wasn’t helping her. I knew nothing I could say was going to make her feel the tiniest bit better.
And all the time, at the back of my mind, I had the horrible, mean, selfish thought that maybe Mum and Dad had made a huge mistake.
Next morning I woke up with a jump, half hoping that the previous day had just been a nightmare. But then I turned and saw Kate lying on the spare mattress on the floor next to my bed. Her eyes were open, and she was staring at the ceiling.
‘Hey,’ I said.
‘Hey, what?’ she said, without turning her head.
‘I’m glad you’re here,’ I said, trying to convince myself that this was really true.
‘Are you?’
‘Of course I am, and aren’t you glad too?’
‘Why should I be?’
I sighed. She really wasn’t making this easy.
‘Because now you’re not on your own any more. You don’t have to live in that dark house all by yourself. You can eat whatever you like, and go out whenever you like. You’re not aprisoner any more.’
‘Did you ever think that maybe being a prisoner in your own home is better than being totally free in someone else’s?’
This
sooo
wasn’t the kind of conversation I usually have with friends on sleepovers, and I had no idea how to answer her. Then she gave a big long sigh.
‘Forget I asked that question,’ she said. ‘It’s no use, Eva. You’ll never understand how I feel.’
‘Maybe not,’ I said. ‘But trust me, Kate, I’m doing my best.’
And then for the first time, she turned to face me. Her eyes were red and puffy.
‘I know,’ she said. ‘And I’m grateful, really I am. It’s just that ……’
She stopped.
‘Go on,’ I said as gently as I could.
‘It’s just that, while I was on my own at home, I could pretend to myself that Martha was going to be back soon, and that everything was goingto be fine. Now I have to face up to the truth. It could be months before Martha is better. You were right all the time. My stupid plan was never going to work.’
I smiled at her. ‘It wasn’t a stupid plan,’ I said. ‘It was just a small bit unrealistic.’
She smiled too, and for a few minutes, everything seemed all right.
Later on, Lily called over. I met her at the door.
‘Come on in,’ I said. ‘I’ve got a surprise for you.’
I led her into the living room, and grinned as I watched her reaction.
‘Omigod, Kate!’ she said. ‘It’s so good to see you. How are you? What are you doing here? Are you home on a visit? How long are you staying?’
I was really, really happy that Lily wasn’t cross with Kate for being mean to her. ClearlyKate hadn’t forgotten about that though. Her face was bright red, and she looked totally embarrassed.
‘Er, Lily, I’m very sorry about … well you know … the bad stuff I said to you … and …’
Lily smiled at her. ‘Forget about it,’ she said. ‘That’s all ancient history. You were upset about Martha. I’d have been the same, if I was in your position.’
Once again, I remembered why I liked Lily so much.
‘So anyway,’ she said. ‘Now that’s all sorted, Kate, are you able to stay here for the whole day?’
Kate and I looked at each other, then she nodded at me, and between the two of us, we told the story of the past few weeks.
By the time we were finished, Lily’s eyes had filled with tears.
‘I can’t believe you were living on your own all that time, Kate,’ she said. ‘That’s so lonelyand scary and mad and brave.’
She reached out to hug Kate, and then the three of us had a big long group hug, all of us trying very hard not to cry.
If hugs could make things better, then Kate’s life would have been perfect.
If.
‘Look on the bright side,’ I said to Kate as soon as the fuss and hugging was finished. ‘Now that you’ve been found, it means you don’t have to hide any more. We can go anywhere we like.’
Kate didn’t say anything.
‘So, where do you want to go?’ I asked.
Kate stared at me. The excitement of telling
And all the time, at the back of my mind, I had the horrible, mean, selfish thought that maybe Mum and Dad had made a huge mistake.
Next morning I woke up with a jump, half hoping that the previous day had just been a nightmare. But then I turned and saw Kate lying on the spare mattress on the floor next to my bed. Her eyes were open, and she was staring at the ceiling.
‘Hey,’ I said.
‘Hey, what?’ she said, without turning her head.
‘I’m glad you’re here,’ I said, trying to convince myself that this was really true.
‘Are you?’
‘Of course I am, and aren’t you glad too?’
‘Why should I be?’
I sighed. She really wasn’t making this easy.
‘Because now you’re not on your own any more. You don’t have to live in that dark house all by yourself. You can eat whatever you like, and go out whenever you like. You’re not aprisoner any more.’
‘Did you ever think that maybe being a prisoner in your own home is better than being totally free in someone else’s?’
This
sooo
wasn’t the kind of conversation I usually have with friends on sleepovers, and I had no idea how to answer her. Then she gave a big long sigh.
‘Forget I asked that question,’ she said. ‘It’s no use, Eva. You’ll never understand how I feel.’
‘Maybe not,’ I said. ‘But trust me, Kate, I’m doing my best.’
And then for the first time, she turned to face me. Her eyes were red and puffy.
‘I know,’ she said. ‘And I’m grateful, really I am. It’s just that ……’
She stopped.
‘Go on,’ I said as gently as I could.
‘It’s just that, while I was on my own at home, I could pretend to myself that Martha was going to be back soon, and that everything was goingto be fine. Now I have to face up to the truth. It could be months before Martha is better. You were right all the time. My stupid plan was never going to work.’
I smiled at her. ‘It wasn’t a stupid plan,’ I said. ‘It was just a small bit unrealistic.’
She smiled too, and for a few minutes, everything seemed all right.
Later on, Lily called over. I met her at the door.
‘Come on in,’ I said. ‘I’ve got a surprise for you.’
I led her into the living room, and grinned as I watched her reaction.
‘Omigod, Kate!’ she said. ‘It’s so good to see you. How are you? What are you doing here? Are you home on a visit? How long are you staying?’
I was really, really happy that Lily wasn’t cross with Kate for being mean to her. ClearlyKate hadn’t forgotten about that though. Her face was bright red, and she looked totally embarrassed.
‘Er, Lily, I’m very sorry about … well you know … the bad stuff I said to you … and …’
Lily smiled at her. ‘Forget about it,’ she said. ‘That’s all ancient history. You were upset about Martha. I’d have been the same, if I was in your position.’
Once again, I remembered why I liked Lily so much.
‘So anyway,’ she said. ‘Now that’s all sorted, Kate, are you able to stay here for the whole day?’
Kate and I looked at each other, then she nodded at me, and between the two of us, we told the story of the past few weeks.
By the time we were finished, Lily’s eyes had filled with tears.
‘I can’t believe you were living on your own all that time, Kate,’ she said. ‘That’s so lonelyand scary and mad and brave.’
She reached out to hug Kate, and then the three of us had a big long group hug, all of us trying very hard not to cry.
If hugs could make things better, then Kate’s life would have been perfect.
If.
‘Look on the bright side,’ I said to Kate as soon as the fuss and hugging was finished. ‘Now that you’ve been found, it means you don’t have to hide any more. We can go anywhere we like.’
Kate didn’t say anything.
‘So, where do you want to go?’ I asked.
Kate stared at me. The excitement of telling
Similar Books
