The Runaway Read online

  “You’re welcome,” I say. “Thank you for coming here today. I think it’s done everyone so much good to meet you and say goodbye to Emrys.”

  She pats my hand and then looks to her right. “I think my children want to speak to you now.”

  They are walking towards me, and I still have no idea what to say to them.

  “We wanted to thank you,” says Grace.

  “Wha– you did?” I stammer.

  “We were saying to each other on the drive here,” says Adam, “how much we’ve learned from you. You’re one of the most resourceful and determined people we’ve ever met. I’m certain that whatever you decide to do with your life, you won’t give up until you’ve done it.”

  “And we have a small gift for you,” says Grace. “Well, Adam’s responsible for it, really.”

  She hands me a square of tissue paper. I unfold it and instantly recognize what is inside. I often wondered what Adam was whittling out of the piece of wood he picked up that day in the forest. Now a small wooden sparrow nestles in my palm, with a small hook fixed in its back so that it could hang on a chain.

  “It’s a reminder,” says Grace, “of what you said about sparrows that day in the woods. That even if they might not look like the most imposing or impressive birds, they are brave and they look after one another, and that’s important.”

  “It’s wonderful,” I say, and I take out the pendant that hangs around my neck and attach the sparrow to the chain, so that it sits next to the other three charms. Then I look back up to their smiling faces and take a deep breath.

  “I need to say thank you. I don’t think you know the impact you’ve had. When I first met you, I was angry and scared, and I didn’t trust anyone. I left this place as a ball of rage and resentment and rejection. But you always chose not to focus on that side of me, even though I’m sure you must have seen it. Thank you for believing in me enough to bring out the best in me. You gave me the chance to restore, to find out what I’m capable of. You trusted me more than I trusted myself. I won’t ever forget that.”

  I know I will cry if I say another word. I hug them both, and we say goodbye. Then we wave from the farmhouse as the Trewents drive away.

  Callum sighs as the car disappears out of sight.

  “Well,” he says, the way people do when they need to say something. We look around the yard at one another: the residents of Llandymna, returning to normal life.

  “Rhiannon.” Diana marches over to me, displaying her superhuman ability to avoid getting mud on her shoes without appearing to break her stride. “Nia tells me the others are going to the White Lion now. I’m taking the children home, and I’ll drive Maebh back too, but don’t worry about coming with us if you’d like to go to the pub with them.”

  “Thanks,” I say. “I’ll see you later then.”

  “Right. Come on, Eira; time to stop playing with the dog!”

  Eira reluctantly leaves Megan the border collie and returns to the car.

  “Is Rhiannon coming with us?” she asks.

  “Not just yet,” Diana answers.

  “But she is coming home, isn’t she?” Eira presses. “She isn’t going away again?”

  I pick her up and realize how much heavier she is now than the last time I did this. I hear Diana sigh crossly at the sight of Eira’s muddy shoes leaving prints on my trousers, but she manages to stop herself saying anything about it.

  “I’ll be back in time to read you a bedtime story, I promise.”

  Eira’s face lights up at once. “Can it be one about talking animals?” she asks.

  “If you like.”

  Diana smiles appreciatively as Eira gets into the car without any further fuss.

  “Right then,” says Tom when they have gone, “are we going up to the White Lion now?”

  “Go on ahead,” I say. “I’ll catch you up in a minute or two.”

  Tom, Nia, and Callum walk up the lane towards the village. I run in the opposite direction, up the hill to the oak sapling surrounded by freshly turned earth. I sit down next to it, in the shadow of the first trees of Dyrys.

  In just a moment, I will run back down the hill to join my friends. I will spend an afternoon catching up with them on the last two months. We will swap stories, or tell the same one from our four different perspectives. If I can, I will find a chance to share my favourite memory: of the day we built a swing over the stream.

  Before any of that, however, I want to take a moment to sit up here looking out over the village that is welcoming again. Up here, where the wind is a little fiercer than down in the valley, I am motionless for a moment next to this young tree. I trace my finger over the letters of the plaque near it.

  In memory of Emrys Trewent

  It is never too late to go home

  I am looking forward to the low roar of conversation again. But up here the only sounds are the gentle sway of Dyrys’s trees, the wind brushing the tops of the fireweed, and the bright chatter of sparrows singing again.

