COLONEL NOAH

OTHER CHAPTERS

CHAPTER 13

The Christmas Festivities had turned out much better than anyone expected. The Colonel had been swept along by the younger more energetic generation. The twins had an impromptu lantern party on Christmas Eve aboard the boat. They asked Darren and Sharon if they would like to join them as well as the grown ups.

Miss Teesdale showed a completely different side to her character. It seemed to the Colonel that she had sloughed off a skin of restraint now that she was no longer responsible for the teenagers. She helped Ellie to print out invitations on the new computer and suggested to Oliver that they should use storm lanterns for lighting as there was still no electricity connected to the boat. She also loaned them an oil heated radiator which she used in her conservatory. They borrowed the fairy lights which Dorothy had brought to decorate the tree and strung them along the bow using Miss Teesdale's extension cable from her garage.

There was music and games and charades and many "walking the plank" jokes. They provided crisps and sausage rolls. It was a bit crowded and fuggy but no one seemed to mind.

Darren's parents had turned down the invitation, but on looking out of their back bedroom window and seeing the boat lit up and hearing the music began to wish they were there. The adults started to flag first, especially the Colonel who wasn't used to late nights. They said their "goodnights" and drifted off home while the four youngsters stayed behind ostensibly to tidy up but really to continue the party and discuss the day's events and feel thoroughly satisfied with themselves.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day were spent as usual just relaxing, eating and watching television. David and his father spent a great deal of time in the study discussing things which should have been mentioned long ago. The Colonel had to admit to being too precipitous in his ideas, this took a great deal of courage. David let him down lightly saying it was partly his fault for perhaps exaggerating the danger of global warming. He repeated the fact that it was a very gradual change and probably wouldn't make a great deal of difference even in his lifetime.

'Right,' said his father, 'in view of all this I have a new proposition which should benefit all of us. I'll explain my ideas to you, David, and then we'll have another meeting of shareholders when we have clarified things.

The Colonel took up Daphne's offer of hosting the meeting for the interested parties. He hoped that the original people would come, apart from that Mr. Baldwin from the Daily Echo. He didn't want a repeat of those reporters sitting outside for days. Daphne assured him that it would not happen.

The meeting in the Teesdales' lounge was a very comfortable affair, it was warm and tea or coffee and biscuits were ready on small tables. Monica was in charge of the kettle and flitted about taking orders.

The Colonel stood in front of the fireplace and gave a small cough to bring them to order. He began by saying how pleased he was that everyone had been able to come even though it was in the middle of the Christmas festivities.

He thanked them all for their support whether it was financial or working or ideas. He said there had been a change of plan. This time he had taken his son's advice, he'd already talked it over with some of the members and he hoped that the rest would agree.

There was a general murmur of voices, mainly from the teenagers who were looking forward to the great adventure.

'What we propose is making the boat into a floating holiday home and use it on the canal at the other side of town. We can all use it for a small fee but then we will advertise it and see some return for all our hard work.'

There was silence for a moment while this was absorbed.

'Have you really thought this through Colonel? It will take a considerable amount of money to hire a crane and a low-loader to transport the boat down to the canal. You will have to involve Farmer Denver. Is he willing to let you go through his land? How much money will that cost? Perhaps he will expect to be part of the holiday scheme.'

He opened his mouth to say more having suddenly realised that this was a better idea than a floating home for reluctant sailors.

'You will certainly need a solicitor. I can help you out there. One thing I do know about is business.'

'Are you willing to give some of your time free until we get up and running?' asked Miss Teesdale.

Nick looked a bit abashed at this but could only accede with all eyes on him especially Darren's.

'You see,' she continued, 'we have all to pull our weight even though we are reasonably well off.'

'What the Colonel has not mentioned so far is our "Noah's Ark Fund" which has been contributed by the public. We will write to all those who are involved and explain the situation but I'm quite sure that there will be no difficulty there.'

'Surely there will be a great deal of administration, won't there?' asked Laura.

'Miss Teesdale has offered to look after all the administration. I'm sure you will all agree that she is a capable person and a splendid choice.'

'Have you been in touch with the river and canal authorities?' asked Nick. 'Some of my associates have boats on the canal and they need permits and safety certificates etc. before they can set foot on board.'

'David and the Colonel will deal with all that side of things and when he is away on tour you can take over,' said Daphne, thoroughly enjoying herself. 'Now, you young people can be responsible for finding places to go, things of interest on the river, restaurants and supermarkets where our prospective holiday makers can buy goods. In fact you can make up a brochure and bring it to us when you think it is ready to print.'

The four teenagers were well up for that. They rose as one. 'May we use your office upstairs for our meeting, Miss Teesdale? We could make a start tonight on your computer?'

'Yes, off you go. I know I can trust Ellie. She knows more about computers than I do at the moment.'

'I will be in charge of the galley, shall I Miss Teesdale? It will need stocking with crockery etc.' Dorothy was willing to put in her bid to help. She had known about this new development long before the meeting and thought it a wonderful idea. 'I think that could be part of our contribution to the adventure, don't you David?'

'I'm quite good at soft furnishings, I could make the curtains and cushions and look to the bedding.' said Mrs Dailey.

Laura Sharp suddenly realised that she was the only one not contributing.

'Would you like me help you choose materials Mrs. Dailey? I do know various outlets that would let me have it very reasonably. Shall we get together over the holiday and see if we can come up with something special?'

'Now, who do we have left without a job?' asked Daphne, who had been making notes in her beautiful script. 'We must find something for everyone. Monica could be in charge of refreshments for the workers. Where has she got to?'

Everyone looked round. They went into the kitchen and shouted upstairs but she wasn't to be found in the house.

'We must find her,' said the Colonel who was beginning to feel slightly left out of things, Daphne Teesdale was so good at bulldozing people along. 'I'll see if she has popped over to my house she loves to play with Jasper and she did mention that I should have brought him to the meeting.'

'I'll see if she's in her room, she may have fallen asleep,' said Daphne. She poked her head into the little office to see if the children had seen her but they were engrossed in maps of waterways on the internet.

'I think you should look on the boat,' shouted Sharon, peering down over the banister, 'I've seen her standing at the bottom of the ladder lots of times.'

Daphne put her coat on immediately.

'I'll let you know if I need any help,' she said as the rest started to follow her. 'I'm sure she won't be far. Just continue with the plans. Perhaps you would take over for a while, Colonel.'

Daphne found her sister on board the boat huddled in a corner of the galley on a bench. She suddenly felt enormously guilty. Monica was such a good-natured character.

'What on earth are you doing Monica? Everyone has been so worried about you. We have been discussing all the different ways people can help with the new project and when it came to your turn you are nowhere to be found. What will they think? You do want to be part of things surely?'

'I want to live on the boat with the Colonel and Jasper. I heard you telling the Colonel that we wouldn't be going because I'd drive everyone potty.'

'No one is going to live on the boat. There has been a complete change of plan. We are making it into a holiday boat and all the friends and neighbours will take it in turns to have a holiday.'

'Will I be able to have a holiday on the boat, Daphne? I would be very helpful'

'Of course you will, we might have several holidays in the off peak season. Now come along we still have a great deal of work to do organising this wonderful new adventure.'

They made their way back to the house to find the meeting had split up into groups and everyone busily making notes.

The Colonel gazed round the room feeling rather on the periphery of things. His big dream seemed to have been broken up into smaller pieces. Basically he knew that this was the way to go but there was still part of him that wanted to hang on. His vision of standing at the helm looking out over the vastness of oceans ploughing forward into the great unknown was very difficult to let go.

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