The Boy Who Was Afraid of Butterflies Chapter 24 'Missed opportunity'

Chapter 24 Missed Opportunity

Jill is home from nursing college for a few days. She and I are good friends now; not particularly close, but quite amicable.
“Someone I know said they saw you the other day.”
“So?”
“Someone you haven’t seen for six or seven years. She thought it was you, anyway.”
“How does she know?”
“Did you catch the train into Woking on Thursday? Just before lunch?”
“Well, yes, I think I did.”
“There you are then.”
“You haven’t told me who it was yet.”
“She recognised your old school scarf at first; then she looked hard at you and remembered your face.”
“For goodness’ sake, girl, get on with it. Who was it?”
“She was going to speak to you, but you had your head in a book and she didn’t want to interrupt. And she wasn’t completely sure it was you.”
“Who….was….it?!” I grit my teeth and try to force my sister to stop her teasing.
”A trainee nurse who is working with me at the moment.”
“What is her name?”
“She knew you from a party you both went to when you were kids. You remember Robert Miller, over in Esher? Well, it was one of his sister’s friends, Anita Morris.
“Who?”
“Oh, she said you’d probably know her better by her nickname, no-one ever used her real name then.”
“What ….was…it?” says I with menace and implied threats.
“Topsy.”
I try not to give anything away. I fight my emotion for a moment, then, in control of my voice, I say - as nonchalantly as I can:
“So she works with you now! Is she a close friend of yours?”
“So, so. I like her, but we’re often on different shifts, so I don’t see all that much of her.”
“I can’t remember anyone like her in the train. What does she look like now?”
“Oh, fairly ordinary. Average height, average build, shoulder length mousy hair. A bit of a snub nose. Only thing you’d notice about her are her eyes, they’re huge and brown. Anyway, she sends you her greetings. Did you know her well? I got the impression she used to be a bit sweet on you.”
Now she tells me!
“Not really. It was only a party, just an hour or two.”
Jill loses interest.
I wrack my brain, trying to remember that train journey. The train, the book, even the clothes I wore - yes. But my fellow passengers? I can recall none of them. And a girl that could have been Topsy? I feel like crying with frustration. To have been so close and missed the opportunity!
And I didn’t even think of asking Jill how I could contact her.