Chapter Two
The next week went by terribly according to the views of Kathy's parents. She did start packing in the end but she only did it for hre friends. Her mum tried to ease up on Kathy by not nagging so much but Kathy was still on the end of her tether.
Even though they were all distressed about the more, they eventually made it to the last night before they left for Southampton. Everything was in boxes in the front living room and Kathy had just said goodbye to her friends for the last time. Tears were shed, hugs were given by the bucket load but they had to leave at some point.
She went without dinner and just decided to get to sleep early, even though it was near impossible to fall asleep at a time like 6:30pm.
She dreamed things in her head to pass the time, mostly based on the following days events and what she had thought had been hours was only fifty minutes according to her little sister's appearance in their room.
"Mum and dad say goodnight" she piped up after she climbed into bed.
"They couldn't come in and tell me then" Kathy sighed, tossing onto her left side to look at Lisa.
"They thought you might've been asleep" Lisa defended; she as well turned on her side to face her sister.
"Yeah, well, I'm not" Kathy said, rolling her eyes, even though she knew Lisa wouldn't pick up on it.
"Well, they wouldn't have known that" Lisa whispered, now weary that her sister may shout soon. It was only her that didn't shout out of all four of them. She hated her family arguing, and being only eleven, she was too young to join in with the arguments as her parents were far too concerned with what Kathy had to say, so she just decided to stay behind the scenes, out of the way. Besides, she knew that she would have no way of avoiding the more anyway, so there was really no point in arguing on the first place.
Kathy was silent for a while; all that could be heard was the slow, heavy breathing between the both of them.
"Kathy, please don't be mad" Lisa pleaded. It made Kathy jump at first but she was silenced by the sudden worry of her sister.
She all of a sudden felt a mothering wave go through her, so she got out of her bed and crammed in with Lisa in hers. Lisa was still facing towards Kathy so she pulled her small body to her, so her head was in the crook of her neck.
"I'm not mad Lisa" Kathy sighed, kissing the top of her forehead and cuddling her in tight. She hated that she had upset Lisa, she was everything to her. She was the one who had listened to what she had to say about everything, even if she didn't properly understand the situation. Lisa was her rock and would love her for longer than a lifetime.
"I don't want to go just as much as you" Lisa whispered.
"I know, but we have to do it, don't we" Kathy admitted.
"Just don't get mad ok?" Lisa asked, now looking up at her older sister, the only person who she really looked up to as a role model, hoping she would promise.
"I'll try" Kathy bargained. It wasn't the answer Lisa was exactly looking for but at least she said she would try.
They both fell asleep for the last time in Peckham, London, England, Great Britain, Europe. The next time they would fall asleep their address would be the SS Oronts, Atlantic Ocean.
The warm morning light draped though the thin material hung above the window. Then the morning properly happened.
Their mum tapped on the bedroom door, raising her voice only a little so they could hear the instruction to get up.
They both felt groggy as one of the after effects of a long, heavy sleep. They both got up slowly and had a quick wash.
Kathy then looked at the time 5:55. She groaned at the thought at being up at this unreasonable hour but resisted to stay awake since she could probably sleep on the train taking them down to Southampton.
She got dressed in the clothes she had chosen to wear on this day: a sleeveless cotton yellow sun dress with a bow around her waist and white dolly shoes. Her mum said to travel in something light and she was already heating up due to the running around ordered by her parents.
Eventually, they were all ready to go and just in time since the car taking them to the train station appeared outside and the driver tooted his horn just as Susan, Kathy's mother said "Right, I think that's it."
Kathy took a sigh as she waited outside whilst the driver and her dad maneuvered their belongings from the flat to the car. Lisa waited by her, just as deep in stupor as Kathy occasionally closing her eyes for only a second, a car beep or a shout from the street would stir her standing slumber.
"Richard, is that everything?" Susan asked, standing by the car door which had just been opened by the driver.
Richard nodded in reply and they then both turned their heads to their daughters, both standing by the side of the block of flats which used to be their home, now just a place with memories.
"Come one girls, a new adventure" Richard forced a grin to his obviously unimpressed daughters, who just looked at each other and got in the car, leaving their father stood in defeat at his children's incompetence.
Richard got in the front and Susan, Lisa and Kathy got in the back with Kathy by the ride side window. She didn't feel like talking to anyone, even her sister who looked just as bored and upset as she was. She just gazed out the window, watching her old home fly by.
It was only a short drive to the train station and the driver helped Richard with transporting the luggage to the platform. Richard paid him for his efforts and he went on his way.
