Saturday morning arrived in Barbados with the sort of sunshine that made leaving seem not merely unfortunate, but frankly unreasonable.
The sky was blue. The sea was sparkling. The palm trees were swaying gently. Somewhere, a waiter was carrying a tray of fresh mango juice to a table of people who had absolutely no intention of going anywhere.
And in the hotel room occupied by the Brand family, Mr Brand was attempting to close a suitcase.
He was losing.
“Why won’t it shut?” he asked.
“Because you’ve packed too much,” said Mrs Brand, who was sitting on the bed checking the passports.
“I haven’t.”
“You’ve packed three pairs of shoes.”
“I need three pairs of shoes.”
“You have spent most of the holiday barefoot.”
“That’s irrelevant. I might need them at home.”
“For what? Walking?”
Mr Brand pressed down on the suitcase.
It remained stubbornly open.
Alfie appeared in the doorway, already dressed and ready.
“Dad, you’re supposed to sit on it.”
“I know how to pack a suitcase, Alfie.”
“Clearly.”
Mr Brand gave him a look.
“Would you like to try?”
“No. I packed mine yesterday.”
“Of course you did.”
Alfie had indeed packed his case the previous evening, folded his clothes, checked his school uniform was present and accounted for, and made sure his notebook and books were in his hand luggage. He was eight years old and had the organisational instincts of a small airport operations manager.
Barry and Marmaduke, meanwhile, were sitting on the floor.
They were not packing.
They were having a meeting.
“Do you think Kevin will miss us?” asked Barry.
“Who’s Kevin?” asked Alfie.
“The fish.”
“Oh, good grief.”
“He lives in the sea,” Marmaduke explained.
“I know where Kevin lives.”
“Will he remember us?”
Barry thought about it.
“He might. I was very nice to him.”
“You didn’t even meet him,” Alfie pointed out.
“I saw a fish that looked like him.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
Barry looked offended.
“It’s how friendships start.”
Marmaduke nodded.
“We should go back and say goodbye.”
“We are not going back to find a fish,” said Mrs Brand.
Barry sighed.
“Fine. But I hope he knows.”
Marjory and Marmaduke were staying in the hotel room next door, and Marjory arrived shortly afterwards.
She looked as though she had been awake for some time. This was not unusual. Marjory was a neurosurgeon and had spent much of her adult life operating at hours when normal people were asleep. She had also spent the previous evening saying goodbye to family members, checking travel arrangements and making sure nobody had forgotten anything.
“Ready?” she asked.
“No,” said Barry.
“That’s unfortunate,” said Mr Brand. “The plane is unlikely to wait until you feel emotionally prepared.”
Marmaduke was quieter than usual.
He had been excited about seeing Barry again when the Brands arrived in Barbados. Now that the holiday was over, he was facing the prospect of going back to England without the daily company of his best friend.
He and Barry had spent the last week together almost constantly. They had swum, explored, eaten, snorkelled, investigated a grand piano, conducted espionage and discussed the possibility of building a pirate ship.
They had also spent a considerable amount of time arguing about whose turn it was to choose the game.
It had been a very successful holiday.
“Will we see each other tomorrow?” Marmaduke asked.
“Probably,” said Barry.
“Probably?”
“Definitely.”
“Good.”
Barry held out his hand.
Marmaduke took it.
Alfie watched them.
“It’s only a flight home. You’re not moving to different countries.”
Barry looked at him.
“It’s a long flight.”
“It’s the same flight for both of you.”
“That’s why we’re sitting together.”
Alfie considered this.
“Fair enough.”
The cars arrived shortly afterwards.
William, Marjory’s brother, was driving one, with Marjory’s father in the other. There were two cars because there were too many people, too many suitcases and far too many children to squeeze everyone into one vehicle without someone being forced to sit on a bag of souvenirs.
Mrs Brand would travel with Marjory.
Mr Brand, Alfie, Barry and Marmaduke would go with William and Marjory’s father.
There was a brief debate about who would sit where, which involved Barry attempting to claim the front passenger seat on the grounds that he was “the smallest and therefore needed the best view”.
William explained that this was not how car seating worked.
Barry considered this an unfortunate development in transport law.
The luggage was loaded, the children were strapped in, and the cars pulled away from the hotel.
The journey to the airport was quieter than the journey in the opposite direction had been.
On the way out, Barry had been excited, exhausted and desperate to see Marmaduke. He had fallen asleep shortly after take-off and missed breakfast entirely.
This time, he was quiet.
Marmaduke sat beside him, looking out of the window. Alfie was watching the passing scenery, while William and Mr Brand chatted in the front.
