Whispers of the Past

MLC = Glad you like it. Here's more to keep you going.



Be Warned! This chapter contains child molestation. If this offends you look away now.



Victims and Heroes



Three years had passed since Ralph had joined the Harris family. He had even thought of changing his name to Harris by deed poll but Harry had put a stop to that. He smiled slightly when he thought of how the name had sounded. Ralph Harris certainly had a ring to it that Ralph Green didn’t but when his benefactor vetoed the suggestion, Ralph shrugged his shoulders and carried on like he always had done. That had disappointed Hank; he had liked the idea of Ralph sharing the same surname as him; it would have made them brothers in a permanent way.



Mark and Charles were as good as their word and neither smoked another cigarette ever again. Even though Hank had kept a close eye on them they had not given him any reason to be suspicious. He didn’t ask any questions and everything had reached a certain level of normality. Philip still made up stories for Anna, Louisa was now studying for her Nurses degree, and Julia was fast becoming interested with fashion.



Things were normal between him and Rachel too – a little too normal. He had sometimes seen the way girls looked at Ralph, especially Julia. Julia always seemed to make sure Ralph took notice of her. This made Hank slightly jealous. He hadn’t seen any girl look at him like that, and the only person that said he was handsome was his mother. This did not give him the confidence boost he needed.



He was now fourteen years old, and slightly shorter than the average teenage boy in the school. This led to some teasing; Hank could stand up for himself like a trooper but there were times when it was difficult, and it seemed to be those times the bullies picked.



Rachel was possibly the only reason why he was not picked on too much. She was developing from a pretty girl to a beautiful young woman. All the boys wolf whistled her as she walked down the halls, and some of the guys even chatted her up against the walls. It was all Hank could do to keep his temper when he heard some of the comments the boys made to her. Hank got some street cred just by hanging around with Francis Drake’s spunkiest girl.



They were talking on a ledge in the school playground. Hank had a bit of a cut lip and Rachel was dabbing the blood away with tissue.



“What possessed you, Hank?” she asked. “I mean to say he was not hurting me.”



“He wasn’t being very nice,” Hank replied. “You didn’t look comfortable with what he was saying to you.”



“I wasn’t Hank, but you shouldn’t push guys that could crush your throat and break your arm in one swift movement.”



“I didn’t like the way he was looking at you,” Hank said. “I hated him!”



Rachel sighed. Her long hair flowed down her back; Hank wanted so much to stroke it. He sniffed it and it smelled of strawberries and vanilla. She had cleared the blood up and placed her hands on his shoulders.



“You are possibly the sweetest boy I have ever met,” she said. “I would never go out with someone you didn’t approve of. You’re my friend, Hank.”



Hank smiled at her and he bumped his head against hers wanting to kiss her. But he was stopped by a loud boo noise, Hank jumped and was about to swing a punch when he saw Ralph standing there grinning from ear to ear. Hank was surprised to see Ralph.



“You’re home early,” he said when his heart rate settled.



“Well, I didn’t really have anymore work to do,” Ralph said. “I thought I’d come home.”



Ralph went to college now; he was studying Business Economics, with the hopes of landing a University placement at Oxford or Cambridge. Under Harry’s influence Ralph had become a model student over night. He was literally a great success story. Ralph did not want to disappoint Mr and Mrs Harris. They had taken him in and fed and clothed him; he felt he owed them a great deal. He looked at Hank and sighed.



“What happened?” he asked when he spotted the blood on his young friend’s lip.



“Hank was trying to protect my dignity,” Rachel said.



“What, I succeeded!” Hank exclaimed.



Ralph shook his head and grinned a little. Some passing girls looked him up and down admiringly. Hank noticed and wondered what Ralph had got that he hadn’t.



“Hank,” Ralph sighed. “No offence to you, you’re a great kid, but one day some guy will do you some serious damage if you keep fighting like this.”



