Read Online Sydney Bridge Upside Down by David Ballantyne - Free Book Online Page B

I said, walking across to her.
    ‘He went down the back,’ she said, pointing, sounding friendly.
    ‘When was that?’ I asked, surprised by her attitude. She usually acted as though I gave her the pip.
    ‘About ten minutes ago,’ she said. ‘He was intending to pick some passion-fruit, he said. But he didn’t stay long at the vine. He must have changed his mind.’
    ‘Must have,’ I said, wondering why she was so friendly. ‘Probably after frogs. He puffs them up through straws, then pops them—’ She was pulling a face. ‘Suppose he’ll be back soon,’ I said. ‘I only want him to help with the dishes.’
    Now she looked surprised. ‘Oh, do you do the dishes?’
    ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Dad goes to work too early to do them.’
    ‘I mean, you still do them?’ she asked.
    ‘I always do them,’ I said, puzzled by her smile. There had been nothing to smile about.
    ‘You must like doing the dishes,’ she said.
    ‘I don’t mind,’ I said. I watched her a moment, thinking what a plain face she had. Then I asked: ‘How is your mother’s budgie? Has he said anything interesting lately?’
    ‘Not particularly,’ she said.
    I had the feeling there was something on her mind. She was pretending to be friendly because she was curious about something. Well, so did I have something on my mind—about her. About her and Mr Wiggins. I would not mention it now, though. Like her, I would pretend to be friendly.
    ‘So Joey’s said nothing interesting, eh?’ I asked, making my eyes twinkle so that she would not guess I wassuspicious. ‘Does he still say “Jesus is a naughty boy"?’
    ‘Sometimes,’ she said.
    ‘Anything else?’ I asked.
    ‘Oh, he says “Guess what?” rather often,’ she said.
    ‘I wonder why?’ I said. I didn’t, I was only being friendly.
    Susan Prosser shrugged. ‘I haven’t the faintest idea,’ she said. ‘By the way, what was that noise in your place?’
    ‘Noise? What sort of noise?’
    ‘Like people running around.’
    ‘That’s odd,’ I said. My insides seemed to flutter, I was sure my face had turned red.
    ‘Were you all running around?’ she asked.
    I got over my fright, or whatever it was. ‘Oh, you must mean when I was chasing Cal,’ I said. ‘I always chase him in the mornings. He chases me too. It’s our morning exercise.’
    ‘Sounded rather louder than your usual noise,’ she said. ‘Sounded more like three people.’
    ‘No, just us,’ I said offhandedly. I looked towards the swamp. ‘I wonder if Cal went with Dibs. Did you notice if Dibs was with him?’
    ‘He was on his own,’ she said. She frowned, apparently not sure whether to stay friendly. ‘Why doesn’t your cousin do the dishes?’
    ‘Caroline?’ I said. ‘Caroline’s on holiday.’
    ‘I shouldn’t think helping with the dishes would spoil her holiday,’ Susan Prosser said. She smiled quickly, apparently deciding to go on seeming friendly. ‘What does she do while you’re washing up?’
    Now she was getting too nosy, I might not stay friendly. ‘Tidies up her room,’ I said. ‘Writes in her diary. She has things to do.’
    Susan Prosser looked astonished. ‘Does your cousin keep a diary?’
    ‘Sure,’ I said. Actually, what Caroline was writing, she said, was her autobiography; but this was none of Susan Prosser’s business.
    ‘Is she enjoying her holiday?’ asked Susan Prosser.
    ‘Why don’t you ask her?’ I said, suddenly realising that I no longer cared what Susan Prosser was like beneath her dress; I knew her body wasn’t as great as Caroline’s, and for the first time in years I did not want to look at it, she could keep her skinny body covered up for ever, see if I cared. Now I was sorry for her. I told her: ‘Caroline wouldn’t mind meeting you. We haven’t noticed you about lately. Have you been hiding?’
    ‘I’ve been too busy to meet anybody,’ she said.
    ‘Busy doing what?’
    ‘Studying.’
    ‘In the holidays?’
    ‘People don’t stop