Granny Ting Ting by Patrice Lawrence

Author:Patrice Lawrence
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2020-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOUR

Night comes quickly in Trinidad, like someone’s kicked the sun to the other side of the world and dropped the moon into its place.

Aunty Jess and Mommy were washing up. The television was on. A man lay bound in bandages like a mummy, trying to speak. Granny loved soap operas. She knew all the characters just from their voices.

“Tell them where you hid the money,” Granny said loudly.

Shayla was used to Granny talking to the television, but Michael looked alarmed.

The bandaged man opened his eyes. Moved his lips. Then…

Darkness. Silence.

Shayla’s heart thumped.

A mosquito buzzed near her ear. She could hear Michael breathing.

“It’s just a power cut,” Granny said. “There are plenty of candles.”

Mommy rattled around in the kitchen drawers and soon the room filled with flickering light.

Aunty Jess giggled. “This used to happen all the time when we were little.”

Mommy agreed. “And those stories Granny would tell us. They were terrifying! Especially the one about Uncle William. I’ll never forget that.”

“What happened?” Shayla asked.

“I’m no good at telling stories,” said Mommy.

“Can you tell it, Granny?” asked Michael.

“Well…” Granny said. “Uncle William was coming home late one night, when he heard a baby crying.

“No, he thought. It must be my imagination.

“He went to bed and lay down. But still he could hear it.

“He opened the window to look, but the night was as dark as the inside of a box. He couldn’t see anything, so he went out to the back yard.

“He shone his torch behind the chicken house, frightening the rooster who gave a loud crow…”

“Cocker doodle-doo!” Shayla yelled, grabbing her cousin’s shoulder.

“Shush,” Michael said, in a shaky voice.

“He searched everywhere,” Granny continued. “There was nothing. But, as he went back to the house, it came again. A whimper.

“Uncle William shone his torch towards the road. And there it was.”

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