mean, worthless,” he said in the dumbest voice he could
muster. With that Jane’s dad laughed so loud he started coughing
and spluttering. He got up and grabbed a handkerchief and started
coughing into it. But when he pulled the handkerchief away, the
sudden appearance of blood shocked Kipp. Jane saw it too and looked
flushed, like her own blood had drained from her face.
“Dad?”
Jane’s dad stopped laughing when he saw the blood,
then gave a curious, distant glance at Jane and Kipp, before
passing out and collapsing to the floor.
chapter 9: A dark and dangerous place
Alcohol Poisoning. That’s what the doctors called it.
A dreadful and unnatural way to go. Such a waste of an otherwise
good life. The only consolation, Kipp thought privately at the
funeral, was that at last Jane got to enjoy her father’s company
and feel the warmth of a final hug and the love of a doting dad.
But it also made his death that much harder for Jane to deal
with.
“No child should ever have to bury their parent,” the
minister had said. And Jane had had to do it twice. Kipp wondered
if Jane had the courage and the strength to deal with this and
decided that she did. He had witnessed her strength when confronted
with danger, even though she had moments of fragility. He had seen
her at her best. Now he would see her at her worst. He would be
there for her, as much as he could. But over the coming days and
weeks, through no fault or device of his own. Kipp saw less and
less of her. They had spoken only on a few brief occasions. He had
told her, at least, that no matter what, he was here. She had only
nodded, the tears so frequent these days, returning again. They had
shared only the briefest of hugs.
Then one night there was a knock at the door. Jane
had been staying at a friend of the families but her Uncle and
Aunty had come to settle Jane’s father’s affairs and to take over
guardianship of their Niece. When Kipp saw them at the funeral,
they struck him as much more reserved and cold than Jane’s father.
In his young mind and heart, Kipp had tried to reason that it was
all for the best. But thinking of her leaving and going to the
other side of the country, was slowly and surely breaking his
heart.
So on the night Jane came to say her farewells, Kipp
was not in the least prepared for the emotional torment he would
have to endure. Now it was she who was the calm one. It was she who
had to hold him. It was her warmth that he depended on. He felt
selfish. Her loss is greater than mine, he thought.
“It won’t be forever,” she said calmly and Kipp
wondered at what point she had suddenly grown up. In the weeks
since they had gone camping, she had become this other person,
almost a woman. She had even had a birthday, a somber occasion
without even a cake to celebrate. Now twelve, she could have passed
for fourteen. She’d even grown taller, whilst Kipp had barely moved
at all.
Seeing her again one last time only reinforced how
much he would miss her. She had started as a neighbor he barely
knew, had shown up at camp on that first night, much to his
annoyance, had become a friend, which had developed and blossomed
into something much more important and lasting. And just when they
looked set to share a life together, in some form or other, she was
leaving. And there was not a thing he or anyone else could do about
it.
“I’ll write,” she said reassuringly.
“You’d better,” he answered bluntly.
“I won’t forget you.”
“You’d better not.”
Strong and still stubborn as always, she thought as
she sat there on the end of his bed. Then she sealed both their
fates with a single, deliberate but oh so welcome kiss.
She was supposed to leave that night. It was meant to
be the last time he saw her for a while, maybe forever. There was
not meant to be a knock at the door the next morning. And her Aunty
and Uncle were not meant to be standing there, looking
muster. With that Jane’s dad laughed so loud he started coughing
and spluttering. He got up and grabbed a handkerchief and started
coughing into it. But when he pulled the handkerchief away, the
sudden appearance of blood shocked Kipp. Jane saw it too and looked
flushed, like her own blood had drained from her face.
“Dad?”
Jane’s dad stopped laughing when he saw the blood,
then gave a curious, distant glance at Jane and Kipp, before
passing out and collapsing to the floor.
chapter 9: A dark and dangerous place
Alcohol Poisoning. That’s what the doctors called it.
A dreadful and unnatural way to go. Such a waste of an otherwise
good life. The only consolation, Kipp thought privately at the
funeral, was that at last Jane got to enjoy her father’s company
and feel the warmth of a final hug and the love of a doting dad.
But it also made his death that much harder for Jane to deal
with.
“No child should ever have to bury their parent,” the
minister had said. And Jane had had to do it twice. Kipp wondered
if Jane had the courage and the strength to deal with this and
decided that she did. He had witnessed her strength when confronted
with danger, even though she had moments of fragility. He had seen
her at her best. Now he would see her at her worst. He would be
there for her, as much as he could. But over the coming days and
weeks, through no fault or device of his own. Kipp saw less and
less of her. They had spoken only on a few brief occasions. He had
told her, at least, that no matter what, he was here. She had only
nodded, the tears so frequent these days, returning again. They had
shared only the briefest of hugs.
Then one night there was a knock at the door. Jane
had been staying at a friend of the families but her Uncle and
Aunty had come to settle Jane’s father’s affairs and to take over
guardianship of their Niece. When Kipp saw them at the funeral,
they struck him as much more reserved and cold than Jane’s father.
In his young mind and heart, Kipp had tried to reason that it was
all for the best. But thinking of her leaving and going to the
other side of the country, was slowly and surely breaking his
heart.
So on the night Jane came to say her farewells, Kipp
was not in the least prepared for the emotional torment he would
have to endure. Now it was she who was the calm one. It was she who
had to hold him. It was her warmth that he depended on. He felt
selfish. Her loss is greater than mine, he thought.
“It won’t be forever,” she said calmly and Kipp
wondered at what point she had suddenly grown up. In the weeks
since they had gone camping, she had become this other person,
almost a woman. She had even had a birthday, a somber occasion
without even a cake to celebrate. Now twelve, she could have passed
for fourteen. She’d even grown taller, whilst Kipp had barely moved
at all.
Seeing her again one last time only reinforced how
much he would miss her. She had started as a neighbor he barely
knew, had shown up at camp on that first night, much to his
annoyance, had become a friend, which had developed and blossomed
into something much more important and lasting. And just when they
looked set to share a life together, in some form or other, she was
leaving. And there was not a thing he or anyone else could do about
it.
“I’ll write,” she said reassuringly.
“You’d better,” he answered bluntly.
“I won’t forget you.”
“You’d better not.”
Strong and still stubborn as always, she thought as
she sat there on the end of his bed. Then she sealed both their
fates with a single, deliberate but oh so welcome kiss.
She was supposed to leave that night. It was meant to
be the last time he saw her for a while, maybe forever. There was
not meant to be a knock at the door the next morning. And her Aunty
and Uncle were not meant to be standing there, looking
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