Chapter 8

Content:

When Jess arrives at the cottage her parents and Alfred talk with Grandpa in time. So nobody missed her. She eats some roles that Mum made and listens to the voice of the stream.
While Mum and Dad slowly try to take Alfred's leave (It seems really difficult because he talks the whole time through), she goes to Grandpa who is really bad in time. However she says nothing about the river boy (she wants to do it, but not in time).
But, when Alfred is actually gone, she wants to try to ask him indirectly whether he know the boy she saw. She asks him whether it is surely right that there's no boy in her age around the cottage. And he assures that in every time. Only in Braymouth there'll be other people in Jess' age. Also to his mind there are normally no ramblers nearby.
So Jess really asks herself how it was possible to see this boy only wearing black shorts. She can't understand it and while she leaves Alfred, while she eats dinner, while she watches TV, her mind is caught in a conflict of coherence between the boy, Grandpa and his picture. Mum, Dad and especially Grandpa notice that there's something that really keeps her busy.


My thoughts while reading:

My first thought after reading this Chapter was about Grandpa. Did he know that Jess saw the river boy at least? Or doesn't he know the boy Jess saw, too?
However these sentences on page 56 gave me a strong belief that Grandpa is able to anticipate what Jess saw:

"Mum spoke.
"You all right Jess? You're very quiet."
She saw Grandpa's eye flicker towards her.
"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Just thinking."
"OK."
He held her gaze a moment longer, then turned back to his food."

I think that flickering of his eye, really shows his anticipation.
Another question I asked myself was the question of the picture. Will Grandpa really be able to improve his state of health and to finish his picture?
That's a difficult question for me. Nevertheless I think there'll be a point in the plot of the novel where the situation will change in a more negative way or in a positive way. I don't think that Grandpa's health will be between life and death the whole time. I think it'll change into either life or death.