Beyond the Crystal City by Logan Brookfield

Author:Logan Brookfield
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Logan Brookfield

Chapter Twenty-Three

Leah placed a cup of water on the table. ‘Here you go, Rose; this should quench your thirst.’

Leah’s dwelling was smaller than Rose’s but kept as neat as could be expected with such limited resources. A table sat in the middle of the shack with a handful of chairs made out of scraps of wood and metal. From the ceiling hung old rusted pots and the walls were adorned with multicoloured bits of torn fabric, in an attempt to hide the broken timber, corrugated sheets and shredded plastic behind it.

‘Oh thank you, my dear,’ she said picking it up with a shaky hand.

‘You’re trembling, Rose, are you OK?’ Leah asked.

‘Everything seems to hurt and shake, but it’s got worse over the last couple of years. I’m getting old now and try not to worry about it. I just try to stick around for my kids,’ Rose said sipping her drink. ‘This is so refreshing, is it lemon?’

Leah nodded. ‘Sure is. I managed to get a couple of lemons from a friend and I’ve been squeezing them within an inch of their life. It makes a nice cool drink and I just wish I could get many more. Did you say kids? You have more than one, Rose?’

Rose placed the cup back on the table. ‘I only have one now, that’s why I’m so desperate to get him back. I couldn’t cope with losing another.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry, I really shouldn’t have asked.’

‘No, it’s fine, I don’t mind talking about it,’ Rose said. ‘What’s happened has happened and nothing can change it now. Carl was my firstborn, you see, then not long after him I had a beautiful little girl. We called her Joy, because she really was a joy in every way. She had blonde hair in ringlets and the bluest eyes you ever did see. Carl was always a rascal, always getting into mischief but Joy was so well behaved. She was like a little angel with the most infectious laugh. She would chuckle, making the little curls on her forehead bounce up and down. We laughed so much we cried.’

Leah sat down next to Rose and held her hand. ‘It’s OK, you really don’t need to drag it all back up again.’

Rose wiped under her eyes. ‘I’m fine, it’s just been a long time since I’ve spoken about it,’ she said looking down at the floor. ‘One day I had to get over to my sister’s place across town and I took Joy out with me. There was trouble near the marketplace as always and a large crowd was pushing and shoving. I held her hand tight as we made our way through and then, for some reason, she let go just for a second. I turned round and she was gone, lost in the crowd and I couldn’t find her…I never saw her alive again. She was only six years old.’

Leah squeezed Rose’s hand tighter. ‘What happened?’

‘After the crowd dispersed I found the teddy bear she was holding, and then nearby I saw her lying face down on the ground.

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