The Night Rainbow A Novel by Claire King

Author:Claire King
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Published: 2013-02-21T22:00:00+00:00

I am very busy organising the girl-nest. The fairy has got a new bed in the biscuit tin, which is where she would like to live, and I have made room for it by moving around some of the specimens and treasures. Also we have done some wiping and tidying up of leaves, so the nest is spick and span, now that we have a visitor. I am sitting doing some thinking about the argument at our house this morning, when there is a rustling below and I peep out over the top. Merlin is sitting in the shade, wagging his tail. Every wag makes a swooshing noise; he would be no good at hide and seek.

Hello, Merlin! I shout. There’s a fairy come to live in our nest! I can’t see Claude. Claude! I shout down.

Yes, Pea? he answers and he wiggles his feet, which were camouflaged in the grass. He must have snuck up very quietly. Claude would be very good at hide and seek. Have you got a mami? I say, to his feet.

Claude laughs. Merlin turns three times, like a magic spell, then flops down on to the grass by Claude’s feet with a sigh.

A mami? says Claude, Not any more, my little flea. She died a long time ago. But I had two once upon a time.

How do you know if you have a real mami? I shout.

A real one? Well, she is the maman of your maman, or the maman of your papa. Often she makes jam, and wears an apron. Claude shifts so I can see all of him properly. He is smiling. And usually they like to give you lots of kisses. Why do you ask?

Oh, I say. I have only got one mami and I’m not even sure if she is a real one.

Claude sucks hard on his cigarette and drops it on to the grass. The last of the smoke sails up to the girl-nest and I breathe it in. I have started to like the smell of Claude’s smoke.

Does she make jam? he says.

Yes, I say. Because she definitely does; I have seen it in her kitchen in pots with the wrong labels on. But she doesn’t give me lots of kisses.

Would you like her to give you more kisses?

I think about it, and shake my head. No, I say. Because her hands are quite witchy and she doesn’t have any good biscuits.

Well then it’s OK, says Claude. She is definitely a mami and the kissing thing doesn’t matter. I’m sure she has an apron, because they all do.

Why do we kiss people? I say.

Claude laughs. Ooh-la! he says.

Yes, why? says Margot.

Well, we kiss people when we like them, says Claude, and to say hello and goodbye.

So why doesn’t Mami kiss us?

Maybe she doesn’t like kissing?

What about you? Do you like kissing?

Claude’s eyes go big and he opens his mouth but no sound comes out, just like Sylvie. It looks funny so I practise doing it too, but my face doesn’t feel comfortable that way.

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