148 Man with the sticks

Onward Journey

Body couldn’t remember going to bed that night until she woke up the following morning in yesterdays clothes and in her half awake state she needed to get some coffee from the kitchen and walked into the lounge on the right (she kept turning the wrong way in the hallway in the new flat) and felt the rug under her feet. ‘This wasn’t the kitchen’ as she looked at her feet and saw the familiar rug covered almost completely with old photographs they had started to look through the night before. Argh! Later! they could be put away later. Coffee!
Body turned around and and shut the lounge door. What she couldn’t see wouldn’t bother her right?

She sat in the little closed balcony, off the kitchen, that overlooked the park and sipped her coffee after sliding the big window completely open. It was almost like being outside. She watched the ducks and birds in the park. She watched the trees shimmering in the sun as the breeze made the leaves move and catch the light. She was so lucky to have found this place and the Little Red Haired Girl agreed as she stood on tippy toes to see out of the bottom of the window. “It’s the beach today! We’re going to the beach.”

“Yes” Body replied as she mentally cut out the picture of the mess of photographs on the lounge floor. There was no rush to sort them out, they lived on their own, no one would disturb them or damage them. She was free to do as she pleased with her time. It felt good.

“Who is that man?” the child asked.
“Sorry what?” Body responded.
“That man there with the telephone and the little white dog see? sitting there on the bench.”
“I don’t know child, but it’s not our garden. Anyone is free to walk around the park.”
“Yes but he was there yesterday.”
“Perhaps he walks his dog here everyday. It’s a shared park for everyone. I daresay we will see people visiting the park regularly everyday seeing as we have such a good view of it and such a big window.”
“Well his dog doesn’t look very happy on his leash.”

“Because it’s not walking or running” called Spirit “It’s owner is just talking on the phone and not paying it any attention. He’s just sitting on the bench.”
“But he’s not even talking” said the child puzzled “His phone is not to his ear and the screen keeps flashing a sunbeam.”
“What do you mean child?” cried Heart.
“Look! Here it is again” and she pointed to the reflection on the wall on the balcony over Body’s right shoulder.
“Oh it’s just a reflection from the screen towards us” Body stated. “He’s probably just taking photos of the ducks or something” as Body got up from her chair to make another coffee. Body was aching especially her shoulders and was taking a long time to wake up.

“Then why is the screen pointing this way?” called Spirit.
“I’m not sure” answered Brain. “I understand one can reverse the screen photo whichever way you want to hold it but I’m not really au fait with phone technology and every phone is different” Brain reluctantly admitted.
“Like doing the jigsaw upside down?” the child asked.
“Yes I guess so. You can either take the picture through the lens on the back of the camera or through the screen on the front, at least that is my understanding of it” Brain hedged.
“Then why is his phone over his shoulder?” Spirit called. “If he was taking a photo through the lens, the eye, the phone would be in front of him so he could see it and take a good frame and view.”
“I don’t know” admitted Brain.

“Perhaps he is looking at another path behind him?” sighed Soul. “One without his face in it. A different view or direction?”
“Probably, but whatever he is taking a photo of (coz there is definitely no sound or conversation) it is behind him.” Body surmised and placed in her vision.
“Like us.” the child announced. and Spirit instantly felt disturbed and Body moved to stand directly in front of the window to take a closer look.

“I don’t like it” called Spirit. “It feels…”
“Nosey” the child answered.
Body’s hair stood up on the back of her neck and her arms too which were now placed on her hips.
“That’s a defensive stance” said Brain “when there is no need for it. It’s just a man in a public park with his dog. It’s normal” and as soon as Brain had finished it’s sentence the man got up and moved so quickly, the dog could barely keep up after such inactivity. It took the creature by surprise.

“Poor dog, look how he is dragging it on the lead. He should be more gentle” the child observed.

“He should” Body agreed “but it’s the beach today remember? So let’s go and get ready. We have sandwiches to make, and towels to collect etc otherwise the day will be gone” as Body shut the window and removed herself and the coffee cup out of the little balcony.

“It’s strange” called Spirit “but I have had this ‘watched’ feeling before.”
“Yes the man with the sticks”
“What are you referring to child?” cried Heart.
“After that time we visited the church. The big one we found last time we went into town. It was nice and cool and Body rested there for a time. You know the one Body” she insisted.

“I do but what of it?” Body was distracted finding the butter.
“When we was coming out?”
“I don’t remember” stated Brain.
“I do” called Spirit “the man threw some sticks from the tree across our path and muttered under his breath.”
“Only across our path” sighed Soul “not at us.”

“Ah yes” Brain remembered. “The lady stopped us and warned us about him. A local man that she had seen following us out of the church. She implied he was a little ‘strange’ but her English was impeccably good considering she was Portuguese herself” Brain complimented.
“So we are still being watched” called Spirit “even if we chose to ignore it. Even if we chose not to see it Body like the mess in the lounge you shut the door on. We must open our eyes and be more observant.”
“Paranoia setting in is it?” Brain asked.
“Shut up” Brain they all said.

“We will check our paths more thoroughly from now on, we will keep changing our routes, we will acknowledge what we see” sighed Soul.
“I agree” called Spirit.
The Little Red Haired Girl clung to Body momentarily but then remembered the day at the beach she had been promised. “Can we go now? We will be safe at the beach. You promised me.”

“I did” said Big voice “you will be protected. You are safe.”

Soul made a note, they would live in the moment and continue to go where they wanted irrespective of being watched, they would keep changing their path and destination everyday.
“Turn the location off on your phone too Body” Brain suggested. “Let’s see who can watch or follow us then if that is the case.”

“We can at least make it harder for them” laughed Spirit.