Abo and Delores
Curled up tightly in a foetal position, he lay on the coir doormat laid next to the central heating boiler, on the cold tile floor, in the utility room with his legs covered with a tea towel for extra warmth. The boiler had switched off for the night but gave off some residual heat. The boy positioned his left leg as close to the boiler cover as he could without burning. It eased the pain in that leg. His arms enveloped his head as he gently rocked back and forth, crying himself to sleep.
The roar of the boiler woke Abo up at five to six and he jumped up, pushed the coir mat up by the door and washed the sleep from his eyes, wiping his face and hands on the tea towel which he cast into the laundry bin. He started preparing breakfast for his master and mistress which had to be on the table at seven sharp. Today it was porridge followed by scrambled eggs with fine strips of smoked salmon and toast soldiers. They ate English styled food because they wanted to be more English than the locals. They didn’t want to be reminded of their Ghanaian background. After all they were Mr. Doctor Kensington and Mrs. Doctor Kensington, living in a big house in Kensington Square, London, SW1, England. Abo was their cook and had to learn how to make all kinds of English foods that his masters insisted on. Not the Ghanaian rubbish.
At quarter to seven, Abo heard the faint ringing of an alarm clock above. That would be Delores getting up at the last minute to serve breakfast at seven prompt, in the small breakfast room facing out onto the courtyard. It caught the morning sun if it was ever shining, not like in Ghana where people preferred to escape its glare and heat. He prepared the tray with the teabags in the teapot, awaiting the boiling water at the last moment and set a jug of fresh semi skimmed milk. They were watching their weight. Delores skipped down the stairs looking pristine in her white blouse, black skirt, black shoes and starched pinafore. She yawned as she skipped down the last step and in a gruff voice ordered the tray. Abo was at the ready with the boiling water which he poured into the pot. Delores was about to take a swipe at him but thought different when Abo held out the boiling kettle as protection. She demanded he hand him the tray but he wasn’t going to get caught out again and just pushed it towards Delores on the surface of the large wooden kitchen table. She sniffed and pushed the tray with its contents off the table onto the tiled floor and started screaming abuse at Abo in English. Mrs. Doctor Kensington came down to investigate the commotion and brought he cane with her. She saw the mess, Delores screaming and pointing at Abo and for once Abo had the courage to shout back in Ghanaian, accusing of Delores of the incident. Unfortunately, his voice was breaking and it all sounded strange with a mixture of high notes and low. Mrs. Doctor Kensington swung her cane and beat Abo harshly across his bowed back about ten times and for once turned-on Delores and started beating her. Abo took the opportunity to make up another tray and a fresh pot of tea. He was used to these types of incidences. Delores was not in a good mood that morning and took it out of Abo. Collecting the porridge, she warned Abo that she was going to beat him thoroughly when their masters had departed for work at the big hospital.
Fortunately, Abo escaped the beating that morning because the weather was fine and Delores was eager to go out shopping and meet her friends in the park. She warned Abo that he would get his beating on her return, especially if his cleaning of the upstairs was not up to her liking. Abo was forbidden to leave the kitchen area. Even Delores had to slop out his bucket of night soil, not that he left any for her. She was also lazy and when the masters were out, she forced Abo to do all her appointed housework. He trudged upstairs and started hoovering the lounge, looking for tell-tale signs of Delores sprinkling dust or tea leaves to check on his work. There weren’t any so he moved some furniture around and did the other rooms the same. In the master’s bedroom he made the bed and lay on it. It was soft and he snuggled in, delighted with the comfort. He didn’t believe that Mr. Doctor Kensington ever went down to sleep with Delores as she frequently told him. Her bed was far too hard, small and uncomfortable. This bed was just luxurious.
