Sunday, 10 July 2011

Lonely Girl Part Eight

If you haven't read parts ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX OR SEVEN click the numbers to read the ones you have missed before coming back.
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1944

Grace slams the door of the apartment still panting from running all the way home. She chucks her bag at the bottom of the bed and as it hits with a loud thud she hears a jingle. Grace looks over at the bag and begins to rummage through it. There at the bottom she finds the set of keys from the hospital. Her first thought is to take them back but then a thought crosses Graces mind and she tucks them away in one of her drawers of the apartment.

1945

Jonathon and his parents decide the go home for Christmas as they have other family coming over but said Grace could stay in the apartment that they had now brought as they spent so much time here. It had been so long since Grace had seen the Grace or their loving home by the river bank and Grace wanted nothing more than to be back there with her Jonathon.. Christmas day arrives and Grace takes a visit to see Jonathon. She had since seen him since she broke in and luckily no one recognised her. Jonathon’s condition had improved and Grace was able to calm him down herself and so the doctors would leave them alone but only for about 5 minutes before checking through the window everything was okay. It upset Grace to see her husband affected by the war and what the war had done to him but she knew one day she would have him back and she just hoped it would be soon.
“Mrs Berrington” Grace turns around to see a young nurse stood by the door. She smiles at Grace and says “He won’t be long is there anything I can get you?”
“No I'm fine thank you” Grace turns back around and shifts the present a few paces one side of the table. Grace didn’t have much money so she had brought him some new pyjamas after he complained he didn’t like the hospital ones.
“Grace” Grace spins around and half stands up from her chair as she turns to see Jonathon all dressed up in with his hair nicely done and face well shaven. This was the first time he had recognised Grace as soon as he walked in the room since he had arrived here and this brought a smile to her face. They both embrace and give each other a kiss and he sits down the other side of the table. The nurses leave them both alone and once the door is closed they give each other their presents. Grace receives a rose and a very nice necklace which she knew one of the nurses would have chosen as he wasn’t allowed out of the grounds but this didn’t matter she was just grateful to be with him. Jonathon seemed pleased with his present but she couldn’t help saying to him,
“Sorry it’s not a lot it’s just I didn't have much time or money and I didn’t know what you would like” Jonathon takes her hands and stops her from talking, he smiles at her and replies
“Don’t be silly Grace but...” he lowers his face and looks away,
“What is it?” Grace pushes
“Nothing, it’s too much to ask” Grace gives his hands a squeeze and she says
“Jonathon nothing you will ever ask me will be too big or too small now what is it?” Jonathon doesn’t answer for a while and Grace doesn’t question and its only when the nurse does the 5 minute check that he leans in and whispers
“Can you get me out of here” Grace pulls back stunned for a second and isn’t sure what to say “sorry I shouldn’t have asked you to do such a thing” he begins to say but Grace stops him,
“You know I want you out of here but” Grace isn’t sure what to say as she doesn’t want to start him off again “We need you to be better before we get you out” Jonathon looks Grace in the eyes and she can see that he’s serious and his hands grip tighter on hers,
“Unless I get out of here I never will Grace, I need to be with you to be better not being with you is killing me” Grace takes her hands away from his and puts them in her lap. Grace can feel her body stuck between the two points where you want to do something that you shouldn’t but it’s something that you want more than anything else. Grace looks up from her lap into his eyes looking back at her and she knows what she will do.

