Chapter 6
Parachutes and Camels
When Jacks grandmother had searched the house high and wide for Grandad, she realised he had gone. Recalling his ramblings, she remembered him repeating the words ‘It’s in Australia’ and ‘how could I have not realised’ before he disappeared. She even attempted to unlock Grandads garden shed. For she had never been allowed inside even after fifty years. But the lock was too strong and could not be broken.
Rushing around to Mr and Mrs Chambers house, Jacks grandmother arrived barely three hours after Jack had vanished into the night with his Grandad.
Explaining to Mrs Chambers that Grandad had been watching the news before disappearing and that she thought they might be on their way to Australia. She pleaded with Mrs Chambers not to tell Mr Chambers and that Grandad would look after Jack. Mrs Chambers demanded to know why they would do such a thing and to this grandmother explained how Grandad had always told so many stories that over the years she feigned interest and rarely bothered to pay attention. She suspected it had something to do with one of these stories.
Mrs Chambers would have none of it and was hysterical as she told her husband everything. Originally dismissing the claims, Mr Chambers ran upstairs intending to search Jacks room high and low. But as he entered Jacks small and generally untidy room he immediately spotted the rucksack which Jack had forgotten. It was still full of Jacks stuff. Realising Jack had been packing for a journey, Mr Chambers went back into the living room and picked up the phone. Grandmother asked who he was calling and he thundered back that he was calling the police. Mrs Chambers agreed and against grandmothers pleas she allowed Mr Chambers to call the police. With tears running down her face, Mrs Chambers sat on the sofa with grandmother and told her how it was not right for Grandad to take Jack away and that he must be going funny in his old age. Grandmother would not agree, she spoke of how much Grandad loved Jack and he would never do anything that would place him in harm.