In the other car, Mrs Brand and Marjory were talking quietly.
They had become very close friends over the years. They had met at university nearly twenty-four years earlier, during their first week, and had been through an extraordinary amount together since then.
They had shared the ordinary things: work, children, birthdays, holidays, dinners, difficult weeks and the endless logistical arrangements that seemed to accompany family life.
They had also shared the extraordinary things.
Mark’s death had changed Marjory’s life, and the Brands had been there through it. They had never treated Marmaduke as an additional responsibility or made Marjory feel that she needed to apologise for the demands of her work or her circumstances.
Marjory had never forgotten that.
“It’s been a lovely holiday,” Mrs Brand said.
“It really has.”
“Thank you for everything.”
Marjory looked across at her.
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“I know. But I want to.”
Marjory smiled.
“I wanted to do something for you both. You’ve done so much for us.”
Mrs Brand nodded.
There was a pause.
“I’m going to miss it here,” she said.
“Me too.”
“And I’m going to miss having Marmaduke around.”
“Barry will miss him.”
“Barry will probably start asking when he can see him again before we’ve even landed.”
Marjory laughed.
“Probably.”
In the other car, Barry was having a similar conversation.
“William?”
“Yes, Barry?”
“Can we come back tomorrow?”
William smiled.
“Not tomorrow, I’m afraid.”
“Saturday?”
“No.”
“Sunday?”
“Still no.”
“Next week?”
William looked at Mr Brand in the front passenger seat.
“Your son is very persistent.”
Mr Brand nodded.
“It’s one of his less exhausting qualities.”
Barry turned to Marmaduke.
“We’ll come back one day.”
“Definitely,” said Marmaduke.
William smiled.
“I’m sure you will.”
At the airport, the two cars pulled up and the luggage was unloaded.
The family were met by a large group of relatives who had come to wave them off.
Marjory’s family were there, including Mark’s parents.
Mark’s mum and dad had made the journey to say goodbye to Marmaduke and Marjory, and to the Brands, who had become part of their extended family too.
There were hugs all round.
Jade and Esme were there with Julia and William, and they immediately ran over to Alfie.
“Have a good flight,” Jade said.
“You too,” Alfie replied.
“That’s not how it works,” said Esme.
Alfie looked at her.
“Thank you for clarifying.”
Esme hugged him anyway.
Barry and Marmaduke were surrounded by relatives, all of whom seemed determined to give them a final hug before they disappeared through security.
Barry tolerated this with varying degrees of patience.
He was not particularly fond of being hugged by multiple people in succession, especially when he was trying to hold a toy aeroplane and a packet of biscuits at the same time.
But he understood that it mattered.
Mark’s mum knelt down and hugged Marmaduke tightly.
“Have a safe journey, darling.”
“I will.”
“Look after your mum.”
“I will.”
“And remember we love you.”
Marmaduke nodded.
“I love you too.”
Mark’s dad gave him a hug, then turned to Barry.
“Look after your best friend.”
Barry nodded solemnly.
“I will.”
“And remember what we talked about. Family is important.”
Barry looked up at him.
“I know.”
“Good boy.”
Barry paused.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Will you tell Kevin I said goodbye?”
Mark’s dad smiled.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you.”
Then Barry hugged him.
It was a surprisingly long hug for someone who usually regarded prolonged physical contact as a form of administrative inconvenience.
Mr Brand looked on quietly.
Mrs Brand wiped at her eye.
Marjory hugged her father, then her brother, then Julia. She hugged Mark’s parents again, and there was a moment when nobody seemed particularly keen to let go.
“See you soon,” said William.
“Definitely,” said Marjory.
“Call when you land.”
“I will.”
“And don’t forget your luggage.”
“Thank you, William. I had almost planned to leave it here.”
He laughed.
Then it was time.
The Brands and the Jacksons gathered their bags and made their way towards security.
Barry turned around several times to wave.
Marmaduke did the same.
Alfie, who was trying to be sensible, waved once and then looked back again.
The family stood together until the children disappeared from view.
Once through security, the two families found a place to sit near the departure gates.
They bought drinks and snacks, then settled down to wait.
Outside, their aircraft was parked at the gate.
The ground crew were checking it, loading luggage and restocking supplies. A catering truck was positioned alongside the aircraft, and staff were moving trays and boxes on board.
Barry watched with interest.
“What’s that man doing?”
“Restocking the plane,” said Mr Brand.
“What’s he putting on?”
“Food and drinks.”
“Breakfast?”
“Possibly.”
Barry looked at him.
“Do you think they’ll remember to give me breakfast this time?”
Mr Brand smiled.
“I’m sure they’ll manage.”
