Kensington Heights by Leslie Thomas

Author:Leslie Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781446439814
Publisher: Random House

Thirteen

Fine weather moved across the London sky by the end of the first week in May. The gerbil was installed in a hutch on the tight balcony of the side window which faced east and received the sun until almost afternoon. He stayed in the dark away from it. Korky had triumphantly carried the wooden rodent house from Portobello Road; she bought it with her only week’s wages as a child minder. ‘It’s meant for rabbits. It’s antique,’ she claimed happily as she manoeuvred the box on to the balcony. The gerbil, sensing an involvement in the excitement, sniffed around her feet. ‘There’s even old droppings in the bottom.’

After some wariness the animal was persuaded to enter. ‘There, John,’ said Korky. ‘Now you’ve got a home as well.’

She was not easily employed. Hopefully they read the Situations Vacant in the Evening Standard but it was Mr Tomelty who provided the most promising opening.

‘Child minder,’ said Korky. She glanced for support towards Savage. He said doubtfully: ‘Excellent.’

‘The people live in the next block,’ said Tomelty. ‘Out all day like a lot of them are. Two mites. They had a girl to help, from the East by the look of her, but she’s gone. Back to the Orient maybe.’

Korky was not exact with the children’s ages. ‘The boy can walk but he can’t talk much,’ she reported after her first day. ‘The baby can’t do anything. Except the usual.’

‘What are the parents like?’ asked Savage still peering at the word processor. He was accustomed to it now; he could write and correct and print. He had no need to attempt anything more ambitious.

Korky was not impressed with the parents. After three days she reported: ‘They come in shagged out and they talk in numbers – all they talk about is money and numbers and who’s having it away with who. She makes sure I change the baby’s bum before I leave because she almost goes into a faint doing it. They want me to move in there full-time.’

They were eating Chinese take-away; Savage’s eyes came up to fix hers, noodles hanging from his fork. ‘But I’m not going to,’ she forestalled him, biting into a spring roll. ‘You never know how long I might last.’

She found it humdrum pushing a pram in the park. On her final afternoon, she propelled it along the Kensington Gardens path and, in an attempt to ease her boredom, let it go. It rolled away from her with the boy and the baby, both aboard, shouting with the fun of it. Playfully Korky waved them off but she mistimed her pursuit. Gathering pace, the pram rumbled into the chilly shallows of the Round Pond, scattering ducks, and halted, fortunately upright, with the grey water lapping its wheels. Korky ran shouting, but as she caught the handle the vehicle toppled and the boy tipped into the shallows. People passing rushed to help. Korky hoisted the soaked and howling child clear of the water and the bystanders tugged the perambulator with its excited baby to the bank.

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