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Going places (CBSE Class XII)

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Page 1: Going places (CBSE Class XII)
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A R Barton is a modern writer, who lives in

Zurich and Writes in English. He has

authored many stories like "Going Places"

which are mainly concerned with the

problems and the stage of adolescence.

THE AUTHOR

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Story of a teenage girl and her day-

dreaming and fantasies.

A liar with great ambitions.

Cherishes very expensive dreams.

Lies about her social status .

The story ends with she believing

her own lie and becoming the victim

of her lie

PLOT

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A girl from a poor

financial background filled

with fantasies and desires.

But she hopes to be

sophisticated in the future

Hardly works for it

THEME

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IMPORTANT CHARACTERS

SOPHIE

FAMILY

FATHERMOTHER

(HOUSEWIFE)BROTHERS

GEOFF

(MECHANIC APPRENTICE)

DEREK

(YOUNGER BROTHER)

FRIEND

JANSIE

(REALISTIC)

FANTASIZED BOYFRIEND

DANNY CASEY

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GOING PLACES

TO BE SUCCESSFUL

ADOLESCENT

TEENAGE

FANTASISING

DAY-DREAMING

BOUTIQUE

FASHION-SHOP

PAGE-1

STRAIGHT OFF

IMMEDIATELY

MELANCHOLY

SAD

SOAF

SHORT FOR SOPHIE

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SCENE-1

Sophie Jansie

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DOUBTFUL

SCENE-1

“When I leave,” cominghome from school, “I’mgoing to have a boutique.”

“Takes money, Soaf,something like that.

“I’ll find it,” staring far downthe street.

HANDS LINKED

S J

DREAMY

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SCENE-1

“Take you a long time to save thatmuch.”

“Well I’ll be a manager then — yes,of course — to begin with. Till I’vegot enough. But anyway, I knowjust how it’s all going to look.”

“They wouldn’t make you managerstraight off, Soaf.”

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SCENE-1

“I’ll be like MaryQuant”. “I’ll be anatural. They’ll see itfrom the start. I’ll havethe most amazing shopthis city’s ever seen.”

Welsh fashion designer and British

fashion icon

Credit for the miniskirt and hot

pants

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SCENE-1

Jansie, knowing they wereboth earmarked for thebiscuit factory, becamemelancholy. She wishedSophie wouldn’t say thesethings.

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SCENE-1

When they reachedSophie’s street Jansiesaid, “It’s only a fewmonths away now, Soaf,you really should besensible. They don’t paywell for shop work, youknow that, your dadwould never allow it.”

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SCENE-1

“Or an actress. Now there’sreal money in that. Yes, andI could maybe have theboutique on the side.Actresses don’t work fulltime, do they? Anyway, thator a fashion designer, youknow — something a bitsophisticated”

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SCENE-1

And she turned inthrough the openstreet door leavingJansie standing inthe rain.

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SCENE – 2

Sophie Dad Mother

Derek Geoff

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SCENE-2

“If ever I come into moneyI’ll buy a boutique.”

“Huh - if you ever comeinto money... if you evercome into money you’ll buyus a blessed decent houseto live in, thank you verymuch.”

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SCENE-2

Sophie’s father wasscooping shepherd’s pieinto his mouth as hard ashe could go, his plumpface still grimy and sweat— marked from the day

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SCENE-2

“She thinks money grows on trees, don’t she, Dad?’ said little Derek, hanging on the back of his father’s chair.

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SCENE-2

Their mother sighed

Sophie watched her back stooped overthe sink and wondered at theincongruity of the delicate bow whichfastened her apron strings. The delicate-seeming bow and the crooked back

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SCENE-2

The evening had alreadyblacked in the windowsand the small room wassteamy from the stoveand cluttered with theheavy-breathing man inhis vest at the table andthe dirty washing piledup in the corner. Sophiefelt a tightening in herthroat. She went to lookfor her brother Geoff

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SCENE-2

He was kneeling on the floorin the next room tinkeringwith a part of his motorcycleover some newspaperspread on the carpet. Hewas three years out ofschool, an apprenticemechanic, travelling to hiswork each day to the farside of the city. He wasalmost grown up now, andshe suspected areas of hislife about which she knewnothing, about which henever spoke.

