Life in a Northern Town

Of all Dabeagle's stories, I have a soft spot for 'Corners' and this one. Like many of his other stories,  'Life in a Northern Town's is actually borrowed from the name of a song. I won't go into this here, because it's more fun to discover by yourself.

This story deals with anger. Adam was angry and always found himself in trouble. He had a faithful friend in Randy. The arrival of a Southern kid, Nick, complicated his world as he felt a strong attraction. Adam's mother was abusive and he was placed in a foster home with two other kids. Uprooted, distressed and still angry, Adam must learn how to adjust himself to the demands of external world. His foster dads were trying their best. He thought he was making progress and looked forward to being placed in the care of Randy's parents, when Nick and Randy both soured on him. Turned out love was an illusion and friendship full of unexpected heartbreaks. 

I felt for Adam as I finished reading the story in one sitting. I understand that anger viscerally, even though I endure none of his hardships. It's just an attempt to control sadness, to insulate oneself from frustration. Adam and Randy are another pair of best friends in Dabeagle's universe that intrigues me. I completely understand why Adam had such difficulty coming out to Randy, because that friendship was the only thing he had in his life. He would not risk it. I feel it's implied but I'd gently remind Randy of this if I were sitting next to him. 

The beauty of the story is that amidst all this anger, Adam learned finally to be true to himself and deal with that anger. For me personally it was a most cathartic experience, because I too have to learn how not to let loose my own anger. For this I truly thank the author for sharing this experience of healing and starting afresh.

Hear me out. This, for me, was a very challenging story to begin reading. On the pages of the first chapters, understand, every jot and every tittle radiate pain. Until they don’t.

Hurt and harm and harrow give way gradually and once the right seeds are planted and tended to something beautiful grows.

Adam is a punk, as the author warns us, but cast aside what that word might mean to you and let Adam reveal himself.

No mohawks here, no thrash metal music, no piercings. Wait, that’s not entirely true. Maybe my heart was pierced just a bit? Yeah, it was. It really was.