Whenever Abo was feeling happy, which wasn’t too frequently, he harked back to the days when he lived with his family in Ghana. Life was full of fun and joy then. The only pain was the constant gnawing hunger but this was a shared pain. He vividly remembered the day when Mr. Doctor Kensington and Mrs. Doctor Kensington visited his village and talked to mother and father at length. He and the other children stood at a discrete distance and observed every move and detail of these strange visitors and their city clothing. He remembered his mother calling him to her, giving him a hug and then rushing off in tears to their hut. His father he observed, took a thick wad of notes from the man, which he stuffed in his pocket, took Abo by the hand and led him to the red car parked by the side of the road. The man, Mr. Doctor Kensington, as he found out later, bound his hands and ankles and dumped him in the trunk of the car which was slammed shut. The journey over the bumpy roads bruised Abo’s skinny frame and his shouting and pleas for all this to stop went unabated.
He was pulled out of the trunk in a walled yard to a large house. The man tied his arms to a tree so that he had to stand on tiptoe. Arming themselves with sticks, both the man and woman started beating him on his back and buttocks in turn. He screamed with pain and was told if he continued screaming the beating would be for longer. He cried until his tears dried up. They stopped for a rest then the beating would resume. The woman would go on for longer between rests and beat harder than the man. It stopped when it got dark and he was allowed to wallow in his pain. He could feel blood congealing down the back of his legs. He thought of the travelling teacher who occasionally visited their village. He used to tell them that if they did something bad, they would be burned in hell. He couldn’t for the life of him think what bad thing he had done to deserve this burning torture.
In the morning the beating restarted after a lecture that this was good for him and that he would behave, listen to his master, not run away and do everything he was told. The beating stopped when he got delirious and could no longer feel the pain. He was left hanging by his wrists by the tree until the next morning. The dew revived him a little. Following another lecture, he was dragged to a dark shed and locked in with a bucket of water and a loaf of bread. Each morning the water was changed and another loaf thrown in. After five days Abo was dragged out into the yard and scrubbed clean and his hair cut short. He was then pushed into the house and fitted out with some shorts, a T-shirt, a sweatshirt and shoes. He sat in the back seat of the car as they drove to the airport. He had seen planes overhead and this time he was to fly in one, all the way to London, England. He still didn’t know why his father had allowed him to be taken away by such nasty people. He jumped off the bed, patted out his indentation and ran down the stairs to make himself a sandwich for lunch.
Abo dreaded the thought of Delores coming back. It was the first time that he had spoken out at her frequent antics and it was the first time Mrs. Doctor Kensington had turned on her and also given her a beating in front of Abo. It was a nice sunny day so he hoped that she would stay out longer. He heard the key in the door and a shout. He ran to help bringing in the two heavy bags of shopping. Her purchases had to be laid out according to the invoices so that Mrs. Doctor Kensington could check off the purchases and account for the monies spent. She wasn’t particularly efficient about the reconciliation and it was more of a show. Delores had admitted to Abo on one of her good days that she frequently stole goods so that she had money to spend on herself for trinkets and refreshments with her friends. That day Abo was slow with arranging the goods on the large kitchen table.
“Why you so slow, you stupid pig,” cursed Delores. “The doctors will be here soon and I have to give you a good beating. Don’t you dare speak back to me, ever!” she shouted as Abo kept rearranging the goods and straightening them up for inspection. “They never beat me, you know that. They only beat the stinking pigs.”
“They do beat you!” shouted Abo in a squeaky voice. “I have heard the swish of the cane and you crying.”
“Don’t you dare you pig! Don’t answer me back,” screamed Delores as she rushed off to get the doctor’s cane from the hat stand. Abo cowered behind the table prepared to keep his distance from her when he heard for once the welcome rattle of a key in the front door. Their masters had returned home early to be welcomed by Delores eager to be helpful and take their coats.
The shopping was checked perfunctorily but Delores was still admonished at some minor elements. Abo was asked if the beef stew and dumplings were ready as ordered. He nodded his head even though any sensible person could tell by the smell and the pots on the stove that something was cooking. Mrs. Doctor Kensington then announced that the doctors would be entertaining next evening and Abo was to prepare a Beef Wellington and Delores was to do the shopping according to the prepared list and that Chelsea would be coming over to help Abo with the meal. Delores brightened at the mention of Chelsea and skipped off to lay the table in the large dining room for dinner. The aforementioned beating of Abo was either postponed or forgotten. The dinner was served without mishap.
