Conor Dillon – Beginnings Excerpt 4

Conor Dillon – Beginnings  Excerpt 4

  My Mother summoned me to her presence, Shamus was already present, I knew something was afoot and that it concerned me for better or for worse.

My Mother said, ‘ Conor, I appreciate that you are little more than a child, but like it or not you are still the man of this house, although you are but eleven years old you must begin to train to build up both your physique and your intelligence, to this end I place you in the care of Shamus, he will teach you all you need to know to survive, heed him well for we are talking life and death here!’

If I’m to be honest, hearing this from my Mother came as a surprise, she had implied that I had enemies, but I knew of  none other than the giant, who I still dreamt of and despised. Then looking me in the eye, with her hands on my shoulders, she spoke once more, ‘ When you are a little older and capable of holding your own in a fight, I have a secret to tell you that will change your life forever, but not until Shamus tells me your are ready!’

I hung my head, like the child that I still was, Then I remembered my Father and the manner of his death, something came over me and I think in that moment in my mind at least I became a man. I turned to Shamus and said, ‘I am ready, do your worst, I can take it!’ Shamus came to me and hugged me to him and I held him tightly. In this odd way, my journey to manhood began.

(C) Damian Grange 2018