THE FERALS

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey CHAPTER THREE Across the staffroom Jill Heslop glanced at Jake Tyson. He was so good-looking, still in his late twenties, fit and toned. In other words, desirable. Jill tried to see what he was reading. A Creation magazine!?! She blasphemed to herself. Alice Baker must have given it to him! Jill had noticed the growing friendship between Jake and Alice. Fine, she thought! Hands off, he's mine! That day, Jill casually strolled across to the primary school and was playing with Brodie when Jake arrived. As usual, conscientious as he was, he was late. Ms. Heslop decided to make the most of this fact. Every day after school, she was to be found with Brodie, encouraging him, laughing and pretending a real interest in the child. Actually, Jill thought he isn't too irritating. She had no real idea why she had become a teacher. Home had been offensive and boring, and study was more so. However, the thought of working in a business appealed more to her now. She...

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey Jake was beginning to appreciate this northern hill district of England. He did not press his companion for details of her loss, instead gathering the picnic litter together and wrapping up the leftover food - what there was of it! The children pulled on their damp socks and shoes and they trudged back past the farm and up a slope to the car. Alice stooped to look at a tiny blue flower. She smiled up into Jake's face, and for a moment something warm was in both their glances, a flicker of more than friendship. An instant later and the kids were demanding them to hurry up. An ice-cream had been promised!! Later in her unit, Alice thought over the day. It had been a beautiful time. Gareth would have loved it there. He had shared her passion for the outdoors and had even looked at the tiny flowers. She loved eyebright and the delicate pale pink wood sorrel with its beautiful veined petals. Her faith in God had faltered when Gareth died, but loving support fr...

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey They were up on the fells one day, following a track down by a farm and over a wooden bridge. A sparkling stream swept below and Sophie watched the eddies touch a shingle bank. She called shrilly to her mother, "I can see a sick sheep!" Jake  offered to run back to the farm and tell them a ewe was in difficulties birthing her lamb. The farmer and grown daughter came to help and were very grateful. The four off-comers had moved away so the mother sheep could settle, and they watched from a distance. The children were both excited to see twin lambs appear and struggle to their feet. The ewe was fine and soon was suckling her babies. Alice and Jake moved on with the children through a gate and over the cropped grass and young bracken to a pool beneath a thin growth of trees. The children splashed around happily, despite the chill. Jake told Alice then how Angela had died. A drunk driver had floored the accelerator, not the brake at an intersection. Ang...

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey Set apart from the high school, the primary school also looked very modern and interesting, but k Brodie liked his new school and didn't seem to be upset changing schools so soon. He was a very sociable boy and easily made friends. Jake watched him, smiling as the boy hung upside down on a climbing frame, his dark curls blowing in the wind. He looked so like his mother, the same pixie face and laughing blue eyes. The primary school was part of the school where he was now teaching, but apart in its own grounds. Brodie had been puzzled by his job change. "Don't you want to fly planes, dad?" "Brodie, I didn't fly planes before. You know that I was teaching grown-ups about science there too, but it was a different kind of science. I like teaching." "I'm never going to teach," his son declared stoutly, "but kids don't even listen!" "I hope you do, Brodie!" Jake tried to sound stern, but failed. ...

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey Science was his specialty and he was delighted with the abundance of equipment. It looked state-of-the-art! "Well," concluded the principal, "I have outlined your responsibilities. It is a good school, but no school is perfect and neither are the children!" They both laughed and he was glad to accept the offered post of assistant senior science teacher. Jake genuinely loved teaching, and his savings were dwindling. He needed to work! He also committed to staying at least a year, a commitment he was resolved to honour.  There was nothing for him at present back home in Australia, though he would like to return one day... Ethel glanced around her too tidy, empty house. She missed the little boy and his dad very much. Fancy him being related to old Jim Tyson! The familiar saying of the world being a small place came back to her. Still, she had room now for her family to come and stay, and Jake and Brodie promised to visit. She cut up some mea...

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey CHAPTER TWO A month later Jake finally saw a position advertised for which he was qualified. After sharing breakfast with "Auntie" Ethel, Brodie happily accompanied him to the local school. Initially, the desks were positioned 1.5 metres apart  as required by law. It was obviously virtually impossible to impose social distancing on very young children, but there were strict hygiene measures. The school playground had just been re-opened and every day he emptied Brodie's sandy shoes outside so that the whole house did not resemble a desert! After coming home one day after looking for work, Jake had found his son being tickled in the tummy by Ethel's vacuum cleaner. Brodie was squealing and laughing as his hair was also sucked up the pipe! But Jake had seen the weariness on Ethel's face and had taken over some of the household and outside chores, even helping with the cooking. His dad had insisted his son took this kind of responsibility. ...

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey Jake fetched the belongings he had not collected the night before and went to haggle with the landlord over how much rent was owing. It was settled fairly amicably as the child was watching, then the small family of man and boy caught a bus to a larger town where they could hire a car . Slowly Jake was shaking off his lethargy. He could not stay locked in grief. The scenery was lovely, of hills and trees, though approaching drizzle made it seem bleak. They enjoyed the bus journey. Later, celebrating having a car again, Jake took his son some distance to a real castle. It was wonderful! They saw the now grassy moat and entered the large gateway. The dungeons were a sombre reminder of past cruelty, but Brodie absolutely loved the armoury , and he was full of questions about suits of armour and ancient weapons. People in past centuries must have been smaller to fit in some of these things, mused Jake. He himself was of medium build, but could not see how the arm...

