THE NARRATIVE ARC | MEMOIR
So What’s Boarding School Like?
Everything you’ve heard is true
One day a few months ago, my brother-in-law asked me what boarding school was like. We were having coffee in a café while my wife and her mother were shopping at a designer outlet chain called Cheshire Oaks about 10 miles from Liverpool.
The question came out of the blue. We’ve known each other for about 12 years since I met his sister, but most of the conversations have revolved around football and beer. We get on well, but never have we had a deep conversation. Certainly nothing about our pasts.
When you meet your partner's siblings, the friendship rarely goes deep. They bubble along nicely but are always rooted in the present — the day-to-day. So to suddenly ask me about what boarding school was like, threw me off-guard.
I stalled and asked him if he wanted another coffee. I’d given up smoking years ago, but if I still puffed, this would be the moment to light up. Instead, I went to the counter to order two more double espressos and sat back down.
“Do you really want to know?” I asked.
He nodded. “I’ve always wondered,” he said. “You hear stories about those places, but I wonder if they are true.”
