"Will!" he heard Tom cry, "You jest gits yerself up this minute, else I'll come and drag you out that bed!"
Will pulled himself upright, got out of bed and dressed. He slowly fingered the Joseph Jersey of Zach's, then after a moment pulled it over his cotton shirt and corduroy shorts. He gently brushed his fair hair, and went downstairs to have breakfast.
Tom sat in his armchair, reading the morning paper and sipping a mug of tea. Will, feeling cold, blow into his hands and grinned at Tom.
"Cold, ent it?" he said cheerily.
Tom looked up at him and smiled. "Tea's in the pot."
Will poured out his own mug of tea, and pulled up a chair to look over Tom's shoulder at the morning paper. They sat for a while in silence, but Tom could feel that Will wanted to talk to him about something.
Will moved round and sat in the newly bought second armchair. Tom looked up at him exasperatedly.
"You're wantin' to say somthin', boy, so spit it out."
Will smiled. "You know I'm goin' back to the school after Christmas?"
"Yeh, and?"
"I was wonderin', like, as I'm now your son, and they at the school still has me down as Willie Beech, and I thought, maybe, I could - "
"Git to the point, Will."
"It don't matter, Dad."
"You sure?"
"Yeh."
**
Will entered the school with trepidation, and went up to Mrs. Black.
"Yes, William?" she asked.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Black, I jest wanted to ask you something."
"Yes?"
"You, the school, you as my name down as Willie Beech, yeh?"
"Yes, William."
"Well, I ent..."
"Yes."
Will took a deep breath. "I ent Willie Beech."
"Oh, then who are you?" Mrs. Black asked, amused.
Will took another deep breath. He remembered his Dad's words in his head, "Everythin' takes its own time." He looked up at her and smiled.
"I ent Willie Beech. I'm Will Oakley."
Mrs. Black looked confused for a moment, then broke into a smile. "I'll change it as soon as possible, Will."
"Ta," said Will, smiling, and he left the room.
It was true. He wasn't Willie Beech anymore. He hadn't ever truly been Willie Beech. Will Oakley had been inside him forever, and thanks to Tom, he had found him. Willie Beech had been an awful person to be; Will Oakley was the happiest boy in the world.
He returned home, to find Tom sitting in the same place as he'd left him, only this time with a book. Tom looked up.
"Where you been?"
"The school."
"Eh?"
"I went to talk to Mrs Black, like."
"Why?"
Will broke into a smile. "To change my name, Dad. I ent Willie Beech no more, I'm Will Oakley, and I told them so."
Tom felt tears fall down his cheeks as he pulled Will into a hug, laughing and crying at the same time.
Will pulled himself upright, got out of bed and dressed. He slowly fingered the Joseph Jersey of Zach's, then after a moment pulled it over his cotton shirt and corduroy shorts. He gently brushed his fair hair, and went downstairs to have breakfast.
Tom sat in his armchair, reading the morning paper and sipping a mug of tea. Will, feeling cold, blow into his hands and grinned at Tom.
"Cold, ent it?" he said cheerily.
Tom looked up at him and smiled. "Tea's in the pot."
Will poured out his own mug of tea, and pulled up a chair to look over Tom's shoulder at the morning paper. They sat for a while in silence, but Tom could feel that Will wanted to talk to him about something.
Will moved round and sat in the newly bought second armchair. Tom looked up at him exasperatedly.
"You're wantin' to say somthin', boy, so spit it out."
Will smiled. "You know I'm goin' back to the school after Christmas?"
"Yeh, and?"
"I was wonderin', like, as I'm now your son, and they at the school still has me down as Willie Beech, and I thought, maybe, I could - "
"Git to the point, Will."
"It don't matter, Dad."
"You sure?"
"Yeh."
**
Will entered the school with trepidation, and went up to Mrs. Black.
"Yes, William?" she asked.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Black, I jest wanted to ask you something."
"Yes?"
"You, the school, you as my name down as Willie Beech, yeh?"
"Yes, William."
"Well, I ent..."
"Yes."
Will took a deep breath. "I ent Willie Beech."
"Oh, then who are you?" Mrs. Black asked, amused.
Will took another deep breath. He remembered his Dad's words in his head, "Everythin' takes its own time." He looked up at her and smiled.
"I ent Willie Beech. I'm Will Oakley."
Mrs. Black looked confused for a moment, then broke into a smile. "I'll change it as soon as possible, Will."
"Ta," said Will, smiling, and he left the room.
It was true. He wasn't Willie Beech anymore. He hadn't ever truly been Willie Beech. Will Oakley had been inside him forever, and thanks to Tom, he had found him. Willie Beech had been an awful person to be; Will Oakley was the happiest boy in the world.
He returned home, to find Tom sitting in the same place as he'd left him, only this time with a book. Tom looked up.
"Where you been?"
"The school."
"Eh?"
"I went to talk to Mrs Black, like."
"Why?"
Will broke into a smile. "To change my name, Dad. I ent Willie Beech no more, I'm Will Oakley, and I told them so."
Tom felt tears fall down his cheeks as he pulled Will into a hug, laughing and crying at the same time.