Island by Rogers Jane

Author:Rogers, Jane [Rogers, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC000000, FIC030000, FIC019000
ISBN: 9781468305517
Publisher: Overlook
Published: 2000-10-09T00:00:00+00:00

14 Mother’s weak spot

I looked back down to the abandoned village once I had gone through the forest and gained some height. I could make him out, crouched over, digging at something I suppose. Looking for treasures. That was what he did, I thought – he had so bloody little life of his own that all he could do was collect the detritus of other lives and pore over the stories of ghosts.

When I got back the Life Source was audible in her kitchen. The Fat Controller (only she was skinny); the arch manipulator. I went straight to the kitchen, knocked and asked to borrow some milk. She was making pastry – she really was, her hands were all floury and she told me to help myself from the fridge. She was making steak and kidney pie for Calum.

‘D’you make his dinner every day?’

‘If he was left to his own devices he’d live on bread and cheese.’ She gave a little laugh. Did she imagine it would amuse me? She went on rolling and cutting while I stood there. I noticed there was a nice row of jars of red jelly on the dresser. So those poisonous rowan seeds would be waiting in the compost in a squishy mass. I should go and find them later.

‘What exactly’s wrong with him?’

‘Nothing. Nothing. He’s just a bit different.’

‘Can’t he get a job?’

‘There’s not much on the island.’

‘It’s nice for swimming here in the summer isn’t it?’ I wanted to make her lose her temper. She poured a saucepan-ful of meat and gravy into the pastry shell. She was concentrating as if she hadn’t heard me. ‘Does he enjoy swimming?’ I needled.

‘Oh Calum can’t swim.’ She began brushing the edges of the pastry with water then spread the pie lid over it and crimped the edges. She was giving the pie 99 per cent of her attention.

‘Why not?’

‘It’s not a good idea.’ She broke an egg into a cup, beat it with a fork and began brushing the top of the pie with it.

‘But he fishes.’

‘Not from a boat.’

‘Why can’t he go in a boat?’

She didn’t reply.

‘Don’t you think his life’s a bit restricted?’

She put down the pastry brush. ‘He comes and goes as he pleases. He has his food cooked and the run of the place.’ She picked up the pie ready to put it in the oven.

‘That’s not much more than you’d give a dog.’

There was a little silence while she stared at me and I waited for her to crack.

‘I’m glad you popped in,’ she said. ‘I wanted a word with you about your room.’

‘My room?’

‘Yes. I’m going to be needing it. I’d like you to find somewhere else.’

‘Needing it for what?’

She opened the oven, slid the pie in and closed the door. ‘I’m giving you notice.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t think I have to answer that question.’ She started scraping up the pastry scraps with the side of a knife.

‘What have I done? What have I done wrong?’

‘It’s unsettling for Calum to have someone in his old room.

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.