The train arrived a couple of minutes later, and people in suits started to take their luggage and stack it onto the train. Their father guided them further down the platform to an open train door and ushered them on. They took their seats, Kathy in an aisle seat and Lisa next to her.
Kathy dreamed about her past on that train ride. It wasn't even about anything special, just a time that Lisa had spent with her. There was no reason to think of that moment until then.
It was the summer of 1956 and Lisa and Kathy had spent the entire day together; messing about, playing who's it and generally being a nuisance to their mother. They were so hyped up that evening that Susan had trouble putting them to sleep. The time rolled around to 9:10 and Susan gave up. She didn't know what to do. Lisa and Kathy, still being as hyper as in the daytime, came up with the idea of making a home made tent in their room using sheets they found in the cupboard and their own quilts and pillows. Once they had finished constructed their design they went inside and played tickle fights. Since Lisa was over sensitive, Kathy knew where to get her. They stopped when they heard banging on the shared wall of their room and their parents room.
"OK Lisa, lets pretend were in the desert" Kathy exclaimed.
"OK, so what do we do" Lisa asked, tilting her head a little.
"Well, in the desert they have camels so maybe you should be a camel"
"Why do I have to be the camel?" Lisa whined.
"I'm only joking Lisa" Kathy smiled.
Lisa only looked down at her lap and to Kathy, looked in deep thought.
"Lisa?" Kathy mumbled.
"We won't actually leave, will we?" Lisa questioned, looking up at Kathy, her brown eyes wide.
"What do you mean?" Kathy asked.
"Well, I know it's only pretend now, but please don't actually leave" she whined. It was obvious that Lisa had taken the game a little too seriously but Kathy comforted her by pulling her into her lap and stroking her hair softly.
"Don't worry, I'll never leave you. We'll stay here forever"
Kathy was woken by a few taps on the shoulder from some small fingers. She turned her head forwards and opened her eyes. People were bustling about and were getting off at their stop; Southampton.
The air was slightly salty and thick from the coal fumes coming from the train.
A man met the Campbell's inside the train station and was obviously there to again transport their luggage, now to the ship.
'The ship' Kathy thought. 'Not long now'
Lisa held her mother's hand as they all walked through the crowd outside the train station, it made Kathy jealous. She wanted Lisa to hold her hand. She slowed her pace a little so she was behind her and reached her hand out to flick the back of her hair.
Lisa, who had not seen Kathy move behind her, immediately touched the back of her hair and looked round. She relaxed when she saw it was her sister, and gave a little smile, to show no hard feelings. Kathy then wrapped her arms round her neck and rested her chin on the top of her head.
That seemed to lighten the mood between the two of them as Lisa let go of her mum's hand and demanded a piggy back ride from her sister. Kathy complied straight away, now happy she had her sister to herself.
When they reached the dock, hundreds of people were there, worrying Lisa more than in the train station. Kathy slid her arm into Lisa's and rested it in the crook of her elbow. It comforted her for only a while but then they wandered deeper into the crowd, making Lisa's grip onto Kathy's arm with her other hand, which made Kathy as protective as a big sister can get.
Richard found where the furniture crates were stored and paid the other man for moving the crates and just like the first man, he was gone too.
Then they had to carry their clothes on board. Each of them struggling with their own load, Richard somehow showed the people at the door on the side their tickets and they were then allowed to come on.
He lead them to B deck first, then taking a second look at the tickets he lead them down a corridor which Kathy supposed would be where their room was.
"85, 86, 87" Kathy counted the room numbers in her head as they passed, hoping that the next one would be theirs.
"89. Here we are" Richard beamed. He smiled at the rest of them, only to receive worn out grins in return.
He opened the door to a reasonably small room, there was only two bunk beds on either side and a relatively large chest of drawers near the door.
"Well, home sweet home" Richard announced. He didn't look like he meant it because it wasn't near homely, but he had to be positive for them all, even if he wasn't so sure himself.
Kathy stopped near the door and groaned. "This is pathetic" she complained. "And where's the bathroom?"
"It's down the end of the corridor" Susan answered.
"For God sake" Kathy half shouted and she dropped her suitcase and left the room. She hated the room, her parents, the stupid, cheap boat.
She directed herself to the duck of the boat and found a deck chair to sit in. She sighed as she collapsed in it, already tired from the day even though it was just about to hit noon, that's when the boat would set sail.
She started to rub her feet on the ground out of boredom, shuffling her body whilst at it and then she got blinded by the sun reflecting on her new necklace.
She picked it up and moved it between her fingers. It was the one Lottie gave her as her going away gift.
