THE GIRL WITH GREEN EYES Audiobook Short Story by Jennifer Bassett Learn English Through Story
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the girl with green eyes
by jennifer bassett
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of course
the man in the brown hat said
there are good policemen and there are
bad policemen you know
you’re right
the young man said
yes
that’s very true
isn’t it julie
he looked at the young woman next to him
julie didn’t answer and looked bored
she closed her eyes
julie’s my wife
the young man told the man in the brown
hat
she doesn’t like trains
she always feels ill on trains
oh yes
the man in the brown hat said
now my wife
she doesn’t like buses
she nearly had an accident on a bus once
it was last year
no
no it wasn’t it was two years ago
i remember now
it was in manchester
he told a long boring story about his
wife and a bus in manchester
it was a hot day and the train was slow
there were seven people in the carriage
there was the man in the brown hat
the young man and his wife julie a
mother and two children
and a tall dark man in an expensive suit
the young man’s name was bill
he had short brown hair and a happy
smile
his wife julie
had long red hair and very green eyes
the color of sea water
they were very beautiful eyes
man in the brown hat talked and talked
he had a big red face and a loud voice
he talked to bill because bill liked to
talk too
the man in the brown hat laughed a lot
and when he laughed bill laughed too
bill liked talking and laughing with
people
the two children were hot and bored
they didn’t want to sit down
they wanted to be noisy and run up and
down the train
now sit down and be quiet
their mother said
she was a small woman with a tired face
and a tired voice
i don’t want to sit down
the little boy said
i’m thirsty
here
have an orange
his mother said
she took an orange out of her bag and
gave it to him
i want an orange too
the little girl said loudly
all right
here you are said her mother
eat it nicely now
the children ate their oranges and were
quiet for a minute
then the little boy said
i want to drink
i’m thirsty
the tall dark man took out his newspaper
and began to read
julie opened her eyes
and looked at the back page of his
newspaper
she read about the weather in budapest
and about the football in liverpool
she wasn’t interested in budapest and
she didn’t like football
but she didn’t want to listen to bill
and the man in the brown hat
talk talk talk she thought
bill never stops talking
then suddenly
she saw the tall man’s eyes over the top
of his newspaper
she could not see his mouth
but there was a smile in his eyes
quickly
she looked down at the newspaper
and read about the weather in budapest
again
the train stopped at dawlish station and
people got on and got off
there was a lot of noise
is this our station
the little girl asked she went to the
window and looked out
no it isn’t
now sit down
her mother said
we’re going to penzance
the little girl told bill
for our holidays
yes
her mother said
my sister’s got a little hotel by the
sea
we’re staying there
it’s cheap you see
yes
the man in the brown hat said
it’s a nice town
i know a man there
he’s got a restaurant in king street
a lot of holiday people go there
he makes a lot of money in the summer
he laughed loudly
yes
he said again
you can have a nice holiday in penzance
we’re going to centostol
bill said
me and julie
it’s our first holiday
julie wanted to go to spain but i like
saint hostel
i always go there for my holidays
it’s nice in august
you can have a good time there too
julie looked out of the window
where is budapest she thought
i want to go there
i want to go to vienna
to paris
to rome
to athens
her green eyes were bored and angry
through the window she watched the
little villages and hills of england
the man in the brown hat looked at julie
you’re right
he said to bill
you can have a good time on holiday in
england
we always go to brighton me and the wife
but the weather
we went one year and it rained every day
morning afternoon and night
it’s true
it never stopped raining
he laughed loudly
we nearly went home after the first week
bill laughed too
what did you do all day then he asked
julie read about the weather in budapest
for the third time
then she looked at the tall man’s hands
they were long
brown hands very clean
nice hands she thought
he wore a very expensive japanese watch
japan
she thought
i’d like to go to japan
she looked up
and saw the man’s eyes again over the
top of his newspaper
this time she did not look away
green eyes looked into dark brown eyes
for a long
slow
minute
after newton abbott station
the guard came into the carriage to look
at their tickets
now then
he said
where are we all going
this train’s late
the man in the brown hat said
20 minutes late by my watch
10 minutes
the guard said
that’s all
he smiled at julie
the tall dark man put his newspaper down
found his ticket
and gave it to the guard
the guard looked at it
you’re all right sir
he said
