The Vale's First chapter (d)
In a small town, a young narrator's life took an unexpected turn on a Wednesday evening at Scouts. It was here that they first met Marcus Whale, an older, wiry boy who was always dressed in jeans and trainers. Marcus, it turned out, was more than just a fellow Scout; he was the narrator's big brother.
Marcus Whale, a renowned composer, musician, and multidisciplinary artist based in Sydney, was known for his live performances and sound installations. His creative prowess seemed to have rubbed off on his sibling, as the narrator too harboured dreams of their own. However, these dreams could not be summoned, they came to the narrator unannounced, gifted by an unknown source.
The narrator's relationship with Marcus was complex. His intimidating presence built a layer of fear around the name Marcus Whale. Yet, he was a beacon of encouragement, pushing the narrator to pursue their dreams rather than just dreaming.
The narrator's world was far from perfect. Their mother was an emaciated presence who lived on cigarettes and jaffa cakes, creating a thick, desperate, emotionless fog in their home. The narrator yearned for escape, wanting to run off the edge of their valley and float away into outer space. They desired to dream about joy riding, to be free from the dull confines of being a grown-up without the wings.
The narrator's social life was limited. They found oddballs, deeply religious kids, and some dangerous individuals more intimidating than Marcus Whale. One such individual was Ian Rook, a coworker whose hostile energy gave the narrator negative feelings.
The concept of earth as a spherical planet was difficult for the narrator to grasp, as their world seemed flat as far as they could see. Despite this, they were instructed to fetch paper cups and count out sixteen for a group activity. This group, though not a gang in the traditional sense, formed around the narrator, consisting of boys who were warned against, peers and classmates of the narrator, sons of his father's colleagues from the factory.
One of these boys, Marcus Whale, was otherworldly and had a superpower. This was not learned but possibly instilled in him from early in his life. The narrator built a layer of fear around Marcus Whale's name, but his influence and encouragement proved to be a driving force in the narrator's life.
As the narrator lay flat on their back in the near darkness of their bedroom, visualizing their demons hanging down like bats from the ceiling, they couldn't help but dream of a world beyond their valley, a world where dreams could be summoned and the best things could be purchased with more than just money. In this world, they could be free, free to dream and free to fly.
- Embracing his brother's influence, the narrator found a renewed interest in various aspects of life, such as history, travel, lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, education-and-self-development, and personal-growth, including mindfulness.
- With Marcus' encouragement, the narrator started to envision a life outside their small town, dreaming of joy riding and exploring the world beyond their valley, a place where dreams could be pursued without limitations.
- Despite the challenges at home and in their social life, the narrator continued to nurture their dreams, driven by the memory of Marcus Whale, an extraordinary individual who seemed to possess a superpower of encouragement and inspiration.
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