As we neared the island I started getting jittery about stripping off again. And that was despite seeing numbers of people wandering carelessly around wearing nothing. But inexorably (Another word I was proud of at the time) we drew nearer, struck sail and glided in beside the launch.
We moored. We stripped. We joined the others at lunch. I think that was the oddest thing: to be sat at a table in normal, pleasant domestic surroundings, eating and talking normally, whilst all the time being nude.
The afternoon brought the delights of learning to snorkel. Neither of us had done it before, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you've never tried snorkelling, you don't know what you're missing. If you have, then you haven't. Missed it, that is.
Watching Mark's well rounded, muscular bum floating on the surface as his head pointed downwards was funny, and gave me an odd feeling inside. It was like an oddly shaped whale which would suddenly flip up its fin - well, two thin fins — and dive.
To see the beach underneath us gradually shelving away into oblivion was like being let into a major secret, only to discover a bigger one further on. Add weeds, rocks, crabs, the occasional fish and other marine life and you have the makings of paradise for anyone young enough not to have become jaded. Neither James nor I, nor indeed any of the others who had done it before, got bored, and spent the whole afternoon in the water.
"See you tomorrow?" asked Mark as we reluctantly realised what the time was and said we had to leave.
"You bet!" I answered emphatically. He had opened up a lot over the day since I had towed him in from 'drowning' and I seemed to have done the same. It almost seemed as if he liked me.
I was a bit quiet on the way home. I felt split. James looked up to me, and I was happy being a sort of brother/father to him, especially because he was so uncomplicated. But Mark was……different. With him I felt a different sort of tingle; a keener, deeper, more meaningful feeling in my stomach. I found myself looking round for him, willing him to be there, nearby. Leaving the beach was only not difficult because I knew we were going back.
It was as well that James knew how to sail — more or less. My thoughts were elsewhere.
We were late.
They had seen us come from a different direction and were keen to know where we'd been.
"Oh, island hopping," I said.
"You won't go near the big island, will you?" said my mother. "It's a nudist colony."
I was silent. So, mercifully, was James.
We were both absolutely shattered that night. We ate silently, James fell asleep in the chair over coffee. I was nodding off. Eventually he had to be carried off by Mr Evans. It was only shortly after that I said goodnight, much to my parents' astonishment.
As his father had returned to the lounge, I went upstairs to James' room, only to find him spark out. I smiled fondly and returned to my own domain where I flung myself on the bed, alone at last after two nights of company. I thought over the day and inevitably Mark's face swam across my imagination. Well, more than his face, actually. I had to get undressed, because it was getting uncomfortable. As I took off my underwear I was puzzled to find them damp in front. Strange. I hadn't needed a pee. I went, to make sure I didn't, and found that trying to direct the little stream that there was downward rather than up in the air was quite a difficult and uncomfortable task. A shower? Too tired. Ruler? Why not.
No change.
Well, I had to get rid of its stiffness somehow, and I had every intention of doing so anyway, with Mark in the forefront of my mind. As my hand did its best for me I noticed that the tip of it was getting a bit shiny, so I stopped to see what it was. Clear liquid? Why? Was I all right? Was this venereal disease? If so, how had I caught it? I hadn't had sex with anybody, least of all a prostitute — which is how I knew you caught it..
I shrugged my shoulders. There was nothing I could so about it now, and VD or no VD I was half way to whatever, fantasising about being with…a boy? Why? It must just be that I wasn't old enough to be attracted by girls yet. Oh well, it was harmless.
I continued, thinking about being near him, thinking about how he'd always seemed to be nearby, thinking about how he always seemed to smile when I did, thinking about his faultless body, his beautifully shaped…and suddenly, more powerfully than before, it seemed, I was there. I let my hand finish until all the need had gone, and then relaxed. And relaxed. And nearly fell asleep. It was only the little draft from the window across my midriff that woke me. It felt colder than usual in one particular place, and I wondered for a moment if James had sneaked into the room and dripped water on me.