The next morning, again Delores was too preoccupied with Chelsea’s coming and her shopping spree to bother asserting her dominance over Abo. On her way out she shouted to Abo that she would back early and him to make her lunch. Abo decided to make something nice for her with sweet potato hoping to sweeten her up. She came back laden and after helping her to set out the shopping he told her that he had set the table in the big dining room for her lunch and he would serve her. This was their opportunity to play at Lords of the Manor whilst the cat was away. Delores dressed in Mrs. Doctor’s finest gown came down to lunch in high heels and a boa. Abo held the chair for her and poured her a drop of wine in a glass to taste and topped it up to the brim at the appreciating nod. He uncovered the two tureens on the table and offered to serve the lady. Delores must have been in a very good mood because she invited the gentleman to join her. They dined on fine sweet potato mash and spicy hot bean stew made to Delores liking. Abo didn’t like the wine and stuck to water, pretending it was the finest champagne. They acted out the masquerade for an hour or so until Delores felt sleepy with the wine she had drunk. She excused herself and went off to her room to rest, leaving Abo to clear up and prepare for the evening meal. He expected the masters to be back early tonight and would give Delores a call in time. He looked at the time on the clock on the marble mantle piece and realised it was time for the children to be leaving school. He positioned himself behind the curtain in the bay window overlooking the garden square and waited for the schoolboys to show up in their uniforms. How he wished he could join them. He watched them slide a loose railing up and slither into the garden and start kicking a ball around before he sadly departed for the kitchen.
Chelsea was equally as lazy a Delores and was quite happy to let Abo do all the preparations and cooking. He was good at that and didn’t appreciate interference and help. It was Chelsea who answered Mrs. Doctor Kensington when she looked in to check on the meal and gave her a full account of what she had done and how she had made sure that the meal wouldn’t be spoiled and that Abo was a good for nothing lazy slob. Chelsea was the servant for Mr. and Mrs. Doctor Chelsea who live somewhere in a district of London called Chelsea, hence her adopted name. Abo didn’t know or even care what their real name was.
Delores came down and in a snooty voice announced the sherry had been served and that the diners were ready for the soup course. Chelsea, sitting at table shoved over the tray with the large soup tureen. Before Abo could stop her, Delores picked up the tray, turned, to be in full view of Chelsea and slowly tipped the tray for the tureen to slide off and crash to the hard floor. Immediately her mouth opened to scream at Chelsea but she was beaten to the act. Chelsea was obviously wise to such tricks, had jumped up and clouted Delores with a large soup ladle that had been on the table beside the tray and screamed obscenities at her. This immediately brought Mrs. Doctor Kensington onto the scene, ready with her cane. Chelsea was beating Delores about the head with the ladle and shouting at her clumsiness for the Doctor to hear that it was all Delores’ fault. Mrs. Doctor Kensington immediately launched in on the attack on Delores with her cane until she realised that dinner was more important. She looked over to Abo who was carefully ladling soup into another tureen and had a second tray at the ready. Mrs. Doctor Kensington escorted the chasten Delores with her tray of soup up to the dining room whilst Chelsea was laughing and congratulating herself on her piece of one up-man-ship at getting better of Delores and even more amused by the fact that the broken tureen on the floor was only filled with hot water to warm the vessel. The rest of the meal went without mishap. As Chelsea departed Abo mouthed to Delores that he would prepare her a fine lunch tomorrow from the leftovers as compensation.
The following day Abo tried to appease Delores to avoid any further antagonism. Fortunately, it was another fine day and she was out shopping and with her friends. Abo completed all her household chores with more vigour and attention than usual. Delores returned in a bad mood and Mrs. Doctor Kensington found fault with her shopping. Abo was going to have a rough day with Delores he surmised and kow-towed to her at every opportunity but it didn’t seem to make much difference to her demeanour.
He cooked lunch for her the next day and behaved as an impeccable servant and waiter.
