10. Wandering Wondering Wanting
Wandering Wondering Wanting
“Michael, I need you to go to the supermarket for me,” Audrey Jones called to her son.
Michael emerged from his room with a look that clearly broadcast his frustration. He’d been chatting to one of his mates on the net and he hated to be interrupted.
“Here’s the list,” Audrey said when she saw Michael.
“Fine,” Michael said.
He never argued with his mother when she was in a mood like this. He’d learnt years ago that it was better to just do what she asked and go back to what he was doing than argue and get punished.
Audrey handed him some money, “And take Scott with you.”
“Okay, Mum,” Michael agreed.
“Hey, Scotty!”
Scott poked his head around the door and looked his mother and older brother. He’d been playing with his Lego in his room. He was trying to build a tower that was taller than he was.
“Come on,” Michael said, “We’re going down the street.”
“Okay,” Scott said after looking at his mother’s face. He really wanted to keep playing with his Lego but he knew that look. He knew what it meant.
Michael and Scott put on their shoes and headed towards town. It wasn’t far from where they lived. Michael usually cut across the park on the corner to save time. He could get to town and back again in just over half an hour.
“Why does mum do that?” Scott asked his brother as the two of them turned into the park.
“I dunno, Scotty,” Michael said.
Scott frowned, “I think it’s ‘cause she’s sad about dad.”
“Yeah probably,” Michael didn’t want to be having this conversation with his nine-year-old brother.
The two of them walked in silence for a while. It was just getting dark and the shadows of the day lay over everything. It felt unreal to Michael. Like the doorway between real and imagined had been opened and things had just begun to slip through. Of course he’d never admit that feeling to any of his friends but it was there none the less.
“I’m never gonna drink when I’ve got kids,” Scott said suddenly.
Michael looked down at his brother. “Good,” was all he could think to say.
Michael and Scott’s father had disappeared almost two years ago. No one knew where he’d gone or why he’d left. He’d just vanished. The police thought he’d run off with another woman.
Wherever he’d gone he’d left Audrey with two boys to raise on her own. Unfortunately she wasn’t really the best mother. She’d been okay with Walt there, but with him gone she couldn’t really cope.
Michael thought she’d had a drinking problem before his dad had left but he wasn’t sure. He’d never really paid attention then. He’d been so wrapped up in his own world.
Now Michael spent a lot of time looking after Scott. He wished he didn’t have to but he wanted Scott to have a good childhood. He loved both his parents but he also hated them for what they’d done to the family.
The two of the reached Main Street and wandered up to the supermarket. Michael knew they were lucky that their mother had enough money to keep them fed and clothed. She’d inherited some three years ago when her parents had been killed in a car crash. Michael didn’t know exactly how much she’d got but he knew it was enough to keep them going for a long time.
Scott picked up a basket when they went into the supermarket and held it out for Michael to take.
“Thanks, bro. I get to carry it do I?”
“Yep.”
Scott liked to get the things off the shelf. Michael didn’t mind. He figured there was no point arguing about stupid things. He didn’t like confrontation at all.
They were just getting started with the shopping when they bumped into Melanie, Scott’s friend Joel’s mother.
“Hi, Scott. Hi, Michael,” She said when she saw them.
“Hi, Melanie!” Scott said.
“Hi,” Michael said, he didn’t know her that well.
“How’s it going boys?”
“Good,” Scott said, “We’re doing the shopping.”
Melanie smiled, “Aren’t you good. If I send my kids shopping they always come back with chips and soft drink and never any veggies.”
“That’s silly,” Scott said, “You should give them a list so they know what to get.”
“You know that’s a great idea. I’ll have to try it.” Melanie smiled at them, “Well, I’d better be off. Bye boys.”
“Bye,” they both said.
Melanie walked off and Scott pulled a bottle of milk out of the fridge. He put it in Michael’s basket and looked at his brother to see what was next.
“Cheese,” Michael said.
It didn’t take the boys long to do the shopping. They paid for it and left the shop carrying the bags. Michael had two and Scott had one.
It was totally dark outside and quite cold. Main Street was almost deserted, which wasn’t unusual for Sunday evening. Music floated down the street from somewhere as the boys headed home.
They were going to walk back across the park but Michael changed his mind at the last minute.
“Let’s go around,” he said.
Scott didn’t argue, instead he looked relieved, “Okay,” he said.
Michael didn’t know what had made him want to avoid the park. He’d walked through it in the dark hundreds of times. He thought he’d see a flash in amongst the trees but it’d been so quick he wasn’t sure. He figured it was better to be safe. A girl from his school had gone missing a month ago and everyone at school had been given a safety talk after that.
The two brothers arrived home a few minutes later. They were laughing at a joke Scott had heard from one of his friends when they put the shopping down in the kitchen. The feeling of unease they’d both had when they passed the park was forgotten. They were just boys again.
