The Seven Rules of Elvira Carr by Frances Maynard

Author:Frances Maynard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2017-05-03T04:00:00+00:00

23.

We don’t always get what we deserve.

—Mrs. Agnes Carr (Mother)

“That’ll be over and done with now then,” Paul said when I told him about Shelbie. He swilled a gulp of Coca-Cola around in his mouth.

“I hope so.” I chewed a toast crust, then changed the subject. “It’s my mother’s birthday next week. She’ll be seventy-three.”

“That is old. My mum’s fifty-four. Your mum’s nearly as old as my grandparents!”

I frowned, aligning my knife and fork neatly together on the plate. “They had me late in life. Mother said they’d given up hope, and then I came along and took them by surprise.” I didn’t think Mother liked surprises any more than I did, because of her being cross when Father had come back unexpectedly.

“What are you going to get her?”

I shrugged my shoulders, sighing. “All she does now is listen to her iPod and look out of the window.”

“Cool,” said Paul, tilting the can upright to get the last drops. “What does she listen to?”

“Operas,” I said.

“Oh.” Paul stopped smiling. “All day?”

“Yes. All the time except when they recharge it at night.”

“You could get her a nighttime iPod then.” Paul put down the empty can and belched.

I thought for a minute. “That’s a good idea.”

“Yo…” Paul raised his hand to meet mine in a high-five gesture. “Sorted out! Hey, have you seen what they’ve done to the new wolf enclosure? The lookout post?”

I put down my teacup with a clatter. Mark was starting work here on Tuesdays. He was probably in Wolf Wilderness now. Would he come to the Adoption House? Wait for me after work? Did he still want to be my boyfriend? My stomach lurched, and some scrambled egg came up in my throat. He might have another girlfriend now. Him liking someone else made my stomach turn over again with a mixture of fear and what might be jealousy. Whenever I thought about Mark, I felt bad in one way or another.

• • •

I wrote out a script of what to say in the shop and bought Mother’s nighttime iPod on my own. I’d walked up and down outside the shop for a bit, first, before squeezing my hands tight and going in. I emailed Katie and asked her how to download Mother’s Operas. I bought Mother a card with a picture of a retriever that looked like Buster—the Caring Canine—on it, some strawberries, and a box of Extra Special Chocolate Biscuits from Asda. They didn’t sell Wessex Wafers.

• • •

Jean Christophe was in Mother’s room laying the Ravel table, while Bay View Lodge’s cook was in the kitchen making Onion Soup.

“It’s a lovely idea,” Sylvia said to Mrs. Hulme. “You’re a proper fairy godmother.”

I’d seen a proper Fairy Godmother once, in a Pantomime at Christmas. She’d had a wand and a sparkly dress, and although she’d been old, she hadn’t been the same shape as Mrs. Hulme.

“Oh, I wish.” She made a waving movement with her hand, and they both laughed.

Mrs. Hulme said they’d had a belly

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