Post by Gail Lawrence on Mar 30, 2009 22:39:58 GMT -5
October 22, 2009
Brynmill, Swansea, Wales
Gail was walking through Brynmill Park on a crisp afternoon. The temperature was falling this late in the year. But most of the leaves were still on the trees, and the sky was clear. A few ducks and geese still swam out on the lake. Her mum would have shooed at the geese. She hated them.
She smiled at the thought as she kept walking along the water. It was her last day off for the next week, and she was afraid that if she did not take it in now, all the beauty of autumn would be gone. This truly was her favorite time of year.
The sun began to near the horizon. In just a few days, summer time would end, and it would set even earlier. Still, Dev was probably about to start dinner, and she should get home. She set off south toward Penbryn Terrace.
As she was leaving the park, she heard her name called. She turned around to see who it was, but saw nobody. She waited a moment, but as she turned around to continue, she came face to face with someone from her past.
Gail gasped. “David?”
David Hewitt smiled broadly. “I thought that was you, Gail.” She looked at her intensely. “I can’t believe it’s you.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked. They had traded letters off and on for some time during her early years at Hogwarts. It was interrupted, though, when he had moved from Manchester at 14 and she became absorbed in the Lawrence family drama.
“I’m studying Classics at the University,” he said. He always had liked history and poetry. It made sense that he would choose Classics. “What are you doing here? I thought you said you would always stay in Plymouth.”
Gail sighed. She had hoped this topic would wait. “I left home during my sixth year.”
“Why?”
They died that summer, before my last year in school.”
“Why did you leave home?” Gail bit her lip, hoping David would let it go. “Gail?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she finally said. Please let him drop it.
He nodded.
Her fingers twitched in the awkward silence that followed. She had effectively ruined their long-awaited reunion. Great. Find something to talk about. Quick.
“What brought you to the University?”
He brightened rather visibly at this, a bit too much to be wholly authentic. “It’s the best Classics program in Wales. I’m living in Newport now, so the grant for Welsh students was too good to pass up.”
“Newport?”
“After we left Manchester, we spent about a year in Birmingham. Then Da was moved to Newport, and we’ve been there since.”
She smiled. Newport was smaller even than Plymouth, not to mention Birmingham and the Manchester sprawl. “Big difference?”
“It is much smaller,” he agreed. “This is different than Plymouth too. Especially near the University. The City Centre is much more like Plymouth.” She nodded. “You live around here?”
“Not too far. I’m down on Penbryn Terrace.”
His eyes widened. “Really? We’re practically neighbors, then. Some friends and I are letting a house on Malvern”
Gail agreed. It was good to see him again, after so many years without contact. As they set off toward their houses, she thought she would have to write Jacob when she got home. Even if he had moved out, Mr. and Mrs. Allard had worked too hard for their house to ever sell it. Maybe he could visit sometime. The Three Musketeers, together again.
She could dream, anyway. It probably would not happen, but as David’s words flowed over her, she let herself imagine, walking south beside her old friend.
((Closed))
Brynmill, Swansea, Wales
Gail was walking through Brynmill Park on a crisp afternoon. The temperature was falling this late in the year. But most of the leaves were still on the trees, and the sky was clear. A few ducks and geese still swam out on the lake. Her mum would have shooed at the geese. She hated them.
She smiled at the thought as she kept walking along the water. It was her last day off for the next week, and she was afraid that if she did not take it in now, all the beauty of autumn would be gone. This truly was her favorite time of year.
The sun began to near the horizon. In just a few days, summer time would end, and it would set even earlier. Still, Dev was probably about to start dinner, and she should get home. She set off south toward Penbryn Terrace.
As she was leaving the park, she heard her name called. She turned around to see who it was, but saw nobody. She waited a moment, but as she turned around to continue, she came face to face with someone from her past.
Gail gasped. “David?”
David Hewitt smiled broadly. “I thought that was you, Gail.” She looked at her intensely. “I can’t believe it’s you.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked. They had traded letters off and on for some time during her early years at Hogwarts. It was interrupted, though, when he had moved from Manchester at 14 and she became absorbed in the Lawrence family drama.
“I’m studying Classics at the University,” he said. He always had liked history and poetry. It made sense that he would choose Classics. “What are you doing here? I thought you said you would always stay in Plymouth.”
Gail sighed. She had hoped this topic would wait. “I left home during my sixth year.”
“Why?”
They died that summer, before my last year in school.”
“Why did you leave home?” Gail bit her lip, hoping David would let it go. “Gail?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she finally said. Please let him drop it.
He nodded.
Her fingers twitched in the awkward silence that followed. She had effectively ruined their long-awaited reunion. Great. Find something to talk about. Quick.
“What brought you to the University?”
He brightened rather visibly at this, a bit too much to be wholly authentic. “It’s the best Classics program in Wales. I’m living in Newport now, so the grant for Welsh students was too good to pass up.”
“Newport?”
“After we left Manchester, we spent about a year in Birmingham. Then Da was moved to Newport, and we’ve been there since.”
She smiled. Newport was smaller even than Plymouth, not to mention Birmingham and the Manchester sprawl. “Big difference?”
“It is much smaller,” he agreed. “This is different than Plymouth too. Especially near the University. The City Centre is much more like Plymouth.” She nodded. “You live around here?”
“Not too far. I’m down on Penbryn Terrace.”
His eyes widened. “Really? We’re practically neighbors, then. Some friends and I are letting a house on Malvern”
Gail agreed. It was good to see him again, after so many years without contact. As they set off toward their houses, she thought she would have to write Jacob when she got home. Even if he had moved out, Mr. and Mrs. Allard had worked too hard for their house to ever sell it. Maybe he could visit sometime. The Three Musketeers, together again.
She could dream, anyway. It probably would not happen, but as David’s words flowed over her, she let herself imagine, walking south beside her old friend.
((Closed))