Read Online Minus Me by Ingelin Rossland - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ingelin Rossland
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rudely into Linda’s face.
‘Yes, please. But I think I’ll keep it on,’ she says, backing away.
‘That comes to twenty kroner.’
‘Not too expensive for a new nose!’
They’ve still got some money left after their shopping spree. So Linda treats them to some ice cream. They each sit on a plastic stool, eating in silence. Linda still has her clown nose on.
‘Are you okay?’ asks Maria.
‘Apart from the fact that I should have chosen the pistachio instead of the lemon sorbet,’ answers Linda, scraping the bottom of her tub.
‘Linda, I just wanted to say . . . I was so scared at the swimming competition. I thought you were going to die.’
‘So did I,’ says Linda. She tries to throw her empty tub into the rubbish bin, but misses, and gets up to put it in.
‘But seriously, Linda, I love you to bits.’
Linda turns towards her friend. Maria’s barely touched her ice cream. And she’s sitting there with tears in her eyes. Linda feels a dark clump growing in her chest. This isn’t fun. Doesn’t Maria realize that all this crying just makes things worse? Linda has to swallow back her own tears before answering.
‘Please don’t look so miserable. I survived, didn’t I? And there’s no point being miserable before I’m gone. You can cry a bit afterwards, but not now,’ she says, trying her best to be gentle.
Maria suddenly bursts out sobbing. Linda takes off the clown nose and walks over to her friend. As she puts the nose on Maria, it hits Linda that it’s the second time in just two days she’s had to comfort someone. She wipes a tear from Maria’s cheek with the sleeve of her jacket.
‘Are you so ill you might die?’ Maria asks.
‘I’m so healthy I might live.’
Linda takes a piece of paper out of her pocket.
‘Here’s the list.’
Maria takes it from her.
‘Look, I’ve already crossed out “Bunk off school”. And I’ve put a circle around “Go to parties”.’
‘Why do you have to have such a big party? Wouldn’t it have been better with just you and me, and Oscar and Markus?’
‘As if!’ says Linda, rolling her eyes.
‘Yes, but . . . but is it good for you? I mean isn’t it going to be stressful for you to have such a big party?’ Maria asks, with tear-filled eyes.
Linda gets up, grabs her friend’s tub of ice cream, chucks it angrily in the bin and puts her hands on her hips.
‘I’m trying to put it out of my mind. And that’s really hard with you sitting there bawling your eyes out. Can’t you see that?’
‘I just thought . . . that list . . . is it really that important any more? Isn’t it a bit superficial?’
‘What’s wrong with being a bit superficial? I want a party. I just want everyone to be happy and to have a good time.’ Linda grabs the nose again and puts it back on herself. ‘Can’t you see I’m trying to cheer you up?’
Maria doesn’t answer. She just shifts uneasily, dries her tears and gives a sigh.
‘Nobody will mind.’
‘But I mind!’
‘Please don’t be cross.’
‘Why not? Are you worried that I’ll die if I get too worked up? That my heart will suddenly stop?’
‘Linda, don’t be horrid.’
‘Horrid! I’m not being horrid! I’m in a great mood. I’m wearing a red nose, I’m going to make everybody happy, and we’re going to have an amazing party on Friday. Everybody will have fun!’
Linda can feel the dark clump growing and growing in her chest as she talks. If she’s not careful, she’ll burst into tears herself. So she swallows hard, turns around and marches off.
‘Linda! Linda! Where are you going?’ Maria shouts.
The tears have started to roll down Linda’s cheeks, so she waves quickly over her shoulder and walks straight through the shopping centre, and out through the swing doors, into the dark where nobody can see.
Chapter 17
Down beside the harbour, the carrier bag containing her dress slaps against her knee with every step Linda takes. Stopping outside
‘Yes, please. But I think I’ll keep it on,’ she says, backing away.
‘That comes to twenty kroner.’
‘Not too expensive for a new nose!’
They’ve still got some money left after their shopping spree. So Linda treats them to some ice cream. They each sit on a plastic stool, eating in silence. Linda still has her clown nose on.
‘Are you okay?’ asks Maria.
‘Apart from the fact that I should have chosen the pistachio instead of the lemon sorbet,’ answers Linda, scraping the bottom of her tub.
‘Linda, I just wanted to say . . . I was so scared at the swimming competition. I thought you were going to die.’
‘So did I,’ says Linda. She tries to throw her empty tub into the rubbish bin, but misses, and gets up to put it in.
‘But seriously, Linda, I love you to bits.’
Linda turns towards her friend. Maria’s barely touched her ice cream. And she’s sitting there with tears in her eyes. Linda feels a dark clump growing in her chest. This isn’t fun. Doesn’t Maria realize that all this crying just makes things worse? Linda has to swallow back her own tears before answering.
‘Please don’t look so miserable. I survived, didn’t I? And there’s no point being miserable before I’m gone. You can cry a bit afterwards, but not now,’ she says, trying her best to be gentle.
Maria suddenly bursts out sobbing. Linda takes off the clown nose and walks over to her friend. As she puts the nose on Maria, it hits Linda that it’s the second time in just two days she’s had to comfort someone. She wipes a tear from Maria’s cheek with the sleeve of her jacket.
‘Are you so ill you might die?’ Maria asks.
‘I’m so healthy I might live.’
Linda takes a piece of paper out of her pocket.
‘Here’s the list.’
Maria takes it from her.
‘Look, I’ve already crossed out “Bunk off school”. And I’ve put a circle around “Go to parties”.’
‘Why do you have to have such a big party? Wouldn’t it have been better with just you and me, and Oscar and Markus?’
‘As if!’ says Linda, rolling her eyes.
‘Yes, but . . . but is it good for you? I mean isn’t it going to be stressful for you to have such a big party?’ Maria asks, with tear-filled eyes.
Linda gets up, grabs her friend’s tub of ice cream, chucks it angrily in the bin and puts her hands on her hips.
‘I’m trying to put it out of my mind. And that’s really hard with you sitting there bawling your eyes out. Can’t you see that?’
‘I just thought . . . that list . . . is it really that important any more? Isn’t it a bit superficial?’
‘What’s wrong with being a bit superficial? I want a party. I just want everyone to be happy and to have a good time.’ Linda grabs the nose again and puts it back on herself. ‘Can’t you see I’m trying to cheer you up?’
Maria doesn’t answer. She just shifts uneasily, dries her tears and gives a sigh.
‘Nobody will mind.’
‘But I mind!’
‘Please don’t be cross.’
‘Why not? Are you worried that I’ll die if I get too worked up? That my heart will suddenly stop?’
‘Linda, don’t be horrid.’
‘Horrid! I’m not being horrid! I’m in a great mood. I’m wearing a red nose, I’m going to make everybody happy, and we’re going to have an amazing party on Friday. Everybody will have fun!’
Linda can feel the dark clump growing and growing in her chest as she talks. If she’s not careful, she’ll burst into tears herself. So she swallows hard, turns around and marches off.
‘Linda! Linda! Where are you going?’ Maria shouts.
The tears have started to roll down Linda’s cheeks, so she waves quickly over her shoulder and walks straight through the shopping centre, and out through the swing doors, into the dark where nobody can see.
Chapter 17
Down beside the harbour, the carrier bag containing her dress slaps against her knee with every step Linda takes. Stopping outside
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