BOUNDARIES.
It’s four O’Clock. My pal Tracy chaps the door. She is just back from Spain She’s told
me ORANJA is Spanish for oranges. I wish we could go to Spain but there’s five of
us. She gives me a donkey with a hat on it’s head. I ken it’s calld a sombrero. After
the holidays when I start High School I’m going to learn Spanish. Tracy’s going too
the only other girl I know from Dryburgh I canna wait. The Summer has dragged on
and on My mum gets annoyed with us tells us we’re under her feet. She sits looking sad.
“Coing to Campy?” says Tracy.
“I’ll ask my mum” I say.
She has already heard us. “Aye but use the underpass and dinnae go near Tempelton
Woods. Here tak some pieces and be back before its dark.”
“Okay mum. Thanks.
Nane of us are allowed near Templeton Wood since that Lassie Lizzie was murdered
there. It was in the tully. I saw her picture and looked at her picture she was affy
bonny would I look like that when I was 19?. We telt our parents what thy wanted to
hear but they worry too much No-one could hurt us whn we were together. Time to escape into Campy.
Campy is a great park right across the Kingsway from me If we have some money we
might play pitch and putt. We also like to sneak into the zoo. I want to work there
with the animals. My favourite is Jeremy the bear He stands there shaking is head
from side to side. It reminds me of Jane Wrycza’s sister who is no right and goes to
school on a special bus she does exactly the same thing. We run to the underpass.
Tracy always decides what we do first. So we go to the big field to clap the horses. Donna and Bobby are there. We are sometimes pals and are no fighting with each
other at the moment. Donna invites me some Saurday nights to come and play when
her mum and dad are at the clubby. No matter how much I beg my mum and dad
winna let me go. I hate it. I feel so closed in There are five of us. Donna and Bobby’s
house is beautiful. I has a carpet on the wall of a stag on a hillside. I wish my parents would buy things like that.
Donna whispers. “Look at that man over there. I hink he’s a pervert. He’s been
following us and waving at us.”
I look he is blonde and quite at and is wearing a red tracky and a white t-shirt. He is
pretending to be clapping a horse but we can see him looking at us sometimes.
“I’m scared” says Bobby who is only ten is he a bad man?”
Tracy who is brave says “Cmon we’ll follow him.”
The man signals us and walks down towards the nature trail. I like the nature trail it is
so peaceful and dark. Tracy and me go looking for treasure there sometimes. We
look in old bags which people have thrown away. Mostly it is auld claes. I am
looking for clues. Lizzie was naked. The polis are looking for them. If I found them.
I might be famous. He is right there ahead. We are getting in to he darker bit now
over the wee bridge and he is sill there beckoning us on
.
Donna tells us that she has seen him four times this week Waiting in the same place.
They like to see him and chase him. It is fun. It is I wonder why a grown up would
be in Campy telling bairns to come into the nature trail with him It is enticing
though. I ken it is dangerous but I feel safe with my pals there are five of us and jist
one of him. It makes me feel powerful. This is a great game better than going to
Spain. Tracy is getting more angry now. She is going red.
“Stop” she says this man is a pervert. Tracy is brave. She stps in front of the rest of us
like she was a teacher or something. She is wee but looks much bigger. She shouts at him.
“See you you are a bad man. What are you doing here. We are not going to go near
you.Fuck off now or I’ll tell my da. He will come and get you.”
She is powerful Tracy. She makes me feel so much braver like I am in her army I am
proud of her.”
The man laughs. He has a weird smile on his fache then he pulls down his trousers.
All I can is is lots of dark hair and
a willy that’s much bigger than my wee brothers. I start to scream and rush out. I wait
at the underpass crying. I am not brave I am a silly wee lassie. After five minutes
Tracy Donna and Bobby come out.
“Listen” says Donna, “Dinnae tell your mum and dad it is our secret.”
Tracy cuddles me. “Aye Sandra dinnae C’mon we’ll go buy an ice pole and have the
pieces in my gairden.”
So we do and move on to the rest of the Summer and the new school awaiting us. We
look but we never see him again.
