The Homecoming

He had left his hometown in a rage. He had slammed the door on his past never thinking he would have to reopen it. Now, coming back, he was filled with strong and mixed emotions as he saw the familiar sites.

As he walked up the path to his past his childhood pet Rex ran towards him. Within moments his face was a mixture of slobber and rasping tongue. He threw his arms around the hairy neck and the years fell away. My god he loved that Okapi.

The door slowly opened and an elderly head quietly spoke his name.

“Mark?”

He stepped away from Rex who proceeded to gallop around the garden in giddy joy. “Mother?” he said cautiously. Could he really be the offspring of this ancient crone?

She was dressed in her familiar American Civil War uniform, confederate of course. If she was still alive then so was his father. He crouched immediately and scanned the garden. Nothing. Then something unusual in the corner of his eye. He made no sudden move but slowly moved his gaze to the tree by the well.

Brilliant disguise but fatally flawed. There had never been a tree by the well and certainly not one with branches in the shape of Danny la Rue’s head.

This was what had driven him away. Why couldn’t he have had a simple childhood like Edwin next door. His parents were always there and perfectly stable in the freezer units in the basement

“Ah well,” he sighed, as he drew his Timelance from its sheath and hacked at the tree “Berrylands will never change."