“You’ve spat in that!” she screamed at him. Abo took a spare fork and fed a portion of the food on her plate into his mouth. It was his own spit anyway. “It’s too salty. I can’t eat this!” she yelled and pulled a face of disgust, pushing the plate onto the carpeted floor.
“Have some more of the smoked salmon and another glass of champagne to go with it.”
“Go and get me a cigarette and be quick about it!” she ordered as she stuffed a fork full of smoked salmon into her mouth. Abo rushed upstairs and found the cigarettes and matches hidden in Mr. Doctor’s bedside cabinet draw. There was also a packet of sleeping pills there which he pocketed.
“Can I light the cigarette for you?” asked Abo trying to be helpful.
“No! Get me a glass of red wine and be quick about it. I want one of those bottles with gold string on it!” she shouted as Abo bounded down to the wine cellar next to the kitchen. He found the required wine and opened it but first of all he crushed six sleeping tablets into a large goblet and filled it up with the red wine. “Don’t you know how to pour wine you idiot! The glass should be no more than half full!” she screamed. “Be more careful next time!” Abo nodded and set the bottle next to her.
“I’ll get you the sherry trifle, shall I?” asked Abo and got a nod as Delores glugged down the wine and demanded more. Abo poured her half a glass and went to get the next course from the kitchen. He served her a portion in a cut glass dish and noticed that she was having difficulty in handling her spoon. He topped up her glass of red wine again and excused himself. He went down to the kitchen and waited for her to call him. The call never came. He crept up stairs and looked into the dining room to find Delores with her head in the sherry trifle bowl snoring away in deep sleep. He adjusted the bowl a little to make it more comfortable for her and skipped back to his kitchen to await the outcome. To take his mind of the possible retributions to come, he kicked his rolled-up paper ball around the kitchen as he’d seen the boys do in the park. He finally kicked his ball up against the wall and expertly headed it into the laundry basket and did the customary celebratory jig that the boys did, finishing off with a high five. A towel hid the ball from Delores’ eyes.
It was five minutes past six when he heard the front door rattle open and a shout of ‘Delores! Where are you? Sponge down our coats! They are wet with the rain!’ Abo opened the oven and took out the roast beef and placed it at the side of the stove to rest. He poked the potatoes with his knife to test them and shook the carrots in the pan with a clatter to announce his presence.
“Abo, where is Delores?”
“Dunno Mrs. Doctor.”
“Has she brought the shopping down?”
“Not yet Mrs. Doctor. The meal will be ready for you when ever you want.”
“Seven as normal Abo. Where is that stupid girl?”
“Nana, get yourself up here quick,” came the loud shout from above and Mrs. Doctor Kensington rushed up stairs to find out what the commotion was about. Abo then heard both Doctors shouting at Delores. Then came the sound of the thuds and swishes of the cane and strap, followed by the screams from Delores who couldn’t hold back her pain in the normal way. Abo put his hands over his ears to block out the familiar sounds. Eventually the noise abated and he heard Delores being dragged up to her room and her door slam. He heard steps come down into the kitchen and Mrs. Doctor Kensington appeared, red in the face and all elated.
“Abo, I need you to come upstairs and clean up some mess. Now! Immediately!”
“But Mrs. Doctor, I’m not allowed upstairs. Mr. Doctor forbids it!”
“OK, OK Abo. Delores can clean up tomorrow. We will eat in the breakfast room. Get the tray ready and I will come and collect it myself.”
“Yes Mrs. Doctor. Its chicken consommé and I’ll have it ready for you at seven Mrs. Doctor,” replied Abo cringingly.
