Every Time a Bell Rings. Carmel Harrington

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СКАЧАТЬ be Santa’s present,’ I get it.

      ‘He’s not a girl, though,’ she laments. I agree that’s a pity, but he looks okay, for a boy, that is.

      He looks up through his hair and I see the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen before. Freckles are scattered densely across his nose too.

      Then he looks up and shoots me a dirty look, as if to say, what you looking at? He looks me up and down and sneers.

      ‘He looks a bit cross,’ Dee-Dee says, stating the obvious.

      ‘There’s not a pick on you,’ Tess declares, taking him in too and I sneak another glance at him.

      Yeah, he’s skinny alright.

      ‘Well, there’s a challenge for me. How quick can I sort that out for you, young man? I reckon I can put some meat on those bones, quick smart. I’ve enough food in to last us a lifetime in there,’ Tess jokes, thumbing the kitchen.

      ‘I’ve a boy at home the same way. All legs and not an ounce of fat. He eats me out of house and home,’ Mrs Reilly says to Tess and they both tut at the misfortune of it.

      ‘Sure I only have to look at a bun …’ Tess says and I giggle.

      ‘She does more than look at buns,’ Dee-Dee jokes.

      ‘Do you want to put your bag up in your bedroom?’ Tess asks the boy. ‘You’ll be sleeping in the room at the top of the stairs, first door on the left.’

      He looks upwards and suddenly his face doesn’t look cross any more, instead he just looks scared.

      I recognise that look. Something in my heart contracts again in sympathy and I feel myself moving forward towards him.

      I don’t think about it or plan it, but somehow or other, the words tumble out of my mouth with ease. ‘I’ll show you where your room is if you want me to.’

      Before he has a chance to answer, Tess rushes over to me and pulls me into her, so that I’m squished into her big boobs. It feels nice, even though I can’t really breathe. I take in her smell, her Tess smell, which I reckon is the not-unpleasant concoction of onions, sausages, chocolate and tobacco.

      ‘I knew your voice would be pretty, my little butterfly,’ she says. I think about pulling away from her, but it feels nice and safe here. So I put my arms around her waist, as far as I can make them go and think that I could stay here like this a long time.

      ‘You do like it here,’ Mrs Reilly says in approval. ‘I told you so.’

      ‘I like it a lot,’ I say to her and turn to Jim, who looks a bit bewildered by the scene that just unfolded.

      I want to show him that I understand how he feels right now, that I know that he’s scared. I want him to know that I feel the same way, most of the time too. But even though it’s scary, it’s going to be okay here. Tess is okay. More than okay. I’ve worked out that she’s kind of wonderful.

      ‘I know how you feel,’ I whisper to him. I stare into his eyes and he looks at me, our eyes locking. Neither of us moves a muscle and it feels like he gets that I’m trying to tell him something important.

      ‘Okay,’ he says and smiles for a second. I run up the stairs and can hear him running up behind me, two steps at a time.

      When we get to the top, I say to him. ‘You’re my Christmas present, you know. I asked Santa for you. And look, here you are.’

      And even though he must think I am barmy, he doesn’t say anything, he just looks away. I can tell that he’s all embarrassed by my declaration. But I don’t care.

      ‘I’m in there.’ I point to my bedroom on the other side of the landing, then open the door to his room. Tess was up in here for ages earlier, I didn’t know what she was doing. But I can see that she was getting the room ready for Jim. It’s like mine, but it has a blue duvet on the bed instead of pink. There aren’t any cushions, but there is a mat on the floor in the shape of a car. And the wallpaper has blue stripes on it.

      I thinks it’s pretty cool.

      ‘It’s a boy’s room,’ I tell him and he sits down on the bed, trying it out for size. ‘Mine is a girl’s room. In pink.’

      He looks at me, head cocked to one side, as if he’s trying to work me out. ‘Do you have to stay here too?’ he finally asks.

      ‘Yes,’ I say, ‘I suppose I do.’

      ‘For how long?’ he asks.

      I shrug. I don’t know the answer to that. But then I surprise myself by saying, ‘I hope it’s forever.’

      He doesn’t like that answer, though. He’s starts to shake his head and the angry look is back on his face again. I didn’t mean to upset him. I’m not sure what I said wrong.

      ‘I’m going home soon. I won’t be here for more than a day or two, you wait and see. My mam says she will come get me when she feels better and gets herself sorted. It will be any day now.’

      ‘Oh, you’re a temporary.’ I say. I’ve seen lots of them over the years. Boys and girls who come for a few days, sometimes as short as one night, until some family member comes by to take them home.

      I haven’t met as many like me, who stay for a long time.

      ‘You’re lucky so. I don’t have a mam,’ I tell him.

      ‘Everyone has a mam,’ he replies, looking doubtful at my statement.

      ‘Not me,’ I say, as my mother’s face jumps into my thoughts, making me a liar.

       I’ll be back later. Don’t you dare leave this house. And don’t break anything.

       Don’t go, mam. Don’t leave me here on my own. I’m scared. I want you.

      I don’t want to talk about mothers any more. ‘Do you like biscuits? Tess has lots of them,’ I say.

      He nods and I’m relieved that he looks happy enough to drop the subject. So we run downstairs to get some. I know Tess will already have the tin out.

      I’ll be back soon, Dee-Dee, I shout to my friend, as I run out the door. She smiles happily to me, telling me to have fun.

      ‘Simon’s a computer, Simon has a brain, you either do what Simon says or else go down the drain.’

      Jim and I are both in stitches as we chant the song over and over, each taking turns on my new computer game.

      Out of all the things Santa put in my pillowcase last night while we were sleeping, this is my favourite. Jim is still marvelling at how Santa knew where to find him at such short notice. He even got the exact same Lego set he’d asked for.

      Santa is magic, I keep telling him. I wish I could see Santa right now to give him a big hug. I hope he liked the biscuits I left out for him. He sure ate lots of them.

      We’ve been playing Simon for most of the day, only stopping for СКАЧАТЬ