“You should have seen him,” Hank said. “Leering at her like she was some common tart!”



Rachel rolled her eyes and looked at Ralph. “I can’t get him to stop. It just seems like he’s taken it upon himself to protect me,” she looked back at Hank, and Ralph’s heart leapt to his throat. He had hoped that she’d grow to fancy him. Her green eyes sparkled when she was looking at Hank.



Ralph wasn’t going to step in the way of true love. He looked ahead and his expression changed immediately.



“Oh,” he said darkly. “He’s still here.”



Rachel and Hank turned around and both noticed Mr Brace striding up to them. He had his hands in his pockets and his step was buoyant and bouncy. As he approached they noticed he was frowning slightly. Rachel turned to look at Hank and Ralph.



“Yes,” she sighed. “I don’t like him much either.”



“Ah, Mr Green,” he greeted the former student with cold civility. “I hear that you are going to either Oxford or Cambridge?”



“Yes,” Ralph replied.



“You are a shining example of the ugly duckling turning into a handsome swan.”



Ralph shrugged his shoulders. “If you say so.”



Mr Brace looked down with lazy eyelids and sighed. He shook his head and swiftly turned to Rachel. “Miss Snow,” he said. “May I have a word with you, privately please?”



She took her arm off Hanks shoulder and jumped off the ledge. Hank missed her already. He had gotten comfortable in her embrace. She walked off with Mr Brace not too far behind her. In fact he was too close for comfort in both Hanks, and Ralph’s opinion.



“Well,” Ralph said sitting on the ledge next to Hank. “Is it my imagination or has things got worse since I left?”



Hank let out a hollow laugh. “Yep, it becomes more of a dump every day.”



Ralph chewed his lip and shrugged his shoulders. He looked at the door that Mr Brace and Rachel had just walked through. He had an uneasy feeling about that teacher; he didn’t like the way he seemed to guide her through the door. He turned to Hank.



“Stay here,” he said.



“What?” Hank asked.



“I mean it,” Ralph said. “Please, stay here!”



^*^*^*^



Mr Brace led Rachel into his office. She walked in before him not realising where her teacher’s gaze was fixed. She felt her heart pace in her chest. He stepped up to her and stood behind her. She didn’t want to turn around in case she was forced to look into his chilling eyes. He circled around to the front of his desk; he brought a chair forward and patted the seat.



“I am fine standing, sir,” she said.



“No, I insist, Miss Snow,” he said. “Your legs may ache.”



Rachel chewed the inside of her lip before walking with faltering steps towards the chair. She sat, and then he perched on his desk, looking down at her. He kept his eyes on her legs for a few seconds; Rachel crossed them and placed her bag on her lap. He stared into her eyes and tilted his head to one side.



“I am impressed with your standard of work, Miss Snow,” he said. “You have great potential.”



“Thank you, sir!” she said. She tried to keep calm but she couldn’t, as she didn’t feel safe with him, particularly when he looked like that at her.



She had heard girls swoon over him; some said that they’d give anything to be in detention with him. When she asked one of them why, they answered that he had sparkle. Rachel thought that his sparkle was false; she looked past the sparkle and found rust. She didn’t trust this man.



“You might be thinking why I asked you to come to my office if there is nothing wrong?”



“I am a little confused, sir,” she said. She began to fidget slightly, and she hated the way her voice was sounding.



“You see, Miss Snow, with extra tuition you could pass your Maths G C S E a year before everyone else,” he brushed his leg against hers. She shuddered from the touch, and shuffled in her seat. She moved her leg away from him. He followed her with his leg. She wanted to jump out of her seat and run from the room.



“I’m not sure if I should, sir,” she said.



“No one will think any the less of you if you do it,” he said flashing a charming, empty smile. “I’m sure they’ll befriend you just to get some tips.”



Rachel gulped. She squirmed more in her seat hugging her bag against her chest. It might have been her imagination but she swore he had gotten closer to her.



