Читать книгу When I was - Nataniël - Страница 9

When I was 12 years old our cousin Velvet came to live with us. She was the daughter of Mother’s sister Mary. We had never met her before and were really scared of her. She had a really small head, small shoulders and no breasts. But everything else was enormous. It looked like she had been stuck in a pipe.

Velvet never said a word. She just sat at the table and rolled her eyes.

Tell her to stop, said Father, It’s like eating with a frog.

She’s just quiet, said Mother.

We could never find out why Velvet came to stay with us. She just arrived, like sad news. She never made a sound, just moved around the house and cleaned everything she could find.

Why don’t you send her down the street? asked Father, Let her scare some other people. Or clean their houses. We need the money – Pearl needs a bigger pool, she’s been putting on weight on that lilo.

One night we were having supper when Mother asked Velvet to pass the peas. Velvet rolled her eyes and started crying. That was the first noise she ever made in our house. We immediately realised something memorable was about to happen and stopped eating.

I never expected it to happen, said Velvet.

But the peas are standing right in front of you, said Father.

Let her talk, said Mother.

His name is Wilson, said Velvet.

That’s lovely, said Mother, And where is he now?

I don’t know, said Velvet, He just spoke to me after church.

That must have been unexpected, said Father.

Leave her alone, said Mother. She put her hand on Velvet’s arm.

And what did he say? she asked.

Velvet rolled her eyes. He said that if I met him behind the church the next night, he’d show me why we were put on this earth.

And did you meet him? asked Mother.

Velvet nodded.

And then? asked Mother.

He took me, whispered Velvet.

Took you where? said Father.

There! cried Velvet.

Father looked at Mother. I liked her better when she was quiet, he said, Tell her to go to her room.

From then on we had to help Mother clean the house again. Velvet stayed in her room while we wondered what she was doing. And then one day we came home from school and a baby was crying in the kitchen. We looked around the door. Velvet was sitting at the table. She had a small bundle in her arms and was looking at it with dead eyes. Father stood in the corner, looking like one of those people who wake up at their own funerals. Mother was pouring milk into a bottle.

You have to decide on a name, she said.

What will become of us? said Velvet.

Millions of people would like to know, said Father, They don’t have a clue. And then they bring more people into the world who might never have a clue. Only a few lucky ones ever find an answer.

Then he opened the back door so we could all hear Aunt Pearl sing in the pool.