He was nowhere to be seen.
I sat up and looked with puzzlement at myself. It had got limp, of course. It was now touching the inside of my thigh.
On which was a patch of damp. Which must have come from my willy.
I was now positively awake. With a shaking hand I raised the end of my drooping organ and peeled the skin back a bit.
Wetness.
Had I started? Had nature turned the tap?
I knew from long experience that it was no use trying again, not for some time. But I so wanted to know, to watch, to see if it was at last happening for me. I decided to go to bed and sleep, then wake up and try again at about midnight. I got under the covers.
There was a knock on the door. I opened my eyes. Mother, and the next day. Damn.
"You're late again, darling. Are you well?"
Better than you think, mother, if only I could try it out. "Yes thanks. Fine. I was just tired after yesterday."
"What, more so than usual?"
"Yes. I was teaching life saving." Damn. I hadn't meant to say anything.
"Oh. To James?"
"Yes, and…some others."
"Oh, that's nice. Did they enjoy it?"
"Yes, and they showed me how to snorkel."
"Isn't that dangerous? You will be careful, won't you."
"It's not dangerous. We only did it in shallow water, and we use the 'buddy' system. There's plenty of other people around."
"Where did you do it?" Well, she had to ask, I suppose.
"We met some people on our island, and went to theirs."
"Oh. So long as you don't go to that nudist colony. They're all funny people there."
"I'm sure they're not, Mum. They probably just like the freedom of not wearing swimming things."
"Like your father did in the Navy, you mean? That was just men together, and I'm not sure I really approve of that. There are some parts of the body you just don't show."
"Why?"
"Oh it's all right for you and James, but when you get older you'll understand. Anyway, come down to breakfast soon. We'll wait for you."
"But why, Mum?"
"Because we like to eat with you there."
"No, why don't you show these 'some parts of your body'?"
"You'll know when you grow up."
"I have."
"Properly."
"When?"
"You'll know."
"I know now." She wasn't going to get away with not answering me.
"No you don't. It's all right before you reach…before you start growing hair on your body."
"I have."
"Nonsense. Hurry up and come down to breakfast."
She left, rather swiftly I thought, before I had time to think of the next retort.
The clock said that I had fifteen minutes to shower, dry and dress. I had no time for the check I just had to make. Was James up? Should I go up? I shot to the door and darted, still naked, outside. Up the stairs, knock at the door…why? He never knocked on mine…and threw the door open.
And there was Mrs Evans siting on the end of James' bed talking to him. My reaction was instant.
"Oh…" Her head swivelled. I hid behind the door.
"I'm sorry Mrs Evans. I thought I'd better see if he was awake."
"Sorry, Martin. I didn't mean to scare you. Don't worry about me — after all, I have a son of my own, you know."
Yes, but not one who was more or less adult.
"Yes…it's just…Oh well, he's awake. I'll go and have a shower."
"See you at breakfast. Can James come and use your shower as usual?"
"Oh yes…yes…of course."
And I was gone. Fast. Down the stairs I scuttled before she could get to the door and see my bare bum disappear.
He showed up a few minutes later, grinning broadly as he joined me in the shower without a by-your-leave.
"That gave you a shock, didn't it?"
I just looked at him. "I'm not coming to wake you up any more."
"It's all right. I go around naked in front of her. And you go around naked with Hannah."
"That's different."
Over breakfast my father turned to me. "Martin, how about today for a sail? Just the two of us?"
I thought quickly. I'd arranged to be on the island at 10 o'clock again, with James, then spend the rest of the day with the naturists. My hesitation seemed to dispirit him.
"Well, if you'd rather not…"
"No, Dad," I said desperately. "It's just that I'm teaching these people life saving and I said we'd see them at 10. On the island. You know you wouldn't like me to let them down." Reliability was one of his frequent messages to me. It cheered him up.
