My Name's Not Friday by Jon Walter

Author:Jon Walter [Jon Walter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781910200742
Publisher: David Fickling Books Ltd
Published: 2015-09-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

I pull myself from the river, shivering, and flapping my arms together as the goosebumps rise beneath the tiny hairs. It’s too cold for swimming and I tell him so.

‘You might be right.’ Gerald’s already dressed and lying in the grass. He has wet patches under the arms of his cotton shirt but he’s warmer than me. I rub my legs dry and dress quickly, all the time jumping up and down to make the blood reach my feet.

‘Hey – I brought you another book!’ Gerald takes hold of his satchel and brings out a large black volume, holding it up so I can read the title. A Christmas Carol. ‘Can you read that?’ He don’t wait for me to answer. ‘I’ll tell you what it says.’ He turns the book around and reads it for me. ‘A Christmas Carol. By Charles Dickens. Maybe it’s too difficult, but I brought it anyway cos you might manage some of it.’

‘Let me see.’ I snatch the book, open it at the first page and begin to read out loud. ‘“Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner.”’

I don’t hesitate or stutter. I don’t even put a finger to the page to follow the letters. The relief of not having to pretend overwhelms me.

Gerald sits up, suddenly alert. ‘Hey! Let me see that.’ He pulls the book closer so he can see it, not believing I could have read it without making a mistake. He puts a finger to a new paragraph halfway down the page. ‘Read that bit there.’

I lose my nerve and make a mistake on purpose. ‘“Mind! I don’t mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is part … partic …”’

Gerald leans across to look at the word but he can’t say it either. ‘“Parti …” That’s a difficult one, Friday. I ain’t even sure of it myself.’

And I just can’t help myself. ‘Particularly – least I think it could be.’

Gerald’s eyes are wide as saucers. ‘Why, you can read it better than me!’ He snaps the book shut. ‘How’d you manage to get that good?’

‘I been practising with the books you gave me.’ I can’t help but smile, seeing him so impressed. ‘I’ve been working real hard at it. I thought you’d be pleased.’

‘Why, I am pleased. That’s great news. Isn’t it? It’s what we’ve been working for after all?’ He slaps my shoulder harder than he should, but then he says, ‘I’m really proud of you, Friday. I knew you weren’t like the others. I knew you could do it.’

He looks at me differently, I don’t know how to describe it, but I feel kinda naked, like he’s seeing me for the first time and we both know something’s changed between us – like we’re more equal than we were before – and I’m grateful for Gerald’s big heart, cos it ain’t easy to be generous when you don’t seem to be getting nothing back.

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