Chapter 3

We were in London and Benjamin Barker's footfalls brought us to a park that seemed to be one of the royal parks in the city. Hyde Park, like my guide had informed me, was filled with squirrels. Although most of them disappeared at twilight. We stood by a bricken wall, that shed a little playground from the rest of the park. Ben decided to climb over it. It was more than certain that he had done this before. Within seconds, he was standing on top of the wall and encouraged me to follow his actions.

At first, I tried it myself, not wanting him to help me. Something inside me always told me not to accept any offer to help. I had to be independent and was old enough to take care of myself. But I failed. I kept slipping away from the stones and tried to ignore the helping hand that Ben was showing me.

I don't know if it was some kind of irritation or just a way of making me to accept his help for once. Ben just grabbed both my hands and pulled them. Now it was easier for me to place my feet on the brick, I had tried to reach. As soon as he saw my waist appear above the wall, he freed one of my hands and embraced my waist with his free arm. With my hand on top of the wall, I pushed myself higher. The boy had bended his arm loosely around my body so that I could turn myself in 90 degrees. He had to amplify his grip to prevent me from slipping away on the with snow decorated stairs.

After a few minutes of defeated difficulties, I finally hit the ground again, without, which surprised me, any injuries. Barker's hand slipped into mine and we resumed our journey to the swing he had spoken of.

'You have done pretty well.' He smiled at me. 'For a girl at least.' And he started laughing while he saw me looking at him; a made up angriness covered my face to tell him my disagreement. The reward was a fist that caressed; no it was a bit harsher, my hair. Dark red locks decorated my face and made me look more like a victim of a storm. I quickly started combing my hair with my fingers.

'And how did I deserve that?' I turned to him and surprised him with his own treatment. Now, we both were the victims of a storm. But honestly: the storm only lived in our heads, or just mine at least. And I didn't quite understand. Like how I couldn't understand how he could read my mind so well.

'Is something bothering your mind?' Benjamin spoke, as soon as I looked up from the yellow sand that covered the pathway. It was true. I usually watched the ground when I was heavily thinking about something, but could he already know?

Benjamin smiled at me: 'It seems to me that you are a person who thinks a lot.' Was he a magician? No, no, stupid thought, Nellie. Stupid thought. But? How had he been able to know exactly what was going on in my head?

Benjamin and Nellie sat down under a tree. The grass was wet, but not as wet as the plains around them, where the white colour of snow had turned yellow on different places, because of the few squirrels that were surrounding the two. They were beautiful and peaceful animals, Ben thought. To him, they were like little dogs. He could secretly give them little cookies and other eatable things.

But, today, the attention was somewhere else. The full moon gave him the ability to see her pale face like it was glowing in the dark. Her eyes turned black and were moving from left to right; from the old boathouse tot the bridge that was crossing the Serpentine, the beautiful blue water that made this park unique. And her eyes moved back. Her gaze stayed pinned on the little island that was right in front of them.

'In the summer, we sunbathe over there.' Benjamin saw how his words made her face turn to him. 'Next summer, you can join us, if you want (to).' Nellie nodded: 'I would love to.'

Silently, she watched his face, like she was investigating him. He couldn't help it, but he felt like he was naked. It made him feel uncomfortable. He felt like she could see right through his clothes. And he didn't like to be watched this way, so he turned his head to his treasure island.

'Benjamin?' He returned his face again and saw her looking at him with her beautiful eyes. 'What are you going to do now you are an adult?'

First, he didn't quite understand her question. Was there something special to do when you just turned eighteen? But then he got the idea of her question: 'Well, I'm learning to become a barber for two years now. I think I can have my own barbershop in a few more years.'

'Aren't you going to follow your father?' She looked behind the tree like she could see the factory or my house. 'I believe you can earn a lot with such a job.'

Benjamin shook his head: 'No, I believe it to be a cruel job. My dad shouts at the poor people and he feels depressed about it. I'm not going to do it. He wanted me to, but I don't. End of discussion.'

'Okay, then I'll agree with you.' He felt how her head suddenly rested on his shoulder. 'I'm a little sleepy.' He smiled at her, lifted her head up with his soft hands and laid his body completely down on the grass. 'You may use me as your pillow, madam.' He brought her head to his chest and saw how two grateful eyes looked at him. 'Thank you, Ben.' He saw how she closed her eyes and only heard her whispering voice: 'Can you read my mind, Benjamin?'

He lifted his head to see her, but saw she was already asleep. With his hair in the grass (plaats hier een komma) he mumbled: 'No, but somehow I know what you are feeling. It's something I haven't had before.' He tried to look at the beautiful stars on the dark blue sky, but his eyes got blurry. His hand softly combed the girl's hair. There is something special about this girl, but I just can't figure out what it is. That was his last thought, before he rolled down in a sweet dream.

LATER…

'Sir?' Ben felt how a stick pushed into his thorax while he opened his eyes slowly. The person that kept calling him 'sir', began to push harder and Ben turned his head to the peacebreaker.

'Yes?' He blinked his eyes a few times and first only saw a silhouette standing next to him. He started to recognise a lamp with fire in it and then realised that it was a bobby that checked out the streets after twelve o'clock.

'I believe you don't have permission to spend your night over here, do you?' The face Benjamin could see because of the fire, was that of a young adult and it smiled at him. 'Pretty girl you have.' The policeman pointed at Nellie, who still seemed to sleep on Ben's belly.

'She's just a friend,' he answered and lifted her back up from the ground with one arm. Ben replaced himself and placed his other arm under the back of her knees and lifted her from the ground.

'That's why you don't want to wake her?' The man's voice answered sarcastically. 'I believe she's more than a friend to you. Am I right?'

Ben shook his head and walked away with Nellie in his arms. Her head leaned on his shoulder and blew hot sweet air in his neck. She was light enough for him to carry to his house, but somehow he wanted her to wake up in the morning breeze. Deep inside, he just wanted her to wake up with her head lying on his belly while the sun rose to the sky. While the morning greeted her and made the beautiful Serpentine sparkle to start the new day with the wonders of nature.

Was the cop right? Did he feel more than friendship?

No, he was just making fun of me.

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