"How about if James and I both come along. You could do your tuition, then James could stay with them for a bit and we could go off. Would that be all right?"
Well, they said they wore clothes when in the boat. I saw no problem. And I really did owe him a sail.
"All right," I said. Always gracious, me. "I'd better tell James."
James was thrilled with the idea. "Perhaps he'll strip off too," he said.
Somehow the idea didn't attract me. "He won't. He's not that sort."
"He might. He said he did in the Navy."
"That's different. You sure you don't mind staying with them on your own?"
"I'll be OK."
We all three readied the dinghy for the short voyage. I think Dad was quite impressed with the amount of work James was doing without being asked. It took a very short time before we were under way. I let Dad take her, with James on the foresheets. It seemed only fair.
"Where do you go?" the skipper asked as we were heading in the island's general direction.
"This side, then we walk across. It's a more sheltered mooring."
"I'll do the same."
As soon as we had moored properly James was pulling off his T-shirt. For one minute I thought his shorts were going to follow, but he made no further move. I did the same, and after a pause so did my father. He was very white compared with us. Today was the first day I'd seen him in shorts, and the colour of his thin legs was more like a candle than skin tone.
There was no sign of the others when we got to the opposite shore, thankfully. I had sudden visions of lots of naked people I'd have to explain. I wondered what they'd do. In fact the more I wondered, the more apprehensive I became. We just sat on the sand and waited. I could see James was itching to get into the water. At last he could stand it no longer.
"I'm going for a swim," he announced. "Anybody else coming?"
I just looked at him. "I didn't bring any trunks," said Dad.
"Oh, we just go in without. You said the other day that we could."
He looked at him. "So I did. I thought you probably would. It's great, isn't it?"
"Mmm." I agreed without thinking.
"I suppose…" he started. "…but it's not really fair on you two, is it?"
"What?" I asked.
"Well, you're my son, and James goes skinny-dipping with you anyway, so perhaps it wouldn't matter. What d'you think?"
"What?" I asked again.
"If I stripped off and came in with you both."
I looked at him. Well, he was my father. It didn't worry me. "James?" I asked.
"Yeah, why not? The others do."
"What others?" Dad had latched on.
"Oh, the others I'm teaching. We don't bother with swimming things."
"You kept that quiet."
"Well…we…it didn't seem to matter, and I thought Mum wouldn't like it."
"Hmmm. No, you're right. She wouldn't. But then she's not been in the Navy. Anyway, if neither of you two mind, I'm happy. Just don't let on to your parents, James, or you to your mum, Martin. They wouldn't understand. Sure?"
We both nodded. He started to undress. James watched for a moment, then with one quick movement hauled down his shorts, sat on the sand and unconcernedly took off his shoes. He stood up.
"There!" he announced. Dad looked at him and grinned. "Good boy. Are we two going to be the only ones, or are you joining us, Martin?"
I grinned too, suddenly a lot happier than I had been before. Funnily, there was a tiny little weight that had lifted from my mind which, now I thought of it, had been there ever since we had started wandering around in the nude. If my own father sealed it with his approval, there was no way it could be wrong. As to my mother; well, she was a woman and didn't understand men like me. She'd made that very clear the other day. It still rankled.
I stripped off at about the same rate as Dad did. It was odd seeing his for the first time without having to spy over a toilet partition. He was about the same size as the Doctor, as I remembered. Oh well. That was normal, I supposed. I'd get there one day.
Swimming was great. Once he had declared himself as one of 'the lads' my father was even more fun than usual. He chased and allowed us to chase. He tickled and allowed us to tickle. He ducked and allowed us to duck. And he seemed to expect it. He even ducked James, and laughed at him when his victim came up blowing like a pink whale. The scared look in his eyes disappeared immediately Dad held him above the water again so he could breathe.
He even asked Dad to duck him again.
We were interrupted by a shout.
"Hallo…! We've been waiting out there for ages, thinking strangers were here again and you were hiding. And it's you all the time!" This was the Doctor.
