Upside Down , livre ebook

Andrews UK - Janet Ollerenshaw

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121 pages

English

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"In the blink of an eye, anything can be turned upside down."Timothy is an enigmatic, independent child who suffers from 'petit mal', a mild form of epilepsy. During these episodes, he appears in other places and other times and is able to comfort and help those who are suffering in some way. He is guided by spiritual mentors and it is clear that there is a purpose to his life.Touching on aspects of reincarnation, spirituality, and the inevitable chaos factor, acceptance of Timothy's truth may mean that everything is turned "Upside Down"

Informations

Publié par	Andrews UK
Date de parution	04 juillet 2016
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781785385452
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0200€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Title Page
Upside Down
Janet Ollerenshaw

Publisher Information
First published in 2016 by
AG Books
Digital edition converted and distributed by
Andrews UK Limited
www.andrewsuk.com
© Copyright 2016 Janet Ollerenshaw
The right of Janet Ollerenshaw to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
The opinions expressed herein belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect those of AG Books or Andrews UK Limited.

Dedication
This work is dedicated to my cousin,
Adam Mallory Farmer
(1957 - 2016)
Love - Happiness - Joy - Friendship
I am inordinately proud and honoured to have known and loved a very special person who was truly
“A gift from God”
His light, love, acceptance and purity of heart shone throughout his life and spilled into the lives of all those who met him.

Acknowledgments
My heartfelt thanks go to my parents who have supported me in every venture I have undertaken and who have unconditionally loved me, my children whose acceptance of their slightly ‘crazy’ mother has allowed me to demonstrate my craziness in writing, my teaching colleagues and fellow students who gave me the confidence to write and my brothers who made me stronger than I believed I could be.
In particular, I thank Mark, without whose constant encouragement, love and unfailing enthusiasm, this work and its predecessor may never have materialised.
To all of you and to the many others who have made possible the production of these books and the realisation of a dream, I give you my love and everlasting gratitude.

Quote
Pearly white iridescence, perfectly formed, exquisitely perfumed
and nestled at its heart, a solitary diamond dewdrop; the aged rambling rose put forth
a single bloom.