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SCENE-2

He said little at all,ever, voluntarily.Words had to be prizedout of him like stonesout of the ground. Andshe was jealous of hissilence. When hewasn’t speaking it wasas though he was awaysomewhere, out therein the world in thoseplaces she had neverbeen.

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SCENE-2

Whether they wereonly the outlyingdistricts of the city, orplaces beyond in thesurrounding country— who knew? —they attained aspecial fascinationsimply because theywere unknown to herand remained out ofher reach.

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SCENE-2

Perhaps there were alsopeople, exotic, interestingpeople of whom he neverspoke — it was possible,though he was quiet anddidn’t make new friendseasily. She longed toknow them. She wishedshe could be admittedmore deeply into herbrother’s affections andthat someday he mighttake her with him.

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SCENE-2Though their fatherforbade it and Geoff hadnever expressed anopinion, she knew hethought her too young.And she was impatient.She was conscious of avast world out therewaiting for her and sheknew instinctively thatshe would feel as athome there as in thecity which had alwaysbeen her home.

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SCENE-2

It expectantly awaitedher arrival. She sawherself riding therebehind Geoff. He worenew, shining blackleathers and she ayellow dress with a kindof cape that flew outbehind. There was thesound of applause asthe world rose to greetthem.

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SCENE-2

He sat frowning atthe oily componenthe cradled in hishands, as though itwere a small dumbanimal and he waswilling it to speak

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SCENE-2“I met Danny Casey,” Sophiesaid.

He looked around abruptly.“Where?”

“In the arcade — funnilyenough.”

“It’s never true.”

“I did too.”

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SCENE-2

“You told Dad?”

She shook her head, chastened at hisunawareness that he was always thefirst to share her secrets.

“I don’t believe it.”

“There I was looking at the clothes in Royce’swindow when someone came and stoodbeside me, and I looked around and whoshould it be but Danny Casey.”

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SCENE-2

“All right, what does he looklike?”

“Oh come on, you know what he lookslike.”

“Close to, I mean.”

“Well — he has green eyes. Gentle eyes. Andhe’s not so tall as you’d think...” She wonderedif she should say about his teeth, but decidedagainst it.

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SCENE-2

Their father had washedwhen he came in and hisface and arms were shinyand pink and he smelledof soap. He switched onthe television, tossed oneof little Derek’s shoesfrom his chair onto thesofa, and sat down with agrunt.

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SCENE-2

“Sophie met Danny Casey,”

Sophie wriggled where she was sittingat the table.

Her father turned his head on his thick neck to look at her. His expression was one of disdain.

“It’s true,” Geoff said.

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SCENE-2“I once knew a man who had known TomFinney,” his father said reverently to thetelevision. “But that was a long time ago.”.

“You told us,” Geoff said.

“Casey might be that good some day.”

“Better than that even. He’s thebest.”

“If he keeps his head on his shoulders. If they look after him properly. A lot of distractions for a youngster in the game these days.”

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SCENE-2“He’ll be all right. He’s with the best team in the country.”

“He’s very young yet.”

“He’s older than I am.”

“Too young really for the first team.”

“You can’t argue with that sort of ability.”

“He’s going to buy a shop,” Sophie said from the table.

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SCENE-2

Her father grimaced. “Where’d youhear that?”

“He told me so.”

He muttered something inaudible anddragged himself round in his chair.“This another of your wild stories?”

“She met him in the arcade,” Geoffsaid, and told him how it had been.

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SCENE-2“One of these days you’re going to talk yourself intoa load of trouble,” her father said aggressively.