I waved from the water. "My Dad's with us. Come along in!"
He shook his head. "Hallo, Mr…er…Martin's Dad. Sorry, but my wife and I have to go to town today with the girls. There's a special event going on that they want to go to. Can I leave Mark, Billy and Ralph with you? Can you ferry them over to the island later in your boat? There's lunch waiting for you, and you'll be welcome, too." This was to my father.
"George Finch," he said. "Good to meet you."
"Malcolm Rogers. How do you do?"
"Is that all right, Dad?" I asked.
"You're in charge today, old son. Yes, that's fine by me."
"Thank you, Dr……Rogers. I'll do that."
He dropped the others off on the shore where they stripped off without any further thought that my father — all of us — might have been clothed, and ran into the water.
"Phew!" said Mark, making straight for me. "I've been longing to dive in all morning. Sorry we're late. The girls found this clothes exhibition they wanted to go to, and Dad's got to take them. Hallo, sir."
"Good to see you. I see my son isn't going to introduce us, but I'm George Finch."
Mark laughed and pointed out the others. Then a thought struck him.
"Er…I hope you don't mind, sir. We just stripped off just then as we always do. It never occurred to me that you weren't er…"
"Naked too? Don't worry, I am. We used to in the Navy, and as my son and his friend did, I asked if they'd mind me doing the same. I hope you don't mind?"
"Of course not, sir. I mean, we always do on holiday. That's why we stay on the island over there."
There was this silence. Dad looked at me sharply. I could see he was, although I was watching Mark at the time. I didn't trust myself to look anywhere else. Dad carried on, in a rather flat voice.
"You mean you're nudists."
"Well, naturists actually, but then I suppose we're all nudists at the moment, aren't we?"
"Er…yes. It's just that Martin never told me."
"There's no problem, is there sir?"
Another silence.
"No……no. It's just that you get a certain idea about nudis…naturists. And I wasn't alone in getting it. I wish you'd told me." This was to me.
"Dad, if I had, you'd have stopped us coming here, and visiting them. And there's no reason not to. I mean they're all normal people, it's just that they prefer not to wear anything. Just like we've been doing."
"Hmm. That's easy to say…well, we're here now. You seem to be entirely normal, and so does your father. And if he's a doctor…well…" Another pause. I could see a sort of dismay crossing the faces of my new friends. It matched mine. James and Rose and Billy were all splashing about together in the shallows, as happy in each other's company as we had been up to a few moments ago. Dad looked at them, and his face softened.
"Oh damn. What's it matter? I was as ready to accept all of you as friends before you mentioned naturism; why should one word make a difference? I'm not sure I'll want to come and visit you on the island this afternoon, but if you two want to go, then you can. But right now, I want to swim, and this wretched son of mine can teach you lot lifesaving. In fact I might come and get him to rescue me, so I can get my own back by being difficult!"
Now I could look at him. He was grinning at me, and as I stared he launched himself at me in a tackle. That started us all off, and before long we were all playing again. Yes, even him.
I carried on with my tuition eventually, but only for a short while. I wanted to get sailing with Dad, just so we could talk. Eventually we dragged ourselves free, leaving Joe, the eldest, responsible for James' safety.
We went sailing, him and me, and had a long chat. He felt better for it afterwards, and I did too. I think he came as near as he could to saying that my mother was a bit old fashioned in her beliefs. I'd already decided that. I told him that I'd tell him things like that if it happened again, but I really couldn't see that it would. It turned out he liked them all, anyway.
"I've not had so much fun for years," he said about the morning's messing around.
"Are you coming to the island with us?"
"I don't think so. I'm not sure that I'm ready for…"
We sailed long and hard. He got me to put the little dinghy through her paces, to push her harder than I'd dared do on my own — and I enjoyed sailing fast. We shipped in water on more than one occasion as a stronger gust heeled us over, and it was quite a job to keep her upright.
