Closure by Jacob Ross

Author:Jacob Ross
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Peepal Tree Press

MULI AMAYE

STREAMLINING

“So, like, nobody gets buried these days, yeah. We gotta look after the earth’s resources, innit?”

“Oh, so you mean that cremation is better because it only releases toxins into the air and around the ozone layer and that’s good for the earth?”

Jocie hated it when her brother started going on like this. As if he actually knew things that mattered, when the truth was that he’d half-listened to a conversation with some white girl into hippy shit he wanted to shag. Besides, they hadn’t been talking about burying anyone. Nobody had died. It was just the kind of discussion they had when they were on the way to visit Mother – even thinking the word “mother” filled Jocie with dread. It was ridiculous. She’d left home when she was seventeen for God’s sake. Fifteen years ago.

At the next traffic lights, near Belle Vue, or what used to be Belle Vue, she twisted the mirror round and checked her hair. It was braided neatly, not too big, not too small. Her scalp was well oiled and looked healthy. She ran her finger over her eyebrows and rubbed at the dark shadows under her eyes. She should have used her Touche Éclat but it was her summer shade and it was too dark for her paler winter face. There hadn’t been time to go shopping.

“C’mon, Sis, lights won’t get any greener.”

“Why do you always say that? It’s a ridiculous saying.”

“You mean it’s what Dad used to say?”

She didn’t mean that. At least she didn’t think she did. Besides, it was funny when Dad had said it. His accent made it fuller, coloured it in somehow.

But her brother had put his Dr Dre’s back on his ears and was strumming his long fingers on the dash. He looked out of place in her Tigra. Like he’d squashed himself into a child’s pedal car, his knees nearly touching his ears. Brandon never seemed to worry about visiting Mother. Took it all in his stride. That was because Mother doted on him. He couldn’t do anything wrong. If he turned up in a creased shirt, it was his girlfriend’s fault. If his hair wasn’t neat, it was the barber’s fault. If he had a hangover, it was his mates’ fault. Jocie could only imagine what it would be like not to be responsible for herself and others. Her brother wasn’t a bad person. He just didn’t know he was irresponsible; the word wasn’t in his vocabulary.

Her earliest memories were about being responsible: for waking up Brandon with her crying; for giving Mummy a headache with all her chatter; for making Daddy leave because she was always naughty. Jocie knew about responsibility. Maybe she should resent her brother, but she couldn’t. It wasn’t his fault he’d been born with a penis.

The traffic was really heavy. She hated coming to Reddish. It was a nightmare on match days now that Man City had moved from Maine Road. And of course today was a match day. The place had become scruffy.

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