Hotel Ambrose

Chapter 9.5

When I got back to Ambrose Sophie was in the kitchen. Fred was trying to get up on a chair. He'd grab onto the edge of it and hang there for a while on his wonky legs, looking around and chirping to himself, but he didn't seem to know what to do next.

Sophie saw me and knew straight away something was wrong. So I sat down and told her everything. When I'd finished she was silent for a while, watching the tabletop.

"Well?" I said.

"That's it," she said.

"What's it?"

"I'm going from now on."

"They'll recognise you too."

"Yeh, but not as easily."

She was right of course.

"We can't leave again for a while," I said. "Either of us. We've got enough stuff to keep us going. Maybe they'll get sick of looking for us."

"Maybe," Sophie said, but she didn't sound convinced. "I'm going to go check the TV," she said then, and got up and left. I didn't offer to come with her. I don't know much about girls, but I know when they want to be left alone.

Fred chirped at me. I picked him up and sat him on my lap.

"Hi Freddy,"

"Gar-bar," said Fred.

I'd thrown my bag on the table when I'd come in, and now I opened it. "What've I got for Freddy?"

"Baa-baa!"

"Not baa-baa," I said, making a show of rummaging through the bag. "Woof-woof!" I said, and pulled the dog out.

Fred's eyes lit up. "Oof!" he said.

"Woof-woof!"

"Oof-oof!"

I gave the dog to him. He looked it over professionally. Then he looked up at me, as if to ask what he was meant to do with it.

"Pat," I said, and stroked its back. He got the idea pretty quick. One of Oof-oof's ears spent some time in Fred's mouth, but that was to be expected.

I spoke to him as he played with the dog. I said all kinds of things I never would have said if Sophie was around. I told him how scared I'd been that someone would take him away and I would never see him again. I told him that I loved him. But Fred wasn't listening. As far as he was concerned we'd always be there. He didn't understand gone. But then, I wonder if anyone ever does.