"Don't do this when you've got James aboard, or when you're out of sight of land," he warned, "just in case you do go over badly."
He headed at last toward the town, but as he was about to make the last few turns gybed instead and headed back out again. I looked at him in surprise.
"I'm going to come back with you lot," he said, "if you'll have me?"
"Are you sure?" I was so surprised that he'd even consider going naked that I thought for a moment he'd forgotten what was about to happen.
"No. But I'm coming anyhow. If I can't do it then I'll take the dinghy back and come for you later."
We collected the first contingent from our island, and they were as surprised to see him as I had been. When they heard he was going to try it there were grins and calls of congratulations all round. He left James, Mark and me on shore and took the other three.
We sunbathed, waiting for him to return. I was in the middle, with this nice warm feeling that I had two people beside me who were very special to me, and a third who was about to come and fetch us to have more fun. Mark was lying on his stomach, his face toward me, and every time I looked in his direction he seemed to be watching me. Every time I did so I smiled, liking the idea that he was paying so much attention to me, and liking him even more as the time went on.
Dad came. "Well," he started. "I've just never seen anything like it. There's crowds of them there, all naked, and none of them caring, even if I was dressed. It's amazing."
"Think you'll like it?"
"We'll see. Come on."
He was right. When we had moored just at their jetty there were people everywhere, more than the previous day. All ages. Both sexes. No clothes. Dad seemed to take a long time to ensure the dinghy was safe, and I wasn't going to strip off without the others doing so, preferably first. Eventually he looked around, and I could see that there was nothing else he could possibly do for the boat. Mark and James were just watching life pass them, Mark with a grin and James with his mouth open. But they were waiting for us. Eventually Dad was ready, straightened up and walked off the boat. His face was very red.
"Come on," said Mark. "I'll take you to somewhere you can leave your clothes."
"Do we undress now?" I asked.
"Oh no. That wouldn't be fair. Whenever anyone arrives here they go to their cabin or caravan first, then just join in normally from there. We don't go in for striptease! Come on."
So, looking neither to right nor left, we followed him. It was quite novel to see him clothed, even if his entire clothing was just a pair of shorts. We called at one of the restaurant's outside hatches, where Mark collected the remainder of the booked picnic lunches, and then headed off to a small building nearby. Once inside the changing room, though, Mark peeled off his shorts thankfully, saying how awkward he always felt being one of the few clothed people there, and almost immediately James did the same. The two stood, grinning at us. It was easy for me, and I quickly followed suit, but Dad seemed to be going slower.
"Come on, Dad. We've got a snorkelling course to get to after we've eaten."
He looked at me sharply, and a little unhappily I thought. "Come on," I repeated. "We've seen you now. Everybody else is. So…please?"
He held me in his sights a moment longer, then just dropped his clothes, picked them up and hung them up as we had done, and walked, rather grimly I thought, after Mark who had started off once he had seen that he was nearly ready. Following my father's naked bum was one of the oddest things of the holiday so far.
We found the beach where the snorkelling was due to take place, although when we arrived it was deserted apart from the other members of the family who greeted us rapturously. I could see a smile start returning to Dad's face, much to my relief. He flopped down on the beach thankfully.
"That was one of the most embarrassing experiences of my life," he said. "It's all right with just blokes, but when there are women as well I'm not used to it. Don't you get embarrassed?"
"No sir," said Joe. "But then we're used to it. We wander round at home naked too. We have one rule — you're either dressed or you're undressed. We don't go around in underwear. Well, the kids do, but as you get older it just seems wrong, somehow. Sometimes I've seen girls in underwear, and it's…well…er…more…you know…than if they were naked." He finished in a rather embarrassed tone.
We ate. It was a light lunch, but as we would all be swimming soon, and as we would each be eating a hearty meal later that was no problem.
The beach gradually filled. Soon there was an instructor (clothed) calling us all together.