“Geoff knows it’s true, don’t you Geoff?”

“He don’t believe you-though he’d like to.”

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SCENE-3

Sophie Geoff

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SCENE-3

The table lamp castan amber glowacross her brother’sbedroom wall, andacross the largeposter of United’sfirst team squad andthe row of colouredphotographsbeneath, three ofthem of the youngIrish prodigy, Casey.

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SCENE-3“Promise you’ll tell no-one?” Sophiesaid

“Nothing to tell is there?”

“Promise, Geoff — Dad’d murder me.”

“Only if he thought it was true.”

“Please, Geoff.”

“Christ, Sophie, you’re still at school. Casey must have strings of girls.”

“No he doesn’t.”

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SCENE-3

“How could you knowthat?” he jeered.

“He told me, that’s how.”

“As if anyone would tell agirl something like that.”

“Yes he did. He isn’t like that. He’s... quiet.”

“Not as quiet as all that —apparently.”

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SCENE-3

“It was nothing like that,Geoff — it was me spokefirst. When I saw who itwas, I said, “Excuse me,but aren’t you DannyCasey?” And he lookedsort of surprised. And hesaid, “Yes, that’s right.”And I knew it must behim because he had theaccent, you know, likewhen they interviewedhim on the television.

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SCENE-3

“So I asked him foran autograph forlittle Derek, butneither of us hadany paper or apen. So then wejust talked a bit.About the clothesin Royce’s window.He seemed lonely.

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SCENE-3

“After all, it’s a longway from the westof Ireland. Andthen, just as he wasgoing, he said, if Iwould care to meethim next week hewould give me anautograph then. Ofcourse, I said Iwould.”

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SCENE-3

“As if he’d ever show up.”

“You do believe me now, don’t you?”

He dragged his jacket, which was shiny andshapeless, from the back of the chair andpushed his arms into it. She wished he paidmore attention to his appearance. Wished hecared more about clothes. He was tall with astrong dark face. Handsome, she thought.

“It’s the unlikeliest thing I ever heard,” hesaid.

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SCENE-4

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SCENE-4

On Saturday theymade their weeklypilgrimage to watchUnited. Sophie andher father and littleDerek went downnear the goal —Geoff, as always,went with his mateshigher up.

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SCENE-4

United won two-nil andCasey drove in the secondgoal, a blend of innocenceand Irish genius, goinground the two bigdefenders on the edge ofthe penalty area, with herfather screaming for himto pass, and beating thehesitant goalkeeper froma dozen yards. Sophieglowed with pride.Afterwards Geoff wasecstatic.

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SCENE-4

“I wish he was anEnglishman,” someone saidon the bus.

“Ireland’ll win the WorldCup,” little Derek told hismother when Sophie broughthim home. Her father wasgone to the pub to celebrate

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SCENE-4

“What’s this you’ve been telling?”Jansie said, next week.

“About what?”

“Your Geoff told our Frank you metDanny Casey.”

This wasn’t an inquisition, just Jansiebeing nosey. But Sophie was startled.

“Oh, that.”

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SCENE-4

Jansie frowned, sensing she wascovering. “Yes — that.”

“Well-yes, I did.”

“You never did?” Jansie exclaimed.

Sophie glared at the ground. Damn thatGeoff, this was a Geoff thing not aJansie thing. It was meant to besomething special just between them.Something secret. It wasn’t a Jansiekind of thing at all.

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SCENE-4Tell gawky Jansie something like thatand the whole neighbourhood wouldget to know it. Damn that Geoff, wasnothing sacred?

“It’s a secret — meant to be.”

“I’ll keep a secret, Soaf, you know that.”

“I wasn’t going to tell anyone. There’ll be a right old row if my dad gets to hear about it.”

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SCENE-4

Jansie blinked. “A row? I’d havethought he’d be chuffed asanything.”

