Undisclosed Desires by Bridget Kathleen (websites to read books for free txt) 📖

Sophia stood still with her arms held out her side, straight. She looked back at her reflection as two woman put together a blue dress on her. It was quarter length with bottuns at the sleeve. The dress went down to her ankel and puffed out a little where little white frills decorated the edges. Sophia put on white tight with white colored dressed shoes with a little bit of a hill on them. next she was placed in a whicker chair and her hair was neatly brushed and then french braided. Lastely A plane blue hat was placed on her head to keep the sun out of her eyes; pins were hooked in to help keep the hat on better. When she was done, Sophia gawked at herself in the mirror. She looked like a doll.
"Come now," said her uncle, entering the room after she was done dressing. "Ah! Look how wonderful you look. It's as if you never ran away fro home." he walked up to her a finger to his chin while the other rested on his hip. Looked her up and down and nodded approvingly.
"I...ran away from home?" Sophia.
"You don't remember that?" Sophia shook her head. Her uncle shrugged and continued talking."Broke my heart when I heard word that you and your brother left without saying a word."
"We did?" Sophia said. Why wasn't she able to remember something like that. "Are you sure?" she asked him.
"Why of course."
"Where is my brother now?" Sophia asked, hoping that maybe her brother would be able to give her all the answers she needed.
He sighed then. "He left you. I don't know where but he did."
"He left me?" Sophia was hurt by this. "Why...?"
Again her uncle sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "He just...up and left is what some people told me when I was looking for you two."
"Who are these 'some people'?" she asked him.
"Stop asking so many questions. What matters is that you will be coming back to New Orleans with me."
"What about my brother?"
Sophia's uncle rolled his eyes. "I already told you, he ran off. Besides, he is old enough to take care of himself. Don't worry about him."

Sophia and her uncle walked the streets of Brooklyn heading for lunch. She thought hard about herself and what had happened to her. She finally entered a resturaunt that was decorated with flowers and fake vines. They were seated to a small table and givin fancy decorated menus. Sophia scanned what was avalible to eat: Turky sandwhich, beef soup with bread, fish and chips, a bowl of fruit and salad. For beverages there was water, tea with ot without sugar, coffee, and lemonaid. Sophia decided to get the turky sandwhich with lemonaid and set her menu down. She looked to her uncle who lit a cigar but was quickly asked to smoke it outside by one of the waiters who then took Sophia's order.

Her uncle walked outside and puffed his cigar here and there, watching the busy New Yorkers walk by. He was then approached by a young looking man. He held his head high and his hat was a little worn but he looked proud wearing his pink suspenders and new pair of pants. The young man stard at him until he finally said something. "Do we have a problem here?" Sophia's uncle asked.
The young man scoffed. "Yeah. We do."
"Who are you aqgain?" he asked him. Sophia's uncle gave the kid a better look and then said, "Oh...You're that...Spud boy, right? My you're grown." he chuckled and puffed his cigar again.
"It's Spot!" he spat at his shoes.
Sophia's uncled looked where Spot had spit and looked back up at him with an irritated look. "What the hell do you want?" he said harshly?"
"Why the hell are you here?"
"I'm on a business trip."
"Sophia's not here...incase you're wondering." Spot said with irritancy in his voice.
Sophia's uncle eyed him for a moment and smiled. He asked, "Oh? And why is that?"
Spot was relunctent to tell him but decided it was best just to say it. "She's dead. That fire that started two days ago at the sweat shop...She was workin' there the day it happened. They'se never found her body."
"Oh? Is that so? Pity."
Spot's mouth dropped a little. "Are you'se serious? That's all ya got ta say? Pity?"
Sophia's uncle nodded to this. "Well...it really is a shame. I mean...I was hoping to take her back to New Orleans today."
"You're leaving today?" he asked.
"So," Sophia's uncle took one last puff of his cigar. "How did Sophia get to know a boy like you?"
The words stung at Spot's ears. "She became a newsie. Got a problem wit that?"
He shook his head. "No. Did you fancy my little niece?"
"Fancy?" Spot was a little surprised. "Well...what's it to ya?"
Sophia's uncle smiled at this. "So you did fancy her." he laughed a little.
"Stop laughing!" Spot yelled.
He suddenly did stop and glared at Spot. "Tell me, Spot...Did you ever violate my little niece?"
In the same hars tone Spot said to him, "No soon than you did."

