happened and
Rebecca was living with her aunt who wasn’t even her aunt at
all. Aunty Stephie was her mother’s best friend, practically
family but not actual family. Then everything was okay again. Aunty
Stephie wasn’t a bad woman and her uncle always drank a little
too much but Rebecca remembered him being a very entertaining drunk.
He’d sooner fall down the stairs than throw anyone down them.
In fact, he probably would have fallen down them trying to help
someone. They were good people who cared for her as if she was their
own child. Was there any more to her story Was it just one tragedy
that she didn’t even remember? Just a dull historical account
of something that no one can account for?She hated not
knowing why her mother died. What had happened to her? She was there
one minute and gone the next. Did life get too hard? Did she learn
some horrible secret that she couldn't bear? Maybe her mother just
wasn’t as happy as she always thought she was.
Rebecca was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn’t
realised Ashley was staring at her. She didn’t realise she had
been crying until Ashley asked her if she was okay.
“What?” Rebecca felt the wet streams down her cheeks and
wiped them away. She sniffed. “Oh, yeah. I was just thinking
about things.”
“Sad things?”
“Yeah. Kind of. I’m fine though.” Rebecca turned on
the radio. The station was playing classical music by a composer
Rebecca figured she had probably never heard of who probably died
more than a hundred years before she was born. “Find some music
you like.” She said to Ashley. Ashley began to tune through
static. They kept on running.
Ashley found a station that was playing a Johnny Cash song and stuck
with that. When the song ended, it went smoothly into another country
song. Rebecca gave the radio a look of dismay. Ashley seemed to be
enjoying the music though. Her eyes were stuck on the speaker and she
was listening intently. Her left foot twitched a little and Rebecca
thought it was the first sign of real life in the girl she’d
seen. She wasn’t just going through the motions; she was
actually reacting out of enjoyment. That little twitch in her foot
was the closest thing to emotion that she’d ever seen from
Ashley.
“Maybe we’re near Tamworth,” Rebecca commented.
“Tamworth?”
“Yeah. They’re supposed to really like country music
there.”
“Are we going there?”
“I don’t know. I’ve just been driving. I don’t
even know what direction we’re going. We’re sure to find
somewhere to stop by tonight, though.” Ashley’s response
was her usual silence. Rebecca glanced at her then back to the road.
“Don’t worry though. I’m sure we’ll figure
something out. Maybe we’ll even come across Tamworth. I think I
have some family there. They can help us.”
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“Can’t put anything past you. Maybe I need to say it to
make me feel better too.”
“Really?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure we’ll be fine
though.” Rebecca was aware of how stupid she was sounding. She
was always uncertain about how to act with children. Ashley hardly
seemed like a normal child, either. She wasn’t sure if she
should be delicate and sensitive towards her or just talk to her like
an adult. Whether it was good fortune or bad, Ashley didn’t say
another word. Her face didn’t tell if she was worried and
Rebecca thought maybe Ashley was just amused by her awkward attempts
at talking to her. Rebecca decided it was best to just shut up and
listen to the music. For now, they could keep running until they ran
out of steam. They would just keep running until they had a better
plan.
They eventually found a petrol station along the highway. Rebecca
pulled in to refuel and they were fortunate enough to be able to get
a cheap lunch there. Rebecca asked the man working at the station
what the closest city was.
“That’d be Tamworth.” He told her. He
Rebecca was living with her aunt who wasn’t even her aunt at
all. Aunty Stephie was her mother’s best friend, practically
family but not actual family. Then everything was okay again. Aunty
Stephie wasn’t a bad woman and her uncle always drank a little
too much but Rebecca remembered him being a very entertaining drunk.
He’d sooner fall down the stairs than throw anyone down them.
In fact, he probably would have fallen down them trying to help
someone. They were good people who cared for her as if she was their
own child. Was there any more to her story Was it just one tragedy
that she didn’t even remember? Just a dull historical account
of something that no one can account for?She hated not
knowing why her mother died. What had happened to her? She was there
one minute and gone the next. Did life get too hard? Did she learn
some horrible secret that she couldn't bear? Maybe her mother just
wasn’t as happy as she always thought she was.
Rebecca was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn’t
realised Ashley was staring at her. She didn’t realise she had
been crying until Ashley asked her if she was okay.
“What?” Rebecca felt the wet streams down her cheeks and
wiped them away. She sniffed. “Oh, yeah. I was just thinking
about things.”
“Sad things?”
“Yeah. Kind of. I’m fine though.” Rebecca turned on
the radio. The station was playing classical music by a composer
Rebecca figured she had probably never heard of who probably died
more than a hundred years before she was born. “Find some music
you like.” She said to Ashley. Ashley began to tune through
static. They kept on running.
Ashley found a station that was playing a Johnny Cash song and stuck
with that. When the song ended, it went smoothly into another country
song. Rebecca gave the radio a look of dismay. Ashley seemed to be
enjoying the music though. Her eyes were stuck on the speaker and she
was listening intently. Her left foot twitched a little and Rebecca
thought it was the first sign of real life in the girl she’d
seen. She wasn’t just going through the motions; she was
actually reacting out of enjoyment. That little twitch in her foot
was the closest thing to emotion that she’d ever seen from
Ashley.
“Maybe we’re near Tamworth,” Rebecca commented.
“Tamworth?”
“Yeah. They’re supposed to really like country music
there.”
“Are we going there?”
“I don’t know. I’ve just been driving. I don’t
even know what direction we’re going. We’re sure to find
somewhere to stop by tonight, though.” Ashley’s response
was her usual silence. Rebecca glanced at her then back to the road.
“Don’t worry though. I’m sure we’ll figure
something out. Maybe we’ll even come across Tamworth. I think I
have some family there. They can help us.”
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“Can’t put anything past you. Maybe I need to say it to
make me feel better too.”
“Really?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure we’ll be fine
though.” Rebecca was aware of how stupid she was sounding. She
was always uncertain about how to act with children. Ashley hardly
seemed like a normal child, either. She wasn’t sure if she
should be delicate and sensitive towards her or just talk to her like
an adult. Whether it was good fortune or bad, Ashley didn’t say
another word. Her face didn’t tell if she was worried and
Rebecca thought maybe Ashley was just amused by her awkward attempts
at talking to her. Rebecca decided it was best to just shut up and
listen to the music. For now, they could keep running until they ran
out of steam. They would just keep running until they had a better
plan.
They eventually found a petrol station along the highway. Rebecca
pulled in to refuel and they were fortunate enough to be able to get
a cheap lunch there. Rebecca asked the man working at the station
what the closest city was.
“That’d be Tamworth.” He told her. He
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