Storymania - Taming Sophie by Martine Hayes (Chap. 10)

Taming Sophie (Continued)
Martine Hayes

Chapter 10

Sophie made her way through the busy town centre and headed for the fast food restaurant. She had been fighting the hunger pangs for too long now and she was beginning to feel weak and sick. A nice cup of warm tea was definitely top of the agenda, and perhaps a burger just to settle her insides. She cued hungrily along side the other customers, even now she could think of nothing else but home. The restaurant was fairly busy and Sophie scanned for an empty table. She made her way to the bottom of the restaurant and found a two-seater one just on it’s own. The burger was deliciously warm and seemed to be filling her completely. A young boy appeared and asked to join her.

‘Sure.’ Sophie didn’t really take much notice of him except for bare fact that he was certainly school age. Trying desperately to ignore his stares, Sophie began to plan her next phase of her everlasting journey home. She would have enough money for her ticket, but if the rail staff were aware of her, then it would be almost impossible to board any train entering Glasgow, perhaps the only solution would be to go by bus, which although would take much longer, it may be the safest and only other option. One way or another, she would make it.

‘I haven’t seen you in here before,’

Sophie stared confused at the young boys remark.

‘And you know everyone in here do you?’

‘Well, not actually know them but, well, I kinda get used to the faces, and yours is new.’

Sophie wiped her hands on the napkin and finished her tea. She suddenly thought how she must look, no make-up, scruffy clothes and only a bag full of possessions. The boy seemed as scruffy as she was, his face was dirty and his hands were chapped and sore. His eyes were still shadowing her every move as though he was waiting for her to answer him.

‘So, where do you come from then, I know you come from Scotland, but where?’

Sophie sniggered and looked at him properly for the first time, he couldn’t have been much older than Sarah’s little brother.

‘Why aren’t you at school?’ She asked sarcastically.

The boy put his head down for a moment and laughed.

‘School? Now that’s a luxury not even I could afford. I’m a street dweller, love. The paths are my domain and the sky is my blanket...school?

Sophie laughed at his expressions. He seemed too sweet and wise to be homeless, surely some mother would be frantically searching for him.

‘Then where is your home? Or should I say your ex-home?

‘London’

‘Why did you leave it?’

‘Parents, they split up. My mother then married the arse hole of the year and Bingo, I was out on my back side.’

‘What about your Father, would he not take you in?’

‘Probably, if I knew where to find him, rumour has it that he lives in Scotland somewhere, hence the question -Where about’s in Scotland do you live?.

‘Sorry. I come from Glasgow, it’s very large and very busy, so please don’t expect me to know him.’

The boy laughed and carried on eating his burger. Sophie scanned his face, he did look sweet and she knew how lonely he must be feeling.

‘So, what brings you to Carlisle then?’

‘I got caught trying to dodge the fare, I was trying to get to Scotland, they chucked me off and I’ve been stuck here ever since then. The name’s Rixi and I spend most of the day begging for money, and then at night I find a nice quiet shop doorway and try to sleep. Sometimes I get lucky at the Sally Army hall, I get to stay for the night, but you have to be fast, beds go like hot cakes round here. And you?’

‘Well Rixi, I’m Sophie and I’m going home to Scotland, just stopped off for a bit of shopping etc.’

Sophie hid her face, she hated lying, especially to someone so nice and friendly, he had bared his soul to her, but she couldn’t risk doing the same, not to a teenager. She offered him some money.

‘I have to be on my way, please take it and I do hope you find your father.’

The boy stood up and passed Sophie’s bag to her.

‘I’ll walk you to the station, it’s not safe for a nice girl like you to be walking out here on your own,’

Sophie laughed again, he was so full of expression and warmth. For all his trauma and loneliness, he was outwardly pleasant and boyish. She was the adult and he was the boy, yet here he was, protecting and advising her.

Sophie felt his grip on her arm as they left the fast-food restaurant. His fingers tight around her arm in an almost reassuring manner, but for some reason that did not make sense she was frightened. As they walked past the buskers and the busy shoppers chatting and laughing, she wanted to run, but his smile let her know he meant no harm, it was almost like he sensed her fear. Sophie hated the smell of the diesel which filled the atmosphere of the station. The grey smoky hood of the building bounced back the echoes of the engines. It seemed busy and dirty.