  Reading Group Questions

  The RunAway

  1. What do you think is the main reason why Rhiannon ran away from home?

  2. Which character did you most relate to? Did you sympathize with one more than others?

  3. Fences and boundaries are a recurring image in The Runaway. Why do you think they are important to the characters?

  4. What were your first impressions of Diana? Do you think her involvement in village life does more good or harm?

  5. Who do you think has the biggest influence on Rhiannon’s worldview?

  6. Maebh believes in the power and importance of stories, but Rhiannon’s experiences show that there can be a cost in too much escapism. How have stories affected your life?

  7. How would events have played out differently if Adam and Grace had never decided to come to Llandymna?

  Claire Wong

  An interview with the author…

  What first inspired you to write The Runaway?

  Over the years I’ve seen a lot of people struggling with big questions about their identity and place in the world. I think The Runaway started out as a letter to all the Rhiannons out there who desperately need to hear that they are doing OK and that the world is better than it looks right now.

  Do you have a particular writing routine?

  I like to start writing early in the day, and have my desk set up with a notebook, laptop, and cup of peppermint tea. If I get stuck at any point, going outside for a walk has the effect of hitting the refresh button on my brain!

  What is the writing habit that you rely on to get you through a first draft?

  It’s a constant reminder to myself that now is not the time to be a perfectionist! For me, the first draft is about telling the story, throwing the words onto the page and giving yourself permission for the prose to be rough around the edges.

  Which living author(s) do you most admire?

  I admire Margaret Atwood for her sheer cleverness and versatility, and I absolutely love Niall Williams’ beautiful style of writing.

  Which book would you take to a desert island?

  Prince Caspian, or any of The Chronicles of Narnia. I find there’s so much depth to C. S. Lewis’ writing that I can happily keep re-reading his books and always find something new and wonderful in them.

  How much of you is there in your characters?

  There’s quite a lot of tea and cake consumed in this book, and that is certainly a reflection of what I consider important in life!

  Who would your fantasy dinner guests be?

  I like to think that Jane Austen and I would get on very well, which is probably down to how much her books have influenced my sense of humour. I’d also invite Virgil (the Roman poet, not the character from Thunderbirds) as I think he’d bring an excellent bottle of wine as a gift, and Walter Raleigh for so
me good travel anecdotes over dessert.

  Which book do you wish you had written?

  The Princess Bride by William Goldman. It’s such a fun, irreverent adventure in a genre that is often quite serious and dignified. And it’s extremely quotable. I remember once sitting in an office where half the staff knew the book and half didn’t. One woman looked around at us all and said, “OK, shall we do this?” and with no further prompting half of us chorused, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!”

  Who is your favourite literary character?

  Dr Watson. He’s easily overlooked next to Sherlock Holmes, but he manages to maintain compassion and kindness, and he’s not afraid to be amazed rather than cynical in response to the world.

  Did any of the characters in your book surprise you while writing?

  Definitely Diana. When I started writing from Rhiannon’s perspective, I knew that this girl who loves fairy tales needed someone to take the role of the wicked stepmother, at least as far as she viewed her world. In creating Diana, I drew from some real life characters I had observed, who took charge in small communities and seemed to enjoy that sense of importance. I didn’t expect to like Diana, but as I wrote about her I found myself sympathizing more and more with this woman who is under so much pressure, even if a lot of it is self-imposed. She’s more complicated and interesting than I intended.

  What would your superpower be?

  I’d love to have the power to be able to instantly understand and speak every new language I hear!

  What is the worst job you’ve done?

  I briefly worked in a cemetery one summer, and it was actually really interesting. The trouble was that although I was fascinated by everything I was learning about environmentally-friendly burial options, it made for quite morbid after-work conversations and I think I scared some of my friends.

  What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

  I’ve learned that I value being kind more than being right.

  Which book (not your own) do you wish everyone would read?

  Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne. I quote it regularly, and it makes me sad when people respond with blank confusion.

  Which book do you suspect most people claim to have read, but haven’t?

  The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. There are enough film and TV adaptations around to be able to pass quite convincingly for knowing the story, but when I finally got round to reading it earlier this year I couldn’t believe that no one had ever mentioned the ending!

  How do you feel about physical books versus e-books?

  I know e-books are very convenient for reading while travelling or for saving limited shelf space, but personally I always prefer the feeling of holding a printed book in my hands.

  Do you have any advice for an aspiring author?

  Read a lot. Write a lot. Be wary of taking too much advice.