If you haven't read part one of Getting To Heaven please click here before reading part two.
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Sophie looked out her window at the miserable sky outside and wondered how the man in the park was doing. Just then her Grandma walks into the room and asks “What’s wrong poppet?”
“I'm bored” Sophie lets out a big sigh which leaves condensation on the window and she draws a sad face, looks at it then rubs it out with her hand.
“I tell you what I'm popping down to the shops later fancy coming?”
“OK” Sophie’s face lightens up.
Grandma has been stood at the bus stop with Sophie for quite some time and then she sees Chantelle coming towards her.
“Hello” Sophie says
“You alright Sophie... Hello Mrs Thorn”
“Hello Debbie” Sophies Grandma rushes around in her bag and then says “Oh could you be a dear and look after Sophie for two seconds I have forgotten my bus tokens” Chantelle smiles and nobs
“Thats fine”
“I will be two seconds” she quickly walks back down the road to their house which luckily is only a few steps away. There is a long pause as Mrs Thorn then Sophie asks.
“Is she better?”
“Pardon?” Chantelle asks
“Grandma asked you if she was ok the other day is she poorly your mum?”
“Oh my mum no, just upset”
“Why?”
“Misses my dad, just like you miss your mum”
“Is he in heaven?”
“Maybe, who knows”
“When did you last see him?”
“Before he went to war”
“War? What's that?”
“Something that people do when they get angry at each other”
“And he just never came back?”
“Didnt have a choice”
“Why?”
“So many questions for one little person” Sophie pauses for a second then responds
“Where even is heaven?”
“That I don’t know, but some say up there” She points to the sky.
“So how do I go about getting up there?”
“If I knew I would tell you”
“Spaceship?”
“I wouldn’t worry about it for now Sophie life’s too short and one day you will realise to move on, you may not get this now but people will come and go in your life” Sophie thinks about this for a second.
“Where do they go?” Chantelle laughs and shakes her head.
“You are one incredible child Sophie your mum I’m sure is very proud of you” At that moment Sophies Grandma appears panting. “Thank you...so much Debbie....Didn’t miss the bus then” Sophies Grandma sits down onto the bench. “Gosh its cold isn’t it... I wouldn’t want to be out there tonight”.
Sophie is packing her small bag with a rug whilst trying to be as quiet as possible. The nights have drawn in and it’s dark before five o’clock. She looks under the sink for the torch which she also picks up. Sneaking past her Grandma in her pink p’js and slippers and big soft coat on top she gets out the gate and heads down the path. She reaches the park and walks over to the spot where the tramp sleeps. Torch in one hand she reaches the bench which is empty. She spins the torch around in the bushes but can’t see anything. There's a rustling in the bushes and Sophie darts the torch in the direction but can’t see anything. “Hello” She calls. The bushes rustle some more and she darts the torch about. “Hello, anyone there. It’s me Sophie”
“Sophie?”
“Yes that’s me” The tramp comes out the bushes.
“I thought you were the cops moving me on that’s why I hid when I saw the torch light coming down the path. What are you doing out this time of night?”
“Grandma said it would be cold and I didn’t want you to be cold out here with no house so I brought you a rug”
“Sophie, you shouldn’t have. Come on I’ll walk you home it’s too late for you to be out”
“The sky is clear tonight I can see all the stars. I wonder if one of them is mummy flashing her torch at me”
“Maybe”
“How do I get up there?”
“One day you might go up there”
“Can I go now?”
“No you have to wait a long time to get up there”
“Can’t you just take me now, I miss mummy so much” Sophie puts her hands up to her face and covers her eyes.
“Hey come now, we will have none of that” He holds her tight and rubs her arm.
“Why is it so hard? I just want to get there”
“Who knows what’s really up there Sophie”
“Heaven, that’s where mummy is”
“Grandma tell you that?” the tramp asks
“No a girl did, her dads up there probably with my mummy”
“Do you believe everything you are told?”
“No” The tramp begins to cough and Sophie can hear him wheezing as he breathes.
“Look Sophie sometimes the more you try the further away you get from where you want to be”
“How come?”
“I was once not the man I am, not the man you see before you”
“Well I like you like this”
“That’s very kind of you to say, but people like me don't deserve kindness Sophie. I was once successful, once rich”
“Did you spend it all?” He laughs but then splutters and has another coughing fit.
“Could say, certainly on the wrong things, I lost everything my whole life. Make sure you never do that Sophie look after yourself and money, because I didn't and now I don't have a single penny”
“Do you want some of mine? I could check my piggy bank at home and bring you some I would only spend it on sweets and must have at least three whole pounds in there in pennies” Sophie looks very excited at this idea of helping the man.