Chapter One
He was totally absorbed. To anyone else, he was just a grubby child playing in the sticky wet mud. Nevertheless, for him it was a whole other world, a universe in which he was God and it was for him to decide who lived and who died, what went where and how it would all begin and all end. The small shiny dung beetle could not escape the prodding poking stick which constantly thwarted its attempts to scurry to the drier edges of the puddle and bury itself in escape from its tormentor. It wasn’t that the small boy wanted to kill. Quite the opposite, he wanted to control; to be the ultimate decision maker, the all-seeing eye, the omnipotent ruler of this tiny universe.
“Timophy!” Carrie’s call came as he knew it would, breaking the spell of his focus and marking the end of another day. He scooped the beetle into a matchbox and shoved it deep into his back pocket. Attempting to wipe the mud from his knees, he succeeded only in spreading it further across his skin and clothing as he smeared the dirt from his hands onto his jacket and down the sides of his shorts.
Gazing from her upstairs window, Rosa wondered for the umpteenth time, where this son of hers had come from. Of course she knew that he was hers; she vividly remembered the agony of his birth. It was a test of endurance that she had determined never to repeat. Not that the resulting joy in her new-born son hadn’t made the whole traumatic time worthwhile. Demanding and overtly demonstrative at times, he exhausted her with his boundless energy, and yet he was the apple of her eye and she would not have changed him for the world. Nevertheless, there were times when she found him a puzzle; an enigma, when, unlike many young children, he would play happily for hours on end, by himself. Totally absorbed in some mysterious and fascinating activity in which he needed no one and nothing, he was content and isolated in his own little world. Peopled with small creatures and imaginary foes, he fought battles, rescued weakened allies and visited places that she could not even dream of. Try as she might she could not distract him from his play when he was so engaged. Only Carrie could break the spell and insist he come to eat, to sleep, to wash or to prepare to go out with the family.
Short, dumpy, moonfaced and smiling an infectious toothless grin, Carrie spread happiness wherever she touched. Academically challenged and physically weak, Carrie, like many of her kind, met whatever life brought with stoicism and courage born of innocence and blind faith. A young woman with Down’s syndrome who retained her inner child, she managed herself remarkably well and caused little concern to Eleanor, her adoptive grandmother, or Shane, her step-brother who loved her with a fierce, protective, love which did not allow for teasing, bullying or any other form of abuse of his sister.
The years had been kind to Eleanor and she looked much younger than her age although her gradually shrinking body was slow to obey her commands and her hands shook a little, making the teacup rattle on its saucer as she took it carefully from Rosa’s well-manicured fingers. Afternoon tea was a habit they had formed early in their relationship and it remained a custom which brought them together once a day in the privacy of Eleanor’s rooms, allowing them time to discuss the family, current affairs and any other business that needed their combined attention. Today, Rosa wanted to discuss her concerns for Timothy. Soon, he should begin his formal education and Rosa was not at all sure that the school Simon, her husband and Timothy’s father, had chosen, was the most appropriate for her son’s needs.
Niceties dispensed with - the weather, their health, the neighbours - Rosa took the fine porcelain cup from Eleanor and placed it carefully on a side table. She took Eleanor’s hand in her own and absentmindedly stroked the soft yet wrinkled and veined skin. Eleanor placed her other hand over Rosa’s and leant forward, “What is it my dear?” she asked. Rosa breathed deeply and smiled into Eleanor’s grey eyes, “Timothy,” she began, but before she could continue, she was interrupted by a sudden ring of surprisingly strong laughter from her surrogate mother-in-law.
Rosa was second wife to Simon. His first wife, Tam, had died childless after a long illness and a troubled lifetime. Tam was the daughter of Eleanor’s sister, Jen, who had died in childbirth. Since the then motherless child was also apparently fatherless and alone in the world, Eleanor had raised her niece as her own and had similarly embraced the two children that Tam and Simon had adopted. Carrie and Shane were as much hers as they had been Tam’s and she loved them fiercely and protectively. When Rosa came into their nest, closely followed by little Timothy, the family had simply opened its hearts and arms wider and drawn them in completely as they accepted them into their lives.
“Oh but I should have guessed,” she gasped as the laughter subsided and, serious once again, she composed herself to listen to Rosa’s concerns.
***
Simon missed Tam. Oh he loved Rosa and was more than content in this second marriage and all the joys that his wife and son provided him, but he missed Tam’s serenity and other worldliness. She had been able, with a smile, to calm the most tumultuous of storms and her presence had spread balance and equilibrium wherever she went. Rosa, whilst beautiful and good hearted, and who likewise loved him unconditionally, brought other tensions and a wild streak of independence into their relationship. She had insisted on resuming her career in the fashion industry soon after Timothy was born and Simon’s dreams of a full-time mother to his son were soon dashed. Of course Eleanor had stepped into the breach and Elsa had been a godsend to them all. How would they have managed without her? And no, he didn’t resent Rosa for her choice; it was what she had to do and he understood the importance of it for her. She was very successful and he was proud of her achievements. Nevertheless, he missed Tam and was often to be found sitting on the park bench that had been a favourite haunt of hers. Here in the quiet and fresh air, he could meditate and allow the memory of her spirit into his soul wherein her oil was balm to his heart, soothing away the stresses of everyday life in a somewhat crazy and definitely unconventional family. It was this unconventionality that, to his mind, argued for traditional and conventional schooling for his son. He had never expected to have a son of his own and he was still amazed that at the ripe old age of fifty six he had become a father. Now sixty two, he adored Timothy although he didn’t pretend to understand him. Just as Rosa did, he found his son puzzling and something of an enigma. However, he could recognise and appreciate his innate intelligence and was anxious that it should be channelled and nurtured so that it was not lost as was so often the case with young people whose potential is crushed by society’s expectations and short-sighted, misplaced importance.
The school Simon had chosen was a Preparatory school with an associated Kindergarten. Timothy could begin attending in September when he would be just six years old. Although expensive, the school would provide him with the basic essentials in a