“Michael, I need you to go to the supermarket for me,” Audrey Jones called to her son.
Michael emerged from his room with a look that clearly broadcast his frustration. He’d been chatting to one of his mates on the net and he hated to be interrupted.
“Here’s the list,” Audrey said when she saw Michael.
“Fine,” Michael said.
He never argued with his mother when she was in a mood like this. He’d learnt years ago that it was better to just do what she asked and go back to what he was doing than argue and get punished.
Audrey handed him some money, “And take Scott with you.”
“Okay, Mum,” Michael agreed.
“Hey, Scotty!”
Scott poked his head around the door and looked his mother and older brother. He’d been playing with his Lego in his room. He was trying to build a tower that was taller than he was.
“Come on,” Michael said, “We’re going down the street.”
“Okay,” Scott said after looking at his mother’s face. He really wanted to keep playing with his Lego but he knew that look. He knew what it meant.
Michael and Scott put on their shoes and headed towards town. It wasn’t far from where they lived. Michael usually cut across the park on the corner to save time. He could get to town and back again in just over half an hour.
“Why does mum do that?” Scott asked his brother as the two of them turned into the park.
“I dunno, Scotty,” Michael said.
Scott frowned, “I think it’s ‘cause she’s sad about dad.”
“Yeah probably,” Michael didn’t want to be having this conversation with his nine-year-old brother.
The two of them walked in silence for a while. It was just getting dark and the shadows of the day lay over everything. It felt unreal to Michael. Like the doorway between real and imagined had been opened and things had just begun to slip through. Of course he’d never admit that feeling to any of his friends but it was there none the less.
“I’m never gonna drink when I’ve got kids,” Scott said suddenly.
Michael looked down at his brother. “Good,” was all he could think to say.
Michael and Scott’s father had disappeared almost two years ago. No one knew where he’d gone or why he’d left. He’d just vanished. The police thought he’d run off with another woman.
Wherever he’d gone he’d left Audrey with two boys to raise on her own. Unfortunately she wasn’t really the best mother. She’d been okay with Walt there, but with him gone she couldn’t really cope.
Michael thought she’d had a drinking problem before his dad had left but he wasn’t sure. He’d never really paid attention then. He’d been so wrapped up in his own world.
Now Michael spent a lot of time looking after Scott. He wished he didn’t have to but he wanted Scott to have a good childhood. He loved both his parents but he also hated them for what they’d done to the family.
The two of the reached Main Street and wandered up to the supermarket. Michael knew they were lucky that their mother had enough money to keep them fed and clothed. She’d inherited some three years ago when her parents had been killed in a car crash. Michael didn’t know exactly how much she’d got but he knew it was enough to keep them going for a long time.
Scott picked up a basket when they went into the supermarket and held it out for Michael to take.
“Thanks, bro. I get to carry it do I?”
“Yep.”
Scott liked to get the things off the shelf. Michael didn’t mind. He figured there was no point arguing about stupid things. He didn’t like confrontation at all.
They were just getting started with the shopping when they bumped into Melanie, Scott’s friend Joel’s mother.
“Hi, Scott. Hi, Michael,” She said when she saw them.
“Hi, Melanie!” Scott said.
“Hi,” Michael said, he didn’t know her that well.
“How’s it going boys?”
“Good,” Scott said, “We’re doing the shopping.”
Melanie smiled, “Aren’t you good. If I send my kids shopping they always come back with chips and soft drink and never any veggies.”
“That’s silly,” Scott said, “You should give them a list so they know what to get.”
“You know that’s a great idea. I’ll have to try it.” Melanie smiled at them, “Well, I’d better be off. Bye boys.”
“Bye,” they both said.
Melanie walked off and Scott pulled a bottle of milk out of the fridge. He put it in Michael’s basket and looked at his brother to see what was next.
“Cheese,” Michael said.
It didn’t take the boys long to do the shopping. They paid for it and left the shop carrying the bags. Michael had two and Scott had one.
It was totally dark outside and quite cold. Main Street was almost deserted, which wasn’t unusual for Sunday evening. Music floated down the street from somewhere as the boys headed home.
They were going to walk back across the park but Michael changed his mind at the last minute.
“Let’s go around,” he said.
Scott didn’t argue, instead he looked relieved, “Okay,” he said.
Michael didn’t know what had made him want to avoid the park. He’d walked through it in the dark hundreds of times. He thought he’d see a flash in amongst the trees but it’d been so quick he wasn’t sure. He figured it was better to be safe. A girl from his school had gone missing a month ago and everyone at school had been given a safety talk after that.
The two brothers arrived home a few minutes later. They were laughing at a joke Scott had heard from one of his friends when they put the shopping down in the kitchen. The feeling of unease they’d both had when they passed the park was forgotten. They were just boys again.
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