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Authors: Martine Murray
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about me.’ Molly turned away and she walked as fast
as she could. It was true, Ellen would worry. But what she hadn’t said was that Ellen
would be terrified of something as unearthly as this. She may not even believe it.
But Molly wasn’t going to give Pim a chance to venture an opinion. She didn’t want
to hear it, whatever it was.
CHAPTER 16
Snakebite
Ellen’s mother had short brown hair, large shoulders and sturdy shoes. She smiled
easily and laughed in happy bursts, her voice always with a firm sound to it. But
when she opened the door to Molly she looked quite a different sort of woman. She
wasn’t as upright, and instead of sturdy shoes she wore slippers and blue pyjama
pants, and everything about her seemed crumpled. But she gathered herself and stood
straight, and she burst out, ‘Oh, Molly, we’re so worried.’ She drew Molly towards
her, and ushered her into the kitchen. Ellen’s crumpled mother poured Molly a blackcurrant
cordial, and she perched on a kitchen stool, seeming too tired to stand.
‘May I see Ellen?’ said Molly. ‘I haven’t been at school so I only just heard she
was sick. What’s wrong with her?’
‘Well, that’s the problem, Molly. No one knows exactly. It all started with the snakebite.’
Molly gasped. Of all people, Ellen was the least likely person to get bitten by a
snake. She refused to walk in long grass or to climb over woodpiles or even to swim
sometimes in the creek, all because of the possibility of snakes. ‘Was it a brown?’
Brown snakes were deadly, but so were tigers.
‘It was a brown,’ Ellen’s mother said. ‘It was in the shower. We don’t know how it
got in there. But we took her to the hospital quickly enough. She should have recovered,
but she hasn’t…’
Ellen’s mum stopped and tilted her head, as if the weight of it all was leaning on
her and she might topple over. She sighed and looked out the window at the garden
with its brisk arrangement of lawn, fence and tree.
‘Now there are complications. Ellen is very weak and she can’t seem to eat much.
But I’m sure she will be happy you’re here. She has been upset that she hasn’t seen
you.’
Molly dropped her gaze. She was ashamed. What sort of best friend takes so long to
visit? But she couldn’t explain. She bit her lip to keep it all in.
Ellen’s mother led Molly into the bedroom, which was dim as the curtains were drawn.
Ellen’s mother changed as she entered the room. She spoke to Ellen in firm, reassuring
tones, as if there was very little wrong. She sat at Ellen’s side, told her Molly
was there, and patted and kissed her before getting up to leave them alone.
Ellen lay on her back. Her hair was not in plaits but fell around her head as if
it had spilled. She turned to see Molly. It seemed a great effort for her to do that,
but her face brightened immediately.
‘Hi, Ellen.’ Molly knelt down next to her.
‘I’m pretty sick,’ said Ellen.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t come earlier. I didn’t know you were sick.’
Ellen struggled to sit up a bit.
‘I can’t believe you got bitten by a snake,’ said Molly. ‘Did it hurt a lot? It must
have. But why are you still sick? Why can’t you eat?’
Ellen blinked as if this rapid fire of questions was more than she had the energy
or will to consider. Then she lay back to stare at the ceiling and sighed.
‘Because I don’t feel like it.’ She blinked again. ‘I’m too tired to eat or walk
or anything.’
‘Well, you have to eat. Even if you don’t want to. Just see it like maths, something
you have to do.’
Ellen dismissed this wisdom with a slight frown. ‘Has your mama come back from Cuba
yet?’ Ellen said, and Molly was glad to see her face gather itself to express something,
even if it was worry.
‘Not yet. I didn’t go back to school till today.’
Ellen stared incomprehensibly at Molly. She closed her eyes for a moment.
‘Why didn’t you want me to help? Did you think I would be too
as she could. It was true, Ellen would worry. But what she hadn’t said was that Ellen
would be terrified of something as unearthly as this. She may not even believe it.
But Molly wasn’t going to give Pim a chance to venture an opinion. She didn’t want
to hear it, whatever it was.
CHAPTER 16
Snakebite
Ellen’s mother had short brown hair, large shoulders and sturdy shoes. She smiled
easily and laughed in happy bursts, her voice always with a firm sound to it. But
when she opened the door to Molly she looked quite a different sort of woman. She
wasn’t as upright, and instead of sturdy shoes she wore slippers and blue pyjama
pants, and everything about her seemed crumpled. But she gathered herself and stood
straight, and she burst out, ‘Oh, Molly, we’re so worried.’ She drew Molly towards
her, and ushered her into the kitchen. Ellen’s crumpled mother poured Molly a blackcurrant
cordial, and she perched on a kitchen stool, seeming too tired to stand.
‘May I see Ellen?’ said Molly. ‘I haven’t been at school so I only just heard she
was sick. What’s wrong with her?’
‘Well, that’s the problem, Molly. No one knows exactly. It all started with the snakebite.’
Molly gasped. Of all people, Ellen was the least likely person to get bitten by a
snake. She refused to walk in long grass or to climb over woodpiles or even to swim
sometimes in the creek, all because of the possibility of snakes. ‘Was it a brown?’
Brown snakes were deadly, but so were tigers.
‘It was a brown,’ Ellen’s mother said. ‘It was in the shower. We don’t know how it
got in there. But we took her to the hospital quickly enough. She should have recovered,
but she hasn’t…’
Ellen’s mum stopped and tilted her head, as if the weight of it all was leaning on
her and she might topple over. She sighed and looked out the window at the garden
with its brisk arrangement of lawn, fence and tree.
‘Now there are complications. Ellen is very weak and she can’t seem to eat much.
But I’m sure she will be happy you’re here. She has been upset that she hasn’t seen
you.’
Molly dropped her gaze. She was ashamed. What sort of best friend takes so long to
visit? But she couldn’t explain. She bit her lip to keep it all in.
Ellen’s mother led Molly into the bedroom, which was dim as the curtains were drawn.
Ellen’s mother changed as she entered the room. She spoke to Ellen in firm, reassuring
tones, as if there was very little wrong. She sat at Ellen’s side, told her Molly
was there, and patted and kissed her before getting up to leave them alone.
Ellen lay on her back. Her hair was not in plaits but fell around her head as if
it had spilled. She turned to see Molly. It seemed a great effort for her to do that,
but her face brightened immediately.
‘Hi, Ellen.’ Molly knelt down next to her.
‘I’m pretty sick,’ said Ellen.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t come earlier. I didn’t know you were sick.’
Ellen struggled to sit up a bit.
‘I can’t believe you got bitten by a snake,’ said Molly. ‘Did it hurt a lot? It must
have. But why are you still sick? Why can’t you eat?’
Ellen blinked as if this rapid fire of questions was more than she had the energy
or will to consider. Then she lay back to stare at the ceiling and sighed.
‘Because I don’t feel like it.’ She blinked again. ‘I’m too tired to eat or walk
or anything.’
‘Well, you have to eat. Even if you don’t want to. Just see it like maths, something
you have to do.’
Ellen dismissed this wisdom with a slight frown. ‘Has your mama come back from Cuba
yet?’ Ellen said, and Molly was glad to see her face gather itself to express something,
even if it was worry.
‘Not yet. I didn’t go back to school till today.’
Ellen stared incomprehensibly at Molly. She closed her eyes for a moment.
‘Why didn’t you want me to help? Did you think I would be too
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