It had been a stressful day packing in the Campbell household. It was two days after she had seen her friends at Cafe 101 and Kathy had started to pack like she promised but it was faring to be quite a challenge since she didn't know where to start. She didn't want her parents help either.
Lottie knocked on their front door and was opened by Lisa who was the only one who heard it due to all the shouting coming from her bedroom. She distanced herself for good reason.
She let Lottie in and told her to wait till Kathy came out since she didn't want to go in the bedroom.
Susan came out first. She looked up and was shocked to see Lottie standing in the middle of their living room. "Oh, Charlotte, I didn't know you were coming"
Lottie gave a small smile in return due to the awkwardness of the situation.
"She's in their" Susan pointed to the open bedroom door she just came through.
Lottie dodge the piles of furniture stacked on odd places around the room and slipped into the bedroom to find a flustered looking Kathy and the back of her dad's body.
Richard turned around when he noticed Kathy's attention had drawn to something behind him.
He looked round and saw Lottie just standing there. He took one last look at Kathy and left, without closing the door. Kathy groaned at his laziness and slammed the door shut herself.
She lent back on it and sighed, "Thank God you're here, I would have probably gone insane. They're driving me crazy" Kathy raised her voice near the end so her parents could hear her.
"Yeah, well, I uh, have your present" Lottie started. She reached in her pocket and pulled out two silver chains. Kathy noticed the end of them both; they were half hearts and jagged through the middle.
"They fit together, like this" Lottie described, now holding the two half hearts up for Kathy to see and put them together so they formed a whole heart.
"It says Best Friends on it, when you put it together" Lottie informed.
"Is that why you didn't take it to the cafe?" Kathy asked.
Lottie nodded. She didn't want them to think that it was just Lottie and Kathy who were the best friends out of all of them, so she 'forgot'.
"Lottie, I love it, thank you" Kathy smiled. She really thought it was the best present out of the lot, because it really meant so much, but she wouldn't say it to anyone, even Lottie since she didn't like the idea of public favouring. She loved all of the gifts given to her without a doubt, but she had known Lottie the longest, so to her this necklace, or really half a necklace had real sentimental value to it.
"Which part do you want? BE FRI or ST ENDS?" Lottie questioned.
"Oh, um, BE FRI please" Kathy replied, saying it as a whole word.
"Ok, I'll have ST ENDS" Lottie grinned, copying Kathy with the same pronunciation.
Kathy gave Lottie the biggest hug ever shared between them. "Thank you" she whispered, just loud enough for Lottie to hear, and only her.
Kathy looked back up and smiled to herself, still fiddling with the chain. The boat was rocking and they had finally set sail, Kathy leaving forever. Sea gulls surveyed the sky and the wind was carrying sea salt, now permeating Kathy's nose. Sea mist sprayed up from over the railings and her direction immediately turned to a girl who had just sat in the chair to the right of her. She looked round only slightly though, not wanting to make it obvious that she was staring at her.
She was an average size, probably around Kathy's age since she didn't look older than sixteen. She was wearing a red pinafore dress with a long sleeved white shirt under it. She was also wearing white buckled shoes, slightly similar to Kathy's but she had a small heel on hers. She had near enough the same haircut as herself, although her hair was a mousey brown compared with Kathy's solid brown colour. She had light olive skin and looked just as fed up as Kathy.
The girl sighed and turned her head to look around, mostly to people watch. She didn't have to look far, just to her left and she caught eyes with the girl next to her. She looked to the right and saw a balding middle aged man. She didn't want to talk to him, so she thought, 'Why not' and spoke in the direction to her left.
"So, were you dragged on this boat as well?" she asked.
Kathy looked surprised that she would have even talked to her and didn't really think her answer. "Uh, yeah, were you?"
"I said 'as well' didn't I?" she smiled.
Kathy thought this was another failed attempt at making friends so she turned her head forward to hide her reddening face. But the girl liked Kathy.
"I'm Ellie Read" Ellie introduced, and stuck her hand out.
Kathy looked round again and responded with a handshake. "Kathy Campbell"
"Well, Kathy Campbell" Ellie started, eyebrows raised. "What or who should I say brought you on this sea voyage to the deep depths of the southern world?"
"My idiotic parents" Kathy replied, trying to hide her happiness of talking to someone other than family.
"Ah, the wondrous minds of parentage" Ellie exclaimed sarcastically. "What will they think of next?"
"Hmm, they are bizarre at times" Kathy agreed, now glad now that she had someone to complain about her parents to.
