The next time I saw him I was nine. Well, nine and a half. It was July, the 26th I now know. As soon as I woke that night I knew he was outside. I crossed to the window and sure enough, there he was. Dressed in trousers and a T-shirt now. He smiled that wonderful smile at me and waved urgently. I grabbed some jeans on, crept downstairs as fast as I dared, jammed my feet into a pair of shoes and let myself out. Ran across the garden to the gate into the field. Once again he'd started off across the field, but this time there was no snow to slow me down. I ran after him. He glanced over his shoulder at me, then turned back and ran even faster. I could hear him laughing and I knew this was just the first of the wonderful games we'd be playing, a game of chase.
After a minute or tw
