Read Online Perry Scrimshaw's Rite of Passage by Chris Hannon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Chris Hannon
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get you a night in a lodging house or something.’
he scratched the back of his head. ‘Will I likely see you round
these parts again Eva?’ he heard too much hope in his own voice and
blushed.
She placed her hand over her
mouth as she chewed, but nodded and then swallowed, ‘I hope so
Perry. Thank you, again,’ she tapped the side of her dress where
she’d put the money, ‘you don’t know how awful these last days have
been, you’re a true saviour.’
She smiled and it was
dreamlike. Glad to have done her a good turn, he dragged his
reluctant feet after Joel and Pietersen, repeating the name Eva in
his head.
7
Late April showers smothered
Saturday in a cloak of rain. Perry wondered if Eva had found
somewhere to shelter from the deluge but resisted the urge to go
and look for her. Bored and restless, he played a lethargic game of
Beggar-My-Neighbour with Joel and drank enough tea to induce a
headache.
By evening, the rain still
hadn’t stopped, but Perry’s lethargy had grown as heavy as an
anchor round his neck and he couldn’t face the prospect of having
to go out working again with Joel. He lay on his nest of a bed and
wrapped the pillow round his head.
‘ It won’t take
long, we’ll be back before you know it,’ Joel said.
‘ I…’ Perry
sighed.
‘ Are you
alright?’
‘ Tired.’
‘ You ain’t got
The Sick have ya?’ Joel laughed uneasily.
If he were going to get The
Sick he surely would have already gotten it by now. He’d troop
through the evening if he had to. He reached for his coat, ‘Just a
headache is all. I’ll come.’ He threaded his arm through, his
muscles aching as he stretched through the cuff. He sensed Joel’s
eyes on him.
‘ Listen, you
stay here, I’ll go on my own tonight.’
Perry paused, and it was
hesitation enough.
‘ You weren’t
much good yesterday anyway,’ Joel said with a cheeky grin, as if
sensing Perry’s dilemma.
‘ I’m
learning.’
‘ Don’t worry,
I’ll tell Ma we both done it.’
‘ It’s not-’
Perry felt flushed, ‘I don’t mind coming, honest.’
‘ You can cover
me sometime.’
‘ I promise I
will. But you should take the knife if I’m not going.’
‘ Keep it. I got
me a new one in town last night.’
Immensely grateful, Perry fell
back onto the bundle of blankets and rubbed his temples.
He registered Joel returning
later in his half-dozy sleep, the rain still pattering on the roof.
When he woke on Sunday, he felt like he hadn’t slept a wink. Joel
spoke to him, telling him about some Frenchman he’d brought back
for Ma and Perry did his best to listen, but his head was throbbing
something dreadful. By evening he was no better and the door in his
mind that was closed to the idea of him having The Sick, was now
ajar.
Joel came in with a mug of tea
and lantern, the low glow shot rays of pain direct into Perry’s
head.
‘ Ma’s asking
questions.’
‘ Tell her I’m
just sleepy.’
‘ If she thinks
you’ve got The Sick she’ll chuck you out – or worse.’
‘ I’m fine, just
tired is all,’ Perry tautened the blankets around him.
‘ You’ve been in
bed all weekend, how can you be tired? You need to see a
doctor.’
‘ Not
happening.’
The steam from the tea rose
between them in the amber light.
‘ You best rest
then.’
‘ Joel. I am!
Right now I’m going to sleep,’ Perry turned over. He could feel
Joel watching him, considering him.
‘ If you ain’t
better by morning, I’m going to fetch a doctor.’
‘ Just a
headache, that’s all. Nothing a bit of sleep can’t fix,’ he
murmured and shut his eyes.
Perry woke as if struck. His
head felt full. What time was it? Joel was asleep in the other
corner of the room. Rain lashed against the window so loud it might
have been the side of his head. He wrapped the pillow around his
ears. It didn’t help. His throat was so dry, swallowing cut like
knives. He kicked off his blanket and sat up. Clammy with sweat, he
peeled off
he scratched the back of his head. ‘Will I likely see you round
these parts again Eva?’ he heard too much hope in his own voice and
blushed.