Barry looked back at the plane.
“I missed breakfast on the way here.”
“Yes, you did.”
“I was asleep.”
“Yes.”
“I was very hungry.”
“I remember.”
“I don’t want to miss it again.”
Mrs Brand smiled.
“Then perhaps you should stay awake.”
Barry considered this.
“That’s a good idea.”
Marmaduke sat beside him, holding a drink.
“I’m going to watch a film.”
“Me too,” said Barry.
But neither boy seemed particularly interested in talking.
The adults were quiet too.
There was something about being at an airport, watching a plane being prepared for departure, that made the holiday feel suddenly finished.
The children had been surrounded by family for the past week. They had seen the island, spent time with relatives, enjoyed the sea and made memories that would last a long time.
Now they were going home.
Mr Brand looked at Mrs Brand.
She smiled, but her eyes were a little shiny.
Marjory was sitting beside Marmaduke, holding his hand.
Alfie was reading his book.
Barry was watching the plane.
For a while, nobody said very much.
Then the boarding announcement came.
“That’s us,” said Mr Brand.
The children stood up.
Barry took Marmaduke’s hand.
“Come on.”
On board, Barry and Marmaduke were seated together, as they had been on the flight out.
They were delighted.
They had a window seat between them, two screens, two sets of earphones and enough buttons to make the boys feel as though they were sitting in the cockpit.
Barry immediately began exploring the entertainment system.
“Look!” he whispered.
“There’s a dinosaur film!”
“There’s a superhero film!”
“There’s a film about animals!”
“Which one are we watching?”
Barry thought about it.
“Dinosaur.”
Marmaduke nodded.
They put on their earphones and started the film.
For about twelve minutes, everything was perfect.
Then Barry wanted to tell Marmaduke something.
He took off one earphone.
“MARMADUKE!”
Marmaduke turned.
“WHAT?”
“LOOK!”
“WHAT?”
“THE DINOSAUR!”
“WHAT ABOUT IT?”
“IT’S BIG!”
“WHAT?”
Barry removed both earphones.
“I SAID IT’S BIG!”
Marmaduke removed his.
“I KNOW! I CAN SEE IT!”
Mr Brand looked over from the adjacent seat.
“Gentlemen. You are allowed to speak at a normal volume.”
Barry stared at him.
“We can’t hear each other.”
“That’s because you are both wearing earphones.”
“But they’re for listening.”
“Yes.”
“But we can’t talk.”
“Correct.”
Barry looked at Marmaduke.
“This is a terrible design.”
Marmaduke nodded.
“How do spies talk?”
Mr Brand closed his eyes.
“Preferably without shouting across an aircraft.”
Barry looked at him.
“We can’t use the secret signals.”
“What secret signals?”
Barry and Marmaduke exchanged a look.
The adults were clearly not trained in espionage.
The boys tried another film.
This time, they lasted approximately nine minutes before Barry wanted to tell Marmaduke that he had seen a cloud that looked like a dinosaur.
Again, the earphones came off.
“LOOK AT THAT CLOUD!”
“WHERE?”
“OUTSIDE!”
“WHICH ONE?”
“THE BIG ONE!”
Mr Brand sighed.
“I am beginning to understand why airlines provide entertainment systems.”
Eventually, the boys abandoned the films.
They decided that talking was much more important.
They discussed the hotel pool, the diving board, the ballroom piano, the concierge, the treasure map, the beach barbecue and the fish.
They discussed Kevin.
They discussed whether Kevin might have been swimming near Oistins.
They discussed whether Kevin had friends.
They discussed whether fish had families.
Then Barry remembered something.
“I’m hungry.”
Marmaduke nodded.
“Me too.”
They looked towards the galley.
There were cabin crew moving around, preparing drinks and checking supplies.
Barry stood up.
“Come on.”
Marmaduke followed.
They walked towards the galley, where one of the cabin crew members greeted them.
“Hello, boys. Can I help you?”
Barry looked up.
“Do you have chocolate?”
The crew member laughed.
“Chocolate? I think we might.”
“Can we have some?”
“Have you asked your parents?”
Barry paused.
“Not yet.”
“Then let’s see what we can do.”
Another crew member joined them.
“Are you two travelling together?”
“Yes,” said Barry. “We’re best friends.”
“That’s lovely. Where are you going?”
“England.”
“Have you had a good holiday?”
“Very good. But I missed breakfast last time.”
The crew member looked amused.
“Did you?”
“Yes. I was asleep.”
“Oh dear.”
“I slept through it.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“I was very hungry.”
Marmaduke nodded.
“He was.”
“And I don’t want to miss breakfast again.”
