Dark Days at Saddle Creek. Shelley Peterson

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       No, we didn’t. It wasn’t measured out right.

       In a class like that, the distances would be accurate.

       It wasn’t right.

      You know these things, Sunny. Bird grinned at her stubborn horse.

       Sox is going to be a good horse, Bird.

       Why do you say that?

       He might even be a friend.

      Really? This surprised Bird. Sunny liked Charlie, but was bossy with most of the others. Even Moonlight Sonata, whom he liked, was in danger of the occasional shot from his rear hoof.

       Yes, really. He’s smart.

      High praise from Sundancer. We’ll see.

      Bird jumped down from the fence and continued to the house. Hannah was on the phone when she came through the kitchen door. As Bird made a peanut butter sandwich, she couldn’t help but overhear.

      “I hope he feels better soon, Laura. Do you need me to drive him? … How about groceries?” Hannah wore a slight frown on her face. “What do you think it is? … Hmm … Well, let me know what I can do … Okay, keep in touch … Bye.”

      “What’s wrong with Mr. Pierson?” asked Bird, as Hannah replaced the phone on the wall.

      “Oh, he’ll likely be fine. He woke up feeling nauseous. It’s probably the flu, but Mrs. Pierson worries about his heart, now that he’s getting older.”

      “Getting older? He’s close to ninety!”

      “Bird! You’ll be that age one day, if you’re lucky, and sooner than you think.”

      “I’m just saying that Mr. Pierson is old, not getting old. I love Mr. and Mrs. Pierson!”

      Hannah nodded. “I hear you. But understand that to say a person is old is to say they’re getting close to death. It’s a hard concept to accept.”

      “I never thought about it like that.”

      “That’s because you’re still young. Anyway, I’m sure Mr. Pierson will be fine. He’s quite healthy.”

      Bird bit into a crunchy apple. She liked apples with her peanut butter sandwiches. “Can I stay here tonight? Or do I have to go, you know, back home.” She tried to sound casual.

      Hannah raised an eyebrow. “This sounds like a loaded question.”

      “No! Well, not really. I’d like to stay here, of course — I always do. And with Tall Sox here, and the show next Friday, I could be useful for the week.” She took another bite and avoided Hannah’s questioning gaze.

      “Sit down, Bird. Do we need to talk?”

      “Why? It’s a simple question!”

      Hannah put her elbows on the table and looked at Bird thoughtfully. “Just sit down for a minute, will you?”

      Bird sat, her back rigid.

      “Are you having trouble with your mother again?”

      “Wow. You don’t waste time.”

      “Are you?”

      “Why do you ask?”

      “I’m getting a sense of it, that’s all. From you and Eva both.”

      “Okay. You’re right.” Bird decided not to pretend otherwise. She slumped. “I don’t know why. We can’t agree on anything, even to agree to disagree.”

      “Anything specific?”

      “Everything specific! She hates my haircut, hates my clothes, can’t imagine why I prefer my friends to the kids of her friends, and walks around the house modelling her new clothes and asking for compliments! She buys me skanky outfits and wants to teach me how to get a boy! She points out makeup tips and wants me to practise walking in heels! I’ll probably smack her!”

      Hannah listened carefully. “Is that all?”

      Bird was offended. “Isn’t that enough?’

      “Plenty. But I hear more real pain in your voice than those trivial things merit.”

      Bird decided not to react to the “trivial” comment. She sat silently. After a moment, she spoke in a low voice. “It’s happening all over again. She makes me feel … inadequate.”

      “How so? You’re talented, smart, accomplished in many ways, as well as being attractive. How can you possibly feel inadequate?” “I don’t know, I just do! After Mom met Stuart, we got along so well. I thought things had magically become perfect. I should’ve known better. I guess I just wanted it to be true.”

      “I know what you mean,” agreed Hannah. “What does Eva complain about most?”

      Bird gave Hannah’s question some serious thought. “That I’m a freak, an alien. She doesn’t use those words, but she definitely thinks I’m odd. She wants me to be just like her. She doesn’t understand how I think, or why I do the things I do. I feel like I’m in the wrong family.”

      “And what bothers you most about her?”

      “That she wishes I looked like Julia.” The words popped out of Bird’s mouth before she’d even thought them through. Still, Bird knew it was true.

      Hannah tilted her head. “You mean like Eva?”

      Bird nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “Like them both.”

      “You’re a beautiful girl, Bird. You must know that!”

      “I wish my mother thought so.”

      “I’m sure she does.” Hannah sighed. “Eva can be insensitive. She’s always been that way. She most likely has no idea what you’re feeling. You need to talk to her, Bird. She won’t figure this out on her own.”

      “I’ve tried, Aunt Hannah. Many times. But I went too far, and it only made things worse.”

      “How do you mean?”

      Bird slumped further onto the table. “I need to know, and she never tells me, and I know she wants to forget, but last week I asked her again about my father.”

      “Oh.”

      “I only asked her if I looked like him, and she went crazy! She screamed at me and I ran out the door. Is that such a bad question?”

      Hannah shook her head. “Not at all. It’s an excellent question, and you do look quite a lot like him. But Eva doesn’t want to discuss that chapter of her life. It’s her story to tell.”

      “It’s СКАЧАТЬ