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Authors: Grace Thompson
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tea,’ he called. ‘Come when you’re ready.’
Valmai came down to pick up a bag of tools she had put ready. ‘Come on, Gwilym, you can face your friends, surely? They need to know where you want things placed. They need your help.’
‘I am helping. I’m making the tea,’ he muttered, wheeling himself back inside the kitchen.
Patching up the old shed hadn’t resulted in a beautiful building and by comparison with the new one it looked even worse. But to Valmai both sheds looked beautiful. By the evening everything was in place.
As soon as the men had gone, Gwilym went up to see what they had done and he felt as weepy as a child. The bench was perfect and the lathe, bought by Valmai as part of the surprise, had been set up exactly where it was most convenient. On the bench was a drawing pad and an assortment of pencils. Hesitantly at first, he picked up the pencil and began to draw. An ark, filled with couples of animals, and Noah and his family. Valmai crept up and watched for a few minutes, then with fingers tightly crossed she went back to the kitchen.
Rhys alighted from the train at the station a few miles from Tre Melin. He didn’t want to be seen by someone who knew him, although this time he would visit his parents. It would have to be after dark, which, as it was August, would be quite late. He went first to the mill and deposited his rucksack there. The sun had shone all day and the evening was so light it seemed set to go on and on, as though darkness would never come. He sat in the ruined mill, staring out at the trees grown so tall since he had played there as a child.
A movement caught his eye and he stiffened and prepared to get away. He didn’t recognize the boy, and as he concentrated on him, he realized he was talking to someone in a low voice. Rhys climbedup into the loft and hoped they wouldn’t come in. His belongings were there; there had been no time to move them.
‘See,’ he heard the boy say, ‘on that paddle wheel? That was where the ducks raised their young. Gone now they have but perhaps they’ll come again next year.’
Rhys could now see the man with the boy but didn’t recognize him either. He’d been away two years. People come and go, he thought – perhaps they were new neighbours.
‘Want to go inside?’ the boy asked.
‘I think it’s getting a bit late, Jimmy.’
‘Jimmy Prosser,’ Rhys murmured. Taller and thinner in the face, but I recognize him now. The man’s a stranger, though.
‘Tell you what,’ the man said. ‘We’ll come back tomorrow. Your father will be wondering where you are.’
‘No, he won’t, Rick,’ Jimmy said. ‘He’s never bothered as long as I’m out of his hair.’ Rhys saw a slight flash of white teeth as the boy grinned. ‘Get out of my hair, that’s what he says, and him as bald as a coot!’ The sound of their laughter faded as they moved away.
Rhys followed them but turned across the fields towards School Lane before they reached the houses. The curtains were open in the room Sally rented. He couldn’t go in. Darting between bushes that offered cover, he picked up the pebble that was their sign and placed it in the middle of the porch. Risking a knock at the door, he ran back into the protection of the trees. There he waited until the door opened and Sally picked up the pebble, looked around for a few seconds then went back inside, leaving the door open. The curtains were drawn and moments later he was inside and holding Sally in his arms.
Chapter Three
RHYS WAS AFRAID to stay with Sally very long, but after their emotional reunion they talked about their future plans. Sally had been longing to tell him the news about a new baby, but she held back. She was waiting for him to tell her he was coming home, their long separation was at an end. Then she would tell him. Everyone would know about their secret love, about her support for him. She was a little surprised that he hadn’t noticed her thickening waist but
Valmai came down to pick up a bag of tools she had put ready. ‘Come on, Gwilym, you can face your friends, surely? They need to know where you want things placed. They need your help.’
‘I am helping. I’m making the tea,’ he muttered, wheeling himself back inside the kitchen.
Patching up the old shed hadn’t resulted in a beautiful building and by comparison with the new one it looked even worse. But to Valmai both sheds looked beautiful. By the evening everything was in place.
As soon as the men had gone, Gwilym went up to see what they had done and he felt as weepy as a child. The bench was perfect and the lathe, bought by Valmai as part of the surprise, had been set up exactly where it was most convenient. On the bench was a drawing pad and an assortment of pencils. Hesitantly at first, he picked up the pencil and began to draw. An ark, filled with couples of animals, and Noah and his family. Valmai crept up and watched for a few minutes, then with fingers tightly crossed she went back to the kitchen.
Rhys alighted from the train at the station a few miles from Tre Melin. He didn’t want to be seen by someone who knew him, although this time he would visit his parents. It would have to be after dark, which, as it was August, would be quite late. He went first to the mill and deposited his rucksack there. The sun had shone all day and the evening was so light it seemed set to go on and on, as though darkness would never come. He sat in the ruined mill, staring out at the trees grown so tall since he had played there as a child.
A movement caught his eye and he stiffened and prepared to get away. He didn’t recognize the boy, and as he concentrated on him, he realized he was talking to someone in a low voice. Rhys climbedup into the loft and hoped they wouldn’t come in. His belongings were there; there had been no time to move them.
‘See,’ he heard the boy say, ‘on that paddle wheel? That was where the ducks raised their young. Gone now they have but perhaps they’ll come again next year.’
Rhys could now see the man with the boy but didn’t recognize him either. He’d been away two years. People come and go, he thought – perhaps they were new neighbours.
‘Want to go inside?’ the boy asked.
‘I think it’s getting a bit late, Jimmy.’
‘Jimmy Prosser,’ Rhys murmured. Taller and thinner in the face, but I recognize him now. The man’s a stranger, though.
‘Tell you what,’ the man said. ‘We’ll come back tomorrow. Your father will be wondering where you are.’
‘No, he won’t, Rick,’ Jimmy said. ‘He’s never bothered as long as I’m out of his hair.’ Rhys saw a slight flash of white teeth as the boy grinned. ‘Get out of my hair, that’s what he says, and him as bald as a coot!’ The sound of their laughter faded as they moved away.
Rhys followed them but turned across the fields towards School Lane before they reached the houses. The curtains were open in the room Sally rented. He couldn’t go in. Darting between bushes that offered cover, he picked up the pebble that was their sign and placed it in the middle of the porch. Risking a knock at the door, he ran back into the protection of the trees. There he waited until the door opened and Sally picked up the pebble, looked around for a few seconds then went back inside, leaving the door open. The curtains were drawn and moments later he was inside and holding Sally in his arms.
Chapter Three
RHYS WAS AFRAID to stay with Sally very long, but after their emotional reunion they talked about their future plans. Sally had been longing to tell him the news about a new baby, but she held back. She was waiting for him to tell her he was coming home, their long separation was at an end. Then she would tell him. Everyone would know about their secret love, about her support for him. She was a little surprised that he hadn’t noticed her thickening waist but
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