Sophie approached the ticket office and felt in her bag for her money.

‘Hi, can I have a one way ticket to Glasgow please?’

‘When would you like to travel?’ The ticket man was the image of depression. His uniform was un-ironed and his face hadn’t seen a razor for a few days. He didn’t smile much, perhaps he had nothing to smile about. Perhaps he didn’t like his job, perhaps at his age, it was the only job he could get, perhaps he was just always like that. Sophie’s concentration left the ticket man’s life and fell on her mission again.

‘Today, please’ She seemed excited once more at the prospect of getting home. Sarah, mum, she couldn’t wait.

‘Not likely luv, last one for today went half an hour ago. Tomorrow before the next one.’

A smile broke on the ticket man’s face. It was an apologetic gesture. Sophie closed her eyes tight, she wanted to scream, she wanted to blame someone. She gave a deep sigh and opened them again.

‘What time tomorrow?’

‘The first bus leaves at half past six and there’s another one at four o’clock.’

‘I’ll take the half past six then.’

The ticket man issued the ticket and bid her a good day. Sophie knew it was not a good day, and she would certainly not have a good night. She didn’t have enough money for a bed and breakfast. She would have to sleep rough again. This time without the warmth or security of a nice barn. Rixi, couldn’t understand the complication of not leaving until the following morning. He assumed that she would find a nice bed and breakfast or a hotel or something, little could he, or did he know.

‘So. Where to now then Sophie?’

‘I don’t know’ Her head hung low amidst the fumes and noise.

Rixi put his arm inside hers and guided her towards the exit and into the still busy streets. The air was cooler and seemed refreshing. Sophie walked slower than usual disregarding the busy shoppers from her thoughts, Rixi was telling her some story about one of the drunks who lived on his patch on the streets, but she had no interest in this and she couldn’t pretend to listen anymore. She wanted to sit down and cry. She still felt sore down below, a reminder of Andy, a reminder of Clive. She couldn’t walk anymore, she had to sit down, she had to figure out a way of getting through this mess. To her, life was getting worse. Her mother would certainly be worried about her now, it had been over a week since she last spoke with her. Sophie had been happy and bright, it was hard to now imagine that her life had turned upside down in such a short space of time. She still had the images of Clive, James and Andy glued firmly in her mind. Although she tried to avoid direct thought in their existence, faces, sounds and smells of the city centre seemed to conjure the memories for her, forcing there way into her consciousness. Somewhere along the line of the unwelcome memories, she could see the gun, she could see herself holding it and aiming at James. She saw herself aiming it at Clive, she saw them both fall, she saw the fear on Andy’s face as she fired it, she saw him fall too. On feeling Rixi’s careful grip leaving her arm, Sophie watched as he cupped his cold hands together and blew in to them, warming them and pushing them into his pocket.

‘C’mon, a nice cup of tea is calling us Rixi.’

Rixi shut up and beamed an enormous smile. Sophie was glad of his company, as long as he didn’t talk too much. They made their way to the small cafe across the centre. It was basic and smoky, but it was cheap and warm. The tea was served in large mugs and the waitress carrying it was not much older than Rixi, his eyes spoke for him as he gazed and stared at the sight of the pretty young girl, make-up and all. Sophie sniggered as she walked away taking Rixi’s eyes with her.

‘You’ll go blind Rix’ she laughed.

‘Get lost, she likes me, I can tell. Mind you how could any young woman resist?’

Sophie laughed for a moment and then fixed her eyes onto the surface of her tea. She watched the swirls and contemplated her next move. She hated the thought of staying out all night, especially in a strange town. She wished she had listened to Rixi’s story about the drunk, maybe it would have warned her about an impending problem she might face on meeting him tonight, but she couldn’t bare to ask him to tell her again. She wanted to bury her head and hide amongst the normal people. She wanted to be in that red car again. She wanted to be going home.

Rixi, had realised that something just wasn’t quite right. Here was a woman stopping at Carlisle for some shopping before going back home to Scotland, Where was that shopping, she had no other bags. Why use the bus when the train is much quicker? Why so gloomy? He knew that she was hiding something.

‘What’s up Soph?’

Sophie leaned back and sighed, she smiled a sweet surrendering smile and shook her head. Rixi overted his eyes as he saw the first sign of a tear flow from her. , he didn’t know what to say so he said nothing.

