Synopsis
(Compliments to CCurriculum Development Division, MOE ) Hopefully this will benefit my students..
Rory and his grandfather, Granda, have looked after each other since Rory’s dad walked out on them. Granda is given to lapses in memory (putting Rory’s homework down the rubbish chute and the rubbish in Rory’s school bag) and completely irresponsible behaviour (setting fire to his coat at a Parents’ Evening), but he has a generous heart and plenty of charm. Rory acts as his carer until there is a fire in the flat and the authorities decide to separate them. However, Rory is determined that they will stay together and they embark on an escape but with their faces on every television screen and in every newspaper, this is not so easy. Their journey is full of surprise betrayals and unexpected friends as they attempt to evade the authorities and eventually track down the man who walked out on them.
PLOT SUMMARY
Chapter 1
Readers are introduced to Rory and his Granda as they wait for Dr Nicol in the waiting room. The doctor is concerned that Rory is too young to take care of his grandfather. However, Rory is aware that there are only two of them in the family.
Chapter 2
Granda has a failing memory; always misplacing things. Rory has the sole responsibility of taking care of Granda like buying him his lunch every day.
Chapter 3
Rory sacrifices some of the things he likes for Granda. He gives up football so that he can be at home with his Granda. Rory’s worry is that if Granda is put into Rachnadar, they would be separated. Rory’s dad had left them many years ago and Granda is very disappointed with his son, not wanting to see him again.
Chapter 4
Granda is very popular with Rory’s friends and meets Mrs. Foley for the first time. Granda accidentally sets fire to his and Mrs. Foley’s coats at the school’s Parents’ Night.
Chapter 5
Val Jessup, a social worker is assigned to take care of Granda and Rory. Darren’s mum and Mrs. Foley are both worried for Rory and are glad of the extra help they were going to receive. However, Granda has a little accident in the flat and is taken to the hospital.
Chapter 6
Granda has suffered from smoke inhalation and has to be hospitalised. Rory pleads to the Big Man to make Granda wake up. Val Jessup is nervous to let Rory live in the flat alone and drives him to the children’s home at Castle Street.
Chapter 7
Rory goes to the home because he has no choice and he thinks that it will be for only one night – till his granda is out of the hospital. Tess, a young inmate of the home, terrifies Rory with her bad behaviour.
Chapter 8
Granda admits that he had forgotten that the chip pan was on the stove, hence the fire in the flat. He tries to appease Rory by saying that he would get better soon. However, he is upset that his grandson is in the Castle Street home.
Chapter 9
Although Rory loves his grandfather, he is slightly annoyed with him as well because of the accident; he had landed himself in the hospital because of that and now Rory is in a children’s home. Rory goes back to the flat with Val and collects Granda’s medication. There, Rory realises that he wants to return home. Granda feels the same too.
Chapter 10
Rory is given the idea that Mrs Foley might foster Rory. Rory goes to the hospital to find that Granda is not there anymore.
Chapter 11
Granda has been shifted to Rachnadar. Val Jessup tells Rory that he is just a boy and that he cannot take care of Granda anymore.
Chapter 12
Granda is very upset to be sent to the home and it breaks Rory’s heart to see him cry. At Castle Street, Rory fights with Tess. Rory becomes exasperated when Granda retreats further and further into a shell while at Rachnadar and at school, the idea of being fostered by Mrs Foley worries him. Life is certainly unpleasant in Castle Street when Tess becomes increasingly uncontrollable. Rory decides that the only way is to run away with Granda.
Chapter 13
The Great Escape. Darren offers the use of his mom’s caravan and Rory plans the escape with great detail. Granda relies on Rory to get out of Rachnadar.
Chapter 14
Granda is like a little boy, allowing him to be led; safe in the knowledge that Rory would look after him. He is happy to be in the caravan and decides that he is indeed a lucky man to deserve a boy like Rory. Rory has done all of this so that they could be together. He realises that he would never let anyone separate them.
Chapter 15
Happy in the caravan, Granda recovers his old self.
