even the coppers knew who we were! I've been homeless so I know what
he's going through. I wanted to let him know that things can get better, they
did for me and they can for him."
"I'm sure he appreciated
it," Charlie said, "more than the money. Someone cared enough to stop
and speak to him like he was a real person. That's why I love you." He
kissed her once more. He never wanted to stop kissing her, to show her how much
he loved her, for her heart, for her compassion and just for being her.
With a last look back through the
snow at the man they turned and continued on their way to see the things Tess
wanted to show Charlie. "Did I tell you about the gig I went to at the
Leeds Metropolitan University? My first ever gig?" she asked as they
crossed the road, the lit up sign on the university building a couple of
streets away, visible over the roofs of the nearer buildings, reminding her of
the story.
Charlie shook his head, though he
wasn't surprised to hear Tess had gone to gigs, something he never had, for a
variety of reasons, it was not something he had known for certain. "Who
did you go and see? Anyone good?" he asked, meaning someone he might have
known. Given the level of musical knowledge he possessed it was unlikely,
unless it had been someone really famous.
"Not a clue," Tess confessed.
"I don't remember who it was, just some local band I think. All I really
remember is that my friend and I ended up at the front, right near the
speakers; I was so deaf by the time we got out of there I deafened my friend's
parents in the car on the way home shouting because I couldn't hear what I was
saying." As she told the story she couldn’t help thinking that she had
lost so much weight over the past few months that she could probably fit into
the t-shirt she'd bought at the gig. She didn't have the t-shirt anymore, so
she couldn't find out, and was grateful for that since she was sure it was not
something she would want to be seen wearing now she was older and had better
taste.
Charlie laughed, he didn't mean to
but it escaped his lips before he could stop it. To his relief Tess joined him,
laughing as well. "At least you've been to a gig," he said when he
stopped laughing. "I haven't. I've wanted to," he said in response to
the look of surprise she gave him. "But I haven't been able to bring myself
to go. Just the thought of being surrounded by all those people and all that
noise…" He shivered, and it wasn't caused by the cold or the snow. "I
couldn't deal with it. I struggle with the other people in the cinema or when I
go and see a show."
"What do you mean you
struggle with the other people?" Tess asked gently, she knew, from their
many conversations over the years, that Charlie had a
number of problems, especially to do with people, but he had never told her
exactly what those problems were.
"They make me claustrophobic.
I don't like being around large groups or lots of noise," he said.
"Whenever I'm in that situation my chest gets tight and I can't breathe
and I feel as though I'm going to pass out; it's horrible, I hate it.
"I went to see Oliver the
other week and had to take my sister along to help me cope with the crowds.
Several times I had to resist the urge to get up and leave. The show was good,
but being in the middle of such a lot of people was almost more than I can
handle."
Tess pulled him into her arms,
tightening them around him, desperate to make him feel better. "It sounds
horrible; you don't need to worry though, you're with me now and I won't let
anything happen to you," she whispered in his ear. "I'll take you to
a gig someday, if you'd like. I'll hold your hand the whole time and make sure
you're okay."
In her arms, Charlie felt as
though everything would be alright and he could cope with whatever he
encountered. He knew he needed to deal with his issues, someday, but just then
he was too happy with her to want to think about them.
They remained like that for almost
a minute and then they
he's going through. I wanted to let him know that things can get better, they
did for me and they can for him."
"I'm sure he appreciated
it," Charlie said, "more than the money. Someone cared enough to stop
and speak to him like he was a real person. That's why I love you." He
kissed her once more. He never wanted to stop kissing her, to show her how much
he loved her, for her heart, for her compassion and just for being her.
With a last look back through the
snow at the man they turned and continued on their way to see the things Tess
wanted to show Charlie. "Did I tell you about the gig I went to at the
Leeds Metropolitan University? My first ever gig?" she asked as they
crossed the road, the lit up sign on the university building a couple of
streets away, visible over the roofs of the nearer buildings, reminding her of
the story.
Charlie shook his head, though he
wasn't surprised to hear Tess had gone to gigs, something he never had, for a
variety of reasons, it was not something he had known for certain. "Who
did you go and see? Anyone good?" he asked, meaning someone he might have
known. Given the level of musical knowledge he possessed it was unlikely,
unless it had been someone really famous.
"Not a clue," Tess confessed.
"I don't remember who it was, just some local band I think. All I really
remember is that my friend and I ended up at the front, right near the
speakers; I was so deaf by the time we got out of there I deafened my friend's
parents in the car on the way home shouting because I couldn't hear what I was
saying." As she told the story she couldn’t help thinking that she had
lost so much weight over the past few months that she could probably fit into
the t-shirt she'd bought at the gig. She didn't have the t-shirt anymore, so
she couldn't find out, and was grateful for that since she was sure it was not
something she would want to be seen wearing now she was older and had better
taste.
Charlie laughed, he didn't mean to
but it escaped his lips before he could stop it. To his relief Tess joined him,
laughing as well. "At least you've been to a gig," he said when he
stopped laughing. "I haven't. I've wanted to," he said in response to
the look of surprise she gave him. "But I haven't been able to bring myself
to go. Just the thought of being surrounded by all those people and all that
noise…" He shivered, and it wasn't caused by the cold or the snow. "I
couldn't deal with it. I struggle with the other people in the cinema or when I
go and see a show."
"What do you mean you
struggle with the other people?" Tess asked gently, she knew, from their
many conversations over the years, that Charlie had a
number of problems, especially to do with people, but he had never told her
exactly what those problems were.
"They make me claustrophobic.
I don't like being around large groups or lots of noise," he said.
"Whenever I'm in that situation my chest gets tight and I can't breathe
and I feel as though I'm going to pass out; it's horrible, I hate it.
"I went to see Oliver the
other week and had to take my sister along to help me cope with the crowds.
Several times I had to resist the urge to get up and leave. The show was good,
but being in the middle of such a lot of people was almost more than I can
handle."
Tess pulled him into her arms,
tightening them around him, desperate to make him feel better. "It sounds
horrible; you don't need to worry though, you're with me now and I won't let
anything happen to you," she whispered in his ear. "I'll take you to
a gig someday, if you'd like. I'll hold your hand the whole time and make sure
you're okay."
In her arms, Charlie felt as
though everything would be alright and he could cope with whatever he
encountered. He knew he needed to deal with his issues, someday, but just then
he was too happy with her to want to think about them.
They remained like that for almost
a minute and then they
Similar Books