1946

Grace walks up to the guard who no longer asks who she is as he recognises her face. Grace gives a small nod and smiles at him as she walks inside and into the large hospital grounds. Grace takes the corridors that she almost considers her second home now. Grace feels inside her bag and finds the cold keys in her hands and checks around. She feels the lock in the door and gives it a twist and hears the click of the door. Once inside she walks down to Jonathon’s room and quickly lets herself in and pulls the curtains shut. As she turns Jonathon is under the bed covers and his head is looking back at her. Grace lets out a sigh “I told you to be ready” A smile spreads across his face and he pulls the covers back to reveal he is all dressed up in his ordinary clothes and Grace runs over and gives him a kiss. “Now are you sure?” Jonathon gives her a look and Grace stands up and leads him to the door. She opens the door slightly and checks down the corridor which is clear and quickly leads him out. Grace begins to run down the corridor. They reach the reception area and Grace lets out a sigh and gives Jonathon a smile and he looks around as if he were a child again on Christmas day opening all his new toys. Grace feels herself tense up and gives his hand a big squeeze as they walk through the reception in case someone realises but no one says anything and Grace can barely believe her luck. As she walks across the car park when someone calls,
“EXCUSE ME” Grace freezes on the spot and her face sinks to the ground and she turns around admitting defeat knowing there would be no way of getting out of this but it’s not a nurse but a lady who Grace doesn’t recognise is holding out a scarf “Is this yours?” She holds out the scarf looking at it but she can’t move and is frozen to the spot. The lady begins to look at her strangely and Jonathon leans forward and takes it,
“Thank you” the lady smiles and walks back towards the hospital. Jonathon looks over at Grace and shakes her hand in his a little,
“Grace are you sure you want to do this” Grace comes back around and looks at him.
“Yes I'm sure, We can catch the train just down here and we can be where we want before they will even know you are gone”
“Train?” Jonathon stops just outside the grounds of the hospital and that little boy excitement has faded. “We can’t go by train we need to go by car” Grace looks over shocked
“We can’t I can’t drive and you haven’t for years and where will we get a car?” Jonathon holds tight onto her hand and pulls her along the streets looking down each one “where are we going? What are we looking for?” Jonathon stops by one road that leads down into another car park where lots of cars are parked up. “How did you know this was here?”
“I could see it from my bedroom window” he looks up at the window and the dull grey building and Grace knows she is doing the right thing by getting him away from here. Jonathon looks at Graces hair and takes out one of the clips which lets her hair fall down one side. Jonathon looks her in the eyes and smiles at her. “You look beautiful and I can never thank you enough for what you are doing for me”. He walks over to the car and starts to fiddle with the lock.
“What are you doing” Jonathon glances back at her,
“Stealing it how else are we going to get out of here Grace”
“We can’t steal a car and when did you learn to do that”
“In the army” Grace looks behind her into the busy street hoping no one can see them. A car door shuts and Grace sees Jonathon sat in the driver’s seat of the car. He leans across and opens the car door in the passenger side. Grace slips in next to him and feels half with joy and half with sadness at all the years they had missed together and all the car trips they could have had together if this hadn’t happened. The family they may have had together and all the trips they would take to the beach. The car engine starts up and Jonathon looks at Grace and gives her a big kiss “Are you sure Grace. You could get out now” Grace leans across and kisses him again.
“I will never leave you” Jonathon begins to set off in the car and Grace holds onto the side handle on the door very tightly. The journey begins well and they manage to navigate themselves out of London and back down towards their home. Grace couldn’t wait to see her home once again and spend the night with Jonathon. “I can’t wait to be home with you again”
“Grace you know we can’t stay long”
“Why?”
“They will notice that I am gone and we will have to grab some things and go right away, We can no longer live there” Grace doesn’t respond for a while and for the first time wonders if she is doing the right thing. “Grace we will find somewhere new and make it our own it will be our own fresh start”
“With what money!” Grace snaps back “We haven’t thought this through it wasn’t meant to be like this it was meant to well” Grace isn’t sure what’s she’s saying anymore and begins to regret what she has done and said. At that moment a car behind honks them both very loudly. Grace spins around to see who it is and sees the little blue sign on top of the car POLICE.
“Jonathon it’s the police” Graces voice is filled with fear and Jonathon tries to reassure her,
“Its fine just act calm and we will be okay”
“Jonathon just pull over” Grace shouts
“No Grace, I haven’t got this far to give it all up now” Jonathon puts his foot down in the car which pushes Grace back into her seat.
“JONATHON STOP” Grace shouts louder and puts her hand on his arm.
“NO GRACE I HAVEN’T GOT THIS FAR WITH YOU TO GIVE IT ALL UP NOW WE CAN LOOSE THEM” Grace looks at his eyes darting from the mirror to the road to the woods either side and back behind them at the police car that keeps honking. Grace begins to feel scared in the car and decides to lower her voice.
“Jonathon for me, please pull over” His eyes now add Grace to the sequence, mirror, Grace, behind, woods, mirror, Grace, behind, woods, mirror, Grace, behind, woods “Jonathon please” He then looks just at Graces pleading face and begging him to stop but for some reason he can’t and he knows he can’t stop. He glances back at the road too late to see the bend in the road and skids off sending the car flying through the air lifting them both slightly out of their seats. Jonathon feels the world moving around him very slowly as the car rushes through the air and he sees the fear in his wife’s face. The woman that he loves he has done this too, he has created this fear and put her in this situation. Asked her to do something that will get them in trouble, the woman who has stuck by him through all of this. Then just before they hit the trees of the woods he lunges in front of her and then everything goes black.

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I can't believe that we are on part eight of Lonely Girl. I never excpected it to be this long or for everyone to be enjoying it as much. Thank you to everyone for the feedback you have sent me about how much you are all enjoying it. It really does make me happy that even one person likes what I am doing. So thank you again for coming back and reading all the parts and staying with the story.

All content (imagery and writing) copyright Michael Sweeney Photography.

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