Next morning Delores came down into the kitchen to collect the breakfast tea followed by Mrs. Doctor. Her eyes were bloodshot and every movement was laboured. Mrs. Doctor just looked and pointed with her cane. Delores didn’t even look at Abo as he prepared the next tray. At eight he heard the door slam shut and the key turn in the lock as Mr. and Mrs. Doctor departed for work. He heard Delores laboured steps as she went up to her room. He tided up the kitchen and immediately set to, to clean up the mess in the dining room. He would leave the beds and hoovering until after lunch he decided. Delores liked meat so he decided to fry up some chops and sausages for lunch. He was busy pushing the food about the large frying pan when he felt a presence. He looked around and spied Delores standing on the second step up staring fiercely at him. He looked back and sensed that matters were going to turn nasty. He backed off to get behind the large kitchen table for protection. Delores screamed and launched herself at him. He dodged around the table as Delores picked up a large metal ladle and swung at him. He kept his distance and she just screamed and started throwing kitchen implements at him, even knives. He dodged most of them but some hit their mark. Eventually he became exhausted and Delores caught up with him. She kicked and beat him remorselessly with the hard ladle. Mr. and Mrs. Doctor only hit him on his body and buttocks, never on his head, face, hands, arms, legs or feet; areas that would be visible. Delores didn’t subscribe to such restrictions and soon his face was a mass of blood and his fingers swollen to twice their size. Abo managed to crawl and hide partially in a space between the stove and a cupboard and at least managed to save his head from the further onslaught. Delores eventually tired and departed upstairs to her room. Later he heard her stamp down towards the front door. He heard it open and slam shut. He expected to hear the key turn but that was absent or so he thought.
Abo crawled out of his hiding place and managed to pull himself up to the sink. He turned on the tap and winced as the cold water sloshed over his head and reddened water gurgled out. Holding onto the chairs and table he managed to make his way to the kitchen steps and on all fours climbed up to the hallway. In the same way on all fours, he made his way to the front door and pulled himself upright. The handle turned and he backed off as it opened to his surprise and relief. It was dull and raining outside. Holding onto the railings he climbed down the three steps to the pavement below. Somehow, he managed to cross the road to the railings enclosing the park. He found the loose railing that he had watched the schoolboys use and managed to squeeze through into the park. He crawled to the little shelter with the wooden bench and sat on it all huddled up, rocking gently to and fro.
The park keeper found him and sounded the alarm. He was rushed off to hospital for urgent treatment to his head, face and arms. On further inspection the police were called in to see the mass of scar tissue on this back and thighs. Abo heard the doctor telling the policeman that the recent injuries, although serious were superficial compared to the mass of past injuries which had healed over and over. He heard the doctor telling the policeman that the X-rays showed many broken ribs and that at one time his lower leg bone must have been fractured and not set properly. The doctor confirmed that he probably still limped. He lay there in the first comfortable bed of his life and listened as they talked about him in serious tones. He heard the term ‘child abuse,’ ‘social services’ ‘scarred for life’ numerous times, then he fell into deep sleep.
A nurse in a green tunic was feeling the pulse as he woke up. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and smiled at him.
“You’ve been in the wars young man. We are all worried about you. Do you want a drink? Here just drink though this straw. It will be less painful. Your face and lips are in a bad state.” Abo sucked greedily at the water and gazed about him. He was in a small room with lots of electrical equipment all around him. His eye focused on a television set in front of him, fixed to the end of his bed. The nurse followed his gaze.
“You want the tele on dear? Its only children’s programmes but I suppose its entertainment. Will take your mind of things I suppose,” as she took the remote and switched on the CBeebies and turned up the sound. Turning to him she said, “Elizabeth from the Social Services will be coming to see you later. You’ll like her. She’s very sweet.” Abo was used to daytime TV since he used to watch in the afternoons after he had completed all Delores chores for her. He learned all his English from watching these programmes.
Elizabeth brought him in a meal and set it on the side table. She talked to him as she carefully fed him with a plastic spoon. His mouth hurt and he felt the gaps in his teeth.
“I’m Elizabeth and I’m going to look after you and make sure you are safe and sound. Just nod if you understand?” Abo nodded and accepted another mouthful of food. He noted it wasn’t as tasty as the food he prepared. “In good time I want you to tell me all about yourself. Where you lived and who looked after you.” Abo noted that she was fishing carefully for information but not being too pushy about it. “Just nod your head if you understand?” Abo nodded his head and opened his mouth as much as he could for the next mouthful. “Can you speak English?” she asked. Abo nodded his head. “You obviously understand me. That’s good. Me and you need to be friends, I’m here to help you. The nurses are here to make you better. You’ve had a rough time it seems. I hope you will tell me about it when you feel ready. Here, have a drink. I shall be back later and maybe you will talk to me.” Abo watched Elizabeth leave as a nurse in a blue tunic came in and checked the instruments and plumped up his pillow. She talked to him nicely all the time telling him in detail what she was doing. He liked the sound of her voice. It was gentle and soothing. He fell asleep.
