The afternoon sun fell lazily on the mostly empty desks. Kate was resting her chin on her hand and staring at the dust the circling round in its rays. The buzzing of a fly against the glass made her eyes heavy. 

"Miss Blacke. Are you listening?" Came Miss Bell's voice sharply. 

Kate dropped her hand, jerked up, and apologized. 

But it was hard to listen for the six scholars who had shown up for extra lessons during their summer break. It would still be about half a month before the schoolyear started again, and teaching did not feel as intimidating yet as it always did the night before. 

And Kate was tired. All the problems in her family were weighing down on her and making it hard to sleep at night. Mam was a wreck lately, and Dad could only give her clichés or found ways to excuse himself. Ruth had her baby and her job and that creep of a husband who was apparently giving her trouble. Joe had been dumber than her Standard One students when he ran off with a Carrington. And John... Oh once she started thinking about John she could really lie awake with dread. What if he got into some fight with rebels and got shot? She knew what she had to do: Work hard at her own life and become a successful teacher, and never mind about her siblings' antics. But it was so very hard to think about her future when she was tired and the sun shone on her face so enticingly and the buzzing of that fly mixed with the buzzing of Miss Bell's lesson.

Miss Bell lectured her after class, and so Kate was the last of the pupil teachers to depart. She had kept herself big while Miss Bell spoke and had apologized as maturely as she could, but when she stepped out of the school building, she quickly wiped a tear. She didn't want her teacher to be disappointed in her. Really, she would try harder. But she wasn't sure it would have any effect. And so she dragged her feet as she left the schoolyard, pressing her books against her chest, and she looked at the ground in front of her. She had to find a way to work harder. She didn't want to disappoint her parents.

John had been home a few hours. His kit had been squared away in his bedroom that he had shared with his brother when he was younger. It felt weird being back in his old room after 5 years away overseas. He had changed into civilian clothes which felt alien to him after spending so much time in uniform.

He has seen his parents but not his siblings yet. He knew that he had to see them when he was home or he wouldn't be forgiven. His mother as a suprise to his little sister had asked him to go get her from school. Kate had always written to him & the two of them were close despite the age difference. He hadn't told anyone this but he kept every single letter, every single photograph and drawing that his family sent him in his footlocker and it has travelled with him all throughout India before being shipped home with him.

He got ready and made his way along with paths to the school which he himself had walked........or played truent more times than he cared to remember. He knew the paths well and noticed how little had changed. Mainly door colours and weeds growing in places along the paths.

He soon found himself standing at the gate of the school leaning against the red kiln dried bricks that were so common in mining areas. He watched all the kids come out and didn't spot his little sister. Towards the end of the crowd he spotted her before calling out. "You better pick up that head of yours and look forward. Stop scuffing your shoes. Ma will draw her hand off your backside if you wreck them!" He said with mischievous smile on his face seeing his baby sister for the first time in 5 years

Kate's chin snapped up and she almost dropped her books. She looked at the sun tanned young man leaning against the wall and her heart skipped a beat. Oh he was a young man now! Not a teenage rascal. But it was him! She teared up all over, ran towards him, dropped her books after all, and jumped up to wrap both her arms and legs around him in the tightest hug she had ever given anyone. As soon as her face was pressed against his shoulder, she began to sob. "John... Oh John. Ye've c-come 'ome at last, oh-oooooowh," she cried. Her shoulders shook, but her arms held on tight.

John embraced his little sister for the first time in 5 years. When he left she was 9 only a little girl and how here she was 14 almost 15 and almost as tall as he was. He embraced her before littering out a groan in agony "take it easy little sis im not all healed yet" he looked down at his little sister who had thrown herself into his arms. "Since when did you become so big?"

He looked down "come on let's get your books picked up and ill walk you home. Ma asked me to come get you. She thought it might be a nice surprise" he couldn't believe it. Since she was 9 and was learning English she was writing to him. Ma said she was tracing his movements on the world map that she had bought with her pocket money. And how here they were back together.

"Oh!" Kate quickly let go. "Oh, I'm sorry." She crouched down instead, to help him pick up the books.

Aye, when did she become so big? During all those years when he hadn't been there and she had turned from a child to a young lady - or so she liked to think of herself now - able to bring in a little bit of money with her teaching. She had been a different person when he had left, and he looked like he was a different person now from the big brother she had missed so dearly all these years. Her eyes darted in his direction while she reached for her books and she observed him shyly. For some reason, she had imagined him to still look exactly the same. To carry himself the same way. He didn't. It felt odd. She was delighted that he was back at last, but it felt odd.

