Ahead of his Time by Adrian Cousins (children's books read aloud .txt) 📕

based on the fact we now believed the Colney clan were out to get me, the Cortina seemed to be the lesser of two evils.

The not so cunning plan we’d decided upon would only work as long as I could nip through the Broxworth labyrinth, grab Jess and get to Coldhams Lane without being noticed. Martin would park up at the top of Coldhams Lane, near the Beehive pub, and keep the engine running like a well-trained get-away-driver. I felt sure Jess would come with me on the pretence to meet my family over a free meal. Martin was far too excited by the challenge, and I think he fancied himself as a bit of a Steve McQueen type character.

After lunch, the first lesson was Chemistry and very aptly named considering my new pairings in place. Surprisingly, young Carlton seemed to have made significant progress. I assumed he’d revised his plan to thank Sarah for her help in Monday’s lesson, from his original idea of an offer of gratitude whilst gawping at her great tits, as he put it. I’m no expert, but I felt Sarah wouldn’t have been overly enamoured and seen Carlton as potential boyfriend material if he’d taken that route.

I observed a shift in their relationship from working partners to a point where they could have been the only pupils in the room as far as they were concerned. There was definitely chemistry between them. Carlton seemed uncharacteristically to be totally focused on the school work, and I spotted him constantly saying to Sarah how clever she was. At no point was he distracted by his mates, Roberts and Cooper, who, as usual, were taking every opportunity to act the prat – a skill both boys had mastered over their final school year.

When I asked Sarah and Carlton to talk through their results from the experiments, the whole class fell about laughing as they both hadn’t heard me due to being engrossed in gazing into each other’s eyes. Although they both were highly embarrassed, I was delighted my matchmaking skills had resulted in Sarah hopefully no longer being obsessed with the school caretaker.

I caught up with Martin as we relaxed in a couple of shabby armchairs in the boiler room. We sipped coffee made in the kitchenette Clive had constructed, which involved a hot plate dubiously rigged into the boiler electrics. I was confident both the seating area and kitchenette Clive had set up near the main boiler wouldn’t have been allowed in my day. No, there would be some weekly checklist or task sheet required to be completed and emailed to the local authority to state all areas had had their full health and safety assessment. Presumably, the inspection would have to be carried out whilst wearing a Hi-Vis vest, goggles, steel toe-capped boots and hard hat. Combustible tatty sofas and dodgy electrics, I assumed, wouldn’t have passed said inspection in 2019.

Martin appeared relieved that Sarah seemed to have shifted her thoughts from him to Carlton, although I guess watching your mother coo over a spotty dork was difficult to be too chuffed about.

“It does feel bloody odd though. I mean, I can't believe Carlton turns out to be the bloke I remember as he looks such a pillock!”

“Ha, yes. He can be a bit of a knob. Certainly got the brains, but just a bit childish and immature. Then thinking about it, he is a child … they’re both only sixteen, remember.”

Martin traced his scar on the side of his face, a habit I’d noticed him form over the last couple of weeks.

“I’ve accepted I’m never going back. And like you, I think I died after that crash. Well, I can only presume I was in a coma for a while before I died. It’s occurred to me Caroline may have had to make the decision to turn my life support off … that’s a hell of a thing for anyone to have to do.”

I pointed at his scar as he continued to rub it. “Probably suffered a brain injury, and they opened you up to try and relieve the swelling.”

Martin nodded as he placed his coffee cup on some part of the boiler machinery that whirred and clanged. “Yup, I reckon something like that. I actually think I like the scar. Nicole says it gives me a manly rugged appearance … would you believe?”

“I’m sorry.” I dropped my eyes and looked at the coffee, which I tried to balance in my lap. “If I’d been concentrating and not doing my usual of analysing everything, moaning about everyone – which we both know I used to do all the time – I wouldn't have hit that van. You wouldn’t have died, and you could be happy living your life in good-old 2019.”

“Don’t worry. Jason … Jason?”

I looked up at him.

“Look, mate, I don’t know if it’s Jenny or your job, but you’re a different person in this life. Don’t get too excited, but I might even stretch to say I quite like you.” Martin grinned, presumably waiting for a reaction, but I didn’t comply.

He continued. “You’ve made a life which certainly agrees with you. I think my time was up in 2019 and, now being alive again in 1977, I have a second chance. Apart from you … who else gets this fantastic opportunity?”

I chuckled and pointed my coffee cup at him. “Remember saying the very same thing a few months ago.”

“The important thing is to get that bastard arrested, so he can’t rape Mum. That’s what's important now. Mum had some sad points in her life, and I’d like her to be happy. I know she loved my dad, but their time together was so short. If we can re-write history so she doesn’t get raped, she might meet someone else. Mum could then have children that she actually plans to have and perhaps a marriage that lasts longer than ten years.”

“Got to give it to you, mate, you’ve a brilliant attitude to this.”

“She’s