al came awake quickly and looked at him with one eye, squinting in the daylight. He winced in pain! `What are you doing here. You went back to the ship with Tess! `No, I bloody didn't.' he shouted. `I just woke up behind the settee.' ‘Oh, Christ, man, don't yell like that.' `The ship will be gone, for Christ's sake. I'm stranded.' Al sat up, holding his head. `Coffee.' he said. `What about the ship?' `Yeah, the ship,' Al replied. `I'll get the car keys and drive you down the dock.' He stumbled into the kitchen and put the coffee pot on, then staggered up the stairs to Chuck's room. He was back in a few minutes, holding the car keys. ‘Had to search his room! He's out of it.' Ricky was sat in a chair, holding his head in his hands. He'd really screwed up this time! Of all the stupid things he'd done, this was the worst! Al went into the kitchen and came back with two cups of steaming coffee. ‘Here, drink this.' Ricky forced the bitter tasting coffee down. He grimaced! God it was horrible! Life was filtering back into Al's body. He got himself another cup of the black, sour coffee, picked up a pair of trousers from the chair opposite Ricky and threw them away, before sitting down. `Look on the bright side,' he said.` The ship may not have gone.' `They wouldn't have waited for me! I'm the bloody deck boy, not the Captain.' `Something might have happened, they might have had a break down or something. What about fuel and water, or maybe she's loading up with stores.' `No, that was all done yesterday.' Al drained his coffee. `Let's go, we'll soon find out.' They went outside into the sunshine, shielding their eyes from the sudden glare, and got into Chuck's car. Al found a pair of sun glasses on the dashboard and put them on. He backed the car off the driveway and turned in the road before driving off. They drove in silence for a while, each with his own thoughts. Ricky knew that the ship would be gone and he would be stranded! He worried what the police would do with him. They were very strict on illegally entering the country, and he didn't have any identification to prove he was who he said he was. Doc had told him that they dished out jail sentences for the slightest thing over here! He could be locked away for years, without anyone knowing where he was! What a nightmare! He'd started off wanting to go to sea, and he would end up a jailbird! What a mess! My own fault he kept repeating to himself. My own fault. Pretending I could drink beer like the rest of them. I'm just a stupid kid with no sense. Dad told me to be careful and I screwed it up. I had a good job on a ship that I loved, with good mates and people who cared about me. This is how I repay them. It's as good as spitting in their eyes. What will the Captain think of me? And Doc? He put his head in his hands in despair. Al was saying, 'we thought you'd gone back to the ship with Tess in her car, because both of you went missing around the same time. We thought it was strange that you hadn't said goodbye, but put it down to you being madly in love and forgetting everything else.' Ricky shook his head miserably. 'I've really done it this time.' They drove in to the docks and Ricky's heart gave a leap! He could see a funnel in the place where Llanerin had tied up. 'Look,' he shouted in excitement. 'She 's still there. Thank God!' Al drove faster and they approached the ship with light hearts. 'Told you she'd still be here,' Al shouted. 'Yeah !' He punched the steering wheel. As they got nearer, Ricky's heart gave a lurch and his hopes were dashed. It was a different ship. A few dockers were sweeping up the grain spillage on the quay, and Al asked one of them where the Llanerin was. 'She's long gone.' he said. 'Sailed at two this morning.' 'Shit ! Now what do I do?' Ricky asked. 'Lets go see the Harbour Master.' Al answered. 'Maybe he knows something.' They drove off after getting directions from the docker, and found the office in the corner of the dock. Ricky's stomach was in a knot, and he felt very nervous, as they entered the office. There was a large fat man sitting at a desk with his feet up and a stetson down over his eyes. 'Morning,' Al said. He lifted the stetson off his eyes. 'Hi, guys,' he said. 'What can I do for you today?' 'We're looking for the Llanerin.' Al told him. 'Well, you've missed her. She sailed this morning for Russia.' 'Damn, Damn, Damn!' Ricky thumped the counter top. The fat man looked at him. 'Hey, are you the kid they lost?' he asked. Ricky nodded. 'Yes.' 'They called me up on the radio and said you might show up.' Ricky's stomach gave another lurch of hope. 'Did they leave me any instructions?' The Harbour master lowered his feet from the desk and slowly got up from his chair. 'Well, Sir, you have to wait here while I call Immigration. Come through here, now.' He lifted the fold down counter flap to let Ricky through to the office. Al sat in one of the chairs lining the walls and waited. The Harbour Master lifted the phone and dialled a number. ‘The kid from the Llanerin's just come in,' he said into the mouthpiece. He listened for a while further and said, 'Okay,' before putting the phone down. ‘They're sending someone to see you, ' he said. 'Just relax in here,' and he opened a door behind him and ushered Ricky inside. Al made as if to follow him, but the Harbour Master said, 'That's O.K. You can wait out here.' Al sat back down again. The room that Ricky was in was bare except for two hard chairs. A window overlooked the car park. He sat on one of the chairs and wondered what they would do to him, and why they had left him alone, like a criminal. The Captain on the Llanerin would be very disappointed in him! He'd let them all down. What would Doc think of him? He'd listened to the stories that they'd told on board, of people jumping ship in Australia and South America, so that they could settle there, but he didn't want to settle here. He wanted to complete his voyage and get a Seaman's book, so that he could go to sea again. What a mess! It was his own fault, he shouldn't have drunk all that beer. It was very strong, and he wasn't used to drinking, so it had knocked him for six. He was probably trying to impress Tess, and look how impressed she would be now! He was going to jail! They were coming for him and would drag him off to jail as an illegal immigrant. He heard a siren approaching! It got louder and louder, the noise penetrating and shrill. It stopped when the car was outside the Harbour Master's office! He heard the door of the outer office open and voices. This was it! They were coming for him! He was going to jail! Ricky panicked, and jumped to his feet, looking around him in desperation! He looked at the window! It was a normal window with no bars. He threw it open, climbed over the sill and ran! He made for a group of buildings about a hundred yards away and ran for his life! Slithering to a stop around the back of one of the buildings, he leaned back on the wall, panting to get his breath. Dropping to the ground, he looked around the shed at ground level, back to the office. The window was still open, but as yet he hadn't been missed. He quickly walked away from the shed, keeping the building between himself and the Harbour Master's Office. There wasn't much time before they came looking for him, but he couldn't break into a run without drawing attention to himself. He went out through the dock gates when the guard there had gone into his inner office, and mingled with a crowd of people who were disembarking from three buses. He could hear the police siren somewhere in the background, so he knew that he'd only just made it! Copyright Deric Barry 2005.