Practice Your Listening - A walk in the forest - #03 TalkingAbout

I can’t find Mark, so I shout, 'Mark, where are you?' No answer. 'Mark,' I shout again, 'I know about you.' After a moment, he appears. 'What do you know? How do you know my name?' 'Your dad was on TV. The police are looking for you.' He looks shocked. 'Did you say anything? Have you told them?' 'No,' I say. 'I wanted to talk to you first. What’s happened? Why have you run away?' 'I had an argument with my dad. A bad one.' 'What about?' I ask. Mark points to a fallen tree and we sit down. 'My mum died four years ago. It was a very difficult time for me and for Dad. He was sad for a long time, but then he met someone new. Mel’s her name.' 'Oh, and don’t you like her?' I ask. 'No, not much. She’s not a bad person, but we don’t really connect. She wants my dad for herself and she isn’t interested in me.' 'But, what about your dad? Have you talked to him?' 'He tells me to try harder with her, but I can’t. The night I ran away, he told me that we’re all moving to London. Mel’s from London, you see. Then he told me that he and Mel want to get married and have a baby. We both got angry and I told him I’m not moving to London. I took my tent and I left in the middle of the night.' 'But what will you do? You can’t live here.' I tell him. 'I know, but my grandad and my friends are in Manchester. I don’t want to move to London.' 'You might like London,' I say. 'That’s what my dad says.' I feel sorry for Mark, but I think of his dad crying on TV and feel sorry for him too. 'What are you going to do?' I ask. 'I don’t know. I need time to think.'