"Bizarre doesn't even cover it sweetheart" Ellie notified. "I mean, they actually though I would have liked moving to Australia, but here I am, talking to another poor souls who's had their life taken away from them"
"Exactly how I feel, no consideration for the kids" Kathy retorted. Kathy's memory then suddenly thought of Si, and how he said her parents had the best interest for both her and Lisa, and how she believed him at first, mostly because he was shouting but genuinely being honest. And now, looking back and talking to Ellie, the line for her parents best interest blurred. Did Si really mean it or did he just say it to shut Kathy up. Ellie seemed to think that parents just did what was best for themselves, not really considering their children. Maybe she was exaggerating but she'd rather complain about her parents than think they're doing the right thing.
"So, brothers or sisters?" Ellie asked.
"Little sister, Lisa, she's eleven" Kathy answered.
"Little brother, John, he's ten" Ellie commented. "He's excited. Can't wait to see the kangaroos apparently"
"Oh, where are you actually staying then?" Kathy asked.
"Were staying in Darwin, where are you going?" Ellie replied.
"Uh, Kulgera, or somewhere around that area" Kathy stuttered.
"Where the hell is Kulgera?" Ellie half shouted, causing few close by heads to turn.
"I have no idea" Kathy laughed.
"Fu for you then, living in the middle of nowhere" Ellie smiled, lighting up her face in the high sun.
"Well that may be but my auntie does live out there, that's why Kulgera, or, wherever we're going" Kathy giggled.
They were both quiet for a moment, having really nothing to say to each other. Kathy had felt like she had made a new friend, one who would actually agree with their parents' lack of consideration of their best interests.
"Do you wanna walk around; see if there's any food going free?" Ellie spoke up. "Besides, I'm getting hot here"
"Yeah, let's go" Kathy responded. They both got up and walked inside the boat, chatting and getting to know one another whilst doing so. They eventually found a food hall, but they had to pay if they wanted to eat so they gave up on that quest. They walked around a little more, identifying themselves with their new 'home'.
A few more walks round the boats and the girls decided to sit down outside, as the sun had been covered recently by some grey tinged clouds.
"Oh, I didn't ask you. What room number are you? Not to be nosy or anything, but if I know I'll know where to go if I get lonely" Ellie asked.
"B deck, room 89" Kathy responded. So she really had made a new friend, even though the friendship would only last five and a half weeks, that's how long the journey will take. 'I wonder what will happen then?' Kathy thought. Even though it was stupid worrying about that particular time, she couldn't help but worry if Ellie was for real or not. She hoped she was.
Kathy eventually found her parents to get money for food, trying not to linger so much since they seemed to want to talk to Ellie. They finally got away and went to find Ellie's parents.
"You know they weren't so bad" Ellie commented. 'Oh' Kathy thought suddenly. 'I thought my parents were the worst, what must her parents be like?'
They walked back to her room, 131 and Ellie knocked on the door. A small boy, obviously John, Ellie's little brother who she mentioned earlier, opened the door and smiled when he saw Ellie.
"Alright spud" she smiled back and ruffled his bowl cut hairdo into a messy style.
"Where's mum and dad?" she asked, stepping into her room and beckoning Kathy to come in too.
"Down the corridor to look at the bathroom" he replied. John looked so alike to his sister, of course apart from that their genders separate them. He had the same brown eyes that she discovered Ellie to have and they share the same tone of olive pigment in their skin. He smoothed out his bowl cut with his small, bony fingers and went to sit on the bottom bunk on the left hand side of the room.
"Yeah, did you hear about this? We have to share a bathroom with God knows how many people" Ellie exclaimed, now facing Kathy who had just shuffled slightly into room 131.
"I know, I find that repulsive" Kathy boldly stated, even though she felt a little awkward in the room, she wasn't shy when it came to voicing her opinions.
At that moment, who Kathy supposed were Ellie's parents walked in the room.
"Oh, hello" Ellie's dad spoke, looking surprised. He turned to look at Ellie in the other side of the room, obviously looking for an explanation.
"Mum, dad, this is Kathy Campbell" Ellie introduced. "Like me, she had to suffer with her parents deluded minds. Please, show sympathy"
Ellie had walked over to Kathy and placed her hands on Kathy's shoulders, a very sarcastic sympathetic expression covered her face.
"Hello Kathy" they both smiled. "And Ellie, don't be cheeky in front of friends" her mum added.
Ellie just looked at Kathy and rolled her eyes. Kathy gave a small laugh in return.
"Oh that's nice Elle, you've made some new friends already" her dad taunted just as sarcastically as Ellie beforehand.
"Ugh, you annoy me both, come on, let's go" Ellie ordered. They did leave in the end, but not before Ellie 'apologized' and asked for some money.