The crew members laughed.
“Well, we’ll do our best to make sure you get breakfast this time.”
Barry looked pleased.
“Can we have chocolate now?”
The crew member glanced towards the other cabin crew member, who produced two small chocolate bars.
“Here you go. One each.”
Barry’s eyes widened.
“Thank you!”
Marmaduke took his carefully.
“Thank you.”
“Now, don’t tell everyone we have a secret chocolate supply.”
Barry nodded solemnly.
“We’re spies.”
The crew member laughed.
“Of course you are.”
Barry looked at Marmaduke.
“See? They understand.”
The cabin crew were clearly enjoying the boys’ company. They asked about Barbados, the swimming pools and whether they had seen any fish. Barry gave a detailed account of Oz, the reef and Kevin, while Marmaduke explained the great tortoise race and the treasure map.
The crew members listened, laughed and asked questions.
Barry was particularly pleased when one of them promised to make sure they knew when breakfast was being served.
“I’ll be awake,” Barry assured her.
“Good plan.”
“Unless I fall asleep.”
“Then we’ll try not to let you miss it.”
At that moment, Mr Brand appeared.
“Ah. There you are.”
Barry turned.
“Dad! We’ve got chocolate!”
“I can see that.”
“We’re talking to the cabin crew.”
“I can see that too.”
“They’re very nice.”
“I’m sure they are. But you need to return to your seats now.”
Barry looked disappointed.
“But we’re spies.”
“Excellent. Your next mission is to return to your seats without attracting attention.”
Marmaduke looked at Barry.
“That’s difficult.”
“Very,” Barry agreed.
Mr Brand thanked the crew, apologised for the boys’ unexpected visit and escorted them back to their seats.
“Were you behaving?” he asked.
“Yes,” said Barry.
“Were you?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ask before taking chocolate?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Barry sat down and fastened his seatbelt.
Then he looked at Marmaduke.
“Do you think they’ll give us breakfast?”
“Probably.”
“Do you think we can get chocolate again?”
“Probably.”
Mr Brand sat down.
“Please don’t make a habit of visiting the galley.”
Barry looked innocent.
“We were just talking.”
“Of course you were.”
“And they gave us chocolate.”
“I’m aware.”
“It’s a very good airline.”
Mr Brand shook his head.
As the aircraft prepared for departure, the boys settled back into their seats.
They didn’t bother with the films again.
They preferred talking.
They whispered about the holiday, laughed about the pool and the piano, and planned what they would do when they got home.
Barry wanted to see Snowball.
He wanted to tell Victoria all about Oz and Kevin.
He wanted to show her the treasure map and the flag.
He wanted to see Marmaduke tomorrow.
Marmaduke wanted to see Bubble, visit the park and tell his grandparents all about the holiday.
Alfie was already thinking about school, his homework and the football training he would return to.
Mrs Brand leaned across the aisle.
“Are you two all right?”
Barry nodded.
“I’m going to miss Barbados.”
“So am I,” said Marmaduke.
Mrs Brand smiled.
“We’ll come back one day.”
Barry looked at her.
“Promise?”
“We’ll do our best.”
He nodded.
Then he turned to Marmaduke.
“We’ll have another holiday together.”
“Definitely.”
“And we’ll see Kevin.”
“Definitely.”
“And we’ll build a pirate ship.”
“Maybe.”
“Definitely.”
“Maybe definitely.”
The engines began to hum.
The aircraft moved away from the gate.
Barry pressed his face to the window.
“Goodbye, Barbados.”
Marmaduke waved.
“Goodbye!”
The island slowly slipped away beneath them.
For a while, the boys were quiet.
Then Barry reached into the seat pocket, found the safety card and began studying it.
“What’s that?” asked Marmaduke.
“An emergency plan.”
“Are we in an emergency?”
“No.”
“Then why are you reading it?”
“Because I’m a spy.”
Mr Brand looked over.
“Please don’t investigate the emergency exits.”
Barry smiled.
“No promises.”
The plane climbed into the sky, carrying two families home with full suitcases, full stomachs, slightly tired children and a great many memories.
And somewhere in the middle of the cabin, two four-year-old best friends were already planning their next adventure.
They had survived a week apart.
They had survived a Caribbean holiday.
They had survived the swimming pool, the diving board, the espionage operation and the great chocolate discovery.
Now they were heading home.
And this time, Barry Brand was determined not to miss breakfast.
He had a chocolate bar to tide him over, a best friend beside him and an entire aircraft to explore.
The cabin crew, quite reasonably, had other ideas.
But they had clearly underestimated the determination of a four-year-old secret agent.
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