A special kind of freind (standard:other, 1045 words)
Author: PDBrown	Added: Oct 23 2006	Views/Reads: 3068/0	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A boys view on growing up

I had never considered telling, of the adventures we use to have. He
only came to me in my sad moments. I didn't even know his name. The 
only image I had was of him strolling through the woodland, with both 
his red setters running around in front of him, whilst he smoked a long 
brown wooden pipe. 

Whenever mum and dad argued, he was there to comfort me in my dark
hours. There was always shouting coming from behind my bedroom wall, I 
knew who it was! I had not known my new friend until after my Nan had 
given me the little bible. I didn't know it back then, but now looking 
back He was a like God, always there when I truly needed him. 

I was a youth of seven years old and felt great anger that's why I was
grateful for this gentleman entering my life, at just the precise time. 
 It seemed he was always cheerful and ready to put a smile on my face, 
when tears began to fill my eyes. 

Dad would go playing golf and mum would just sit at home getting dunk.
Sure, there was a time she would try teaching me different values, but 
that was her occupation or at least could have been. Mums cooking 
weren't always bad, but at times we had to eat her burnt offerings 

Mum was a primary schoolteacher who could have gone on to teach English
at Oxford University. But no, her choice was to continue living with 
the bottle. In moments, like having to discard her bottles of drink 
down the toilet, I would feel as though I was doing something right. My 
thoughts would turn to my friend. 

He was an elderly gentleman. He had a good amount of grey hair and a
grey beard. His frame was tall and well built and he was always smartly 
dressed.  He was to become like a second grandfather to me. He wasn't 
always around and this would upset me, as I needed someone to 
correspond with about the things going on at home. 

Dad would kick me out of bed at five in the morning and that would be to
mow the lawn. It was a pretty big garden and I was also made to attend 
the flowers. By the time he would let me stop, it would be time for 
school.  I wasn't able to concentrate whilst in classes, my mind would 
be thinking why my family was the way it was or I would be focusing on 
the man I'd see walking his dogs. 

The sun always seemed to be out, when he was around.  He would always
speak comforting words to me, but I'll never get the chance to speak 
with him. It wasn't for any reason I didn't talk with him, but he would 
say little things as he strolled by without stopping.  Whatever he 
said, nearly always made things look better, than I had believed them. 

It was at night mainly when things began to get bad. It was as if the
wall was trying to commute with me, I would hide under the sheets and 
cry myself to sleep. When I had become settled, all though my throat 
would hurt, I would focus on him walking his two red furry pets. I must 
have been dwelling on him so much cause I heard him say, 

“Everything will be alright.” He spoke in words of encouragement. And
then he was gone. 

But the image of him remained in my brain. There was one incident when I
fell into sinking sand, no one was around. I was concerned of how I was 
going to get out of this tight feeling. I was up to my neck in it and 
someone came around with a stick, pulled me out. This person didn't 
stop, but ran on. I saw my grey bearded friend smiling at me. 

I ran into the entrance of the amusement park, just wanting to be around
people and there was plenty there on go-karts, different kinds of 
machines. My Nan was a very popular lady in the district of Swanage. 
Everyone knew and loved her. The same applied for my dad, but I never 
gave that much thought because they didn't know what he was truly like, 
or if they did, they hid their knowledge well. As for mum, well I just 
let her get on with it, simply because there was really no way of 
helping her. 

I began to realize, this was life and I had to live it. It had been
painful to begin with and thoughts of why were now beginning to fade. I 
tried growing up by believing that it was I, who could sort out mum and 
dads relationship but it wasn't to be. I just wanted life to be one big 
happy place, especially around my home-life. 

There he stood in the centre of the field smoking his pipe, his beloved
dogs running around him. He didn't say a word, he just kept smiling. 
Then when he did speak, his words at first affected me. He removed his 
pipe for the first time and said 

“I'm going to leave you now. Everything will be alright.” 

My thoughts had been on how I would now have to make the most of the
childhood my way. I was a loner, never really had friends at school, 
there is only one true friend I remember and he lived up the road from 
us. We use to play soldiers after school, hiding behind cars for 
shelter. The last I heard, he had joined the army. 

If I could only see that elderly man once again, I would let him know
that everything has turned out all right. I would tell also tell him, 
how he was my comfort in my darkest hours. I suppose I have learned 
something from him. I think I learnt how there is always someone there 
for you, when you really need a shoulder to cry on and how a family has 
to stick together, no matter what.  Where ever you are my friend, what 
ever you are doing, or for that matter helping I just want you to know 
how thankful I am to you! 


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