Читать книгу Mia's Optiscope - Natalie Rose - Страница 12

Chapter 4.

Joseph

The next morning Mia powered up the hill an hour earlier than usual, ready to meet Joseph for the first time while her mum tried to keep up. At the peak, Mia saw someone sitting on Builders Wall. As she got closer the man turned to them and rose.

‘Mia,’ he called out.

Mrs Glasson and Mia looked at each other. Joseph wasn’t young. He definitely wasn’t a builder from across the road. In fact, he was so far from what either of them had imagined. For a moment they were speechless. He looked about one hundred years old but with a sparkle in his eye that belonged to a boy. The old man stood shakily, leaning on a cane. He nodded and acknowledged Mrs Glasson, then reached for Mia’s hands.

‘It’s so nice to meet you at last, Mia,’ he said in a raspy scratchy voice.

Mia didn’t know what to say and just stared at him. Joseph peered into Mia’s eyes and smiled with his whole face. He straightened himself and greeted Mrs Glasson in a similar way. All of a sudden Joseph wobbled, apparently he could no longer hold his weight. He felt for the wall behind him, and Mrs Glasson helped him to sit. Mia stood, staring and lost for words.

‘We are so pleased to meet you Joseph,’ Mum said rather too loudly, ‘aren’t we, Mia?’

Mia snapped to attention. ‘Yes, nice to meet you, Joseph.’

Joseph was nodding and trying to smile while getting his breath back. ‘I wish I could have met you earlier – I’ve been a bit housebound lately,’ he began. ‘Did you like your little pet with a wobbly head?’

Mia nodded. ‘I carry it everywhere,’ she said.

Mia slipped her backpack off her shoulders and searched through the bag. She found the toy in one of the pockets and showed it to the old man. Joseph held the little cat and pushed its head. Mia smiled at the gesture.

‘I thought you were like me,’ Mia said suddenly. ‘I mean, I thought you were a kid too.’

Joseph coughed for several seconds into a handkerchief clutched in his hand before he was able to reply.

‘I have felt like a child all this time playing with you,’ he brought up a hand to cough again.

His hands were terrible things, like a bird’s talons, stiff and bent at an unnatural angle. Mia had felt them when he took her hands, but now she saw them, really saw them. The palms and fingers seemed fused. The flesh was raised and lumpy and the skin was too tight to allow him to open his hand normally.

‘Did you build the houses, the train?’ Mia asked, wondering how those hands could do anything.

‘I had some help,’ he said looking at the path to his side where a woman walked quickly towards them. ‘Meet Denise.’

Mrs Glasson turned to Denise, ‘Hello.’

The short round woman glanced at Mrs Glasson briefly and offered a half smile at Mia. ‘I see your friend is here,’ she said, pointing a mug of hot tea at Joseph.

Joseph coughed, ‘It’s Mia.’

Denise held the tea up to Joseph’s lips, ‘I know. Drink up.’

Mia scowled and watched Joseph take sips of his brew between coughs. Neither of them are kids. But he seemed so... Mia wasn’t sure she liked the idea of not just one but two adults playing the game with her.

Joseph wiggled his fingers to indicate their building spot and Mia managed a tight smile.

‘I’m the engineer – she’s the builder,’ Joseph said, holding his hand up over the mug.

‘One more sip?’ Denise tried.

Joseph pushed the mug aside, ‘I tell her where to place the rocks, and she does the heavy lifting.’

‘Just rocks, not much to lift, hard if you’ve gammy hands.’

Joseph pushed Denise’s arm playfully, ‘Oi, don’t make fun of my mitts.’

Denise winked at Mia, ‘You’re a big girl. How old are you?’

‘Almost ten,’ Mia replied.

‘That,’ Denise said to Joseph, ‘is a very good age for games.’

Joseph put his hand up, gesturing he’d had enough tea. ‘Any age is a good age for games,’ he retorted.

‘Well, there comes a time when...’

‘Thank you, Denise,’ he said, dismissing her. ‘Leave me to talk to Mia.’

Denise tossed the remaining tea over the patch of grass near the roadside.

Mrs Glasson approached the nurse, ‘I’m Mrs Glasson, Mia’s mum.’

‘Well, I didn’t think you were her sister,’ Denise said with raised brow.

‘Ha, yes. I guess I’m so used to introducing myself as Mia’s mum.’

Denise smirked, not taking her eyes off her charge.

‘Joseph said he’s been unwell?’

Denise nodded.

‘Did something happen? Have you known him long?’

Denise paused before answering, glancing at Joseph, ‘You could say that.’

Mrs Glasson smiled, waiting for more information.

‘Last Christmas he had a fall, and I’m to provide homecare until he’s well enough to fend for himself. Isn’t that right, Joseph?’

Joseph didn’t seem to hear, too busy talking to Mia.

Denise didn’t wait for the reply. ‘He took ill during recovery, the lack of movement isn’t good for them, you know, so I’ve stayed on since. Every morning he has made me come down and check the wall for a letter. As if I don’t have enough to do...’