She rose and started walking in the direction of Oswy street. "Are ye 'ere to stay?" she said, holding her books with one arm and linking the other with her brother's, trying hard to pretend it was just yesterday he had left. "Please tell me ye are! It's been so horrible with all of ye runnin' off."

John shook his head "its ok little one. You didn't know I got injured. Its not your fault" he began to help her get her books together and helped her carry them.

He linked his arm with hers and began to walk with her. "I have to be back in barracks in 4 days time. I'm home till then but I have to report to the sargeant major there and find out whats going on. The battalion there is short of alot of people so I'm hoping to get some time at home and help recruit and train new soldiers for the army. They sent me home to heal and recover from my injuries" he continued "you were young when I left so you didn't understand why I did it. I was in alot of trouble with the Constabulary here and if I didnt leave. I would have been in jail. I think the police being at our home all the time really got to our parents so the best thing was for me to leave for the army and create some distance"

He continued "I wasn't proud of what I had done, what I has become or the way I treated Joe. I was young and I was stupid. The army made me grow up"

He continued to walk. "Why don't we stop at the shop i could use a drink"

"Oh," she said quietly, when he explained about the potential new job. She was a little disappointed at first that that sounded like he would not be living at home. Sure, he was a grown man now, but she had been robbed of his presence for so long, it felt like it was unfair that he'd have to go again.

But then he began to talk about how things had been in the past, and she realized it was probably best this way. He'd be close enough to visit, but not to close to... Had dad seen him already? Did he know John was home? Did he... Did he accept him back? Oh she remembered the fights. How her father would shout the worst things at him and threaten him, and her mother threatened her father in turn. How very very angry her father had been whenever the police showed up at their door. How the entire house seemed dark and hushed under his brooding when John had been summoned to appear before the Magistrate.

No, close but not too close was probably the best solution for everyone. John said he was a different man now, and she had always loved him, regardless of her disappointment in him whenever he made dad explode and the go to the pub and mam shout and then cry quietly in the kitchen where she thought her children wouldn't hear or see. She had loved John all through it. But she'd have to see whether he really was a better man now, and she'd have to see how her father would handle his return. Her fingers turned pale as they gripped her books tighter. What if dad didn't want to see him?

"It's alright, John. The most important thing is that yer sorry and ye intend to do better," she tried kindly. Oh and she'd be telling him off the moment he put a toe out of line. In fact: "Ye don't mean to be drinkin' alcohol, do ye?"

But maybe if they went, he'd buy her a gingerbeer.

Ok, she'd tell him off if it was a whole foot out of line.

John shook his head "no little one i don't mean alcohol. Truth be told I cant stomach the taste of it. They had some really cheap god awful stuff in India that was called Arack. It was like drinking strained paraffin. It was horrible stuff" he looked in at her in the corner of his eye. "I haven't touched alcohol for about two years now. I just want something cold. Come on we will stop for a drink and maybe a spot of food before heading home"

Truthfully. Their father William didnt know he was home. Most of his siblings didn't know he was home. William hadn't been told where he was heading until he got to the boat. He actually thought he was heading to Ireland. Back to where the regiment had been stationed before it shipped to England then India. Deep down he was torn. Part of him wanted to stay at home in England but part of him was worried how his father would react and then he'd wish he was back in India or someplace else with the regiment.

They closed in a local pub. "Shall we stop here and get ourselves a drink before heading home?"

"Oh..." said Kate, her face clearing into a smile. "Alright then, I'd like that. Will ye buy me gingerbeer? That place looks good."

She continued to hold on to his arm as they went in and she gently guided him to a table in the corner. She liked corners, from where she could overlook the room, without people looking at her. Today, there was another reason: She did not want anyone to recognize John and butt in on their conversation, not when there was so much time to catch up on.

"Ye know, I'm really not that little anymore. Almost as tall as mam."

John let his sister guide him to where she wanted to sit. He didn't mind where they sat. He was nice to spend some time with her. She was so young when he left to go overseas and part of him felt guilty that he had missed 5 years of her growing up.

They both took their seats and within a few minutes John had ordered there drinks before continueing to chat "hows school been? Ma says you want to be a teacher?"

He laughed at her saying about her height "yeah you are and you are turning into quite the young woman! I hope I'm not gonna have to beat up any boyfriends for hurting my little sister" he teased.

He sat back in his seat as the drinks arrived "no one told me about Joe or Ruth. I had to find out from Ma, even Ruth didn't mention anything in her letters..........and Da doesn't know I'm home yet either"