Read Online Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Malorie Blackman
Tags: Ages 9 & Up
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pause.
'Is it? Is that what you really think?' Jaxon challenged. 'We use our own words, our own phrases, our own accents and we're told we're not talking properly, that we're inarticulate or illiterate.'
'I'd never say that,' I said.
'But you feel threatened, I bet. The words sound so similar, yet the meaning is so different,' said Jaxon. 'Our language is something you Crosses can't understand and can't control.'
'Jaxon, leave her alone,' Roxie rounded on him. 'Sephy, I'm sorry about him.'
'Don't worry about it,' I shrugged. 'Besides, I prefer plain speaking. Then everyone knows where they stand.'
I moved down to the cot because I could hear you gearing up for a cry.
'It's OK. Mummy's here,' I soothed, hugging you to me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Roxie whispering something to her brother – and all the time he was listening, he kept looking at me. Ignoring him, I checked your nappy – which was loaded! Jaxon walked over as I was cleaning you up.
'If you want to rub that dirty nappy in my face, I wouldn't blame you,' he told me.
'Why on earth would I want to do that?' I laughed.
'Roxie's just told me who you are,' Jaxon admitted. 'I didn't recognize you. I didn't realize you were one of us.'
My smile wavered momentarily.
Us and them. Them and us.
Always the same. Never changing.
Jaxon looked down at my daughter and gave a start, the way most people did when they first saw her. She was too light to be all Cross and too dark to be all Nought.
'What's her name?'
'Callie Rose.'
'That's pretty. It suits her,' he said.
I just smiled. 'She's my rainbow child – like in the song.'
'What d'you mean?' Jaxon leaned forward for a closer look.
'I'm talking about all the colours she brings, not the colour she is,' I said.
'Oh, I see.'
'So where d'you play that thing?' I asked, pointing at his guitar.
'This?' Jaxon pulled the guitar round so that it was under his arm. 'I play any time, any place, any where.'
After a quick glance up and down the ward, I said, 'How about a tune then, to cheer us all up?'
I was only joking but Jaxon leapt on the suggestion immediately. 'Only if you join in!' he said.
'Suppose I can't sing?' I asked him.
'Even better,' Jaxon grinned.
Roxie shook her head. 'Sephy, please don't encourage him, because he really will do it.'
I looked up at Jaxon, who was smiling at me, and decided that Roxie was right. Jaxon looked like the kind of guy who went full-steam ahead one hundred per cent of the time.
'Well? You gonna chicken out?'
'What song?' I asked, placing an already dozing Callie back in her plastic cot. I guess she wasn't hungry after all, just uncomfortable.
'You two aren't serious,' Roxie asked, aghast.
'Which song?' I smiled again.
'Suggest something,' said Jaxon.
'Rainbow Child? For all the new-borns in here.'
'Go for it,' said Jaxon. He began to strum his guitar.
Jaxon started singing, a challenge in his eyes as he looked
at me.
'You bring a sweet embrace
And with the smile upon your face
You bring me grace, my rainbow child.
You bring me Autumn days,
Turn my face to golden rays,
You bring me bliss, my rainbow child.'
I took a deep breath and after the first couple of lines I
joined in, quietly at first but picking up volume with each word. I saw Jaxon
look at me in surprise when I started to sing. I knew he thought I'd lose
my nerve. But then he smiled and we carried on singing together, getting louder.
'And what was life before you?
And do you know how I adore you?
And it scares me how I feel,
All my past scars fade and heal
When I hold my rainbow child.
'You bring a quiet time,
Life has meaning, thoughts have rhyme,
You bring me peace, my rainbow child.
You bring down all my fences,
You invade my heart and senses,
You bring me hope, my rainbow child.'
Jaxon had a good voice. Me? At first I just worried about keeping up and not forgetting the words. But then I kind of got into it. And by the end of the second verse, I
'Is it? Is that what you really think?' Jaxon challenged. 'We use our own words, our own phrases, our own accents and we're told we're not talking properly, that we're inarticulate or illiterate.'
'I'd never say that,' I said.
'But you feel threatened, I bet. The words sound so similar, yet the meaning is so different,' said Jaxon. 'Our language is something you Crosses can't understand and can't control.'
'Jaxon, leave her alone,' Roxie rounded on him. 'Sephy, I'm sorry about him.'
'Don't worry about it,' I shrugged. 'Besides, I prefer plain speaking. Then everyone knows where they stand.'
I moved down to the cot because I could hear you gearing up for a cry.
'It's OK. Mummy's here,' I soothed, hugging you to me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Roxie whispering something to her brother – and all the time he was listening, he kept looking at me. Ignoring him, I checked your nappy – which was loaded! Jaxon walked over as I was cleaning you up.
'If you want to rub that dirty nappy in my face, I wouldn't blame you,' he told me.
'Why on earth would I want to do that?' I laughed.
'Roxie's just told me who you are,' Jaxon admitted. 'I didn't recognize you. I didn't realize you were one of us.'
My smile wavered momentarily.
Us and them. Them and us.
Always the same. Never changing.
Jaxon looked down at my daughter and gave a start, the way most people did when they first saw her. She was too light to be all Cross and too dark to be all Nought.
'What's her name?'
'Callie Rose.'
'That's pretty. It suits her,' he said.
I just smiled. 'She's my rainbow child – like in the song.'
'What d'you mean?' Jaxon leaned forward for a closer look.
'I'm talking about all the colours she brings, not the colour she is,' I said.
'Oh, I see.'
'So where d'you play that thing?' I asked, pointing at his guitar.
'This?' Jaxon pulled the guitar round so that it was under his arm. 'I play any time, any place, any where.'
After a quick glance up and down the ward, I said, 'How about a tune then, to cheer us all up?'
I was only joking but Jaxon leapt on the suggestion immediately. 'Only if you join in!' he said.
'Suppose I can't sing?' I asked him.
'Even better,' Jaxon grinned.
Roxie shook her head. 'Sephy, please don't encourage him, because he really will do it.'
I looked up at Jaxon, who was smiling at me, and decided that Roxie was right. Jaxon looked like the kind of guy who went full-steam ahead one hundred per cent of the time.
'Well? You gonna chicken out?'
'What song?' I asked, placing an already dozing Callie back in her plastic cot. I guess she wasn't hungry after all, just uncomfortable.
'You two aren't serious,' Roxie asked, aghast.
'Which song?' I smiled again.
'Suggest something,' said Jaxon.
'Rainbow Child? For all the new-borns in here.'
'Go for it,' said Jaxon. He began to strum his guitar.
Jaxon started singing, a challenge in his eyes as he looked
at me.
'You bring a sweet embrace
And with the smile upon your face
You bring me grace, my rainbow child.
You bring me Autumn days,
Turn my face to golden rays,
You bring me bliss, my rainbow child.'
I took a deep breath and after the first couple of lines I
joined in, quietly at first but picking up volume with each word. I saw Jaxon
look at me in surprise when I started to sing. I knew he thought I'd lose
my nerve. But then he smiled and we carried on singing together, getting louder.
'And what was life before you?
And do you know how I adore you?
And it scares me how I feel,
All my past scars fade and heal
When I hold my rainbow child.
'You bring a quiet time,
Life has meaning, thoughts have rhyme,
You bring me peace, my rainbow child.
You bring down all my fences,
You invade my heart and senses,
You bring me hope, my rainbow child.'
Jaxon had a good voice. Me? At first I just worried about keeping up and not forgetting the words. But then I kind of got into it. And by the end of the second verse, I
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