Indelible Ink by Helen Iles

Author:Helen Iles [Iles, Helen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: literature; collection; anthology; short stories; poetry; Helen Iles; Indelible Ink; award winning
Publisher: Linellen Press
Published: 2019-01-22T16:00:00+00:00

Neither Lie, Douglas

Two tousled headed boys were sitting on the curb of their leafy suburban street, one keenly watching the traffic that whizzed by on the busy intersection further up, the other studying a puddle that had been left from the recent rains, taking particular note as a silent plummeting droplet from the overhanging tree above plopped and disturbed its surface. He leant further forward over his knees, catching the other boy’s attention.

“What are ya doin’, Douglas?” the second boy enquired with a frown.

“Readin’ puddles,” came the youngster’s droll reply.

“How do ya read puddles?” the enquirer smirked again. “Ya can’t even read. Ya too young.”

“I can read puddles!” Douglas quipped back offendedly, scratching at the freckle line across his nose.

“How?!” came the scoffing remark. “Show me how!”

“It’s easy,” the little boy said. “You just have to look. Just look into the water and you can see all sorts of things.”

The older boy leaned forward sceptically. “Like what?”

Douglas waited for the ripples to clear, waited for the smooth reflection to cast its vision before his eyes then he started reading – the only reading his young age was capable of. “I can see a tree,” he said. “It’s a street tree, all green an’ yellow an’ wet. And it’s going to be a big tree.” A drip-stirred ripple clouded the pool for a second then all was still again.

“I can see a blue sky,” the little boy advised next, “an’ it’s clear so there won’t be any more rain today.” They were wise words from an only just five year old, and the other boy looked up in verification, sensed there was more to this puddle reading than met the eye, and leant forward closer.

“I can see you,” Douglas said, turning his head to look straight at the ten year old, a hint of affection showing.

“Yeah? And what can ya tell about me?”

“The puddle says Andrew will be my friend.” He looked up hopefully, yet caught the other boy’s face hardening a little.

“Did it now?!” came the teasing retort, but he had caught the despairing plea from the lonely little boy who had just moved in next door.

“Uh huh. The puddle says so ... an’ puddles don’t lie.” He shook his head earnestly.

“How do ya know that?!”

Douglas’s face tightened in defence. “My Daddy says so. Puddles don't lie!” His voice was adamant.

“Okay ... okay,” the older boy pacified him without commitment. “So what else do you see?” he dodged the subject.

“Sometimes I see Mummy’s face in the puddle.”

Andrew frowned again. All the things the little boy had seen had actually been there, and he flashed a quick and worried glance behind them to Douglas’s house.

“But you can’t. I heard she’s ...”

“I can!” Douglas protested. “I can see her! Daddy said I can! An’ I see her in the puddles ... any time I want!”

Andrew detected immediately the great sense of loss the little boy was feeling. He’d lost his dog in the year just gone and although it wasn’t quite the same, he understood that sense of being so alone.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.