Joseph was speaking to Mia. His voice was very quiet and he spoke slowly. Each word seemed to be a great effort. Mia had to listen carefully to hear and understand him.

‘I’m on borrowed time,’ he said.

Mia’s mind raced to understand what Joseph was telling her. Borrowed time? Who did he borrow time from?

‘I’ve already outlived my doctor’s expectations,’ he was saying.

Mia was more confused than ever. Is he leaving? No, it sounded more serious than that. Could he be...? Mia’s ears grew hot as she flushed. Not only had she spent an entire year playing a game with someone she thought was like her, but now, well, she might not be playing with anyone. She had never before thought of death or sickness, she didn’t know how she felt so said nothing of her thoughts but instead listened to the man tell his story. He recounted parts of his life to Mia as if reading his final chapter. Mia tried to understand the meaning of his words. She was at the start of her life and had never been alone, as Joseph had been for many years. She learnt that Joseph had had a wife he adored but that she had passed away twenty years earlier.

‘I stayed on in our home for a few years living amongst her things, but one day I couldn’t feel her anymore.’

Mia nodded, ‘Have you lived alone long?’

‘The last seventeen years.’

‘That’s ages. What are your neighbours like?’

Joseph used his handkerchief to dab his face, ‘Don’t really know. I nod at Deborah every now and then when she’s out getting her paper, other than that I keep to myself.’

‘Do you go out much?’

Joseph rested both hands on the top of his cane, ‘No, my wife was the social one. When we were young we were real socialites. Well, more her than me. She’d almost never say no to a night out and I’d have to find excuses not to attend that social faff...’

Mia tried to imagine a younger more vital Joseph. She thought his clothes, though clean and pressed, were from a lifetime ago – charming in a way. His trilby hat sat loosely on his head and now and then he adjusted it revealing wispy hair and a spotted scalp.

‘...of course, I’d go to any and all of those boring nights if it meant having her back.’

‘Do your friends visit you?’

Joseph shook his head, ‘Not since Rose passed. I have found there are few people worth knowing, and even fewer you can trust.’

Mia raised her brows and tried to think of something to say. She had lots of people in her life and couldn’t imagine having no one. She was relieved when he spoke again.

‘I suppose I have had to be very careful who I mix with,’ he moderated. ‘Some time ago I was entrusted to keep a secret, a very important secret. Because of that I have kept to myself not wanting anyone to find out.’

He looked away realising that the young girl looked uncomfortable, as though she’d heard something for the first time. He paused recalling some distant memory, perhaps of Rose, his dead wife, before bringing himself back to Mia. He smiled and wiped the corner of his mouth before continuing.

‘You, I have come to know, are a good person. Your mother seems a good sort too,’ he added, with a nod in her direction.

Mrs Glasson had moved from her place on the grass to sit further along the wall with Denise. The two ladies were talking and seemed to be getting along very well.

Joseph fell silent for a few moments as he watched Mia draw one foot in an arch across the other, as was her way when she tried to work things out.

‘You know, I go to dance lessons.’

‘Right yes, I think you told me. Ms Justine’s your teacher right?’

‘Yes, that’s right – well there’s a girl there and when I’m there, she won’t let me play with others, she just wants me to herself.’ Mia looked up at Joseph before continuing. ‘She’s always pulling me away from others and from what I want to play. Always pulling, pulling.’

Joseph nodded his head sagely, ‘There will always be people like that who will try to pull you away from your desires, your destiny. Keep yourself first. People shouldn’t let themselves be swayed from what’s right for them or persuaded to leave their dreams behind.’

Mia wasn’t sure what Joseph meant exactly but she felt that what he said was the truth. Suddenly she realised she had already wasted enough time on the girl. She told herself she would give the girl that troubled her no more of her time. It was as if Joseph had given her the permission she needed to do what she wanted.

‘In the end,’ continued Joseph, ‘we are born alone and often, we die alone. We must live in a manner that is true to ourselves.’

Mia stared at the pile of stones on the wall next to her mum.

Following an awkward silence, Joseph reached into his coat pocket, ‘I have something to give you. Something you are destined for.’

‘What’s that?’

Before Joseph could take out the object he coughed and shuddered, pressed his handkerchief over his mouth and coughed some more. All at once a coughing fit came over him and he couldn’t speak.

Denise was on her feet, a look of worry etched into her brow, ‘Joseph.’

‘Perhaps tomorrow,’ Joseph gasped.

Mia stood aside, ‘Of course.’

Mrs Glasson put her arm around Mia’s shoulders. ‘Is he okay?’ Mia asked.

‘I’m sure he’ll be okay.’

Joseph looked at Mia and tried to speak but he continued to cough and splutter.

‘I better get him inside,’ Denise said, helping Joseph stand.

‘I’ll be back tomorrow,’ Mia called out.

Joseph patted his jacket pocket and tipped his hat.

‘If he’s well enough,’ Denise called over her shoulder.

Mrs Glasson and Mia stood in their places as the pair wandered down the path and into the apartments.