Endings & Beginnings
written by: Deryn Graham
Simon made his way home on his last day of school ever. He bent into the wind that gusted down the town’s high street, making tumbleweed of plastic carrier bags, sheets of newspaper, and sundry other pieces of urban litter.
He kicked an empty milk carton along the pavement, pensive and relieved not to be part of the crowd that he could still hear singing at the tops of their voices, as they peeled off headed for the beach, celebrating the end – for most – of formal education. But if not university, then what, thought Simon, feeling the anxious knot in his stomach that had been there since he put his pen down and closed his final exam manuscript.
Pretty much his entire year group faced an uncertain future on the dole in this dying one-horse town, yet they still rejoiced at their liberation from County High, where they had been safe for the past seven years. Simon’s future was equally uncertain, but not for the same reasons.
He looked up. Mid-afternoon on a Wednesday in early summer, and every alternate shop was shuttered and desolate. The promenade was faring little better. The gift shops still hung on to the tacky hats that used to say ‘kiss me quick’ but which to meet the new demand of cheap, mass market hen and stag weekends, now read ‘Bride to Be’ and ‘Doomed Groom.’ Traditional rock candy, kitsch lampshade bases made of seashells gathered on beaches far from here, a few mugs, keyrings, and fridge magnets, only half filled the shelves.
Simon’s friend Lacey’s mum had tried to move away from seaside tat and go more upmarket in her shop on the pier. She started stocking beautiful linen dresses, scarves, sandals, and pretty straw beach bags, but they were a mismatch for the town’s visitors, whose tastes and pockets would never extend to more than cheap souvenirs – and she had been forced to close.
With a far more utilitarian business that didn’t rely on dwindling numbers of seasonal visitors, Simon’s parents were more secure. His family was the second generation to own and run the local hardware store, and his father had grown his reputation as the go-to town handyman for plumbing, electrics, and the odd piece of joinery – anything he could turn his hand to. Simon had grown up tinkering with tap washers, plugs, pieces of plywood, and whatever else his father discarded, and from which he could learn the tools of his future trade.
Known in town not by his own name, but as Little John, as he bore a striking resemblance to his father, Simon already had certificates in basic DIY skills, enough to qualify him as a trusted apprentice in the business during school holidays. Simon had always taken pride in sitting up front in the company van, ‘Big John & Son’ emblazoned on both its side panels. His mum looked after the shop, managed the call-outs, and all the administration that his dad had no patience for.
But while making extra pocket money as his dad’s sidekick was fun while he was at school, his life was now at a juncture that required a big decision.
***
Until he was five, Simon had an older brother, but one day, eight-year-old Daniel had set off on his bike to pedal round to his friend’s house. He never arrived and was never seen again. The extensive search involving police task forces from across the county, friends and neighbours, yielded nothing. Not a trace was ever found of Daniel or his bike. Days of no news turned into weeks, turned into months, turned into years, until Daniel Carney was just a name on a cold case file.
Simon remembered little of those frantic, then grief-filled months, recalling only long, lonely days spent at his granny’s house across town. Growing up, he was made acutely aware of having a brother, even though he wasn’t there for Simon to play with. It was a confusing time, but as he got older, Simon understood his parents’ profound loss. They had lost a son in the truest sense of the word – not through the finality of death but through the never knowing of disappearance.
As much as they would have liked to move away and put the trauma behind them, sensing that Daniel might be out there somewhere kept the Carneys tethered to the town. It was unthinkable that they would sell up and move and leave him behind. And so they stayed, the pain diminished, and everybody threw themselves into the business.
And so it was that the hardware store baton was passed to Simon.
Now for the first time, Simon felt resentful of the brother he never really knew. Daniel should have taken over the shop and left Simon to pursue his dream of studying ornithology at university. His parents called him a ‘twitcher’ in a mocking way, as he could sit for hours, his binoculars trained on the small island just offshore – home to colonies of marine birds.
Having spent hours revising, Simon was confident that his hard work would pay off, and he would get the grades he needed. But he had failed to mention to his parents that he had applied to go to university. He had chosen those within closest proximity to home so that he could continue to help out with the shop during holidays. He had been accepted at each university to which he had applied, narrowing it down to Exeter. Unbeknownst to his parents, he had even been to meet the Dean of the Faculty for an interview, had a tour of the campus, and been awarded a place in the residence hall of his choice. His student loan application was also ready – he would submit it as soon as he got his results. He did not need his parents to help him financially. It was important for him to be independent and self-sufficient, as he knew the decision not to take over the family business would be a huge blow for them, which might drive a wedge between them.
Now, with the exams over and results due in just eight weeks, it was time to confront his parents with his hopes and desires for a future very different from the one they envisaged for him.
The chime of the shop doorbell preceded his parents’ cheers as Simon entered the store. A bottle of champagne and three glasses stood on the counter, and Simon’s father set about opening the bottle immediately.
“What on earth…?” said Simon.
“We’re celebrating!” replied his mother, “Your future…our future. Now you’ve finished school, we can plan our retirement!”
Simon’s heart sank, sensing their readiness to hand over the business. Now was as good a time as any to tell them he had a different idea for his life.
“The thing is…”
“The thing is,” interrupted his father. “We know you have your heart set on something more than this,” he gestured around the shop. “So we’ve decided to sell. We’re setting ourselves free. Freeing ourselves from the past and the ghost of Daniel, and freeing you from a future you never wanted. Now we’ll all be free to do what we want. Cause for celebration, no?”
Simon felt a weight lifted from his shoulders.
“Cheers,” he said as the three lifted their glasses in unison.
- Endings & Beginnings - June 13, 2026
- The Joshua Tree - February 5, 2026
- Faded Dreams - September 6, 2025
