hamburger and chips.
Dreamer! We got to the lake and it was pretty, with trees and ducks and swans and a statue of a little boy. Aunt Naomi lifted a big picnic basket out of the mini-bus and the twins grabbed rugs and cushions. I took Maggie’s hand and we all marched solemnly to a wooden picnic table.
I waited for Luke and Abraham to race around like they did when I took them to the park, but they stood quietly while their mother put the basket down. ‘May we have the bread for the ducks please?’ Abraham asked.
She gave them a paper bag and they walked down to the edge of the water.
No wonder they liked me taking them to the park.
We ate our lunch and people walked past and stared at us. Luke, Abraham and Maggie kept glancing longingly at the play area. The twins’ eyes followed a dog chasing a frisbee. Daniel kept his eyes on Maggie and Luke, quietly helping them so they wouldn’t get prayed over. My uncle sat at the end of the table and waited while Aunt Naomi made him a sandwich.
Then he said grace, a short one today, thank goodness, but I knew we’d have an extra long one at dinner to make up for it.
We ate in silence. I’d end up with an ulcer at this rate. Isn’t it bad for you to eat while you’re raging mad?
We finished eating and packed up the picnic. Uncle Caleb led the way back to the van. I saw the girl first, I think, although it’s hard to be sure. She was a bit older than me, and she was standing a little above us on the slope, staring intently. Her arms were out from her sides as if she were reaching out towards us. She had long hair, the golden blond colour of the twins’.
I stopped. She looked exactly like an older version of the twins.
Maggie tugged at my hand, then followed my glance. She stood dead still and her face went as white as the swans on the lake. ‘Miriam!’ she screamed and her voice sent shivers right through me. ‘It is Miriam! It is Miriam’s ghost!’ She buried her head in my skirt, terrified.
My own heart was doing a tap dance. But that girl was no ghost. She was flesh and blood and her clothes were real. A skirt, longer than the one I wore, but light and patterned and a rib top. ‘Are you Miriam?’ I whispered.
She nodded, staring at Maggie, desperate to comfort her. But Uncle Caleb said sharply, ‘Hurry along, Esther. Put Magdalene in the vehicle, if you please.’
He looked at the girl. At Miriam. His daughter. His eyes swept right over her as if she didn’t exist. She cringed and bit her bottom lip but she didn’t say anything. Years of training. Years of the discipline room. Daniel hustled the boys into the van.His face was strained.
Aunt Naomi didn’t even glance at her daughter. She tapped Rebecca on the shoulder. ‘Eyes ahead of you, please miss.’
Rachel dropped the rug she was carrying. She picked it up, managing to look at her sister as she did. Uncle Caleb said, ‘We will pray for you when we reach home, Rachel.’ My head was whirling. I knelt and put my arms tight round Maggie. She nearly strangled me, all the time howling hysterically. The girl — Miriam — took a step towards us. So did Uncle Caleb. She whirled around and ran back up the slope. ‘Tell her I’m not dead. Tell her I love her!’ She was gone by the time Uncle Caleb reached us. I heard her crying, and Uncle bloody Caleb would have heard her too.
‘The vehicle, Esther. At once.’
I got to my feet, treading on my skirt, stumbling along carrying Maggie, thoughts jolting about in my head. If Miriam wasn’t dead, then what had happened? Why had they told Maggie she was? Why wouldn’t they even look at her? Did the little boys think she was dead? When she was looking at them all, her face … It hurt to remember. How could they do that to their own daughter? How could they see her looking like that and not make a move to go to her? To comfort her?
I stepped up into the van, put Maggie on a seat and turned to shut the door. Miriam watched us. Watched me. I was
Dreamer! We got to the lake and it was pretty, with trees and ducks and swans and a statue of a little boy. Aunt Naomi lifted a big picnic basket out of the mini-bus and the twins grabbed rugs and cushions. I took Maggie’s hand and we all marched solemnly to a wooden picnic table.
I waited for Luke and Abraham to race around like they did when I took them to the park, but they stood quietly while their mother put the basket down. ‘May we have the bread for the ducks please?’ Abraham asked.
She gave them a paper bag and they walked down to the edge of the water.
No wonder they liked me taking them to the park.
We ate our lunch and people walked past and stared at us. Luke, Abraham and Maggie kept glancing longingly at the play area. The twins’ eyes followed a dog chasing a frisbee. Daniel kept his eyes on Maggie and Luke, quietly helping them so they wouldn’t get prayed over. My uncle sat at the end of the table and waited while Aunt Naomi made him a sandwich.
Then he said grace, a short one today, thank goodness, but I knew we’d have an extra long one at dinner to make up for it.
We ate in silence. I’d end up with an ulcer at this rate. Isn’t it bad for you to eat while you’re raging mad?
We finished eating and packed up the picnic. Uncle Caleb led the way back to the van. I saw the girl first, I think, although it’s hard to be sure. She was a bit older than me, and she was standing a little above us on the slope, staring intently. Her arms were out from her sides as if she were reaching out towards us. She had long hair, the golden blond colour of the twins’.
I stopped. She looked exactly like an older version of the twins.
Maggie tugged at my hand, then followed my glance. She stood dead still and her face went as white as the swans on the lake. ‘Miriam!’ she screamed and her voice sent shivers right through me. ‘It is Miriam! It is Miriam’s ghost!’ She buried her head in my skirt, terrified.
My own heart was doing a tap dance. But that girl was no ghost. She was flesh and blood and her clothes were real. A skirt, longer than the one I wore, but light and patterned and a rib top. ‘Are you Miriam?’ I whispered.
She nodded, staring at Maggie, desperate to comfort her. But Uncle Caleb said sharply, ‘Hurry along, Esther. Put Magdalene in the vehicle, if you please.’
He looked at the girl. At Miriam. His daughter. His eyes swept right over her as if she didn’t exist. She cringed and bit her bottom lip but she didn’t say anything. Years of training. Years of the discipline room. Daniel hustled the boys into the van.His face was strained.
Aunt Naomi didn’t even glance at her daughter. She tapped Rebecca on the shoulder. ‘Eyes ahead of you, please miss.’
Rachel dropped the rug she was carrying. She picked it up, managing to look at her sister as she did. Uncle Caleb said, ‘We will pray for you when we reach home, Rachel.’ My head was whirling. I knelt and put my arms tight round Maggie. She nearly strangled me, all the time howling hysterically. The girl — Miriam — took a step towards us. So did Uncle Caleb. She whirled around and ran back up the slope. ‘Tell her I’m not dead. Tell her I love her!’ She was gone by the time Uncle Caleb reached us. I heard her crying, and Uncle bloody Caleb would have heard her too.
‘The vehicle, Esther. At once.’
I got to my feet, treading on my skirt, stumbling along carrying Maggie, thoughts jolting about in my head. If Miriam wasn’t dead, then what had happened? Why had they told Maggie she was? Why wouldn’t they even look at her? Did the little boys think she was dead? When she was looking at them all, her face … It hurt to remember. How could they do that to their own daughter? How could they see her looking like that and not make a move to go to her? To comfort her?
I stepped up into the van, put Maggie on a seat and turned to shut the door. Miriam watched us. Watched me. I was
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