Chapter 16
While fishing, they meet strangers and Granda is prejudiced when he calls them “tinkers”. As Granda’s health improves and both of them are happy, Darren sends Rory a text message saying that the authorities are after them.
Chapter 17
Rory prepares Granda for another move away from the police but as they move through the woods, the strangers whom they had met the day before, reach out and help them.
Chapter 18
Rory has no choice and allows them to lead. They are taken to an older caravan camp and Rory meets Tyrone and his family. Tyrone’s mom responds that they had helped them because it was Rory that they had wanted to help.
Chapter 19
They are taken care of well in Sammy’s camp. While there, they realise that they are the top story on the Scottish news as a boy and his grandfather on the run. Apparently, the authorities are worried about Granda whose health is a real concern. Granda decides that he would rather die of cold and hunger as long as he is free.
Chapter 20
Granda and Rory are worried that Sammy would get into trouble by helping them. But Sammy insists that he did not kidnap them and that they are not escaped convicts. Rory learns never to be judgemental of people.
Chapter 21
The runaways enjoy the birthday party in Sammy’s brother’s place. Ruby reads Rory’s future and predicts that he would meet people who would help him; some of whom he would not be able to trust. He would certainly find what he is looking for but would face a terrible sadness before that.
Chapter 22
The public has mixed responses over Rory and Granda’s running away. Ruby indicates that people are taking sides about them, arguing about the rights and wrongs of their case. Rory realises that they would have to be on the move again. Sammy suggests that he drives them to Dundee so that they can take a train to Glasgow to be with family friends who would provide them with shelter and time to think.
Chapter23
In the train, Rory realises that they have been recognised and alights at an earlier station. When Granda goes to the toilet, Rory is bullied by a young man who recognises him. Granda beats the latter with a bottle and decides that he will steal a car to escape.
Chapter 24
Granda seems an expert at stealing cars and his driving scares Rory. They stop at the lay by to have some rest.
Chapter 25
The runaways meet Rab when they stop to buy petrol. He offers them help.
Chapter 26
Rab says that he wants to help them because Rory and Granda are not criminals. He allows them the use of his flat and seems kind and concerned. Though pale and tired, Granda says that he is alright as long as he is with Rory. Rory prays for help because he realises he needs someone to help him. Again TV newsflashes show that the public is very much on their side and Rory gets to know that his Granda’s son, his father, has been traced to Liverpool.
Chapter 27
The television news states that neither Rory nor his grandfather have attempted to contact Jeff McIntosh in Liverpool. Rab encourages Rory to take his grandfather to his son.
Chapter 28
Rab has a grand idea to make sure that they get to Liverpool. A whole line of people are going to take them to Rory’s dad and Granda comments that the world is indeed wonderful after having experienced so much kindness.
Chapter 29
Annie drives them into England and leaves them with Norma and Nicola. The latter admires Rory for what he has done. Granda agrees but his mood changes when he finds out that they are going to his son in Liverpool.
Chapter 30
Granda refuses to go and for the first time Rory is frustrated. He had hoped that his father would take over the responsibility of Granda but Granda thinks that it would hurt Rory too much if his father would leave them again. Rory begins to hate his father and Granda consoles him by saying that they have never needed him and that they do not need him now. Nicola rings up to tell Rory that the police are coming and that they would have to move on.
Chapter 31
It is the second escape; both of them run out into the dark. Granda is tired and they both stop to rest and eventually sleep off at a stone bus shelter. Prior to that Granda says that if he was to die, he would as a happy man. On awakening, Rory is not able to awaken his grandfather and is afraid that he may be dead.
Chapter 32
Rory runs for help and remembers Ruby’s prophecy about the terrible sadness. Help comes immediately and the police introduce him to his father.
Chapter 33
Granda is not dead. He is hospitalised and recovers eventually. Rory is reunited with his dad and his family. He has two little sisters who endear themselves to Granda. His dad asks to be given another chance to prove that he can be a good dad and a good son again. Rory has found what he was looking for and realises that if anything happens to his Granda he will not be alone again. He is thankful to all who have helped them on their journey. He is very happy that he, Granda and his family are together again.
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