Back to the Old Street

After ten years abroad, Clara returned to the town where she had grown up. For weeks, she felt excited about the trip, but she was also nervous. Despite the long journey, she decided to walk straight from the station to the street where her family used to live.

The baker’s shop that had stood on the corner was now a phone repair centre. Clara felt disappointed, but she was also curious about the other changes. She stopped to read a sign announcing a new library. She was surprised at how quickly everything had changed.

At the end of the street she bumped into Mr Turner, an old neighbour who was famous for his terrible jokes. He took a while to recognise her. “You haven’t changed,” he said. “You still look exactly like your mother.” They talked for a few minutes about the people they had both lost touch with.

Mr Turner told her that the old school was closing because of falling numbers. “We tried to keep it open,” he said, “but in the end the council gave up.” Clara also found out that her favourite teacher, Miss West, was still alive and living nearby. She wrote down the address.

The next morning, Clara knocked on a green door. Miss West was eighty-four, yet she remembered every student. “Are you interested in seeing the old photographs?” she asked. They spent the afternoon with tea and a box of memories, and Clara felt, for the first time in years, that she belonged somewhere.