Page 2 - Going places - Lesson notes

- Sophie felt uncomfortable so she went up to her brother Geoff

Sophie Jealous of Geoff’s Silence

- He was kneeling on the floor in the next room tinkering with a part of his motorcycle over
some newspaper spread on the carpet.

- He was three years out of school, an apprentice mechanic, travelling to his work each
day to the far side of the city. He was almost grown up now, and she suspected areas of
his life about which she knew nothing, about which he never spoke

- . He said little at all, ever, voluntarily. Words had to be prized out of him like stones out
of the ground. And she was jealous of his silence.

- When he wasn’t speaking it was as though he was away somewhere, out there in the
world in those places she had never been. Whether they were only the outlying districts
of the city, or places beyond in the surrounding country — who knew? — they attained a
special fascination simply because they were unknown to her and remained out of her
reach.
- Perhaps there were also people, exotic, interesting people of whom he never spoke — it
was possible, though he was quiet and didn’t make new friends easily.
- She longed to know them. She wished she could be admitted more deeply into her
brother’s affections and that someday he might take her with him.
Geoff shares the story with father

- While both brother and sister were in their conversation, their father entered the room.
He looked clean and shiny as he had taken a bath. He switched on his television and sat
on his chair after shifting Derek’s shoe from his chair to the sofa. As he sat in his chair,
Geoff told him that Sophie had met Danny Casey. On hearing this he turned towards
Sophie. He looked at her scornfully because he couldn’t believe her.

- They were discussing football players.

- Meanwhile Sophie told them that Casey was going to buy a new shop. Her father looked
at her angrily and asked her as to from where did she get to know this. He doubted it to
be one of her imagination. Her brother interrupted and said that she met him.

- Her father warned her that such things could lead her to trouble. She then tried to justify
herself by saying that Geoff knew this and trusted her. Her father replied that he did not
believe her although he wanted to.