Lonely Boy(by dyjonn)

Part 9 Alfie

A lot earlier that same day,  Alfie had woken up early, as he always did on schooldays.    Excited as always by the sounds of school children laughing and chatting as they walked past his house.  Now fully awake he went over to Madge and woke her up.                                                                                 Madge was the eyes and ears of the street if truth be told.   She was 35 yrs old and had never married although she was young enough that most of her friends still had children at school.   She didn't work at all,  yet seemed to be comfortably well off so she obviously had some reliable source of income,  which, although the cause of much speculation remained a mystery.   Even so her life was very regulated.   Alfie would wake her in the mornings and she would rise and get some clothes on, afterwards clipping  on Alfie's lead and taking  him for his first walk of the day.          Now Madge who's powers of recall were razor sharp never let any detail escape her attention, and also she was actually a nice lady.   She would frequently call out good morning to the mothers as they escorted their charges to school,  and even to some of the older children who walked with their school friends.   One such boy being Finn, a nice natured boy,  plus his mum was one of her neighbours who she often gossiped with.

Later that morning, around 10 ish  she gave Alfie his breakfast and some fresh water, and told him as usual.   "Be a good boy Alfie,  mummy won't be long."   As she opened her front door to leave she had seen Finn swiftly walk past her house, obviously deep in thought as he hadn't even noticed her.   That's very odd she thought to herself,  I wonder why he isn't at school today.  Putting him out of her mind she made her way to the high street,  buying milk and bread and a few other items before heading back towards home.                                                                                                                             As soon as she had  got back  indoors he was rushing around her legs,  letting her know that he expected his next walk now.  "I know,  I know Alfie,  if you will just keep still for one minute I might  be able to clip this lead onto you."                                                                                                                                                  Shopping stacked away, milk in the fridge and the dog now on his lead she and Alfie headed off towards the green,  when all of a sudden Finn barreled into view running towards her,  soaking wet and his  feet  and legs smothered in mud.   She made as though to call out to him but he avoided catching her eye and ran straight  past her.   Her curiosity piqued she promised herself that later on she would discover the  story behind today's unusual events.

"Here you are my darling,  look what mummy's bought you."    Chuckling to herself she had given Alfie the treat she had bought him.   Now what!,  next door but one Finn's mum Karen was parking her car.  She never came home early, obviously this had something to do with Finns activities earlier.   She had felt she ought to give a knock and ask if she needed any assistance with anything,  but in the end she decided against it,  she did have her husband and her eldest Sawyer to give a hand if needed.  She would surely knock anyway if she needed any help because they were friends and she knew that Karen would have no problem in turning to her.

Finn was in spite of his maturity still a child really, although he had listened, mostly believed, and pledged his support to his brother,  his mind hadn't grasped the whole concept of his relationship with Biro and all of it's repercussions.  Whilst  Sawyer had told his brother everything he hadn't  touched on his plan for afterwards.  When he planned for Biro and himself to run away together,  away from the furore it would cause,  to somewhere that nobody would know him, where they could start a new life together.  He knew that Finn would be devastated and his heart would be broken.                                                                                                                                       "You mustn't tell a soul about this"  he had told Finn earlier.  "Next time I go to meet Biro you will be coming with me.  This is a huge deal for me Finn, and I need somebody else's opinion on this guy.  I'll be counting on you to be totally honest with me,  even if you don't like him you must tell me.   There is so much riding on this for me that I have to get it right."

Sawyer had left the room and gone to join his mum in the kitchen.  "Well!"  she had said,  "and what was all that about my lad,  it's a long time since I've seen you two even bother to speak more than a couple of words to each other.  I'm pleased though love,"  she had said.  "It's nice to see that you two boys really do care for each other.   I will never understand teenagers,  she had grumbled.  I used to love it when you were both tots,  in those days you would never leave each others sides."           Still feeling very emotional he had said  "you know I love you lots mum, you, dad and Finn."  His mum had rushed to hug him too her, while anxiously asking,  "son , you know you can tell me anything don't you?  If something is bothering you,  if you are worried about starting at college,  tell me.   You don't have to keep secrets from me,  you do know that don't you!"                                   On the verge of breaking down and spilling the beans he glumly nodded.   The trouble is the secret he was keeping would cost him his mum and his dad.  They would both hate and despise him, throwing him out on the streets and shaming him.   He would have to see the look on his dad's face when he realised his son was a poof.   He had gently pulled away from his mums embrace  and gone back to his room,  shutting the  door,  and all of these dismal thoughts from his mind also.