the boat doesn’t leave plymouth before
six o’clock
you’ve got lots of time
the tall man smiled
put his ticket back in his pocket
and opened his newspaper again
didn’t look at him
a boat
she thought
he’s taking a boat from plymouth
where’s he going
she looked at him again with her long
green eyes
he read his newspaper and didn’t look at
her
but his eyes smiled
the train stopped at tottenham station
and more people got on and off
everybody’s going on holiday
bill said
he laughed
it’s going to be wonderful
no work for two weeks
it’s a nice quiet town saint hostel
we can stay in bed in the mornings and
sit and talk in the afternoons
and have a drink or two in the evenings
hey julie
he looked at his wife
are you all right julie
yes bill
she said quietly
i’m okay
she looked out of the window again
the train went more quickly now and it
began to rain
bill and the man in the brown hat talked
and talked
bill told a long story about two men and
a dog
and the man in the brown hat laughed
very loudly
that’s a good story
he said
i like that
you tell it very well
do you know the story about
and he told bill a story about a
frenchman and a bicycle
why do people laugh at these stories
julie thought
they’re so boring
but bill liked it
then he told a story about an old woman
and a cat
and the man in the brown hat laughed
again
that’s good too
i don’t know
how do you remember them all
because
julie thought he tells them every day
i don’t understand
the little girl said suddenly
she looked at bill
why did the cat die
shh
be quiet
her mother said
come and eat you sandwiches now
that’s all right
bill said
i like children
the man in the brown hat looked at the
children’s sandwiches
um
i’m hungry too
he said
you can get sandwiches in the restaurant
on this train
he looked at bill
let’s go down to the restaurant eh
i need a drink too
bill laughed
you’re right
it’s thirsty work telling stories
the two men stood up and left the
carriage
the little girl ate her sandwich and
looked at
julie but why did the cat die
she asked
i don’t know
julie said
perhaps it wanted to die
the little girl came and sat next to
julie
i like your hair
she said
it’s beautiful
julie looked down at her and smiled
for some minutes it was quiet in the
carriage
then the tall dark man opened his bag
and took out a book
he put it on the seat next to him
and looked at julie with a smile
julie looked back at him
and then down at the book
famous towns of italy she read
venice
florence
rome
naples she looked away again out of the
window at the rain
two weeks instant hostile she thought
with bill
in the rain
after half an hour the two men came back
to the carriage
there are a lot of people on this train
bill said
do you want a sandwich julie
no
she said
i’m not hungry
you eat them
the train was nearly at plymouth
doors opened and people began to move
a lot of people get on here
the man in the brown hat said
the tall dark man stood up and put his
book and his newspaper in his bag
then he picked up his bag and left the
carriage
the train stopped at the station
a lot of people got on the train
and two women and an old man came into
the carriage
they had a lot of bags with them
bill and the man in the brown hat stood
up and helped them
one of the women had a big bag of apples
the bag broke and the apples went all
over the carriage
oh damn
she said
everybody laughed
and helped her to find the apples
the train moved away from plymouth
station
after a minute or two
everybody sat down
and the woman gave some apples to the
children
where’s julie
bill said suddenly
she’s not here
perhaps she went to the restaurant
the man in the brown hat said
but she wasn’t hungry
bill said
she told me
the little girl looked at bill
she got off the train at plymouth
she said
with the tall dark man
i saw them
of course she didn’t
bill said
she’s on this train
she didn’t get off
yes she did
the children’s mother said suddenly
i saw her too
the tall man waited for her on the
platform
he waited for her
bill’s mouth was open but
but he read his newspaper all the time
he didn’t talk to julie
and she never talked to him
they didn’t say a word
people don’t always need words young man
the children’s mother said
but she’s my wife
bill’s face was red and angry
she can’t do that
he said loudly
he stood up
i’m going to stop the train
everybody looked at him and the two
children
laughed no
the man in the brown hat said
no you don’t want to do that
sit down and eat your sandwiches my
friend
but i don’t understand
why did she go
what am i going to do
bill’s face was very unhappy
after a second or two he sat down again
what am i going to do
he said again
nothing
the man in the brown hat said
he ate his sandwich slowly
go and have your holiday incent hostile
you can have a good time there
forget about julie
those green eyes now
he took out a second sandwich and began
to eat it
i knew a woman once with green eyes
she gave me a very bad time
now
you want to forget about julie
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