She placed her hand over her
mouth as she chewed, but nodded and then swallowed, ‘I hope so
Perry. Thank you, again,’ she tapped the side of her dress where
she’d put the money, ‘you don’t know how awful these last days have
been, you’re a true saviour.’
She smiled and it was
dreamlike. Glad to have done her a good turn, he dragged his
reluctant feet after Joel and Pietersen, repeating the name Eva in
his head.
7
Late April showers smothered
Saturday in a cloak of rain. Perry wondered if Eva had found
somewhere to shelter from the deluge but resisted the urge to go
and look for her. Bored and restless, he played a lethargic game of
Beggar-My-Neighbour with Joel and drank enough tea to induce a
headache.
By evening, the rain still
hadn’t stopped, but Perry’s lethargy had grown as heavy as an
anchor round his neck and he couldn’t face the prospect of having
to go out working again with Joel. He lay on his nest of a bed and
wrapped the pillow round his head.
‘ It won’t take
long, we’ll be back before you know it,’ Joel said.
‘ I…’ Perry
sighed.
‘ Are you
alright?’
‘ Tired.’
‘ You ain’t got
The Sick have ya?’ Joel laughed uneasily.
If he were going to get The
Sick he surely would have already gotten it by now. He’d troop
through the evening if he had to. He reached for his coat, ‘Just a
headache is all. I’ll come.’ He threaded his arm through, his
muscles aching as he stretched through the cuff. He sensed Joel’s
eyes on him.
‘ Listen, you
stay here, I’ll go on my own tonight.’
Perry paused, and it was
hesitation enough.
‘ You weren’t
much good yesterday anyway,’ Joel said with a cheeky grin, as if
sensing Perry’s dilemma.
‘ I’m
learning.’
‘ Don’t worry,
I’ll tell Ma we both done it.’
‘ It’s not-’
Perry felt flushed, ‘I don’t mind coming, honest.’
‘ You can cover
me sometime.’
‘ I promise I
will. But you should take the knife if I’m not going.’
‘ Keep it. I got
me a new one in town last night.’
Immensely grateful, Perry fell
back onto the bundle of blankets and rubbed his temples.
He registered Joel returning
later in his half-dozy sleep, the rain still pattering on the roof.
When he woke on Sunday, he felt like he hadn’t slept a wink. Joel
spoke to him, telling him about some Frenchman he’d brought back
for Ma and Perry did his best to listen, but his head was throbbing
something dreadful. By evening he was no better and the door in his
mind that was closed to the idea of him having The Sick, was now
ajar.
Joel came in with a mug of tea
and lantern, the low glow shot rays of pain direct into Perry’s
head.
‘ Ma’s asking
questions.’
‘ Tell her I’m
just sleepy.’
‘ If she thinks
you’ve got The Sick she’ll chuck you out – or worse.’
‘ I’m fine, just
tired is all,’ Perry tautened the blankets around him.
‘ You’ve been in
bed all weekend, how can you be tired? You need to see a
doctor.’
‘ Not
happening.’
The steam from the tea rose
between them in the amber light.
‘ You best rest
then.’
‘ Joel. I am!
Right now I’m going to sleep,’ Perry turned over. He could feel
Joel watching him, considering him.
‘ If you ain’t
better by morning, I’m going to fetch a doctor.’
‘ Just a
headache, that’s all. Nothing a bit of sleep can’t fix,’ he
murmured and shut his eyes.
Perry woke as if struck. His
head felt full. What time was it? Joel was asleep in the other
corner of the room. Rain lashed against the window so loud it might
have been the side of his head. He wrapped the pillow around his
ears. It didn’t help. His throat was so dry, swallowing cut like
knives. He kicked off his blanket and sat up. Clammy with sweat, he
peeled off
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