The Long Way Home by Phillip Overton

  Chapter 22

  The smell of hot raisin toast drifted into the spare bedroom of the orange brick house perched high on a hill that Simon’s father, his Poppy and Uncle Barry called home. Outside the sun was streaming through the gaps in the branches of the two huge gum trees that lined the back fence, bathing the rear of the Wyoming house in its warmth.

  “Time to get up, sleepyhead.” His father cheerily poked his head around the corner of the doorway as Simon sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “I’m about to bring out breakfast, everyone’s at the table on the back patio waiting for you.”

  “Okay,” Simon yawned, “I’ll be right out.”

  His feet swung over the side of the bed and touched down on the soft, long pile carpet before he waddled out into the hallway. Mornings at home with his Mum simply didn’t compare with waking up at his father’s house on a weekend. The only problem with Sunday morning was that once it was over he would be dropped back home come lunchtime and would have to endure another long week of school and life with his Mother. Simon wished he didn’t have to live for the weekend, life would be so much better if he could just live here with his Dad, maybe his Mum would be nicer to him then if he just visited her every Saturday.

  Simon made his way to the toilet, washed his hands and then joined the others around the outside table on the back patio. His Poppy was already dressed for Church and sitting at the end of the table with his Sunday paper, his slicked back thin white hair the only thing visible above the newspaper he hid behind. Uncle Barry was busy munching down slices of hot buttered raisin toast and simply gave a wave to Simon as he plopped down on one of the chairs across the table from him.

  “Still in your pyjamas?” Simon’s Dad teased as he appeared behind him, carefully carrying two mugs of hot coffee he had just made in the kitchen.

  “Good morning Simon.” His Poppy said as he neatly folded the newspaper and put it down on the table beside his glass of orange juice. “I didn’t hear you come out. Did you sleep well last night?”

  “Yeah I did Poppy.” Simon yawned as he stretched in his chair. The warmth of the morning sun made him feel lazy as he sat staring at the empty cereal bowl in front of him.

  “Okay Simon, you’d better eat some breakfast now mate or you’ll be late for Sunday school.” His Dad tried to hurry him along. “You’re Pop and Uncle Barry will want to leave in about half an hour and you don’t want to make them run late do you?”

  “What are you going to do this morning Dad?”

  Doug noticed his father look up at him curiously, watching the expression on his face as he tried to dance around the subject yet again. His father knew all too well not to bring up any talk of religion with him. It was the one sore point between the two of them. It only served to make it more enjoyable for him however to sit back and watch when it was his own son trying to corner him into going to church.

  “Ah, your Dad’s going to be very busy this morning Simon.” Doug replied as he joined them at the table.

  “Doing what?” Simon asked. He waited for his Dad to answer the question before pouring the corn flakes into his bowl. Poppy sat up in his chair at the end of the table and leaned forward, waiting for his answer too. His Poppy had told him it was his job to ask his father along to Church each week, explaining that it would probably make his Dad feel more comfortable if he was invited by his own son. So Simon made it his goal each week to think of a different way to ask him to join them.

  “Well, let’s see.” Doug paused, thinking of an answer that wasn’t going to leave him upset or dejected. It only got harder each week to think of a nice way to let him down easy. “I’ve got all the dishes to take care of as soon as you guys head off, a bit of housework to catch up on and then before I know it you’ll be back and I’ll have to run you back home to your mother.”

  “That’s okay Dad.” Simon said understandingly. “Maybe one morning when you’re not so busy you might like to come to Church with us.”

  “Yeah one day son, I promise.” Doug lied. “Right now you’d better eat up so you can get ready to go.”

  The four of them sat enjoying breakfast on the back patio looking down on the backyard below, watching the retreating shadows from the gum trees sway over the lush green lawn while the morning sun climbed higher in the sky. It was going to be another beautiful summer’s day.