All's Fair In Love and War

Benjamin (Past)

-Lungfish - Talking Songs To Walk To
-Radio Moscow - Brain Cycles
-Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss

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“Have a good day first at school son.” Callum’s father Jonno told him.

He was five years old and about to start his first day at Walford Primary. His older brother Stuart had already started and was finishing up his final year at the attached Walford High School.

Callum stood in the vast playground watching the other kids zooming about, laughing and screaming, everything seemed so much bigger and scarier to him. He wished he could still be at home, cuddled up on the sofa with his favourite blanket and Beau; his teddy bear, watching the morning cartoons. He knew he was missing Thundercats and that was his ultimate favourite show ever.

He didn’t understand how that had all been possible last week, and, as of now, he had been taken to some big building where there were so many kids who were bigger and older than him, and where he didn’t know any of them. He clutched onto Beau more tightly and pulled him closer to his body, breathing in his familiar musty smell that calmed him whenever he felt anxious. Now, being one of those anxious times.

Callum turned to look up at his father, and suddenly realised he was gone. Abandoned him once again, just like the many times before when he had chosen ‘the bottle’ over his sons. Callum would liked to have said that he was used to it by now, but it still hurt just as much as the time before.

He felt so exposed and vulnerable in this wide expanse of grey. He stood there in the middle of the playground hugging Beau ever tighter to his chest, before the tears started to brim in his eyes and splash down his cheeks.

“I WANNA GO ON THE SWINGS!!” A voice yelled from behind him, and Callum unexpectantly felt himself being propelled forward as another little boy with glasses came hurtling past him, knocking into his shoulder as he did so. Callum managed to regain his balance and stop himself from faceplanting onto the cold, hard tarmac. That would have gone down well; faceplanting and injuring himself on his very first day of school and being sent home early with concussion. No doubt his father would have yelled at him.

“BEN!” A female voice yelled after the boy with the glasses.

Callum could hear footsteps quickening behind himself and turned to see a taller, blonde-haired lady walking over to him. She crouched down in front of him. “Are you ok? What’s yer name?” She asked Callum softly, “Did he hurt ya? He can be so naughty sometimes.”

Callum didn’t reply straight away, but exaggeratedly nodded his head in response to the lady, before quietly answering, ‘Callum’.

“Well Callum, where’s yer mummy? Is it your first day too?”

“I don’t have a mum.” He replied slowly.

He saw the woman give him a sad smile. “I’m sorry. What about yer dad? Is he here?”

“No. He went home.” Callum shuffled awkwardly on his feet, looking down at them, chewing his bottom lip nervously.

The lady briefly looked up from Callum across to Ben and saw him shove off a kid who was already on the swings, who then proceeded to cry. Ben hopped on instead and started to swing himself. Higher…higher…HIGHER.

“LOOK AT ME MUMMY! LOOK HOW HIGH I CAN GO!” Ben shouted to her.

“BEN! GET DOWN FROM THERE BEFORE YER BREAK YER NECK!” Kathy fretted. She looked back down at Callum. “Why don’t yer come wiv us then. Maybe you and Ben could be ‘First Day at School Buddies’, would ya like that, eh?”