Read Online Still Waving by Laurene Kelly - Free Book Online Page B

friend Jo was taking her to hospital for the tests. When they were finished, she’d either go back to work or come home. I offered to go with her.
    â€˜No thanks Jules. I really don’t think you would want to waste your time hanging around a hospital.’
    â€˜It wouldn’t be wasting time. I’d be with you.’
    â€˜It’s not necessary, really. Thanks for offering.’
    I knew there was nothing more to say.
    â€˜I’m going to ring Ruby.’
    â€˜Give her my love.’
    Whenever I rang Ruby’s aunt’s house, I left a message for Ruby to ring me when she was there, and then I’d call her straight back again. Ruby didn’t have a phone at her place, so this was how I kept in touch with her. When we both were at school, I could chat with Ruby online. Her aunt answered on the fourth ring and said Ruby would be there later and she’d tell her I’d rung.
    I wandered around, not really having anything to do. I tried reading a book but couldn’t concentrate. Even though Aunt Jean said not to worry, I still did. We’d learnt in Health Studies about lumps in the breast and how they could be cancerous, and that the earlier they were detected the better. We were meant to give ourselves breast examinations regularly, but I mostly forgot. I thought I’d worry about it when I got old, like about twenty-five. I was too young to take on the responsibility now. I didn’t even vote.
    I’d felt sorry for Ms Jackson, our teacher of Health Studies, when she’d tried to keep the subject of breastcancer all clinical. The boys became totally out of control. They couldn’t handle the subject at all. A couple of them walked out saying it was none of their business. When Ms Jackson had tried to make them come back saying it was a human health issue, they just ran away. Some of us girls were embarrassed and wished the boys weren’t there. They hadn’t been when we discussed ovulation, periods, and all that stuff.
    I remembered Ms Jackson explaining that breast cancer could affect anyone. The boys started hooting, and generally were out of control. Some started feeling their breasts, and asking if they could feel ours. Tom Green said to me in a stupid voice, he needed to feel my breasts, for medical reasons. After all, he was going to be a doctor. I hit him with my health folder. Ryan Gee laid down on the floor, screaming he had a lump. Ms Jackson ignored him saying a small percentage of males got breast cancer, but it was more likely to affect females.
    Ms Jackson was so brave like that. Some teachers would have left the room, or just given us notes and said read about it. Ms Jackson got the last laugh. At the end of the lesson she said that our next topic would be testicular cancer. The boys all cringed and moaned, saying no way. Us girls laughed and cheered.
    The phone rang. I jumped up to answer it.
    â€˜Hi, is Jules there?’
    â€˜It’s me. Oh Ruby I’m so glad you rang.’
    â€˜How’s it going?’
    â€˜Oh all right, I guess.’ I paused. ‘Aunt Jean might have breast cancer. I’ll ring you back.’ I hung up and dialled the number.
    â€˜Jules, that sucks,’ Ruby responded as if there were no gap in our conversation.
    â€˜It might be okay. I’m more worried than Aunt Jean. She’s acting pretty casual about it.’
    â€˜When will she know?’
    â€˜Tomorrow, she’s going to have a biopsy or something.’
    â€˜An aunt of mine had to have both hers chopped off.’
    â€˜Oh Ruby.’
    â€˜You wouldn’t know though.’
    â€˜I hope that doesn’t happen to Aunt Jean.’
    â€˜No reason it should anymore than anyone else.’
    â€˜I don’t know if that’s comforting or not. What’s been happening?’
    â€˜The usual. What changes around here except underpants, you tell me?’
    I laughed. ‘Why don’t you come here for a break?