Seymour - "Lift going down, or up?" Pt2

Who: Young Seymour, 17 years old
Where: Earth, England, West Yorkshire, in a grotty farmhouse between two lanes
of the M62
When: 24 years ago
<snip>
The Niples family were poor.
<end snip>
They were so poor that Seymour wasn't allowed a brand new "Back to Reality"
game, like all his friends. That's why his family had to settle with the old
fashioned Holographic Monopoly.
They were so poor that Seymour had to share his bedroom with his kid brother.
They were so poor that Seymour couldn't afford to go into town and socialise
with his other friends from school, which is why he was stuck at home on this
rainy bank holiday.
They were so poor, that Seymour had begged his parents for some antique
furniture to replace their cheap IKEA ones, but he was ignored. "When you get a
job, maybe you can buy some antiques, but not until then!"
"I'm so bored" he announced again, as nobody seemed to hear the first time.
His mother looked up. "Seymour dear. Try some of this wine I'm drinking. I think
you're old enough now."
Seymour screwed up his face. "No mother, I've tasted that wine you have before
and it's horrible. It tastes like vinegar."
"No dear. This is good stuff, I won it at a raffle."
Seymour took his very first sip of good wine and a smile grew across his face.
"So what does it taste like?" Asked his mother.
"Wonderful!" He said. "I didn't know wine could taste this good! Are there
different flavours?"
"Every type of wine is a little bit different." Said his mother.
"Fantastic!" Said Seymour, realising that this would change his life forever. "I
must try all the different types. Can you buy me some more mother?"
"Don't be silly Seymour, we can't afford to buy the good stuff. Maybe if you got
a job when you finish school? You'll be old enough to join the Space Corps next
year when you finish school."
Seymour started to sulk. "But I don't want to join the space corps!" He said.
His Grandad scoffed from the shared bed in the centre of the room. "A good wage
the Space Corps does!" He said. "You could buy us all a new house!"
"And a new bed!" Said his Grandmother.
"But I don't want to join the Space Corps!" Seymour said. "I want to be an
Antique Dealer, or... or... a wine taster!" He said, and reached for the bottle
of wine but his mum slapped his hand away.
There was a knock at the door, and Seymour's mum opened it.
"It's your Uncle Pete." She said, and greeted him. He was a tall man with bushy
eyebrows.
"He's not my uncle!" Said Seymour rudely. "He's just some guy that Dad met in
the pub."
It was true, Pete Tenshal wasn't an uncle by blood. But he'd been around the
family enough to earn the name, although he did occasionally disappear for long
periods of time, and nobody really knew where he lived.
"Fancy coming with me to London?" Uncle Pete asked Seymour.
Seymour said nothing.
"Go on love, it'll be good for you." Said his mum.
Young Seymour crossed his arms. "Absolutely not." He argued. "Not with him. He
might be a peodophile."
<TBC>