My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa

Author:Amanda Jayatissa
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-09-14T00:00:00+00:00

26

RATMALANA, SRI LANKA

“WHO DO YOU THINK did it?” Lihini asked, pulling my braid off the side of the bed and stroking my hair. She had found me, terrified and crying in the dormitory before anyone else came. She sniffed the book and pointed out that it wasn’t blood, just red paint, and helped me scoop the ruined book into a sili-sili bag, and bundle all my sheets into the laundry room. We had to ask Miss Nayana for new sheets, but Lihini smoothly told her that one of the younger girls must have had an accident. It was so amazing how she always knew the right thing to say at the right time. She could make up a story or talk around the truth in the blink of an eye. I don’t know what I would do without her. Now we lay in bed together, whispering as always. Her, on the inner corner next to the wall, and me on the outer side.

“It couldn’t have been one of the little girls,” I said. I had thought of nothing else since it happened. “No way.”

“Maybe it’s the curse. Maybe Mohini did it.” Oh goodness, not this again.

“Maybe,” I said carefully. I didn’t want to commit to anything. It was the best I could do to say sorry. I had to let her know that I believed her. Or at least that I pretended to believe her. That I didn’t just think she was making all of this up for attention or something. Even though, well, ghosts aren’t real, right?

“But why would Mohini destroy the book?”

“It’s the curse.” Her eyes were wide. I should change the subject.

“You know, it could be her.” I pulled my hair over my face and made the hunched-over pose that Shanika usually made.

“Who? Shanika?” Lihini looked thoughtful and sat up in bed. “I don’t think she really has it in her.”

“She had it in her to try and scratch my eyes out, no?”

“Fair point. Did you see her much today?” She pulled a pillow across her lap.

“No. Maybe it was her, then. She’s nuts, anyway. Totally pissu.” She was. Pissu didn’t cut it. She was completely bananas and I felt angry every time I thought about her.

A beat of silence passed. I had more important things to worry about than Shanika.

“Sudhu, I tried to find you before assembly. I wanted to say sorry. About earlier.”

Lihini gave me a small smile.

“Forget it, sudhu.”

“So how was the sickroom visit anyway? Did you get some toffees at least?” We only got toffees if Miss Chandra was in a good mood, but it never stopped us from trying. Besides, I should try to keep Lihini’s mind off this Mohini nonsense. I didn’t care if she existed or not, but I really, really wanted her to stop talking about it.

Lihini shook her head. “I think she was going to, but Perera sir came to talk to me, so then she must’ve forgotten.”

“Perera sir came to see you?” I’d never heard of him visiting the sickroom before.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.