She realised then that Jansiedidn’t know about the date bit— Geoff hadn’t told aboutthat. She breathed more easily.So Geoff hadn’t let her downafter all. He believed in herafter all. After all some thingsmight be sacred.

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SCENE-4

“Jesus, I wish I’d have beenthere.”

“It was just a little thing really. Iasked him for an autograph,but we hadn’t any paper or apen so it was no good.” Howmuch had Geoff said?

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SCENE-4

Jansie said, hushed, “You cantrust me, Soaf, you know that.”

“Of course, my dad didn’t wantto believe it. You know what amisery he is. But the last thing Ineed is queues of people roundour house asking him, “What’sall this about Danny Casey?”He’d murder me. And you knowhow my mum gets when there’sa row.”

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SCENE-5

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SCENE-5

There was a wooden benchbeneath a solitary elm wherelovers sometimes came. She satdown to wait. It was the perfectplace, she had always thought so,for a meeting of this kind. Forthose who wished not to beobserved. She knew he wouldapprove.”

After dark she walked by thecanal, along a sheltered pathlighted only by the glare of thelamps from the wharf across thewater, and the unceasing drone ofthe city was muffled and distant.It was a place she had oftenplayed in when she was a child.

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SCENE-5

Here I sit, she said to herself,wishing Danny would come,wishing he would come andsensing the time passing. I feel thepangs of doubt stirring inside me. Iwatch for him but still there is nosign of him.

For some while, waiting, sheimagined his coming. She watchedalong the canal, seeing him comeout of the shadows, imagining herown consequent excitement. Notuntil some time had elapsed did shebegin balancing against this the ideaof his not coming.

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SCENE-5

But we know how it was,Danny and me — that’s themain thing. How can you helpwhat people choose tobelieve? But all the same, itmakes me despondent, thisknowing I’ll never be able toshow them they’re wrong todoubt me.

I remember Geoff saying he wouldnever come, and how none ofthem believed me when I toldthem. I wonder what will I do,what can I tell them now if hedoesn’t come?

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SCENE-5

Now I have become sad, shethought. And it is a hardburden to carry, this sadness.Sitting here waiting andknowing he will not come Ican see the future and how Iwill have to live with thisburden

She waited, measuring in thisway the changes taking placein her. Resignation was nosudden thing.

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SCENE-5

Already I envisage the slowwalk home, and Geoff’sdisappointed face when I tellhim, “He didn’t come, thatDanny.” And then he’ll fly outand slam the door. “But weknow how it was,” I shall tellmyself, “Danny and me.” It isa hard thing, this sadness.

They of course will doubt me,as they always doubted me,but I will have to hold up myhead remembering how itwas.

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SCENE-5She climbed the crumbling steps to thestreet. Outside the pub she passed herfather’s bicycle propped against the wall, andwas glad. He would not be there when shegot home.

“Excuse me, but aren’t you Danny Casey?”

Coming through the arcade she pictured himagain outside Royce’s.

He turns, reddening slightly. “Yes, that’sright.”

“I watch you every week, with my dad andmy brothers. We think you’re great.”

“Oh, well now — that’s very nice.”

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“I wonder — would you mind signing anautograph?”

His eyes are on the same level as your own. Hisnose is freckled and turns upwards slightly, andwhen he smiles he does so shyly, exposingteeth with gaps between.

His eyes are green, and when he looks straightat you they seem to shimmer. They seemgentle, almost afraid. Like a gazelle’s.

And you look away. You let his eyes run overyou a little. And then you come back to findthem, slightly breathless.

And he says, “I don’t seem to have a pen at all.”

SCENE-5

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SCENE-5

You realise you haven’t either.

“My brothers will be very sorry,” you say.

And afterwards you wait there alonein the arcade for a long while, standingwhere he stood, remembering the softmelodious voice, the shimmer ofgreen eyes.

No taller than you. No bolder than you.The prodigy. The innocent genius. Thegreat Danny Casey.

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SCENE-5

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