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Secrets - Freddy Again
Back at The Factory, we bump into Freddy again in the entrance hallway.
'Hello, hello, hello,' he says, peering at us through the rimless specs. He's wearing a pullover and walking boots with thick grey socks. 'And where have we been today?'
'We went to a puppy farm,' Robert says.
'Aye, and very nice too. Are yous planning on buying a dog?'
I answer. 'It was just for fun. Robert and Mel like dogs. I tolerate them as long as they don't bark and whine for too long. I prefer cats, myself.'
'Aye, sensible choice.'
'Will you still teach me to play the harmonica?' the boy says, shyly though. 'I want to learn.'
'It's up to your dad and your aunt.'
'We'll see. ' I mean, nothing against Freddy – he's an excellent harmonica player – but he's a bit unusual, isn't he?
'Are you off anywhere interesting?' I say to break the pause that follows.
'Aye, I head a little Gaelic speaking group. There's three of us.'
'Gaelic?' Mel says.
'Aye. We get together every other Sunday to practise. I'm a linguist, see. I specialise in the languages of the British Isles.'
'Interesting.'
'Can you speak French too?' Robert says. 'A boy in my class can speak fluent Mandarin. '
'Then he must be a clever lad to be able to do that. A very, very clever lad indeed. I know enough French and Spanish to get about. That's about it,' Freddy says. 'Au revoir then. Till next time.'
***
'Be careful,' I say in my flat. A glass is lying on the floor near the coffee table by the sofa bed, smashed. 'You didn't drop it by accident, did you?'
'No, ' Robert mumbles.
'Right. I wonder how it happened.'
Robert shrugs. 'Gravity?'
'I suppose so.' The window's shut. The autumn breeze wouldn't have been strong enough to blow a drinking glass off the table. Plus, Robert and I left the flat together. I must have balanced the glass too close to the edge; it obviously slipped off later. 'Sorry,' I say, looking round for a dust pan and brush. 'I didn't mean to blame you.'
'It's all right. Can I go to Aunty Mel's to use her computer, please?'
'Yeah, okay. After your shower.'
'Hello, hello, hello,' he says, peering at us through the rimless specs. He's wearing a pullover and walking boots with thick grey socks. 'And where have we been today?'
'We went to a puppy farm,' Robert says.
'Aye, and very nice too. Are yous planning on buying a dog?'
I answer. 'It was just for fun. Robert and Mel like dogs. I tolerate them as long as they don't bark and whine for too long. I prefer cats, myself.'
'Aye, sensible choice.'
'Will you still teach me to play the harmonica?' the boy says, shyly though. 'I want to learn.'
'It's up to your dad and your aunt.'
'We'll see. ' I mean, nothing against Freddy – he's an excellent harmonica player – but he's a bit unusual, isn't he?
'Are you off anywhere interesting?' I say to break the pause that follows.
'Aye, I head a little Gaelic speaking group. There's three of us.'
'Gaelic?' Mel says.
'Aye. We get together every other Sunday to practise. I'm a linguist, see. I specialise in the languages of the British Isles.'
'Interesting.'
'Can you speak French too?' Robert says. 'A boy in my class can speak fluent Mandarin. '
'Then he must be a clever lad to be able to do that. A very, very clever lad indeed. I know enough French and Spanish to get about. That's about it,' Freddy says. 'Au revoir then. Till next time.'
***
'Be careful,' I say in my flat. A glass is lying on the floor near the coffee table by the sofa bed, smashed. 'You didn't drop it by accident, did you?'
'No, ' Robert mumbles.
'Right. I wonder how it happened.'
Robert shrugs. 'Gravity?'
'I suppose so.' The window's shut. The autumn breeze wouldn't have been strong enough to blow a drinking glass off the table. Plus, Robert and I left the flat together. I must have balanced the glass too close to the edge; it obviously slipped off later. 'Sorry,' I say, looking round for a dust pan and brush. 'I didn't mean to blame you.'
'It's all right. Can I go to Aunty Mel's to use her computer, please?'
'Yeah, okay. After your shower.'
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