Dad decided that snorkelling was fun. We were again each paired with someone else of our own age or build, and I noticed Mark was beside me and told me to put up my hand at the same time as his. Dad got Joe, and James got Billy. We were all happy, and Mark seemed positively light-headed.
Many times that afternoon we would plummet down to the cool, dim depths, to swim around together for a tantalisingly short visit, to be so nearly a part of another world as any naked boy can be, before shooting once again to the surface to relieve the bursting need to breathe. At last it was time to stop. We two were once again exhausted, and James had already given up, so tired were his muscles and lungs. We lay there, all of us, drying off, before Dad and Joe joined us.
"I'd forgotten just how wonderful that is," said my father. "It's even better without any bathing things. You feel so much more a part of it."
We were too tired to comment, but I could hear Joe talking to him for some time.
Dad woke me with a shout. "Do you know what time it is? It's half past six. Dinner's at seven-thirty, and I never even told your mother I'd be out late. She'll be worried out of her mind. Sorry, you lot, but we've got to go. And fast. He'll see you tomorrow, I'm sure. If a miracle happens and I can persuade his mother to come too, I'll see you as well."
"On the island?" I asked quickly.
"Yes." Mark was positive about that.
We were in such a hurry to get to the boat that we almost forgot our clothes, even Dad. He was now used to wearing nothing, and so preoccupied with getting back before Mum called the coastguard that we were about to set off in the nude. When I pointed this out he said something very Navy-like.
We dressed, made the crossing at speed, and were only twenty minutes late for dinner. Mother was not pleased. Neither were James' parents, despite my father's apology. But as the very good, and very welcome, meal went on, things defrosted a bit and talk started.
"What were you doing, to keep him out so late?"
"We were guests of some people, and they were in a snorkelling lesson."
"But only children play with snorkels, surely?"
"Not these. They're the real thing, the sort divers use. And you can safely dive deep with them and see the sea bed. It's really fantastic…" I was listening offhandedly, tired, glad that she had calmed down and the pressure wasn't on me. "…and of course you really feel at one with everything as the water's touching you everywhere…"
I choked and broke into a fit of coughing. It hurt, rather, as it does when you don't actually need to cough. But it stopped Dad giving the game away. I drank some water and 'recovered'.
The talk over coffee turned to their day. It turned out that Mum had met these really nice people; she was a doctor's wife, and she had her young daughter, a friend and her older daughter with her. My ears pricked up, and I jerked back to full wakefulness.
"The little girl's name was Rose, and she's really pretty, and so well behaved. We went round this exhibition together — it was really well done, and some of the clothes there were delightful — and got talking. And do you know, they're on holiday too, and staying not far from here. It's a pity we can't go and visit, but they're on the nudist island.
Dad's turn to choke. A real one. Coffee spilt into his saucer. I went to bed; it was either that or have hysterics. A suitable distance outside the lounge I collapsed in a heap, much to the bewilderment of passing waiters, and that's where James found me. I took his arm wordlessly and went up to my room where I collapsed on the bed. I told him what had happened, and he grinned widely, but didn't seem to latch on to it as I had.
We were both very tired. It was hardly surprising that the chat faltered, our eyes gradually closed, and we slept, fully clothed — well, in the casuals we'd worn on the boat — together on the bed. Dimly I remember the door opening, then a figure standing over me. I looked up. Mum. She looked very much at peace with the world, and suddenly the near dislike of the last few days since she had humiliated me so evaporated.
"Come on, you. To bed properly. And James. Shower in the morning."
And somehow I let her help me out of my clothes, down to my pants.
"And what are we going to do with your friend? I'd better get Mr Evans up here to get him upstairs."
"He can sleep here."
"Are you sure?"
"Mmmm."
I sort of helped her ease off the boy's clothes until he was clad just in pants, like me. We managed to get him under the covers, and I just about got in the other side before sleep once again dragged at my eyelids. I answered her good-night with something, and that was that.
I'm told that the Evanses looked in on us later, and found us both dead to the world.
