Moving Day(Will)

After tossing and turning for several hours, Will finally got out of bed, accepting the fact that he would be unable to sleep. Quietly he slipped from his room first checking on his mother then to get a cold glass of water. Starring out the little kitchen window he felt very small and alone. Deciding to put the hours to good use, he retrieved a duffle bag from inside the hall closet and returned to his room to begin packing. Grabbing a pen and some paper from his desk, he scribbled some notes in regards to his mum’s care. He felt guilty about leaving her but he knew that Nelly would take good care of the sick woman. His biggest concern was the reception he would receive upon his arrival in Nordel. His father’s people had left long ago to the isolated land in the east in order to separate themselves from the humans. Much to the dismay of Will and his mother, his father left as well leaving behind an aging wife and a young son.

Will threw his belongings into the bag with more force than was necessary. He tried hard to understand his father but most of the time he just felt anger and resentment towards him. He blamed him for his mother’s frail health and for the deplorable living conditions they had been forced to live in over the years. His mum had tried to explain to Will why his father had to go but to a young boy there was no reason good enough for abandoning them.

With the rising of the sun, Will left the little apartment for work. He would inform Mr. Trumper of his plans and see what insight the old man might be able to offer. As usual he found the owner of the vegetable stand arranging the display of produce on the sidewalk. Clearing his throat to announce his arrival Will got straight to the point “Mr. Trumper, may I speak to you in private for a moment?”

Placing the remaining lettuce in the designated bin, the stocky man escorted Will inside to his office at the back of the store leaving a young sales clerk in charge of the store. “What can I do for you, William?”

Will rehashed his visit with Nelly the previous night. When he had finished he looked imploringly at the old man whom he considered his father in all sense of the word. “Do you think I should go?”

The old man rubbed his chin in thought, “I think Nelly’s right. It’s time you mend things between you and your father. Besides he might have some knowledge about this island that you’ll be going to.” Will wasn’t surprised by the answer. He graciously thanked the gentleman for his help over the years and after a fatherly embrace they parted company.

Will had his mother settled in her new room by the time the sun was going down. He left a list of instructions and her medicines sitting on the chest o’ drawers. Giving his mum one last kiss on the forehead he slipped quietly from the room to join Nelly in the kitchen as the parlor was still occupied by a few guests who had stayed on after the raid a few weeks back.

“She’ll be fine, Will, don’t worry about a thing. Just go and do what you need to do.” She placed a cup of tea in front of the young man. Dear Nelly felt that all the world’s problems could be settled over tea.

“I’ll send word once I’ve arrived in Nordel and again when I leave. Do let me know if you need me to return home.” Glancing up at the ceiling he added mater-of-factly, “she mostly sleeps and when she is awake she talks nonsense; every now and then the light will return to her eyes and she’ll remember where she is – that’s the real her.”

Nelly patted his hand sympathetically, “she would have wanted you to do this. You need to make amends with your father and start living for you.” Finishing his tea, he left the comfort of the bed ‘n’ breakfast. He would begin his journey at first light.