“I don’t think I should, sir,” she replied. What the hell was wrong with her voice? She coughed discreetly. “What if I fail?”



“With your talent and my expertise?” he questioned in a light, cheerful tone. “Come on, Miss Snow, I don’t see that as a possibility.”



“I – I think that I, er, had better to, um, speak to my father about it,” she stammered. She felt herself blush. What was he doing with his foot? She felt something rough stroke up her leg.



He leant over and prised her hands away from her bag and placed it on his desk. “That’s better,” he said. “I don’t want you to give up before you started,” he continued. “There comes a point in all our lives when we have to stand on our own two feet and make up our own minds,” he waved his hand in the air and began to scratch his right eyebrow. “I think you may have reached that point in your life now. How old are you may I ask?”



Rachel looked down on the floor. “Fourteen, sir,” she said.



“If you don’t start now, you will never start, besides imagine how proud your parents will be when you pass a G C S E before the rest of the class?”



“I just feel that this is something I should discuss with them,” she said.



He began to show signs of irritability. He took hold of her hands and pulled her up out of the chair. He leant forward and whispered in her ear:



“You have to make the decision not with this,” he touched her head. “But with this,” he said touching her heart. He rubbed his hand over her pumping heart. Rachel felt her mouth go dry. He slipped it across so it was on her newly formed breast. He squeezed it slightly.



“What are you doing?” she asked panicking slightly. She moved away, knocking the chair backwards.



He grabbed her hand again and pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her. “No Rachel,” he murmured hungrily. “There is so much more than Maths I can teach you,” he continued. He pressed his lips on her cheek. “So much more. Do you know what my favourite equation is?”



“I wish to go!” she exclaimed.



“One plus One,” he said ignoring her plea. “I want you to be my plus one, Miss Snow, please. I need you!”



“Get off!” her voice was rising slightly.



He panicked and decided to place his mouth on hers and kiss her before she could shout. He held her close to his body. She felt his hands crawl down her back to the edge of her skirt. She tried to fight her way out of his grasp but he was too strong for her. Suddenly she felt the pressure taken off and she was staring into the angry blue eyes of Ralph.



“Get out, Rachel! Now!”



Another teacher heard the commotion and came out of her office and her eyes widened in surprise.



“What’s going on?” she asked.



“Get the police!” Ralph snarled. “I walked in here and found him kissing her!”



The female teacher reached out for Rachel and took her hand. She placed the girl in her office and telephoned the police. She saw that the girl was shaking. Hank had followed Ralph and saw that Rachel was sitting in another teacher’s office.



“What happened?” Hank asked stepping into the office. He took his coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders. He brought out a packet of Rolos and gave it to her. She opened them and popped one in her mouth. “Rachel, tell me, please?”



She was still shivering. Hank sat down on the chair next to her and placed an arm around her shoulder. She leant into his embrace and started to cry soft tears. She clutched onto him and Hank held her. Ralph walked in to the room dragging Brace by the collar.



“I never liked you!” Brace snarled at Ralph.



“LOOK!” Ralph roared. “LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE DONE!”



He shook the older man gruffly. The female teacher came in with a cup of weak sugary tea for Rachel. She glared at Mr Brace.



“To think, Simon, I liked you!” she said coldly. She sat next to Rachel and took her out of Hanks embrace. She hugged the sobbing girl. “Is there anyone you wish to call?” the teacher asked.



Rachel sniffed. “Grandma,” she said. “I want you to call my grandmother.”



She whispered the number to the teacher. “All right, dear,” she said. She offered Rachel back to Hank, and shook her head as she looked at Ralph; she remembered when she had been told that this boy’s mother had been shot. She looked back to Hank again. Hank did not like the look; it was almost accusing him of having a too nice life!



^*^*^*^



Two policemen had arrived at the school. Headmistress Russell almost passed out. What could possibly have happened now?



