Tommy
Another childhood friend of Kathy’s at Halisham who is bullied because of his lacking creativity, leading to him developing a violent temper that, though learnt to control, plagues him throughout his life. He theorises often about the way things work and spends a great deal of time wondering the motive behind Halisham.
Quotes
‘Suppose two people come up and say they’re in love. She can find the art they’ve done over years and years. She can see if they go. If they match’
‘even though Tommy was at Hailsham, he isn’t like a real Hailsham student’ (Ruth describing Tommy)
‘I could make out in the mid-distance, near where the field began to fall away, Tommy’s figure, raging, shouting, flinging his fists and kicking out. I caught a glimpse of his face in the moonlight, caked in mud and distorted with fury, then I reached for his failing arms and held on tight’
‘But I really wanted to find it for you. And when it looked in the end like it wasn’t going to turn up, I just said to myself, one day I’ll go to Norfolk and I’ll find it there for her’
‘What I mean is, right from that first time, there was something in Tommy’s manner that was tinged with sadness, that seemed to say “Yes, we’re doing this now and I’m glad we’re doing it now. But what a pity we left it so late”’