Wilf and the Followers

The subplot of Wilf, the fragile young follower who joins Harold, learns from him, steals from the pilgrims, and disappears into his own story.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Boy On The A61

The Boy On The A61 A Voice Calling Harold Harold hears someone shout his name from the opposite side of the A61. A slight young man with reflective shades and a baseball cap dodges traffic and announces he is going to be a pilgrim. Wilf's Fragility The boy is undernourished, barely twenty, with bitten nails and shaking hands. He says the Lord sent him a sign, perhaps a pigeon. Something in his face reminds Harold of David. No Time To Object Wilf falls into step beside Harold, chattering nervously. Harold cannot send him away. The young man's presence will change the shape of the walk.

A Stone For The Dog

A Stone For The Dog The Dog Appears Wilf points out a small rough-furred dog on the other side of the road. It has been following Harold, waiting outside the toolshed. It places a stone at his feet. The Dog Chooses Harold Harold tries to send it home, but the dog retrieves the stone and sits beside him. Wilf says it likes Harold. The three of them become an unlikely company. Feeding The Boy Harold teaches Wilf to check his feet, light a fire, and eat wild fungi. The boy squeals and refuses, then eats greedily. Harold is doing the fathering he never managed with David.

Pilgrims Gather At Leeds

Pilgrims Gather At Leeds The Crowd Around Harold More pilgrims arrive: Kate, a middle-aged woman in black; Rich, an ex-financier with a bush hat; a widower in a gorilla suit; campaigners, ramblers and musicians. The walk becomes a movement. Harold's Mixed Feelings The attention moves Harold, but it also slows him. The group covers fewer miles, argues about routes and food, and Wilf sulks at Harold's side. Harold feels responsible for everyone. The Seed Of Discord Kate and Rich clash almost immediately. Wilf's drinking and thefts are not yet known. But the group is too large and too fragile to hold together.

Wilf's Theft And Disappearance

Wilf's Theft And Disappearance The Missing Knife Rich wakes to find his Swiss Army knife gone. The glittering Exeter Cathedral paperweight for Queenie is also missing. Wilf has disappeared with them. The Facebook Pilgrim News arrives that Pilgrim Wilf has set up a Facebook page with personal anecdotes and promises of more stories to sell to newspapers. Harold is heartsick. A Familiar Failure Harold feels he has let Wilf down, just as he failed David. He searches pubs and shadows for the boy, but Wilf does not return. The pattern of abandonment repeats.

The Boy Who Needed A Father

The Boy Who Needed A Father A Ghost Of David Walking alone, Harold thinks of Wilf's shaking hands and his bravado. He wonders if David had ever tried God, and whether a different father could have saved either of them. The Lesson Not Learned Harold wanted to show Wilf everything he never showed David: how to eat wild plants, how to sleep under the stars, how to keep going. The boy ran away before the lesson ended. The Wound Of Letting Go Wilf's leaving is another piece of dying. Harold must accept that people make their own choices, even the ones that hurt, and that no amount of walking can carry another person's life.

North of Barnsley, day forty

First days with Wilf

Mid-June, around Leeds

Near Newcastle, late June

After the split, reflecting near Newcastle