Gretel on Her Own by Holst Elna

Author:Holst, Elna [Holst, Elna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: NineStar Press
Published: 2021-04-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

“I would have called you before, but things have been hectic. The supervisor at the plant… Well, never mind. How are things with you?”

Gretel sank onto the sofa, the handset squeezed between her shoulder and her right ear. She had been putting lotion on her hands when the phone rang, massaging it into one digit at a time. Although she wore gloves at work, her profession meant she had the hands to go with it. Her skin was chapped and worn, her fingernails cut ruthlessly short, her knuckles blistered.

It hadn’t used to bother her. Gretel’s face prickled as she admitted to herself the reason she suddenly took an interest in skincare was that she had spent the better part of her work night yesterday imagining her hands exploring Dorothea Heckscher’s silky-smooth curves.

“I…I’m fine. I’m good. Hänsel’s been put on a new regimen, which seems to be doing wonders for him, touch wood.” She scratched at a stubborn callus on her left forefinger and sighed. It would require more than lotion to whip these paws back into shape.

“I already spoke to the nurse about Hänsel,” Bernhard remarked. “I’m glad to hear it, but how are you, Gretelchen?”

“Oh, I…I’ve nothing much to report. Same same. I have a date on Friday, though.” Gretel could have slapped herself. Yet somehow, telling her father about it made it real. Mundane, almost. Safe.

“That is good news.” Bernhard sounded like he had slumped back in his seat. This was his lunch hour, she knew. She glanced at the digital clock on the DVD setup. Not much of it left. “Anyone I know?”

“No. She arrived here after you left. She’s…new in town.” She wanted to tell him. More than anything, she wanted to confess all to him and hear him say: that’s wonderful, Gretel. Of course you should go out with Frau Heckscher’s niece. Don’t be silly. There’s nothing in the world to worry about.

But try as she might, she couldn’t make her lips shape the words.

“That’s good. New is good, Hübsche . Listen, I have to get back to work. It was nice hearing your voice. You have a good time on Friday.”

“Thanks, Vater.”

Her heart fluttered as he seemed to pause, seemed to hear something in her tone that set off a warning signal. His breathing was steady, a slow intake of breath that used to calm her even after her worst nightmares as a child. Gretel bit at the hardened skin on her finger.

On the other side of the line, someone yelled something in the distance. Bernhard cleared his throat. “Bis später , Gretel.”

He ended the call.

*

Gretel felt like she had a fever. She was sure of it. Also, she had been forced to cancel her Friday visit to her mother. Nurse Richter had rung her up to inform her, his voice a sterilised blank, that any visits at the moment were not deemed conducive to Ursula’s continued improvement.

Plainly speaking, it meant she was having one of her psychotic episodes. Gretel had been fuming

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