PROLOGUE

                                       Part Two

The holidays were over, the children were back at school and the lovely sunny weather continued.  Alan and Clare were now in Mrs Wilson's class, who was no relation to Clare's family, but it was a source of amusement to Alan who cracked plenty of jokes on the subject.

Clare looked up at her mother, as she stood hand in hand with Alan at the school gates.  Clare looked clean and tidy, but she always did at the beginning of the day.  Alan, as usual, glowed with cleanliness, his sparkling, laughing eyes and cheeky grin adding to the effect.  

"Mum...mum..." said Clare tugging at her mother's arm.  Kathy, who was talking with other mothers at the school gates, looked down at her daughter.

"What is it darling?"

"When you come to fetch us, can you bring my pocket money?  I want to go to the shop and buy a comic and one for Alan too.  Please mum, don't forget.  My money is in my money box."

"All right, I won't forget and I'll buy you some sweets, if you're both good today and learn something new you can tell me about.  I think that's fair."

"Yes."  said Clare.  Alan said nothing, but his blue eyes sparkled at the thought of a comic and sweets.  

"Go on then you two and have a good day... and Clare, try to keep clean."

As young as she was, Clare knew this was a pointless remark for her mother to make, as she always came home from school looking rather grubby.  The children, still holding hands, ran off happily to their class and Clare's mother waved to them.  

"Right then, children," said Mrs Wilson at lunchtime "those of you with lunch boxes can eat in the playground today, seeing as the weather is fine, so fetch your boxes please and line up at the door."  Obediently, the children gathered up their boxes, which were all the colours of the rainbow and soon they were marching out into the hot sunshine in a happy, spirited fashion.  

Clare and Mandy walked out together side by side, following Alan and their mutual friend Simon.  Alan was carrying a red 'Spider Man' lunch box and he started to swing it above his head.  "Stop that, Alan," said Mrs Wilson "You'll hit someone." But even before the words had left her mouth, Simon was struck to the floor, the lunch box having caught him a sharp knock.  

"Ow!" said Simon angrily climbing to his feet and rubbing his head.  "You did that on purpose!"  

"No I didn't, did I Clare?" said Alan, looking to Clare for support.  

"No, not on purpose," she replied "You just don't think!"  

Mrs Wilson admonished Alan, who was forced to apologise and the boys grudgingly made up.  

Soon they were sitting on the grass with open lunch boxes and as they sat eating, a huge silver and black motor-bike roared noisily up to the school gates and took the attention of all of the children in the playground, many of them crowding around the chain link fencing for a better look.  The rider removed his helmet and their teacher, Mrs Wilson, walked up to him and talked to him briefly.  Then they saw Mrs Wilson kiss the rider whilst the children 'Oohed' and 'Aahed' and then the rider replaced his helmet and Mrs Wilson waved to him as he roared off again down the road.  "Wow!" said Alan, who was now standing on his feet next to Simon, both of them looking after the motorbike open mouthed.  "That's a Harley Davidson," said Alan "When I'm bigger, I'm going to have one." 

Alan and Simon started to talk about motorbikes and Clare and Mandy held a conversation about their sandwiches, both being fond of their food.

"My mum keeps giving me this 'spread' stuff" said Mandy "but I don't like it anymore.  I did tell her, but she doesn't listen."  Mandy pulled a sour face and placed her sandwich, with one small bite out of it, back into her lunch box.

"Well, I've got two cheese ones and two ham ones." said Clare "How about a swap?  I'll take two of yours and you can have a ham one and a cheese one.  What do you think?" Mandy was pleased with Clare's generosity and soon the deed was done.  They drank their drinks and continued to eat, Clare dropping crumbs and dribbling squash from her drink bottle down the front of her dress.  Alan watched her, frowning slightly, but saying nothing. 

"Ooh!" said Clare. "Look what I've got!"  Lurking temptingly in the bottom of her lunch box was the biggest chocolate bar Clare had ever seen.  She assumed her mother must have made a mistake, or perhaps she was meant to share?  She drew the bar out and studied it, in utter amazement.

"Would anyone like some chocolate?  Mandy?"

"No thanks, I've got a biscuit."

"Simon?" 

"I only like sweets.  Have you got any sweets?"

"No," said Clare "Just chocolate.  Alan, how about you?"

"All right, I'll have some, thanks."

Clare broke the chocolate bar as best she could, as it was already sticky due to the heat and passed it over to Alan, still on the silver wrapper.  Making no mess whatsoever, Alan took several pieces of chocolate and ate it quickly, licking his sticky fingers with relish.  Clare broke the rest of the chocolate into smaller pieces and ate them.

As the sun shone relentlessly down, Clare's chocolate began to melt.  A fly flew past her head and she brushed him away with her hand.  As she continued to eat the sun grew hotter.  The chocolate melted and before long she was plastered in sticky, gooey, chocolate; around her mouth, in her hair, on her leg and down the front of her dress.       

Simon looked at her, pointed his finger and laughing loudly shouted "Chocolaty  Clare...you're chocolaty Clare." He jumped up, taunting her, calling "Chocolaty C l a r e... Chocolaty C l a r e."  The other children heard him and came running.  They were very amused at the spectacle and soon the whole playground was crowded around her shouting the same words in chorus.

Knowing she had made a fool of herself, Clare started to cry and there was such a furore that Mrs Wilson came out to see what was amiss.  "Oh dear, what's happened here?" she asked as she came up to them.  Simon laughed heartily and Mandy giggled, but Alan looked on in quiet amusement, saying nothing.  

"Now children, don't be so mean.  We all do silly things now and then.  Come on Clare, I'll help you wash up, you'll soon be as good as new."  Clare was crying bitterly as Mrs Wilson took her by the hand and led her away to the girls' washroom.  Alan trailed along behind them both and he tried to placate Clare by saying "Please don't cry, I don't like it when you cry...I'm still your friend, I don't care if you look a bit  ...a bit..."  Alan said no more, but it didn't matter, his cheeky grin and kind ways did the trick and soon she was happy again, although she did have to go home in an old faded dress, two sizes too big, which was kept in the 'accident' box next to teacher's desk.

Clare had a little chat with her mother that night, as she kissed her and tucked her into bed.  Clare told her how kind Alan was and that she thought perhaps they would be together for ever and her mother replied "Well, maybe you will, but I'm afraid things don't always turn out the way we expect, my darling. You'll have to wait and see."  Clare couldn't bear the thought of Alan not being in her life and she had a long, hard think before she went to sleep.

To the Wilsons and the Hardings, Sunday was a day of Worship and both families went to the same local Methodist church.  Each Sunday, while the adults listened to the talk, Clare and Alan went into Sunday school where they had fun and invariably left each week with pictures or models they had made.  They learned duty and responsibility and certainly knew what it was to be loved and wanted as they grew up, as every child should. And they often sang gospel songs when they played together.

Such was the pattern of their lives; home, school and church.  They received love and discipline in varying amounts, but it was love, pure and innocent, that was etched upon them in their tender years, like deep cut engravings on crystal glass.