Frosty Wind Made Moan

14

14

While the younger Toby stayed up in that tree, the older Toby and the old man approached the house and Toby could hear strange noises coming from within. Noises that sounded a lot like shouting. Something that Toby did not remember hearing at all in that house. Not ever. He stopped walking, tugging the old man to a stop, too.

"With my best friend, Andy? Do you even know how that makes me feel?" The double-glazing of the windows muffled the words, but Toby heard them clear enough from the driveway. "Did it happen here? In our bed? Oh, god! Those times I came home from work and she'd just 'popped in' for a visit! How could I have been so stupid?"

There followed quieter words that Toby couldn't quite make out, but it sounded like his Dad answering. He didn't shout like Toby's Mum had, but he wasn't talking quietly, either. This felt cruel and it reminded Toby of the reason for their visit to Edward's house, in the past. But, he had to remember, he had asked the old man for this. The old man had warned him, but he hadn't listened. It wasn't cruel. It was what he had wanted.

Toby heard a sound, to the side, and saw his younger self slouching along the street. He had kicked a can, angry at the embarrassment of running and hiding from the bullies. The younger Toby had no idea that his parents were arguing. At the same moment, the older Toby heard the voices inside rising again.

Without thinking, he pulled his hand from the old man's and ran towards the house. A quick glance showed his Mum and Dad glaring at each other, in the middle of their explosive argument. If the younger Toby found them like that, it would ruin the whole of Christmas. He found himself raising his fist and hammering on the window before ducking down and then running back to the old man, trusting that whatever magic that made people ignore them would stop anyone seeing two Toby's.

The old man caught him in both arms as Toby made it back to him and, at that exact moment, the younger Toby turned into the drive to see both his Mum and Dad looking out of the window, foreheads wrinkled together as they looked for who had knocked on the window. The younger Toby's face lit up to see both his parents and he waved enthusiastically to them.

Toby remembered that, now. When he had got inside, his Mum had called him a 'cheeky monkey' and he had never known why. Then Toby had related his tale about falling from the tree. Now, as the older Toby looked in through the window, he could see how strained the laughter at his tale was. He could see the tenseness about his parents, trying their best to hide their problems from their son.

"And now you know." The old man stepped away from the window, hooking a finger to Toby, urging him to follow. "The question being, did this always happen, or has it happened like this because you are with me? Are you finished, or do you want to see more?"

Toby wasn't certain. These events had already shattered his memories of this day. But, after a fashion, it also brought a little clarity. He had always remembered the marriage of his parents as perfect. They loved each other. They loved him. Everything was as good as it was at all possible to be. Seeing, or rather, hearing his parents arguing made it clear that the end of their marriage was not as sudden as he had believed.

"No. I should finish this." His feet dragged as he moved to catch up to the old man. He didn't want to see any more, but he needed to. "I'd like to see Grandma again. They wouldn't let me see her when she died."

With a knowing nod, the old man held out his hand. They moved around to the side door and it looked almost comical as the old man did something so mundane as open it like any other normal person, ducking his head, with its holly and mistletoe crown around his fur-edged hat. Inside, Toby could smell something wonderful as they entered the kitchen through the side door.