Sophie quickly caught the tear and wiped her eyes, Rixi could hear her taking deep inhales. What could he do?

Sophie broke the silence. ‘I have to get home Rixi, something awful has happened. I sort of witnessed a murder, and the man that did it is looking for me too, he wants to kill me.’

Rixi leaned forward. ‘Then go to the police Sophie, they will get you home.’

‘No, you see, he told the police that it was me. He shot James, that was his best friend, then he told the police that I had shot James and that I ran away. So now the police are after me too.’

‘The police won’t believe him, it’s your word against his isn’t it?’

‘No, my fingerprints are all over the gun. It was my boyfriend, he murdered a security guard too with the same gun and I don’t think that I will have a leg to stand on as far as the police go.’

Rixi chewed the side of his lip. He knew she was in trouble, but he couldn’t ever have imagined this much.

‘Isn’t there anyone who could come and get you and take you back to Glasgow?’

Sophie drank from her cup and thought about phoning Sarah. Perhaps Rixi was right. Maybe it was time to phone, she couldn’t handle this on her own anymore. She would have to phone. Sarah would know what to do.

‘Rixi, your a star.’ Sophie got up and headed for the phone box in the corner. Rixi watched as she carefully dialled the number. His eyes drifted to the waitress again. Her blonde hair looked nice as it hung neatly from a gold coloured clip on the back of her head. She was taller than him, but that was good. She seemed to notice his stare and she smiled a shy smile and looked away. Her friends were laughing and sniggering. Sophie came back from the phone and grabbed her bag. ‘C’mon, Quick!’

Sophie ran from the cafe, Rixi followed trying to find the sleeve of his jacket. Sophie was still running, she was heading for the bus station again.

‘Where are we going now?’ Rixi shouted to make sure she could hear him amongst the hustle and bustle.

Sophie looked at the time table on the wall of the station. her finger flowed anxiously down the chart and stopped.

‘SHIT!’ She threw her bag down and sat on the floor.

‘What’s up?’ Rixi couldn’t understand what all the commotion was about.

‘I have to get back to London, tonight, now’

‘Why?’

‘Because my best friend is on her way down there as we speak to visit me, a surprise visit.’

‘But you can’t go back there, I thought this boyfriend of yours was going to kill you?’

‘He might just do something to Sarah though, I have to get her away from him. She can’t go there.’

Sophie fumbled about in her bag and began counting what money she had left. The miserable count of twenty pounds and some loose change greeted her.

‘Well, I probably have just enough for the bus fare down.’

Rixi looked on as she once again approached the miserable ticket man. He didn’t know enough to stop her, he didn’t know enough to let her go either, but she was an adult, and adults always made their own minds up. He remembered pleading with his mother not to marry Pete, but she did. He remembered telling her that Pete was lying, he remembered trying to convince her to let him stay, and that he hadn’t stolen her purse, and that he wasn’t on drugs. His plea’s were unheard and drowned out by the will of an adult. He could only hope for her safety, to him, it was sad to see her leave, especially since she wasn’t going home. He watched in anticipation as she walked slowly towards him with the ticket in her hand. Sophie glanced quickly at the large clock above the ticket kiosk.

‘I leave from number 7, and we have another 45 minutes.’

Rixi, looked at the floor. He quickly noticed how silent they had become.

‘I don’t want you to go Soph.’

Sophie put her arm around him and held him close.

‘I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me, you have your own life to get in order.’ she kissed him on the cheek and patted his back. ‘ Get to that Salvation Army hostel and make sure you have a bed tonight, and every night. Okay?’

‘Okay.’ His voice was low and quiet, his eyes overted her gaze. ‘I still think you should go to the police though.’

Sophie rubbed his hair playfully and checked the clock again. Good bye was something Sophie had been used to lately, some more welcoming than others, this one was like the first with Sarah. She remained scared at the prospects of what would await her in London, a place she secretly promised never to step foot in again only three days ago. Sophie gave Rixi a final cuddle and stepped up into the bus. She knew he would be all right, he had too nice a personality not to succeed in life. She was sure that this would be a temporary lull in his life, besides, he deserved more than this. The bus drove out of the station and headed through the city. Sophie watched as it headed towards the motorway passing the first road signs directing towards London. Her sadness grew into fear, but she knew she had to go.

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