Sophia's uncle tried hard to remain his composer. "If no one was around I'd shoot you right in your chest and watch as you die by gaging on your blood!"
Sophia who had just been giving her food saw her uncle talking to a young man. They looked like they were arguring. Sophia eyed the young man carefully. Underneath his hat he was really cute and she wished she could talk to him. At least once. Something though, was very familiar about him. Did she know this young man? Had she talked to him before and just couldn't remember? She turned her gaze from him and started eating. When her uncle returned he ordered his food, which was just a salad and some fruit and finished by the time Sophia was done. The two left the resturaunt and headed to the train.
"How long will it take to get to New Orleans?" Sophia asked.
"At least three days. Two if we do not have to stop at too many places." Her uncle replied.
"Two while days? That seems a lot."
Her uncle laughed and at this and assured that the time would pass quickly.

When she boarded the train it was easy enough to get on because she had nothing to take with her. He uncle on the other hand carried with him a small suitcase. When they found a place to sit it was a private area where they could close the door and have their own privacy. Sophia sat down on the soft red cushioned seat; her uncle sat across from her.
"How many times have you rode on a train?" Sophia asked.
"Many times. More than I can count."
Sophia nodded. "I wonder how many times I've been on a train...Say...Do you think I will ever remember anything?"
"I'm sure you will. I'm just glad you are finally coming home. I've been very worried about you."
"And what about my parents. Have they been worried too?"
Her uncle got a sad look on his face and said, "Anna Sophia...Your parents and baby brother...are dead."
"Dead?...Both of them? And...and I had a baby brother too? They're all dead?" tears formed in her eyes.
"Don't be sad Sophia. It's been a while since they've been gone. And besides, they would not want you to shed tears for them."

Just outside their sitting aread and woman walked by with a crying baby, hushing it to calm down. Sophia's chest part of her dress became wet. Surprised as she was she looked to her uncle who gave her a furious look and suddenly slapped her. "You had a child?" he shouted.
Sophia's stumbled upon her own mouth, trying to find the right words to say. "I...I...I don't...I don't know what...I mean."
"Clean yourself up! Now!" Sophia was handed a hankerchief from her uncle and she patted her breasts. "Whore!" he said.
Sophia broke down in tears and covered her face. "I...I am not a whore!" The words made her feel down right useless.
"You had a child! You let someone touch you and violate you with pleasure! You are a whore! Let me guess, you got rid of the child right away, didn't you?"
Sophia shook her head. "Stop yelling at me! Please!"
her uncle calmed down after that and sat back in his seat. "My own little nice...A slut! I thought your parents raised you better than that."
Sophia choked back tears and held her head down. She felt ashamed and usless after her uncles ruthless speech.

Two days passed and the train slowly stopped as it came to New Orleans.
"This is our stop." Her uncle said, grabbing his things. Sophia stood up and followed her uncle off the train. She was hoping to see bright sunshine but the thick clouds made everythng seem so gloomy. This is New Orleans? Sophia thought. She thought it would look so great and fancy. But maybe it was just the clouds making it seem that way. She continued to follow her uncle to a buggy and got in, sitting beside him, her hands resting on her lap.
"You will love returning to my home. I have redecorated part of the house."
"Oh. I'm sure I will then." she tried making small talk with her uncle but she felt uncomfortable after what he had called her.
"Yes. You will love it." he told her. "I didn't touch your room though."
"I have a room of my own?" she asked.
"Of course! When you were younger you and your family would sometimes come visit me for a few weeks during the summer."
"And what about my parents home?"
"I sold it to a nice little family."
"You...sold it?"
"I needed the money."
Sophia was starting to dislike her uncle even more with every passing minute. What kind of person was her uncle really? she wished she could remember everything. She wished she could see her parents and her brothers again. She wanted to jump out of the buggy, rip her silly dress up so she could run as fast as she could and never come back.

Sophia looked out to the sea, the salty waters hitting her toes; it had been six months since she first remembered something about her past.