The Ned Wood Archive

Ellie

Joe and Ellie have climbed up onto one of the raised wooden platforms on the walkway through the woods next to Woodsies.  That was where they ended up going after they’d had their lunch.  They’re leaning over the side looking down at the undergrowth and Joe is telling her all about the mythical creatures there.  He says he’s seen the phoenix resting after her performance in the opening ceremony.  He’s seen a unicorn and a questing beast.  Now he’s trying to convince her that there’s a mermaid/merman couple frolicking in the lake.  Apparently this is one of the places where they still feel safe in southern England.  She can see why.

Ellie has decided that she’s going to spend the rest of the day with Joe, that is, provided he doesn’t suddenly decide he’s going to get bored or something and hare off to join up with his mates.  It’s fun being with someone new.  And she likes him.  He’s a bit different.  He makes her feel good, somehow.  She feels a bit guilty about not hanging out with Phoebe & the gang, it being the last chance before she goes to Milan, but she decides she’d be fine if one of them did the same if the positions were switched.  Anyway, they’ve got tomorrow and Sunday and if anything happens with her and Joe, then she thinks she’ll be able to arrange it so that Joe gets to hang out with the gang too.

She made up her mind just now.  She noticed that he was looking at her and when she turned to catch his eyes, he kept on looking and smiling.  Looking at her in a way that made her think she was the only person in the world.  Something in his eyes telling her that she was that special.  Was she right?  Is that what he really thought or had she got it wrong.  Anyway, she’s enjoying herself just now.  Live for the day and all that.

She asks him about his mates.  She wants to know whether he wishes he was with them or not.  It doesn’t sound like it.  He tells her about the people he’s with.  The way he talks about them, though, she’s pretty sure he’s not going to run off and join them when her back is turned.

“Well, there’s Tom, my brother.  There’s a couple of his mates from Bristol.  They’ll be at Knee Cap and then they’ll argue about Idles or Fontaines.  We’ve seen them a few times, both of them.  Up at the Park.  They’ll probably end up at Fontaines.  There’s my little sister, Megs with a couple of her mates.  She’ll be doing Lady Gaga.  There’s Gorgeous George who you would maybe have seen at the Green Fields with that ska band.  He’ll be dancing his head off down in Silver Hayes, especially if he can find someone playing early Prodigy.  And then there’s a few other folk from work and places.” 

Joe tells Ellie about Tom and Megan.  

“Me and Tom always come together.  We’ve been coming for nearly twenty years.  Mom would only let me come if Tom promised to stay with me all the time.  She trusts him.  He’s the golden boy.”

“Oldest children always are.” says Ellie.  “Does he boss you around?”

“Sort of.  He naturally assumes charge like he’s still got to look after me.  Even now”

“And I bet you do the same with your sister when it’s just the two of you.”

Joe has to admit that he is rather protective of Megan.  Not that she needs it.  She’s the most capable of the lot.  Like, they were leaving the site last year and walking up the muddy lane, she was fixing up everyone’s broken trolleys and stuff.  There was one trolley wheel that she put back on with a few cable ties.  You know those plastic things that you pull tight and they grip like mad.  And there was another of those mini wagons that you pull.  You know, like a big basket with wheels at each corner.  She had this roll of gorilla tape, so she twisted it into like long plaits of rope and fixed up their broken axle.

“And, you know what.  She carries this repair kit stuff with her.  Even this year.  She’s come by coach and she’s still got this bag of ties and nuts and bolts.  I mean I’ve got a couple of nuts and bolts and a spanner, but then I’ve got my own trolley.  She brings her stuff and she’ll only ever use it to help someone else.  I think it’s one of those things that gives her purpose.  Defines her.

“Tom’s a green party member.  He’s been a member for ages.  Even before Polanski. Megs is chocolate.”

“Chocolate?” asks Ellie.

“Green and Black.  Eco-anarchist.”

“How do you mean?”

“Oh, XR and JSO and the rest.”

“And what are you?”

“Independent.”

“Or uncommitted?”

He looks embarrassed. Maybe she’s got him there.

Then he moves on to George. 

“He’s the most confident person I know.  Seems like nothing bothers him.  And he can dance.  He just loves everything about life.  You won’t see much of him from now on.  He doesn’t do the indie stuff with me.  He’ll be in the dance village now.  

“He’s the offspring of two mixed race kids.  One grandad was from Nigeria, came over to Imperial College.  Gran was a punk rocker.  The other gran was a nurse, married a Scottish artist.

“What did Zadie Smith say about her parents being the wrong way round or the opposite way round or something?  George says he has the full set: black dad, white dad, black mom, white mom (meaning his grandparents).” 

Joe tells her he just has a northern Mom and a Midlands dad and thinks he’s not cosmopolitan enough.

She can tell that he’s closer to George and Megan by the way he talks about them. In fact, he has hardly said anything about the other lads in the group. Like his work mates. What does that say about their relationship? Like Ellie and the others are one gang. But Joe’s mates are different. Not really a gang in the same way.

The she went back to that reference that she didn’t catch. Zadie Smith was it. She asks who she is.  Joe tells her that the quote, even though he can’t remember it, just the gist, is from a book where these two mixed race girls compare their parents.  One’s black-white and the other is white-black.

“She writes about north west London.  You know Dollis Hill and Neasden and all that jazz.”

“No I don’t know.  We don’t go over there much.”

“No, me neither.  My place is in Islington.  Not far from the Garage.  Do you know it?”

“Yeah.  Been there once or twice.”

“What about you?  Where do you live?”

“It used to be Hackney.  But, but..” she hesitates.  “No, Yeah.  I’m moving to Milan when we get back”

“What, straight after Glastonbury?  That’ll be cool.  I always wanted to live in Italy.”

So there it is.  Now she’s told him.  Now he knows that she’s moving to Italy next week.  Is that going to mess up the rest of the day?  Was he just thinking hang around with her for a few hours or was he thinking this was a long term thing?  Which of those was she thinking?  Actually, she hadn’t thought about it either way.  She wouldn’t have done yet unless Phoebe had asked her.  She’s been talking to herself for a little while. Now she notices that he hasn’t said anything either.  It’s been silent for a minute or two.

Then he points at the ground beneath their feet.  “Did you see that?  A wyvern.  They’re supposed to be lucky.  Make a wish.”