Life Changes (Hope Springs Eternal)

by secwaters

The third of my stories about the Swallows, Amazons, Ds and Eels as adults - this one is set in the 1980s. Once again to make sense of some of the story it helps to have read my previous two! (Rated T as it is really for adult readers who are familiar with all the S & A books.) I've given this a new title as the original has been used here - apologies!

21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER XXI

ROGER TRIES TO UNDERSTAND

Roger still sat in the armchair in his room just as he had been when Titty left to return downstairs. He continued to stare out the window. His days were spent in this way. Sometimes he would talk to Susan, sometimes he wouldn't. He would watch out of the window. Any window. He liked the window at Beckfoot best, he could see the lake.

He had seen Nancy, John and Dick go down to the boathouse.

Then Susan brought his breakfast.

He had seen the three of them comeback.

He had seen all the others, apart from Titty, make their way across the lawn to the boathouse. He had seen Dick and Dot deep in conversation walking behind everyone else.

I think today is Saturday. It was always on Saturdays, or was it every day, it could have been every day, they made me stand in the sun holding a bucket of sand above my head.

Then after an hour they'd ask me about John, John's ship, which one? Where was it? Which port? Then they asked about me Dick, where did he work? I didn't know, they had read my letters from him, I didn't know and they would ask me every time, where did he work? Why did they think it was important work? Deck's letters didn't say. Where did he work? I didn't know. He was at university, I told them. But they still made me stand. Standing for hours in the sun, holding the bucket.

He poured himself a glass of water from the jug that was always on the side-table, Susan had brought him a fresh jug full with his breakfast that morning. He drank the water down in one go as if he had not drunk anything for days.

Susan, she knows about Dick.

Susan told me Dick worked at Bletchley Park, where was that? What did he do? Susan didn't say, does she know?

I wonder where they are going, all of them, Titty's downstairs, are they going to the Island? I'd like to go.

Where is mother? Don't see her anymore. Has she gone? Did Susan tell me about mother or was it Titty? Susan told me about Timothy, poor 'Squashy Hat', he's gone now, and father's gone.

Who is Daisy? I remember, Eels. She's always here with Nancy, yes, she's Nancy's girlfriend, Titty told me, she's a good cook, she's cooking tonight, everyone says she's a good cook.

Why hasn't Titty gone to the Island? I'd like to go. When did I last go? Did I go yesterday?

Every day they asked, what does Dick Callum do? Hot, hot in the sun, every day, standing. Hot today, they've gone to the Island, where's Titty? Titty's downstairs. What does Dick do?