“Could you please direct us to D Block,” the officer said.



“That’s mathematics,” Headmistress Russell said. “Why have you been called there?”



“A Mrs Wheeler called.”



“She’s the Head of that department. What could she possibly have called for?”



“Some ruckus concerning a Mr Simon Brace, it is him we have come to arrest.”



Headmistress Russell walked out of her office and leant against the door taking deep, calm breaths. She opened the door again and offered a calm smile and looked at the officers.



“Would you care to follow me?”



They followed her to the block. Students muttered as they walked past; some noted that they were heading towards the Maths department.



“Pity, Shaz, I was hoping that it was going to be my History teacher.”



“Why?” a spiky haired girl replied.



“Because I ain’t done my homework.”



The younger officer heard the conversation and offered a smirk. He remembered full well not handing in his homework. He walked up the stairs and Mrs Wheeler was standing outside her office wringing her hands.



“He’s in there,” she said. “Along with the girl, and two boys. One was a student here.”



The Officers exchanged a look and walked into the office. Mrs Wheeler dragged the Headmistress aside and whispered what exactly had happened in her ear. The Headmistress gasped and peered into the crack of the open door. She had always suspected that there was something wrong with Brace.



She saw Rachel snuggled into Mr Harris’ embrace and spotted Ralph there. He nodded his head towards her; he was holding Brace up by the collar. The two police officers had been told what had happened.



“I have called the girls grandmother,” Mrs Wheeler said. “I’d take her to your office if I were you.”



Mrs Russell nodded. She walked up to Rachel and took her out of her friends grip.



“I love you, Rachel!” Brace said as they walked past.



“Son of a bitch!” the younger officer said. “I suggest you keep your trap shut mate, you’re coming to the station with us!”



The older officer shook his head a little wryly before handcuffing the criminal. The two policemen shook the man roughly and led the man out of the office. Ralph walked up to Hank and patted him on the shoulder. Hank looked up, the young man was pale and he looked as though he was about to throw up. Ralph led him to the toilets, whereupon Hank heaved. Ralph told Mrs Wheeler that Hank wasn’t feeling well. Mrs Wheeler said that under the circumstances the boy could go home.



^*^*^*^



The Headmistress led Rachel down the hallway and the stairs, and out back through the playground to her office. The headmistress glanced at passing students who seemed to dawdle. All of them wondered what had happened. Once they reached the Headmistress’ office Mrs Russell sat Rachel on a leather sofa and sat the poor girl down.



“All right,” she said in a gentle voice. “Can you tell me exactly what happened?”



Rachel sniffled slightly and began to tell her side of events to the Headmistress. She was almost half way there when the door crashed open. A formidable elderly woman walked into the office and her dark eyes burned with fury.



“What kind of a school is this?” she demanded. She snatched Rachel off the sofa. “I hope you learn from this!”



She hugged Rachel close to her bosom. “I can assure you, Mrs...?”



“Snow, I am on the paternal side,” Mary said.



“I can assure you, Mrs Snow, these are very odd circumstances.”



“I should bloody well hope so,” the older woman replied.



Mary led Rachel out of the school. Headmistress Russell ran after them.



“She doesn’t have to come back to the school until after Christmas,” she said. “There are only a few more days to the holiday’s anyway.”



“I should think so to,” Mary said. She looked at her granddaughter. “You’ll be staying with me for a couple of days.”



Mary and Rachel took a taxi home and were silent all the way. When they got inside the house the grandmother set the granddaughter down in the sitting room and made her a hot chocolate. Rachel spoke after taking a few sips.



“I’m sorry, Gran,” Rachel said. “This is all my fault.”



Mary stopped sipping her hot chocolate and scrutinized her granddaughter carefully. “Why do you say that?”



“It is my fault, I am sure I did something that encouraged him!”



“Don’t ever say that again Rachel Sapphire Snow! It wasn’t your fault! You should never be the one to feel culpable.”



