Someone's Son
by Richard & Esther Provencher



EXCERPT

CHAPTER ONE

"Why does dad have to come back?" The look Sheldon gave his mom was withering as he waited impatiently for an answer.

He knew his mother was nervous. She always looked around the room when stumbling for words. Just the other day they talked about dad being transferred here after taking off three years ago. Sheldon often wondered if he would ever return. Why did it have to be now?

He kept his eyes steady. And tried not to stare. It was sad watching his mother's discomfort. Maybe this wasn't the right time to ask. But he had to know her thoughts.

"Mommm?" an impatient whine dragged on his tongue.

"Sheldon, you and I did discuss it..."

"Yah, but mom... maybe I changed my mind, okay?"

“He wants to spend some time with you. This summer," she quickly added. “Besides, you did agree.”

"Oh yah! Sure!" he exploded. "I was forced into it. I’m just a twelve year old kid."

“Almost thirteen,” his mom said, “and old enough to make this kind of decision.”

“It’s still not fair,” the boy mumbled.

"We did it the best way we could, Shel." She always switched to the shorter version of his name when she got serious. "He's transferred to Truro and wants to spend some time with you, before you get much older. Is that such a problem?"

"Yes, it is. I thought everything was settled when he left us for Toronto. What about Larry and me, mom? What's going to happen to us?"

Without giving his mother a chance to even answer, Sheldon grabbed his schoolbooks and rushed out of the room. Charging upstairs caused a loud thumping of feet across the floor. Each step stomped out a message, "I'm upset. I'm upset."

Only his reputation for being the politest kid on the block kept him from slamming the door. Echoes of his feet attack on the stairs faded away. Sheldon hoped mom didn't think he was too rude. But he was right to be upset. How could she even think about dad moving back into their lives? As if he had simply gone out to Mac Donald’s for a coffee, or something. What's wrong with her?

"Gee whiz, mom," he said to no one in particular.

Slumping on his bed, thoughts and images scampered in all directions. Dad left the winter Sheldon turned nine. "Son, I'm sorry it has to be this way." At the time, Sheldon didn't quite understand what dad meant. He just knew there was a terrible sadness in his little heart.

Then his whole world collapsed. His dad was more than just a Dad. He had been Sheldon's hero.

"Me leaving has nothing to do with you,” his dad had said. “I'll always love you." Then he stepped out of Sheldon's life. Suddenly like a ghost, he was gone.

Later, when no one else was around, the boy cried like a baby over the missing piece in his life. Usually on a hike by himself his secret feelings would speak up. He enjoyed private trips in the woods. It was an escape from any problems that seemed to overwhelm him. Besides, it gave him a chance to think things out.

Dad often took him fishing and hiking. Now his neighbor, Larry Reynolds, did that. So now what? It had taken Sheldon a long time to put aside his heartache. As he paced back and forth in his room, he realized the hurting was still there. It was an ache deeply embedded in his chest.

He kicked off his sneakers, and lay back on the bed. "Mom's right; my jeans are kinda tight." Growing up too quickly, he thought. Just wish mom wouldn't treat him like a baby.

Arms tucked under his head, Sheldon scanned the room carefully. His eyes took in the pennant from Halifax, pictures of mom, himself and his friend Troy, taken at Boy Scout Summer Camp last year. They stared back at him. As smiles in the sunshine at the time. But clouds in his mind right now.

Sheldon sat up, placed his feet on the wooden floor, walking slowly to the window. His house sat on a hill overlooking Glenholme, a village of 200 people, 25 Kilometres from Truro, Nova Scotia. He pretended he was an owl settled on a branch watching the world move along.

But owls were supposed to be wise. And right now, he was confused.

A collection of old houses, trailers and newly aluminum-sided buildings was scattered on either side of Highway 104. Many of those folks were his paper route customers.

The stars were bright, their luminous eyes keeping him company, feeling his sorrow. He could see the Big Dipper. "Ursa Major" he said aloud, looking up. It was nice to learn some fancy words. It was part of growing older. Junior High was a blast. Seven eyes in the Dipper's outline winked back.

"It's tough growing up," he said aloud. He knew he was acting silly but things seemed much simpler when he was younger.

He enjoyed staring out the window at night, elbows on the windowsill, chin cradled in his hands. There was a time when he dreamed of being an astronomer. 'Star-gazer,' that's him. Everything seems so peaceful up there. 'Astronaut Sheldon' sounded good, too.

He tried to spot a satellite, watching carefully for the telltale steady moving light. "Guess it's not dark enough to see."

His brow furrowed when he thought a lot. And he was thinking about Larry, his neighbor and adult friend who took him fishing last Saturday. Now he would be a great dad. "But he's married with grown up kids of his own," he sighed. They had bonded together so well, Sheldon often thought of him as his dad.

Sheldon continued to look out the window, his mind racing along on a merry-go-round of memories. Tiredly he made his way back to bed and flung himself down. He was too sleepy to even climb under the sheets and pull up his covers.

Re-living events from last Saturday was kind of neat...

Back to Order Page