The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley by Martine Murray

Author:Martine Murray
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2016-10-27T04:00:00+00:00

Sometimes Barnaby can say things in a sideways way. I used to go and bug him after dinner, when he was meant to be doing homework but never was. He was just sitting on his bed playing guitar.

‘Barn, do you love Laura Pinkstone?’

‘Nuh.’

‘Then why were you kissing her on the couch in the living room?’

‘Well. I guess I loved her when I was kissing her.’

‘But not afterwards?’

‘Well, not all the time.’

‘So, sometimes you love her, and sometimes you don’t?’

‘Yeah. One third of the time I love her but two thirds I don’t.’

‘How can you tell how many thirds?’

He put his guitar down and leaned close.

‘Cedy, I may be wrong, but the way I see it, there’s three parts to love. Three ways of doing it—mind, body and soul. When you get all three happening at once, that’s it. That’s the real thing.’

‘Which part is it with Laura?’

‘Body.’

‘Oh.’ I frowned because that seemed to me to be the dodgiest part. Not that I know. I only know what you see in the movies and sex always leads to trouble.

‘Look, Cedy, Laura’s nice. I like her, but hey, (at this point he opens both his hands and grimaces) she doesn’t get it. She thinks straight up and down, she can’t go round corners. And I myself like to bend the view a bit. That’s all.’

‘Have you ever had all three parts going on at once?’

‘Not yet. Have you?’ He smiled.

‘Get real.’ I screwed up my chubby nose and gave him a punch. Barnaby started singing Love Serenade, and I pondered the three-part theory. After a while I decided that love shouldn’t have anything to do with maths and parts. I told Barnaby, and he said, ‘You’re right, it shouldn’t. Love and maths, they’re in a different ball park.’ Then he started singing it, Love and maths, they’re in a different ball park.

And I think I’m exasperating!

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