“That’s very sweet of you but make sure you hold onto everyone of those pennies in there” Sophie looks down for a while and then begins to shivers a little. “Common I’ll take you home” He puts out his hand and Sophie takes it in hers.
“I don't want to leave you all alone, I don't like being alone. Maybe I can stay?”
“Sophie you will freeze to death”
“So will you” He looks down at her and smiles at the very innocent little girl that reminds him of himself as a child so carefree with love for everyone.
“Hey Sophie I’ll give you a piggy back home” Sophie smiles and jumps on his back. But as she does so he coughs harder than before and puts her down quickly and kneels on the floor.
“Are you ok?” Sophie rushes round to look at his face.
“Just a chesty cough I be fine” He coughs again “Jump on” he gives her a smile and wink and she jumps on.
“Just here” the tramp kneels down and lets Sophie slide off.
“Thank you” Sophie gives him a big hug.
“Pleasure was all mine. Now promise me you won’t come looking for me late at night again or sneak out at all for that matter”
“Promise” Sophie smiles at him and tries not to laugh as she crosses her fingers behind her back.
“Sleep well Sophie”
“Goodnight” Sophie runs off towards the house and slides through the gate. As soon as she gets inside she realises that she hasn’t given him the rug but it’s too late Grandma Thorn comes into the room.
“Sophie?” her Grandma comes into the kitchen. “Have you sneaking out again” Sophie turns around and looks sad.
“No” she looks outside at the gate “I just need to pop out quickly”
“Sophie no I told you about this it’s dangerous and you would freeze to death out there” She picks Sophie up. “Let’s get you into bed”
“Sorry” She whispers as her Grandma carries her upstairs.
The next morning Sophie is in the kitchen arguing with her Grandma “Please Please I really want to go”
“Gosh what’s the rush to go to the park young lady?”
“I just want to play”
“Go grab your coat you little monkey and your gloves its bitter cold out there” Sophie beams back a smile and runs to get her coat.
As they reach the park there is police tap spread around the park and one of Grandmas friends is stood there with her dog.
“What’s going on?” Sophie’s Grandma asks. Sophie tries to look past the police woman over to the man’s bench but she can’t see then she hears her Grandmas friend say.
“Someone died here. A tramp they are saying. Died of the cold last night I suspect” Sophie’s looks up at her Grandma in shock. Her Grandma glances down at Sophie and sees her face and says
“Don't worry Sophie we will go to the other park” Sophie lets go of her Grandmas hand and walks over to the tape.
“Excuse me” she says to the police woman who turns around and looks down at Sophie.
“Can I quickly go in please?”
“Sorry, no one is allowed in here”
“Why not? I think it’s my friend”
“He wouldn’t have been your friend”
“Sophie leave the police lady alone” her Grandma calls “come on we are going to the other park now” she walks over to Sophie and takes her hand and they start to walk away but Sophie just keeps looking back at the empty bench.
Walking to the park with Grandma and her friend Sohpie spots Chantelle stood by the shop corner where she always is with her friends “Grandma can I talk to Chantelle quickly?”
“If your quick, I will just be stood here” She carries on talking to her friend with the dog and Sophie runs off towards Chantelle. Chantelle sees her coming and looks at her sad face “What’s wrong Sophie?”
“My friend is gone”
“What friend?”
“The one from the park you stopped me playing with that night”
“That tramp?”
“Tramp?” Sohpie looks at Chantelle confused for a second but then carries on “Grandmas stupid friend says he’s dead but he’s not is he?“
“Oh Sophie I wouldn’t worry about anything like that” and before she could stop herself. “He’s in heaven now”
“What?” Sophie says, Chantelle freezes on the spot and Sophie stands there with a puzzled look on her face. “Heaven is where mummy is” Sophie thinks for a second. “Mummy isn’t”
“No, no she’s not” Chantelle tries to recover.
“Mummies.... dead” Sophie’s eyes fill with tears and she runs back towards the park. But as she runs into the road without looking she hears a screach of car tires and then it all goes black.
Sophie’s squints her eyes as bright lights blind her and she can see things rushing in front of her eyes then she hears someone calling her.
“Sophie can you hear me? It’s me” Sophie can just make out a figure of a woman but her eyes begin to close and then the figure says again “It’s me darling, everything is going to be okay” Sophie begins to feel weak and sleepy and just before her eyes completely close she just manages to get out.
“Mummy...I found you”.
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Well thats Getting Back To Heaven finished, it was a lot shorter than Bad Love but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. If you would like to leave some feedback on what you thought about it please click here to leave feedback. Also hopefully I will have some more stories for you all soon also with the feedback link let me know what type of stories you want.
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