He was awake before me next morning. When my eyes opened he was wriggling around, trying to get from under my arm without waking me, and having the opposite effect. How my arm came to be there, I don't know. I shifted it hurriedly. He stopped wriggling and looked at me.
"Hallo."
"Mmm. Wassertime?"
"You always say that."
"Mmmm."
"Says seven o'clock."
"Tw' early."
"No it's not. We could start for the island early."
"Breakfast."
"Oh."
The next thing I knew as I opened my eyes was that it was noticeably lighter and that Dad was sitting at the foot of the bed watching me. James was asleep by my side.
"Morning, Martin. I thought I'd come up and wake you. The service is at nine, so we don't want to be late."
My mind grasped it eventually. Church. Like always on a Sunday. Oh.
"Wassertime?" I asked, with deja-vu.
"Ten to eight."
"All right. We'll see you down there."
When he had gone I stripped the thin coverings off us. James was lying on his back. I had time to examine his body carefully. I wondered what would happen if I touched him, but didn't dare. Then I remembered that I had an experiment to do on myself…but I couldn't do it on a Sunday, it didn't seem right. And if he was to wake up and see me…Well, that was out of the question.
So I tickled him until he was awake again, and irritatingly he was immediately lively. None of my long surfacing from subterranean slumbers. His was the landing from airborne sleep.
"First one to get the other one's pants off," he said.
We wrestled on the bed until he was naked and giggling helplessly and I had this minute pair of Y-fronts in my hand. The shower was welcome, and once again he showered me all over and I did the same to him. It gave each of us a reaction, and he giggled as mine reached for the ceiling. I nearly showed him my special exercise for it, but again didn't dare.
We were down to breakfast on time, both looking smart, which was as well since his parents hadn't told him about church.
The service was boring.
We changed afterwards and set off for the island, the two of us, as usual. The others were there, so we stripped off and did some more life saving, really just for the sake of it. There was another chance for snorkelling that afternoon.
We were on the beach having lunch, idly chatting, when Hannah remembered.
"We were with your mothers yesterday. They told us where they were staying and I remembered that's where you were, so we asked them and they told us you were theirs."
"You didn't tell them about the island?" I was worried that mine might discover. Although as she hadn't exploded so far I assumed she hadn't.
"Oh yes. She was amazed, but we look like quite normal people when we're dressed and she liked us. She said that it wouldn't be for her but that if you were happy with it, it's up to you."
I gasped. After all she'd said about not showing 'certain parts' of my body when I got to 'a certain age'!
"Oh," I said weakly. What on earth was coming to me when I got back? Then I remembered she'd had quite enough time and opportunity to say anything she wanted to during the previous evening, and hadn't. Why?
We'd not noticed it, but the sun was losing its strength. It's shining had become such a part of normal life, like not having clothes on, that to lose it was somehow unnerving. The disc was certainly becoming quite hazy, and the temperature was returning to England's normal of just about OK. As we chatted, letting lunch go down, the breeze started to freshen, and rather too quickly became a wind. I kept having to swallow, because my ears felt as though I was going deaf. I mentioned it to Mark, who somehow had managed to sit next to me.
"I thought it was me," he said. "I wondered if I was ill or something."
After another twenty minutes the wind was strong enough to make sitting outside unpleasant. The sun, too, had decided that it had had enough and was glaring at us like an orange eye as if it was all our fault. Almost as we looked at it it ceased to be the sun as such, and became a brighter disk in the gathering grey of the clouds.
We were starting to get some weather after a week of peace. Almost as one we picked everything up, just as the instructor came to tell us it wouldn't be safe to dive with the wind so strong, and we all trooped back to the main group of buildings.
It's obvious now, but at the time I was so caught up with my friends, especially Mark, that strong wind rang no bells with me at all. We got to the main hall and found a lot of people in there, all queuing for teas or coffees. We got drinks — they found some staff from somewhere to help - and sat round a table.
