The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick

Author:Phaedra Patrick
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Park Row Books
Published: 2019-03-31T04:00:00+00:00

19

Balloon Head

In the early afternoon, Martha had just finished drinking a cup of tea when the doorbell rang. She felt a little spaced out because, after her conversation with Lilian, all she had managed to eat for lunch was a slice of toast. Wiping her hands on a pot towel, she opened the door.

Suki stood there, her arms weighed down with shopping bags. Her bump poked through her open coat, and her nose was pink from the wind. “I thought we could take a look at that dragon,” she said, raising her bags by an inch.

Martha instantly reached out and tugged them off her. “You should not be carrying those in your condition. The ligaments in your back can relax during pregnancy, making you more susceptible to injury.”

“It’s not like I’m weight lifting.” Suki shrugged. She stepped inside and slipped off her coat. She circled a hand over her stomach. “This baby is heavier.”

Martha couldn’t prevent herself from flying into organizer mode. “Sit down and I’ll make you a drink,” she said. “The sofa is the most comfortable seat, not the wooden chair. I’ll move some boxes. Do you have enough cushions for your back? I’ll get you a coffee. Is caffeine okay when you’re pregnant?”

Suki held up her hands in surrender. “I’m here to try out papier-mâché, not for butler service. I’m not very thirsty.” She held onto her belly as she maneuvered herself down onto the floor. After reaching up and taking the dragon’s head from the crates, she set it down on her lap. “Things are looking tidier in here,” she said. “Have you had a sort out?”

Martha nodded, then narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes.”

“Well, okay. I decided that I couldn’t wait any longer for my sister to help me look through the boxes, so I made a start.”

“Good for you. It looks much better.” Suki pulled her bag towards her and took out a large plastic bowl. She sprinkled gray powder into it and poured in water from a bottle. Taking a wooden stick, she gave it a stir. “This is how you make the papier-mâché. Stick your hand in. It feels like clay.”

Martha knelt down beside her and rolled up her sleeves. She reached into the bowl. The mixture felt rather pleasing, cool and soothing to her fingertips. A sense of calmness washed over her as she pressed the mixture, feeling it squish and move.

Suki tilted and examined the dragon’s face. “I think I’ll glue a small piece of card over the hole in his cheek, then apply the papier-mâché over the top of it.” She took a scoop of the mixture and began to spread it out under the dragon’s eye using her forefinger. “I remember doing this at school.”

“Me, too. We glued strips of newspaper to a balloon, then popped it and turned it into a head.”

“Yes. And stuck wool on for hair.”

They grinned at each other, at finding a common experience.

Suki took a moment to reposition her dress over her bump with the heels of her palms.

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.