Chapter 5. Uffington

They sat together on a low wide stone wall under a stand

of elm trees. "What do see Vie?" Innis asked.

"A wide valley, empty fields and a lake." Vie said, not sure if

that was the right answer.

"Do you see the chalk horse cut into the side of the hills."

"I can." Vie said.

"I used to walk up here sometimes when I was a boy.

The morning mists would lie flat across the valley,

and from here, it looked like that horse was galloping over

the clouds."

"That must of been beautiful to see." Vie said.

"Did you grow up around here Mr. Page?"

"Call me Innis, Vie."

"Innis." Vie said.

Innis smiled and Vie was surprised by how much Finn looked

like his Father.

"Down there by that lake once stood a large country home.

The estate had its own Chapel and they employed

a Pastor - My Father. Our family lived in a manse on the property.

Just the three of us."

From where she was sitting Vie couldn't see anything of what

Innis had described. "What happened to it all?"

Innis didn't answer straight away.

"I hated my Father. He was the worst kind of self righteous,

holier than thou hypocrite . I think he believed he was destined

for a postion in the high Anglican church, but it wasn't to be,

so he took his frustrations out on my Mother and me.

He used to beat me black and blue."

Innis sighed.

"I was young then and I didn't understand how trapped in the

relationship my Mother was. I thought she was weak."

Vie didn't know what to say.

"One night when he was beating her, I took a kitchen knife

and stabbed him in the shoulder. I don't know who yelled

the loudest, I didn't wait around - I ran away from home."

"You eventually came back though." Vie said

"I did." Innis said. " When I came back, I found the wealthy

family and their estate had fallen on hard times.

The Chapel was no longer being used and my parents

were long gone."

"Did you find out where they went?" Vie asked.

"Not for certain." Innis said.

"I bought the property. The house, the Chapel,the manse

the gardens, everything - and I had it all razed to the ground.

I let the folks from the local area come and take what ever

building materials they wanted. When the workmen were

clearing the overgrown gardens near the Chapel they found

some unmarked headstones."

"You parents?" Vie asked.

"I like to think they were amongst them. " Innis said.

"I had all the head stones removed and broken up."

Vie thought about that for a moment then stood up and looked

closely at the stones that made up the low wall they were

sitting on.

Innis laughed.

"I'm not rewriting my past Vie, I'm erasing it."

*

Authors Note

This chapter is not finished. I will add to it in the next few weeks

Any feed back you care to give would be appreciated.