She's Our Girl

Brunch with the boys

SJ awoke to find her mum still sleeping soundly, she got a text from monk
Monk🤪: aye SJ your coming for brunch right? X
SJ💙: yeah I'll be down in 15 x
     And after she'd left a note for her man, she was walking down the high street with Monk to meet the boys for brunch "you must be happy we're going back to Afgan to get that evil Sod Omar" monk said but SJ was in a day dream thinking about her dad but she heard him "yeah I guess." Monk looked puzzled "what do you mean you guess?" He asked they stopped and he looked at SJ "can we go talk somewhere?" She asked and monk nodded
She took him to an old play park and the sat on the roundabout "so about this sod Omar..." monk began, SJ took a deep breath "when we are young we are taught the distinction between a hero and villain ,good and evil , a saviour and a lost cause, but what if the only real difference is who's telling the story? My dad to us was a War Hero, but to them a dark destroyer, to us Omar is a war Lord, but to them he could be there saviour, we just choose the safest story. But Maybe just maybe the safest option isn't the same one they are seeing." Monk looked into SJ's green eyes "your really smart you know that" he tapped her temple she laughed "I've not heard that one before.
They went back to the high street and sat with the boys in a cafe "aye SJ fancy playing beans on toast Jenga?" Throbber asked. SJ rolled her eyes jokingly "I'm aight ta" then she heard her dads voice 'Awh SJ they don't have your fave- coco pops' she looked around and monk put his hand on her shoulder "are you alright SJ?" She nodded weakly "I just need some air" she got up, monk went to go with her "I'll be okay" she continued so he sat back down. She went and sat back in the play park on the round about and she saw a memory of her and her dad.
'HIGHER DADDY! Higher! Squealed a 6 year old excited sapphire jade. Elvis got her off the swings eventually "oh no SJ it looks like the ice cream monster is going to eat you!" Elvis laughed chasing his daughter, she hid behind the slide thinking she was safe but then Elvis picked her up "boo!" And she fell into fits of giggles "ice cream?" Asked Elvis and she nodded, they sat on the bench with a 99 each ice cream all over her face "come here mucky pup!" Elvis chuckled as he wiped his little girls mouth. she gave him a big hug "I love you daddy."
       Another day six year old SJ had grazed her knees and was trying not to cry her daddy stood her up again "now SJ do we cry over grazed knees?" He asked "no daddy." She replied "what do we say?" Elvis asked her "stay focused, stay alert, stay alive" she said and Elvis hugged her "daddy why do we say that?" She asked "because your wise uncle Charlie does" and SJ nodded.
         As SJ and Elvis entered the park they sat down "daddy can I read you a poem I wrote at school?" She asked "of course poppet" he replied ruffling her hair "when I was One I had just began, when I was two I was nearly new, when I was three I was hardly me and when I was four I was not much more, when I was five I was just alive, but now I am six I'm as clever as clever so I think I'll stay six now forever and ever." Elvis smiled "that's Brilliant darling, who helped you with that?" SJ thought "Mr Clarkson and Lulu" she smiled and hugged.'
     Kingy interrupted her thoughts "monk said I'd find you hear," he began she jumped out of her daze "are you alright?" He asked SJ nodded "are you sure? You don't have to pretend with me." SJ looked at him her Piercing green eyes glazed over "I miss him, I miss him so much." Kingy hugged her "it will get easier SJ, and aye Elvis wouldn't want you to be sad, he may want you to be a bit of a twat but never sad." SJ sniffed "he was so proud of you , you know, always talking about you, you where his world" Kingy finished SJ fiddled with her dads  dog tags and smiled "I'm going to keep doing him proud Kingy" she said "right you are Miss Harte" he replied then she whispered to herself "stay focused, stay alert, stay alive"