Flipping Fantastic: Relief and Reckoning

James somehow managed to convince Tristan to change his mind and joined him at Highfields. In a way, it was a coup for him. Let us look at the following passage.

James:

I am so relieved. Tristan has just told Mum that he doesn't want to go to Chesterlea after all. That means he will be coming to Highfields with me. Thank goodness for that!I don't know how I would have managed without him. I was already thinking up a million excuses not to go to school on the first day.I've thought of every illness from bubonic plague to yellow fever. Somehow I don't think that Mum would have believed any of them!

I know that Highfields probably won't be half as bad as I think but I'm still very glad that Tristan will be there with me. He can look after me and I can look after him. I can help him with his wheel-chair up all the ramps in the corridors and I can hold back the automatic doors when they start to close too soon. I can make sure that he can get to the toilet when he needs to, and I can tell the teacher what he can and can't do in PE.

Hang on a minute! That's not right! Mum said that the best thing about Chesterlea was that Tristan wouldn't have anybody to do all those things for him. " I know you're clever and confident," she said to Tristan when we first talked about him going away to school, " but you still rely on other people to do too much for you and it's time you stood on your own two feet!"

Stand on your own two feet! Tristan thought that was hilarious. The next  best thing about Chesterlea Grange is all those  great games and computer equipment that they have. Tristan was really excited about those. So what's happened? Why has he changed his mind? I 've been so busy thinking about all the problems that I might have at Highfields that I haven't taken much notice of Tristan, even though he's been a terrible grump lately. Perhaps its time I talk to him. If he wont' tell me what's wrong,then he won't tell anyone.

From this passage, we can clearly see what goes in the mind of James. Undoubtedly, he was glad of the new development when Tristan told Mum he doesn't want to go to Chesterlea Grange. All at once, he started visualizing all the help he could help Tristan in the new school. Before long, he realised what Mum said about Tristan's need to be independent and Chesterlea Grange is the place for him to start becoming independent. On top of that, he remembered how excited Tristan was over the great games and computer equipment at that special school.

James then decided to find out from Tristan who was very grumpy lately, what was troubling him. According to James, Tristan will confide in him. He knew Tristan so well as to say," If he won't tell me what's wrong,then he wont' tell anyone."

This passage shows the immediate satisfaction and relief  to the concerns of James if Tristan is to come to school with him to Highfields. At the same time, he realises that Tristan needs to become more independent and only Chesterlea Grange can help him to do so.

With that in mind, he sought out  Tristan to find out what is troubling Tristan.