“What?” Rachel asked.



“Don’t ever feel like you’re the one to blame.” She sipped some more of her hot chocolate. “You start your life as a victim, and you’ll remain a victim all the rest of your life.”



“You act like you understand,” she said.



Mary sighed, and passed a hand across her brow, her head was beginning to throb with the pain of memory. “Of course, I was an Austrian/German Jew in the thirties and forty’s. What do you think that meant for me?”



Rachel thought about it and then realisation dawned on her. She looked at her grandmother and she awakened to the fact that there was a lot more to her grandmother than first appeared and, as the full effect of the situation alighted in her eyes, Rachel gasped.



“You weren’t? You couldn’t have been!”



“I was in Ravensbrück and Mauthausen all throughout the war,” she sighed.



“How did you survive?” Rachel asked. She was filled with a new respect for this woman.



“I was not ready to lie down and let those bastard’s walk all over me!”



“I thought they hated that.”



“They did,” Mary said with a proud smirk on her face. Way to go, Gran! Rachel thought. “Well, one of them didn’t, he targeted me deliberately just to be stood up to.”



“That’s weird,” the teenager said. “Who was he?”



“I can’t say his name,” Mary said with a wistful sigh. Rachel saw the pain and hurt in her grandmother’s eyes.



“Why not?” Rachel asked.



“Because it will open up a whole new can of worms that I’d rather keep the lid on.”



Rachel nodded. After hearing a sample of her grandmother’s life, Rachel could finally understand why Ralph had befriended Hank after Hank had fought back. The two females drank the rest of their hot chocolate in silence; both lost in their own world and thoughts.



Mary was thinking of him. She sighed. She wanted so much to find him, she shook her head and muttered: “Foolishness!”



Rachel caught the word and chewed her lower lip. She wanted nothing more than to help her grandma remain happy. She had always thought that her grandmother was always blissful and content with her life. I’ll help you find him again, Gran, Rachel vowed. I’ll help you regain your happiness.



^*^*^*^



The Headmistress had also given Hank permission to go home. Ralph walked him home. Ralph had told Gertie exactly what had happened. Gertrude nodded and did what she did best, and cut her son up a slice of chocolate cake. Ralph walked out of the house; he was going to make his way to Harry’s Motors.



“Poor, poor, Rachel,” Gertie murmured. “I wonder how this will affect her?”



“I was not helpful!” Hank moaned. “I wanted so much to be her hero and fight for her! But Ralph went there instead and rescued her!”



Gertrude shook her head and chuckled slightly. “I am thankful he did, Hank, you could not stand up to a full grown man. Besides what you did do was probably just as heroic,” she sighed.



“All I did was give her some chocolate and snuggle her up in my arms,” Hank said. “I wanted to punch him down and be her knight!”



“What you did probably meant more to her.”



“Really?” Hank asked sarcastically. “You should have seen the way she looked at him before he saved her,” he got up and pushed his chair away. “Let’s face it, mum, I’m a loser!”

He grabbed his bag and stomped upstairs and slammed his door shut, Gertie sighed. “You’re my son, Hank, of course you’re a hero!”



She was about to telephone Harry but thought better of it. Lately it seemed Harry barely had time for his children or his wife. She went to the kitchen window and looked out into the garden. She knew exactly how depressed Hank was, there was a time when she was her husband’s heroine, now it seemed that Harry had found a new saviour; she gripped the edge of the sink and resisted the urge to cry. Harry didn’t even know what was going on inside her heart anymore. Even she was beginning to feel the love go from her marriage.



^*^*^*^



Ralph looked around Harry’s Motors and shrugged his shoulders. This business had been the reason that they could afford to take him yet Ralph had observed what else it was doing. He had been observing Gertrude and Harry and he realised that his initial assumption was wrong; they were definitely not as much in love as he first thought. He was also a little shocked at the way that Harry seemed to ignore Anna. He shuddered at what that could mean for the poor girl. He walked into the showroom and went to the Secretary’s desk. She looked up.