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey Just then there was a tremendous crash coming from the old marketplace in the main street. Jake leapt up with the idea of perhaps of helping if there had been an accident. Wordlessly he looked at Brodie, then to Ethel, a question in his eyes. "You go, lad. He's fine wi' me!" Jake ran up the steep slope and straight onto the main street. What he saw appalled him. A large group of protesters had arrived in an old bus and managed to pull down a statue that had obviously been there in the centre island of the road for decades. Locals had gathered hastily to protect their monument, but were too late. Jake realised the attack had been carefully planned. Christmas Day had been well-chosen with most families being busy with children, guests, meals. There was a stunned silence, then outrage as the protesters decapitated the statue, defacing the fallen figure with paint and graffiti. None of the vandals stayed to face the townspeople, but made their w...

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey His dad was lifting him back down when the house door opened and a plump older lady bustled out, wearing a dress, wrap-around apron and a big, beaming smile. Her greeting was so welcoming that Jake forgot to be amused by her old-fashioned style of dress! "Hello, folks, like a cuppa and some hot chocolate for the lar' lad?" Jake hesitated, but then agreed. The lady walked back to the house, taking off her "pinny" (apron). He remembered grandad saying lar' meant 'little' locally. Their host glanced again at Jake and her eyes widened, "You're never Jim Tyson's lad?!" "He's my grandad," was the bemused reply. "Why, you're the spittin' image," affirmed the old lady, beaming even more widely. "Come right in and bring the wee man." Brodie was staring at her, his mouth open. The lady teased him a little about catching flies, but she was so jolly, the boy did not mind. Soon...

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey Brodie poised over the bulky, strangely shaped gift, small fingers outstretched. Reluctantly, he stepped back. It's yours daddy." "Actually," Jake drew out the word, "it's for you!" Before the sentence had fallen from his mouth, the sheet was off! The boy stood there staring. "A bike! A real bike!"  He was already on it, feet scraping the bare floorboards as he wobbled. "I can ride it. C'mon dad, give me a push." Remembering a similar scene with his dad when he was a small boy, Jake ran after him, gripping the saddle. Wobbling, Brodie made it to the doorway and balanced there, then slowly turned into the long hallway. It was easier there and Jake snapped photos on his phone, capturing the child's intent, rapt expression. Later, they tried the bike outdoors. Another child was riding a scooter, whooping with excitement. They waved, keeping in mind social distancing. Jake remembered his own childhood w...

THE FERALS By Tessa Ha rvey Reluctantly Brodie agreed. He was shivering, his feet like ice blocks. The downstairs fire had been banked up with coal the night before. A few pokes and fresh fuel had flames leaping high and a warm glow filled the room. Sunlight flooded in through the frosty back windows. It had little warmth, but certainly brought cheer to the small dark house. Jake made himself coffee (at last!) and soon sizzling pancakes were melting the absolutely beautiful delicate frost patterns on the inside windows. Such intricate patterns, like ferns he thought briefly, spreading Marmite on his son's pancake. For himself, he had bought jam - strawberry, his favourite. While Jake sipped his reviving coffee, Brodie gulped his own warm Milo, desperate to check under that mysterious sheet. Dishes could wait, thought Jake. So could beds and a second cup of coffee, he added ruefully.

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey He had taken long service leave from his work in the aviation industry. Now his job was probably gone. A memory. And the memories had inevitably followed him - of Angela, of their courtship (such an old-fashioned word these days, but one he preferred), of their marriage, the joy of pregnancy, the gift of a son...Jake braked his mind. Instead he focused on that wonderful sunset outside the old cinema. Never had he seen a more wonderful display of glory. Was God real? He didn't know. Trying not to think ahead or even consider his present predicament, Jake curled up and slowly drifted into sleep... Morning came and Christmas! As countless parents did worldwide, at least in richer countries, Jake awoke to the sounds of paper rustling, a child murmuring excitedly to itself, then the thud of sudden footsteps as said child launched off one bed and onto his! Oof! He groaned, winded. With relief, Jake noted it was no longer dark and he had a brief glimpse of a red...

THE FERALS By Tessa Harvey On the way to the fish and chip shop on the corner, they both looked at the bright-coloured Christmas trees in people's windows. Tiny fairy lights twinkled and glowed. Decorations sparkled and shone. The boy was entranced. "Is Santa coming?" he asked hopefully. "Well, have you been good this year?" "Sometimes," was the honest reply. Why is it so dark here for Christmas and so cold?" "Because we live on the other side of the world where it's summer." The boy frowned. "I still want to go home." A tantrum was still brewing. Just then they reached the chip shop. A warm, delicious aroma of frying wafted out and they both realised how hungry they were. "Let's eat here, dad, shall we? OK?"  "Sure!" They found a small table away from the draught of the door. Jake ordered while Brodie fetched salt and pepper and sauce for their table. Their meal was soon ready. The cheerful stout sh...