The Guides Promise:
I promise that I will do my best:
To be true to myself and develop my beliefs,
To serve the Queen and my community,
To help other people
and
To keep the Guide Law.
I had to queue for a few minutes, the Surgery was busy as the afternoon drew on, but soon came before Mrs Robertson, who looked at me over her glasses, and I felt rather intimidated; “I'm Theresa Somerville,” I said and gave my birth date. Mrs Robertson yelped and looked at me again.
 
     “Teri!” she did a double take. “I'm so sorry, I'm wearing reading glasses but I really need bi-focal, 'cause I'm blind as a bat when I look up at you – what can I do for you?” She scanned the appointments book. “You've just seen Monty, oops! That's just our nickname, you won't tell him, will you? No, I can trust you, so . . . . . ?”
     “I've to see the nurse, Sister, er, it's a Polish name isn't it?”
     “Katalya, Sister Katalya Novicki, yes, they've not been her long, but she's proving very popular and I understand her husband's doing well and their little boy is settling in at school. Dr Montgomery's rather taken him under his wing – I always said it was a shame he and Sonja never had any of their own, but let me just check: she's fully booked this afternoon, but I could fit you in tomorrow, after school? Yes, 4pm, is that ok?”
     “Perfect, Mrs Robertson, thank you very much.”
     “You are very welcome, Teri, it's nice to meet such a polite young girl, you are a credit to your family and your school – I hope they appreciate that!”
     “Oh, I'm blushing, Mrs Robertson, thanks very much,” and I hurried out. So the Novicki Family are still here, so far! I decided that the easiest thing would be to follow Sister Katalya home from the Surgery and then I could make contact with Pavel. I wonder why 'Monty' ha ha! Told me they'd left? But this wasn't a time for wondering, so I waited across the road and waited and watched and I don't know how the time passed but when the patients stopped entering and leaving, I watched until I saw the receptionists leave and then I saw two nurses leave and I knew that the blonde one must be Sister Katalya, because I knew the other one and they said cheerio to each other and the blonde one crossed the road and walked past me and I could see that she looked like Pavel and followed her and waited behind her at the bus stop and when the bus came I listened when she told the driver her destination and showed my bus pass and gave the same destination. It wasn't far and when I saw her rise and move towards the door. I waited then stood behind her until the bus stopped and I followed her off. I knew where I was, the little estate at the edge of town, and it wasn't difficult to follow her down an avenue and watch as she approached a house in the middle of a terrace and take out her key.
     I quickened my steps and called out as she unlocked the door. “Sister Novicki,” I called out, and she turned, visibly tense, but when she saw a child, a girl about the same age as her son, she relaxed and waited for me to reach he. “Hello, Sister. My nae is Teri, I'm a friend of Pavel, I haven't seen him for a few days, and wondered if was ok?”
     She tensed again then opened the door and invited me in. In the small lobby, we seemed crowded together, but she unclasped her cape and hung it up, took off her cap and shook out her hair. “You'd better come through, Teri, did you say?” and I nodded. She took me into a sitting room and there was Pavel, looking like he'd been run over by a train! He was lying on a sofa, with a blanket around him, his head resting on a cushion, and his hands clasped on top of it. Beside the sofa was a table with a bottle of water, the remains of some sandwiches and a couple of packets of biscuits.
 
     Pavel's eyes were puffy and black and blue, yellow and purple bruises on his swollen cheeks, his lips bloody. He was wearing pyjamas, so I couldn't see his arms, but his wrists still had the marks of ropes or whatever had been used to restrain him – though I didn't know if his mother realised that.
     “Is he okay?” I cried out, dropping to my knees beside the sofa and looking up at Mrs Novicki.
     “No,” she said, “but he will be. He is strong boy, and no bones broken. It was so lucky Dr Montgomery found him and was able to bring him home, otherwise he might be in Hospital – or if he hadn't been found in time . . . . . I don't like to think about it!” I could see the tears running down her face. “I thought we would be safe here, in Scotland. Everyone so welcoming, but now? I don't know!”
     “What happened to him?” I asked, just hoping I didn't seem too frantic.
     “He on 'Filed Trip', yes? Nature study, with Graham, Dr Montgomery – he has been so good and kind to us, I don't know how we ever repay him, he is a Saint!” she suddenly asked me to sit and if I wanted something to drink, tea, or maybe juice or water. “We have Irn Bru, I know you kids like that,” I nodded, grateful and she hurried into the kitchen, returning quickly with a glass of Irn Bru and a plate with some Jaffa Cakes. “Poor Pavel had wandered away from the Caravan Park while Graham was preparing a meal, and when he didn't return, Graham go look for him, found he'd fallen down a bankmanet? Embankment, down towards river, he covered in cuts and scratches, his clothes ripped, he must have hit boulders and trees on way down, his wrists tangled in roots or something, break his fall, or he maybe land in river, then . . . . . no Pavel!” She closed her eyes and crossed herself. Graham, Dr Montgomery, be blessed, he manage to bring my Pavel up and carry him to Caravan, clean him, treat his wounds, we lucky he so good Doctor, the best, so kind, he watch Pavel all night and he sleep through, then bring him home in the morning. He very lucky boy, otherwise he have to go to hospital, but all he need now is rest. My husband was here all day, gone to work just half-hour before I get here, so we keep Pavel safe till he gets better.”
     “Then what?” I asked, my heart beating a tattoo in my chest.
 
    “I take him back to Poland, for a few weeks, my mother, his Grannie, yes?” I nodded. “She will look after him till he's better and can come back. My Husband, me, work full-time, cannot leave him alone, no-one else here.”
     I burst in without thinking about it: “Me, I can help, and my Mum, she hasn't met Pavel yet, but I know she'd help, can we, it would disrupt his learning if he goes away now, his English is improving, but it would be a set-back, don't you think?”
     And she nodded. “I speak to Kristof, my husband, later. Maybe you right. Let me think about it. But now I have things to do, do you want tea here, or go home?”
     “I'd better go home, I don't want my mum to worry about me,” I said, hopefully showing that I was a conscientious girl, the kind she could trust to help look after her son. So I took my leave and caught a bus back and was soon home.
     I told my mum about my poor friend Pavel – she didn't ask how I knew him, but that was my Mum, she rarely asked why? Just dealt with the present and what needed to be done. She agreed and I phoned Sister Novicki to tell her, and she sounded so grateful, I determined that, whatever happened, I would make sure I kept Pavel safe and out of Dr Montgomery's hands!