“Hello, Mr Green, what can I do for you?”



“You can tell Mr Harris that I am here to see him.”



She complied. Harry had come out of the office immediately, his face beaming; it was clear that he had just made another great sale.



“Ralph, you’re home early!”



“Can we talk privately, Mr Harris?” Ralph said.



“How many times, call me Harry!” Harry led Ralph into the Office and Ralph sat down in one of the comfortable leather chairs. “Now, what is it I can do for you?”



Ralph sighed and looked at Harry squarely in the eyes. “I want to be able to start working here after Christmas.”



“Is something wrong at College?”



“No, nothing is wrong,” Ralph said.



“So, you’re still enjoying the course?” he asked.



Ralph nodded. “I am but … !”



“So, what’s the problem?”



The young man sat back and considered what he was about to say next. “It’s Hank and Rachel. They may be the oldest of their respective families, but they certainly can’t look after themselves.”



“Why, what has happened to make you say that?”



Ralph rubbed his forehead, he had to keep calm, he had never witnessed anything so – so disgusting.



“I have just rescued Rachel from being raped by one of her teachers,” Ralph looked down on the floor. “It was horrible. That’s why I feel I have to stay here now. She needs me; neither Hank nor Rachel has someone older to look after them. Hank has been taking it upon himself to be like her Knight Protector,” he shuffled a little in his seat. “They’ll get hurt before too long, and I want to prevent that.”



Harry sighed and shook his head. “I am sorry, Ralph, but they don’t refund the money if you drop out.”



“I know, but I thought I was going to repay the debt by working here afterwards,” he said.



“That may not be necessary,” Harry said. “You have done well in your studies. You have the makings of an astute businessman. I consider it money well spent,” the older man looked shrewdly at the younger man. “So, you don’t have to worry. I suppose I could say that you don’t have to go to University. We’ll see how the situation pans out.”



“But you don’t understand,” Ralph replied. “They need someone to look after them.”



“Rachel has parents does she not?” Harry asked.



“Yes but … !”



“Then she’s all right,” Harry replied. “No, my final decision is you continue learning the basics; and go to University like we had planned.”



“But …”



“I mean it,” Harry said coldly. “See you at home.”



Ralph knew that it was no use arguing. Harry had made his mind up. Ralph knew that when Harry had made his mind up that was final. He walked out of the office and glanced at the prim Secretary. He was hoping Harry would benefit Rachel as kindly and benevolently as he did him; it seemed, though, that he saw no profitable reason for benefiting Rachel.



“See you later,” he muttered darkly. “That’s if you remember where you live.”



Rachel would never truly recover from what she had just experienced. No matter how hard she could try and fight it, there would always be moments when she would cower because of that ONE incident. She would always be a victim deep down inside even if she showed outside strength. Ralph knew because that is what he goes through. He was always a victim to his dead mother.



The Police had never managed to find his mother’s murderer. They eventually had to close the case. As soon as he could, he would hunt the murderer down himself, and kill him! Ralph walked back to his home and when he placed the keys in the lock and walked into the hallway he heard sobbing sounds coming from the living room and he walked in to see why.



Gertrude was setting up presents around the tree crying as she did so. He walked up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She turned and cried onto his chest clawing at his coat with her nails. If only Harry could see how miserable his family truly were … Ralph thought.



“It’s all right, Gertie,” he said. He was going to be strong for her. Someone had to be! “Everything’s going to be all right!”



A/N = When I was at school there were a couple of male teachers that made me particularly uncomfortable. One of them insisted that I sit as close to him as possible. And another one looked at my legs when he was talking to me and this other girl. It's scary just to think what they could have done or what was going through their minds!



Anyway, please, if you like this story leave a review. I would so love to hear your thoughts on this story.