[tm] Prompt 13C - Home
The click of the door opening made the boy jolt awake. He moaned a little, and yawned, looking down at the book that he was laying on. He ran his fingers through his hair, removing a particularly long strand from off of his face and tucking it behind his ear. He looked behind and grinned widely, his eyes settling on the other man in the room.
Albert Jekyll, a taller version of the boy; thin, hair that ran just past his shoulders and hung limp around his shoulders. The long black jacket he wore only served to make him seem even taller and even thinner and the weeks growth of beard on his chin and cheeks made him seem older than his years. His eyes were rimmed in red, he looked tired, so very tired but it didn’t stop Henry running towards the man, his arms wide and launched skywards.
“Harry!” his father exclaimed, his face breaking into a smile and Henry could ignore the fact that it didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Have you been reading again ?”
Henry looked at him for a few moments before he smiled and nodded; “Yes, father.” Although only 12 years old he was extremely bright for his age and although he didn’t understand the majority of what was being written about in the books his desire to learn was startling even to the older man who even at his age did not have this drive… He wasn’t sure where the youngster had gotten it from but right from early Henry Jekyll had had it in abundance.
He ruffled the boys hair and nodded; “How is your mother?”
Henry frowned for a few moments and then he realised that his father hadn’t been to see his mother. But then he wasn’t surprised, the two were virtual strangers now. He was sort of the middle man, left to listen to his mother talk about his father when he was away and to listen to his father when he wasn’t away. They didn’t actually talk to each other, not anymore.
“She’s fine…as well as to be expected…she’s misses you” he said quietly, unsure of whether he should mention it but the older man had to know, surely, if he even loved her a little bit he had to… he had to see just how much his mother loved him… how much he loved him.
Despite his obvious flaws.
“Yes, well…” he started, and Henry watched his smile drift away into coldness. He nodded, swallowed and ruffled the boy’s hair again. “Get back to your reading Harry, I’ll be testing you on it tomorrow. We’ll make a doctor out of you yet” although his words were flat they were laced with a pride he couldn’t erase.
Henry Jekyll clung to that more than anything else, he would make them proud.
“Yes father” he said obediently and nodded, his father returning the nod and turning around before walking out of the door.
Albert Jekyll, a taller version of the boy; thin, hair that ran just past his shoulders and hung limp around his shoulders. The long black jacket he wore only served to make him seem even taller and even thinner and the weeks growth of beard on his chin and cheeks made him seem older than his years. His eyes were rimmed in red, he looked tired, so very tired but it didn’t stop Henry running towards the man, his arms wide and launched skywards.
“Harry!” his father exclaimed, his face breaking into a smile and Henry could ignore the fact that it didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Have you been reading again ?”
Henry looked at him for a few moments before he smiled and nodded; “Yes, father.” Although only 12 years old he was extremely bright for his age and although he didn’t understand the majority of what was being written about in the books his desire to learn was startling even to the older man who even at his age did not have this drive… He wasn’t sure where the youngster had gotten it from but right from early Henry Jekyll had had it in abundance.
He ruffled the boys hair and nodded; “How is your mother?”
Henry frowned for a few moments and then he realised that his father hadn’t been to see his mother. But then he wasn’t surprised, the two were virtual strangers now. He was sort of the middle man, left to listen to his mother talk about his father when he was away and to listen to his father when he wasn’t away. They didn’t actually talk to each other, not anymore.
“She’s fine…as well as to be expected…she’s misses you” he said quietly, unsure of whether he should mention it but the older man had to know, surely, if he even loved her a little bit he had to… he had to see just how much his mother loved him… how much he loved him.
Despite his obvious flaws.
“Yes, well…” he started, and Henry watched his smile drift away into coldness. He nodded, swallowed and ruffled the boy’s hair again. “Get back to your reading Harry, I’ll be testing you on it tomorrow. We’ll make a doctor out of you yet” although his words were flat they were laced with a pride he couldn’t erase.
Henry Jekyll clung to that more than anything else, he would make them proud.
“Yes father” he said obediently and nodded, his father returning the nod and turning around before walking out of the door.