Back To The Old House

part 6

When William’s response never came, Theodore thought he’d done something wrong. He waited anxiously for the letter in that familiar handwriting, and yet it never arrived. He tried writing again, and still, no response. 

The summer holidays came, and his friends from his new school soon came knocking for him most days. His mother always answered the door and soon learnt to give the same answer. 

“I’m sorry, Theodore isn’t quite feeling up to play today.” 

“Okay. Can you tell him we’re going over to the playground to play if he wants to join us, please?” 

It was often Jenny’s voice that came from just outside the door, and Theodore often found himself feeling guilty about not going out to play with her and their friends. 

“Of course, I will,” Estella said. 

“Thank you!” 

Estella closed the door and paused before she turned to her son. 

“I know what you’re going to say,” Theodore said. “I’m sorry.” 

“Why can’t you just give them a chance?” She asked softly. 

Theodore didn’t answer. “Have we got any post?”

“You can’t sit around all day waiting for William to write, Theodore.”

“Why not?” Theodore asked. “He hasn’t responded in three weeks. That’s the longest I’ve ever gone without hearing from him. I’m worried.” 

“School has just started up again. You boys are getting older, there are big things coming up at school in the next two years. He’s probably just a little busy.” Estella said. 

Theodore stood up from his perch on the stairs and started to go back towards his room. 

~

By Christmastime of that year, Theodore had long since given up that William would ever reply. He had sent a letter every month since the incident with Jenny, and there had never even been an acknowledgement that the letters had been received. 

Slowly, he grew used to life without William completely. He grew closer to the new people in his school, though he was never as close to them as he had been to William. 

The only thing Theodore kept, the one thing he allowed himself to indulge in that reminded him of his best friend was running. Before school, after it, on the weekends, whenever he had a free moment. 

A sense of peace passed over Theodore’s mother when she began to notice him spending more time with the other people at school. 

Theodore continued with his studies, taking great interest in sports and English, growing particularly fond of literature as another way to pass his days. 

He often didn’t see his father, the days stretching on more and more that his father was on the nearby base working. 

When the spring came, Theodore got himself a job in a local shop and slowly, in his mind, a plan in his mind came together. 

He settled into the routine that, upon looking back, would shape his adult life forever. 

~