Idlebones

Sophie & Paddy. Chapter 3 (updated)

November 14, 2006 – 0:38

 

 

 

Sophie turned to lift her furry companion onto the window ledge where he
sat with his back to the pane, looking over his shoulder to where
Sophie was now pointing, her finger pushed against the glass. 

“Look, over there by the flower bed” she whispered

Paddy strained his eyes in the direction Sophie’s’ finger was pointing

“I can’t see..” Paddy began, just as a light flickered to life to
reveal the basket once more, and a short soldier in a red tunic and
wide brimmed hat standing with his arm outstretched holding the
lantern he had just lit. He was kicking the basket and muttering
something under his breath, just as Paddy, losing his balance in
surprise, made a grab for the curtain to arrest his fall, bringing it
down with a popping sound as the curtains ties snapped. He tumbled to
the floor as the curtain fell about Sophie’s’ head like a shawl.

Sophie didn’t notice the curtain, or Paddy’s wriggling form on the
floor for a few moments, as she stared out a the figure, who was
obviously a little fed up with his balloon. As she watched, the figure
lifted his leg once more, about to land another disgruntled kick to
the baskets edge, when he appeared to slip, his arms flailing about
his head for a moment, before tumbling backwards into her mothers
favourite flowerbed with a loud Ooof!.

A loud chortle escaped Sophie’s mouth before her hands reached her
face to stop it. From behind the pair of booted feet protruding from a
lavender bush, the soldiers head popped up and looked straight at her
bedroom window. Sophie giggled. The small top window was open and
Sophie now undid the latch for the larger bottom window and let it
swing back against the wall.

“Are you Alright?” she said.

“Fine” said Paddy below her.

“Not you!” said Sophie, looking down behind her and spotting Paddy
sprawled on his back.

“Charming” grumbled Paddy.

By the time she turned her attention back to the garden the soldier
had scrambled to his feet and was standing to attention facing her. He
appeared so very small to be a soldier she noticed. Almost like a
little boy, in fact. In the light form the lantern, which now lay
flickering by his side, Sophie could only see his silhouette and the
glint of his buttons that lined the front of his tunic. His hat, a
tall black triangle that had appeared to have been on the wrong way
round: it’s two points pointing out to either side of his head like
the paper hats she and her friends had made at school, had
disappeared, probably lost into the flowerbed, making him look a great
deal smaller than she had first thought. The figure bent suddenly, and
retrieved the lantern from the grass. Standing to attention once more,
he saluted Sophie whilst holding the lantern high with one hand.

“Napoleon de la Podium” he announced smartly, his hand flicking
stiffly to his forehead, his fingers widening for a moment as he
searched for his hat.

“of the Cinqiume Brigade, at your service Mademoiselle”

Sophie widened her eyes and touched her own forehead with her fingers
in response, leaving them there as she rubbed her temple quizzically.

“I’m not Madam-ooze-elle, I’m Sophie. How do you do?” she said
politely, a little confused.

“Can we call him Nappy for short?” whispered Paddy, as he clambered
back onto the Lego box.

The soldier relaxed his arm and theatrically swung it in a slow arc
across his waist as he bent in a courteous bow.

“A pleasure to meet you, Mademoiselle Sophie. Please excuse my
intrusion” Standing to attention once more as he brushed the remnants
of the flowerbed from his shoulders with his free hand.

“Please excuse my entrance. My balloon has” he threw an impatient
glance in the direction of the basket that sat quietly on her mothers
daffodils “decided it needs a rest”

“That’s Ok” said Sophie, a little bemused.

Paddy was hopping up and down beside her trying to get a look over the
window ledge. Sophie gave him a lift and plonked him on the ledge once
more. The soldier was examining his trouser leg, muttering to himself
as Paddy made himself comfortable once more and peered over his
shoulder at him.

“This won’t do” the soldier was muttering to himself. “This just won’t
do at all”.

Paddy eyed the soldier fingered the trouser leg. Bending towards
Sophie, keeping his eyes fixed on the soldier, he whispered:

“He not a soldier, he’s just a boy! Or else he’s a very short soldier” he s
aid.

Sophie rewarded him with a cross look and a shushing finger, afraid
the soldier might here.

“Well you very short for a bear, aren’t you?” she whispered.

As they watched, the soldier was ambling back towards his balloon,
absently patting his tunic with one palm whilst holding the lantern
ahead of him with the other. He looked as if he had misplaced
something, and presently, Sophie decided to ask if this was the case.

“Pardon? Oh, no, mademoseille. That is to say, I haven’t lost anything
as such. Rather I have forgotten to remember where I left it. I’m sure
it’s about here somewhere”,he said, holding a palm to his stomach as
he turned on the spot, searching the grass at his feet.

They watched him for a moment. Sophie amused at his stiff, fumbling
foragings about his feet, before addressing him once more.

“What have you lost? Is it important Mister Napoleon?” She said at length.
Napoleon stopped, and breathed a sigh of regret.

“Oh, just my stitching pack. It’s here somewhere, though heaven knows
where” he said, resuming his search, both hands now placed against his
hips.

Sophie pondered for a second, then brightened with an idea.

“But we have one of those here, if you want it?” she said with widening eye=
s

“It’s my mums, but I’m sure she won’t mind if you borrow it to fix
your balloon!”

Napoleon spun on his heel and regarded Sophie and Paddy. He chortled
lightly, then said, with his usual politeness:

“Your so kind, Mademoiselle. But I fear it is not my balloon that
needs mending” he said with a smile.

Sophie furrowed her brow

“But I thought.. I thought your Balloon was broken?” she said, a look
of confusion on her face.

Napoleon gave a small, but polite laugh.

“Oh no, I’m terribly sorry if I mislead you, kind Mademoiselle=85..

“SOPHIE!” said Sophie.

“Em, yes, Sophie. My pardons. What I meant was, my balloon is not
broken as such” he said, casting a disgruntled glance towards the
balloon that hung idly by, leaning lazily on the hedgerow. It looked
like it was in a sulk, Sophie thought. Leaning in towards the window a
little, Napoleon continued in a low voice:

“You see, my Balloon just gets, shall we say, a tad grumpy every so
often, and decides it wants to sit and have a rest. It’ll be alright
in a little while”. He finished with an arc of his eyebrow, throwing
his eyes up to the sky like her mother did when her Daddy wasn’t
listening.

“My fault for choosing a red and white one, I suppose. They’re always
the hardest to tame” he sighed.

Sophie looked at the balloon as it lazily drifted to one side, almost
as if it were sleeping, then brushed back against the hedgerows as if
scratching it’s back.

“Is it tired?” she asked eventually, without lifting her gaze from the
sighing balloon.

“Oh I suppose so. We’ve had quite a long journey tonight. Although, if
you ask me, North Africa is such a pleasant drift across the north
winds. Wonderful scenery. No, between you and me” Napoleon bent even
lower, checking over his shoulder as if watching for hidden listeners,
“I don’t think it’s too fond of heights”

Sophie and Paddy exchanged glances, before Paddy started giggling,
dislodging himself once more from his perch, as he tried to cover his
mouth with the paw that gripped the window ledge, and tumbling
backwards, head over paws, to the floor.

Sophie looked at the Balloon and then at Napoleon’s young, serious
face in hers, before letting a little smile grow on her mouth.

“Your balloon is, is scared of heights?” she giggled softly.

Napoleon nodded slowly, closing his eyes puffing his cheeks out.

“Silly, isn’t it? He said, raising his eyes once more.

“Em, I do hope he’s alright?” He was raising his eyebrows, looking
over Sophie’s shoulder to where Paddy had been sitting.