“Hello young fellow. How do you feel?” said Elizabeth holding his hand gently as he woke. “You probably won’t feel a lot of pain. The doctors have pumped you full of pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs to speed up your recovery. Do you understand what I am saying to you?” Abo nodded his head and looked towards the drink bottle. Elizabeth’s eyes followed his. “Ah, you want a drink. Here, let me help you. Now, I’ve been speaking to the doctors and they tell me you are healing well. You are a strong boy. In a few days time they will unhook you from all these monitors and you will be transferred to a normal ward for children. You will have some company then. That will be nice for you. You will stay there until they can fully assess your recovery. Also, they tell me they may want to break the bone in your leg and reset it. They say you will then be able to walk properly then. They assumed you had a limp. Is that true?” Abo nodded. “They are all trying to do the best for you. Now you get a good rest here my boy and I’ll be back soon.” Abo was sad to see her leave.
Four days later Abo was transferred to a children’s ward with five other boys of various ages. He ached and was sore. The nurse explained that they had reduced his dose of pain killers and he would be in some discomfort. He had nodded his head in recognition but hadn’t said anything. The nurses didn’t seem to mind and were all very kind to him. Elizabeth came by frequently, read stories to him and left him with a pile of comics to thumb through. She often asked him to tell her his name but he just looked at her and stayed numb. He heard the nurses talking to Elizabeth and telling her that he sometimes shouted in his sleep. A coloured nurse suggested that he may come from East Africa and they found a number of nurses from that part of the world to come and talk to him. He pretended not to understand even though one spoke to him in his own dialect.
Elizabeth was finishing a Harry Potter story which he loved and told him that she would have to go soon since it was time for the new doctor to come and do the rounds of the ward. She closed the book and placed it carefully in his bedside cabinet. At that moment the doors were flung open and the woman doctor flounced in with her entourage of nurses and trainees. Abo took one look, pointed at the doctor at the door and screamed.
“No, no, no! Mrs. Doctor! No, no, no!” he screamed and hid under the sheets. The doctor stepped forward and in utter surprise uttered.
“Abo, it’s you!” she gasped, turned and hurried out. All this was witnessed by Elizabeth, the ward sister and the doctor’s entourage who were baffled by it and milled around unsure of what to do.
“You know Doctor Kensington, don’t you?” asked Elizabeth, pulling back the sheet. “You know her and your name is Abo, isn’t it?” she asked holding him firmly. “Don’t worry Abo. No one is going to hurt you and you must tell me everything so that we can protect you. Please Abo. We all want to help you. Take your time and tell me everything. Start at the beginning Abo. We are all going to help and protect you.”
Abo in his own time told Elizabeth his story in detail. She listened and recorded it. A policewoman came and asked him specific questions and he answered her questions as best he could. The policewoman came back a few days later and told Abo that both doctors had suddenly flown back to Ghana so he wouldn’t be troubled by them. The policewoman then asked if he could bring Delores in for him to identify. Abo didn’t like the idea of meeting with Delores again so Elizabeth suggested that they parade Delores outside the ward and Abo look through the glass doors. Later Elizabeth told Abo that the police had picked up Delores shop-lifting food in a supermarket and she had told them she lived with Doctors Kensington’s and that they had abandoned her with no money. Abo stated that he never wanted to see Delores again. He also told the nice policewoman about Chelsea and about her master and mistress, also doctors. Elizabeth informed him that the Chelsea doctors had been arrested and Chelsea was in a good home and being looked after.
Abo’s leg was eventually reset and he was taken in by foster parents and lived in Ealing. His greatest delight was to go to school on his crutches and watch on the sidelines as his classmates played football. He dreamt of the day when he could join them on the pitch.
