Tsk-Tsk by Suzan Hackney

Author:Suzan Hackney
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781868428731
Publisher: Jonathan Ball Publishers
Published: 2018-03-14T11:02:16+00:00

Chapter Ten

I HAVE BEEN HERE SO LONG now that they let me wear my punk T-shirt over my ugly dress and have given me back my hairdryer, all my books and even my beloved pink panther, Cecil, which makes me very happy. I almost got tearful when I saw his sweet fluffy self in Matron’s outstretched hand. I’ve started sleeping with my hairdryer running all night. I prop it on my locker so the warm air blows in my face or onto my back. I like it best when I have a cold breeze through the window onto my head and the warm air from the dryer on my body. I tuck Cecil in under the rough grey blanket in case he’s abducted by one of these other freaks. I sleep so much better now that I’m no longer woken up every five minutes by someone snoring, talking, moving, or screaming and crying. I fall asleep the second my head hits the pillow and, unless my name is called or there is a very loud noise, I don’t wake till sunrise. This is the only happy place I have left and I will fight to protect it. At first the noise of my hairdryer at bedtime is met with shock and mutterings but none of the others will dare turn it off. Long after I’ve left Excelsior I hear that quite a few of the girls battled to sleep without that dryer going.

We are cast adrift, anchorless without family and friends. But it’s no good crying, easier to live in the moment. We make the best of each day – and even get creative. I discover that if I block the back of the hairdryer with my hand, the coils glow red hot and, with a small modification, I can stick a cigarette inside and light it. (We also dry out the strings from inside banana skins on the windowsills and smoke them, too.) We have to iron our school clothes here; Heidi teaches me how, and then we use the iron to make toasted sarmies with bread and cheese we steal from the kitchens.

Christmas holidays are approaching and a handful of us are actually going to be allowed to go home but we are expected to return to Excelsior afterwards. I am beside myself with joy; I know I’m not coming back and I will quite happily kill myself if they manage to make me. Then I’m informed that my mother says I can only go home if I cut my fringe. She’s already made an appointment at the hairdresser for the day I arrive and I agree because I will agree to anything right now.

When we pass Tiger after breakfast, I tell him I’ll see him soon. Liana says I shouldn’t tell him that if I’m planning on never coming back. I tell her I am, but only to get him. She asks me how I’ll get that right and even though I’m not sure, I say, ‘Watch me!’

I’m so happy when my dad arrives to fetch me.

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