Addie spotted him in the supermarket queue, pretending he wasn’t with the woman who must be his mother going by their twin chestnut curls (hers with first streaks of grey), wide eyes and generous lips. Addie grinned, shyly, and the boy startled, blushed, and – this was the odd part – gave his mother a quick worried glance.
The woman frowned. The gaze she turned on Addie melted her grin like cheese under a hot grill. Addie tossed her hair back and placed her two bananas, pack of four yoghurts and box of muesli on the conveyor. From the corner of her eye she watched the mother nudge the boy out of the store, stalking behind him like a lioness with a cub.
Addie wondered about the boy all weekend. His blushing discomfort, the bossy mother. She worried for him while at her Saturday job, on the way to meet friends, while with friends. Something had touched her.
And then, at school that Monday, he was there. In her English and geography classes.
He stood aloof from the other students, steering their curiosity away with mumbled responses. They soon left him alone. They didn’t need him.
Addie waited until the end of the school day before sidling up as they left the last class. He walked rapidly, head down, across the school yard towards the car park. Addie’s route was to the bus, but she ran to catch up.
‘Hi,’ she said. ‘I saw you in the supermarket on Saturday, and just wanted to say welcome.’
The boy didn’t slow his fast stride. Ahead, Addie could see the mother standing by a fancy shiny car, hand to her forehead as she peered for her son.
‘Can’t talk to anyone,’ the boy muttered. ‘Please go away.’
Addie halted, not wanting to get him into more trouble. She walked towards her bus, puzzled and anxious. The kid was in trouble. That was clear.
Addie’s mind filled with possibilities. Modern slavery? Perhaps the family were in witness protection…? She was sure of one thing only. She’d damn well find out.
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Find Cheryl’s flash fiction and short stories, including audio versions of some, here!
Hope you don’t mind but I would like to add the previous writing prompt as well as I’m not sure if you ever saw it.
THE KID WAS IN TROUBLE
The kid was in trouble and could only blame himself. Who of sane mind tries to shimmy up the side of an old stone railway bridge without a harness?
Dennis, that’s who – and now he was stuck halfway with no way of extracting himself.
The nine-year-old intrepid adventurer knew his mother would kill him, if she ever found out.
Hanging on for dear life by his finger nails, feet splayed precariously in tiny footholds, Dennis carefully surveyed the situation.
If he could just reach that crack above his head in the stones, he might be able to climb the rest of the wall without further incident.
Trouble was, it was just out of reach – and if he tried to stretch any further, he could lose what little foothold he had and plunge thirty feet to the ground.
Dennis thought he could cry out for help, but no one appeared to be around so any yelling on his part would probably go unnoticed.
His fingers were beginning to tire and he didn’t know how much longer he could stay in his present position before he began to slip.
This really was one stupid adventure too many, he thought. If I ever get out of this situation, I am never trying it again, he promised himself.
Cramp was setting in – he had to move, and move now. With that, he lunged for the stone crack, grasping it with the fingers of his left hand.
At the same time, his feet swung free and he scrabbled to find another – any – foothold. His right hand found a further gap in the stonework and suddenly he was able to progress further up the wall, almost reaching the top of the bridge in several swift movements.
One more lunge and his fingers found the top and he gratefully rolled onto loose stones and sleepers and felt the cold steel of railway tracks.
Dennis lay panting with relief, thinking how lucky he had been to escape such a close shave.
He felt the vibrations before he heard the noise. Oh no, a train was coming. He had to get off this bridge.
Leaping to his feet, Dennis sprinted for dear life as the engine appeared around the bend behind him.
Maybe, I’ll just make that grassy bank on the other side, he thought, as a loud whistle rent the air.
SHE WOULD HAVE TO TELL HER FRIENDS GOODBYE
She would have to tell her friends goodbye. Not easy, since she had known them most of her life.
Tess lived in the small town of Gunnedah in north-eastern New South Wales with a population of little more than 8000. The surrounding area was significant for cotton, coal, beef, lamb, pork, cereal and oilseed grain production, and the town famous for AgQuip, Australia’s largest annual agricultural field day.
What it didn’t offer was a university – and Tess was determined to become a professional musician. To do that, she needed to continue her musical studies and Sydney and the Conservatorium of Music was the place for that.
The news had only come through that day – a scholarship that would take care of all her study and living expenses – and she was over the moon as she excitedly jumped up and down clutching the letter in her right hand.
Tess’s parents and brother and sister were equally delighted at the offer, but now she had to tell all her friends that she would be leaving the town, probably forever.
One friend in particular would be extremely hard to leave behind. Ross had been a fixture since childhood and she knew from the way he looked at her every time they met how he felt about her.
A tall, handsome, lovable farmer whose dad owned one of the nearby properties, Ross was her rock and Tess knew she would miss him more than anyone else.
Still, her career as an international concert pianist awaited. Love would just have to take a back seat.
Telling Ross the news about her scholarship proved harder than she thought. He took it bravely with a big grin and lots of hearty congratulations – but underneath he was hurting and disappointed.
“You can always come and visit me and stay,” she had said, but she knew he wouldn’t. Too busy helping to run the farm to find time to travel all the way to Sydney.
All her friends turned out to say goodbye as she hopped aboard the train that would take he to the big smoke. The missing exception was the one she wanted more than anyone else to see her off.
Heart breaking, Tess still smiled and waved and promised to write regularly as the train pulled away from the station.
A commotion at the first railway crossing outside town brought the train to a grinding halt. Wondering what was happening, Tess looked out her window and could just make out an old utility parked across the tracks. The vehicle looked familiar and, suddenly, realisation dawned. It belonged to Ross.
A figure waving a hat appeared below her carriage, voice carrying clearly on the breeze.
“I’ll write. I promise I will,” Ross shouted. “And I’ll come to see you in Sydney first chance I get.”
Tess smiled and burst into tears. Perhaps she could have the best of both worlds, after all.
I think I saw the second one on FB. Hope the 9 yr old survives both the train and his mum.
Addie the sleuth. A mini Shakespeare and Hathaway perhaps? 😂😂