Outside the wind was getting stronger. We knew that because every time the door opened a gust would hit our table. Still nothing connected in my brain.
"Would you like to come and see where we stay?" asked Mark.
"Yes please."
"Can I come?" James didn't want to be left out.
I thought a look of annoyance crossed Mark's face, but he agreed, and we made for the exit.
The door wouldn't open.
We pushed it hard, and eventually managed to force it back against the wind. The way to their cabin took us by the shore.
"Bloody hell!" Worry suddenly hit me as the bells that should have started ringing an hour and more previously started clanging their warning. How was I going to sail home in this? How was anything going to make the journey? The waves were dashing their angry grey bulk against the shore, the sky was leaden in all directions, and the wind tore my words from my mouth and flung them out to sea like so much rubbish.
To sail would have been suicide.
"How do we get home?"
"You can't sail."
"I know."
"We might get you back in the motor boat."
"No, it's too rough for a small boat like that."
"You'll have to stay with us, then." I looked at him sharply. His voice was almost cheering at me, I thought.
"Hmmm. Our parents will be worrying."
"We can phone."
"There's a phone? On the island?"
"Yes. How d'you think people book?"
"Where? Do we need coins?"
"It's probably in the office. Look, I'd better go and check with Dad. Come on."
It took some time to run the Doctor to earth, and he looked as bewildered as adults usually do when you try to tell them something important. Eventually, with both of us talking, often at the same time, we got the message over to him.
"Yes, of course you must phone. Come with me. We'd better arrange for you to stay here the night. There's no way this is going to settle down by this evening, even if the wind does drop."
He was as good as his word, and the office found the number of the hotel.
"Amberdale 427, please."
There were clicks and whirrs as we were put through, then silence, with the occasional hum as the operator rang the number periodically. At home we were on an automatic exchange where, of course we dialled most of our own numbers except long distance, and we had been ever since I remember. Here, though, the whole system was still worked by an operator. Eventually the hotel answered and there was another delay while they looked for either set of parents. Eventually Mrs Evans came to the phone.
"Hallo."
"Hallo Mrs Evans. It's us. We're OK, but we'll have to spend the night here."
"Who is this, please?"
"It's Martin, and James. We're on the island. The sea's too rough to get back."
"Oh, Martin…I see…and is James with you?"
I despaired. "Yes, he's here…Here, James, it's your mother." I handed the phone over to him and he took it gingerly.
Eventually he managed to persuade her that we really were on an island, one with a phone, and we were OK, but couldn't get back. The Doctor signalled to him, when he seemed about to put down the instrument, that he wanted a word.
Between the two of them I think they seemed to pacify her, and got an assurance that they would tell my parents too. The phone was put down and we looked round at each other.
"Well," said the Doctor. "Family conference time, I think. We need to find some beds."
"Martin can have half of mine, Dad. It's a double." This, very quickly, from Mark. I looked my thanks to him.
"Would you mind that, Martin? It's not the best solution, but the place is full this week and there aren't any spare rooms."
"No sir, that's fine by me."
"And James had better share with Billy, if neither of them minds. No one else has a double bed or a spare single in their room."
We returned to the others and told them of the outcome. Billy seemed quite glad to have some company, and I didn't think James would mind. I was right. Once again Mark took us off to show us where we'd be sleeping, and this time Billy and Rose came too. As we crossed the windswept areas between the central buildings and the cabins the first raindrops started…
We collapsed wetly through the doorway of Billy's cabin, where his and Rose's beds were in a room off their parents'. That short distance had seen the rain turn on as if by a tap, and we were all as wet as if we had just been dragged from the sea.
"You two get dry. Have a shower or something and do the job properly. Play cards until it's stopped. We'll do the same in mine, and we'll see you back at the restaurant for a meal."
"Can't you stay and play with us?" asked Rose.
"No. I want to get Martin settled in, and show him something. We'll see you over at the restaurant later."
"OK."