Ellie's parents weren't bad like she implied, just different. Very different to Kathy's parents when you put them all together. For example, Kathy's dad isn't the sarcastic type. He's been very serious as of late, but even before he wasn't that laid back. He was up for a laugh but he wouldn't be the one who would start the joke, Kathy would. It was her sarcastic wit that won a lot of arguments against her parents. Her mum wouldn't be upfront like the way Ellie's mum was. If she was acting like what Ellie was, which was usually all the time, she would give her a look instead; pursed lips and a deep glare. Kathy usually would shrug something like that off but if her mum gave a look of slight disappointment, that's when Kathy knew to shut the hell up. She didn't like seeing her mum disappointed, which was the one emotion she hated seeing from her. Sure they don't see eye to eye most of the time but seeing her mother in a mood like that always made Kathy sympathetic towards her, even though she's never admit it. Ellie's mum just seemed to voice her opinion just like Kathy.
They made it to the food hall eventually but didn't eat much since it seemed most of the people there wanted to handle the food and put it back down. Disgusting. They talked more and felt fully comfortable with each by the end of the day, and completely worn out. They said their goodbyes after one more walk around the boat to familiarize themselves with it and it worked well since they both remembered which turn to take when they reached their deck.
Kathy knocked on room 89, and it was opened almost instantaneously by her mother, dressed in her night gown, ready for bed like the rest of them.
"Oh, Kathy, we started to get worried for a while" Susan sighed, hand on her heart in relief. Relief. One of the emotions that doesn't fickle Kathy's mind.
"Well you did a great job at trying to find me" Kathy half grinned. Sarcasm was automatic for Kathy, she never thought twice before she spoke.
"Alright, well, change for bed, it's late and we've all had a long day" Susan said, ignoring Kathy. Living with Kathy's behavior for almost sixteen years can make a person train themselves to ignore it, Susan has mastered in the subject.
Susan pointed to one of the drawers in the chest and when Kathy pulled it open, she was her and Lisa's bedclothes stuffed to the brim of the drawer. 'So we'll be fighting for space then' Kathy thought. She would have said it aloud but it was late, they were trapped on a boat and they all shared one room, there was no need to start an argument now. Besides, Lisa's in this room as well, she'd hate for her to get stuck in the middle of it. And she had promised not to get mad, so she kept her mouth shut and changed in silence.
"Hey, who said you got top bunk?" Kathy smiled at Lisa who again was weary of her sister, but smiled when she smiled.
"You left so I claimed it first" Lisa replied boldly.
Kathy climbed up in the top bunk with her sister, both of them sitting crossed legged at with end of the bed.
"So, munchkin, what did you do today?" Kathy asked, tickling Lisa's feet a little to lighten the mood.
"Not much, just went round with mum and dad. Didn't make friends like you" she replied, looking a little disappointed. The worst thing then seeing disappointment on her mum's face is seeing it replicated on her little sister's. It's uncanny how similarly they can look exactly the same in that emotion, the one that tugs at Kathy's heartstrings the most, especially from Lisa. Her innocent, fallen angel of a little sister.
"Hey" Kathy started, lifting up Lisa's chin. "You'll make friends eventually, just give it some time. I mean, you only came on the boat ten hours ago, and I only became friends with Ellie is because she talked to me. All in good time munchkin"
Lisa was reassured by Kathy's kind words.
"Ellie has a little brother, John and he's only a year younger than you" Kathy notified.
"Ugh, not boys, they smell" Lisa giggled.
"Oi!" Richard exclaimed from under his covers. Lisa giggled some more and Kathy ushered her to go down and jump on him. Lisa was as silent as possible and just like Kathy said she jumped on him. They played around a while, which made everyone laugh, even Kathy and by that moment, she knew she had to try for her sake to stay calm around her parents. That also means that she has to ease up on the sarcasm. 'Only when they're in a good mood' Kathy thought.
Lisa did end up making friends. Two twin girls her age called Ruby and Lily. Lucky for Kathy, her birthday was whilst they were on the boat. Her parents had already planned ahead and wrapped her presents whilest they were at home and Kathy couldn't help but be excited when presented with them. She recieved a new, quite expensive frock and a book, all Richard and Susan could afford but she knew they meant well and thanked them kindly. Ellie wasn't aware of her birthday so spontaneously they went out on the deck looking at boys, something Kathy quite enjoyed. Ellie and Kathy hung out every day. Some day's spent in each other's rooms talking, sometimes walking and talking. Some days playing Ellie's brothers' draughts or a game of cards, whatever the day, they were together.