The Flyer Read Online Free PDF

thoughtfully. ‘This painting reminds me of my summer holidays,’ he said. ‘I spent several weeks watching another pair of hobbies near my parents’ house in Scotland. I used to take long walks every day, whether it was fine or wet. I always took my sketch pad and binoculars with me.’
    William didn’t know what to say to this, though Mister Watson didn’t seem to mind his silence.
    ‘Do you know, William, my father is a Hindu,’ he went on. ‘You don’t mind if I call you by your Christian name do you? And you must call me Mister Watson rather than ‘sir’ all the time. Do you know what Hindu is, by the way? It’s a type of religion practised in India where my father comes from.’ Watson paused to light a cigarette.
    ‘I was quite a lonely child at school. The other boys made fun of me because of the colour of my skin. They called me a half-breed. That’s why I became interested in bird-watching. It was a way of escaping, if you like.’
    William understood that Mister Watson was telling him that they had something in common. It made him feel better to know that he wasn’t quite as alone as he had thought.
    ‘I would like to propose something to you, William,’ Watson said. ‘I suggest that you come here every day for extra tuition. I will teach you the things that the other boys have already learnt. That is to say, I will give you lessons in English grammar and also Latin and Greek. I think you’ll find that you will catch up with the other boys quite quickly. Between you and I, there are no geniuses among them.’ He smiled. ‘The other thing I will teach you is how to speak like them. It will take time, but I’m sure that if we are both prepared to put in the effort we will succeed. What do you think?’
    A clock on the table ticked.
    ‘Thank you, sir,’ William answered. ‘I’d like that.’
    ‘Good,’ Watson said. ‘Now, why don’t you have another biscuit.’
     
    *****
     
    William’s life at Oundle changed. Every day after lessons ended he went to Mister Watson’s rooms for extra tuition, where for half an hour he practiced his elocution, and then for another hour either English grammar or Latin and Greek. Mister Watson was a patient teacher and William looked forward to his lessons. The young master’s rooms became a kind of sanctuary where William could escape the taunts and bullying of Yardley and the other boys. The process of learning itself was an escape from his misery. He became interested in the wider scope of the subjects he was learning. He not only wanted to be able to translate the Latin poets and Greek philosophers, but wanted to understand them too, and in Mister Watson’s rooms, William’s love of reading English novels was rekindled.
    The speed with which William improved surprised both himself and his teacher. Encouraged by his success, William practiced alone whenever he could, and for once his disability worked to his advantage since it precluded him from fagging, and gave him more time than he might otherwise have had. He spent it in the library, where he absorbed everything he read.
    As the weeks passed and William gradually lost his country burr, he noticed that he was less often the victim of derision and bullying because of the way he spoke. He began to think that with determination and work there was nothing he couldn’t overcome, and one afternoon Mister Watson discovered him trying to walk without his crutch. William was unaware that he was being watched until he fell to the floor as he tried to take a few steps across the master’s living room. He got up and reached for his crutch, burning with humiliation and anger at his own weakness.
    Mister Watson put down the tea tray he was carrying and left the room, returning a few moments later with a cane.
    ‘Would you like to try with this?’ he offered.
    He cleared a space between two chairs, and when William tried again, this time he didn’t fall down.
    ‘You can keep it if you like,’ Mister Watson