RONAN;
I sat on the rough log near the bonfire, the flames crackling loudly and sending sparks into the dark sky.
The evening air carried the smell of burning wood and the distant chirping of insects from the trees and shrubs around the vicinity.
Teachers had finished their long talk about rural architecture and local building history, and now the night felt looser, freer. Students laughed and shifted around the circle, but could tell everyone still enjoyed the warmth from the fire. It was a cold evening.
Alfred, my old friend from way back, stood up with a husky boy I didn’t know well, I had only seen him a few times around that boy, Matthew.
Alfred spoke to the students, trying to calm the rising discussions while the other guy held out a bunch of folded papers in a small bowl.
