Read Online The Bare Necessities (Non-Profane Edition) by John Harding - Free Book Online
Authors: John Harding
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without your folks, and I only
want to borrow it. I can give you something, but not much.” Jack
sighed. “I just need to see what you've got and start to think
about things and then get 'em down for a day or two when it's
ready. What d’ya say?”
Jack sighed. “My
parents would go bananas,” he told her. “And my Aunt is staying
with us at the moment. She's getting divorced.”
“Oh I'm sorry to
hear that.”
“It's OK. It's
number twelve, she's used to it by now. Her weddings are a
bi-annual event. I've been to seven or eight.”
“I bet she eats a
lot of toast,” Claire joked, but the flippant comment was lost on
Jack, and she returned to her pleading. “So is it at all
possible?”
“Yeah. But only
when my parents are out. Now there is a fundraising dinner on
Saturday evening for some politician that my Dad's friend gets
involved with. They are out all Saturday evening. Why don't you
come 'round then and I'll show you.”
Claire smiled and
put her arms around him, cuddling him excitedly. “Thank you,” she
whispered in his ear. “Thank you so much!”
“You're welcome,”
Jack replied with a smile.
* *
* * *
“Hi,” Paige
muttered as her sister stormed into the room and she leant over the
top bunk. “I was thinking, I know you always like sleeping on the
top bunk if we have them on holiday, and I've had it at home for
five years, so do you want to swap?”
“You wet the
mattress then?”
Paige scowled.
“No! I just thought …”
“You just thought
I might not try and top myself if I have the top bunk.”
“I didn't say
that,” Paige told her defensively.
“Why is everyone
treating me like a child? I 'ate it and …”
“'Cause you won't
talk to anyone,” Paige screamed. “And when you do, it's angry
grunts, and you barely say a word. What are we supposed to do? You
snap at everyone, it's like walking on eggshells with you.”
Hazel's eyes bored
into her sister. “Then don't talk to me.”
Paige swung her
legs over the side of the bed and descended the ladder. “You are my
sister,” she replied and grabbed her taller sibling by the tops of
her arms, shaking her aggressively. “I found you unconscious in a
pool of blood.”
“And if I'd died
you'd have the room to yourself,” Hazel spat back. “You'd love
that.”
A tear rolled down
Paige's cheek, and she gestured wildly at her sister. “I found you
in a pool of blood. I had three minutes of waiting for an ambulance
when I thought you were dead. How do you think I felt?” Hazel
didn't respond, and Paige shook her again. “Eh? I've had nightmares
that I really will find you dead one day, and you don't care. You
think we don't love you, but I was in pieces that night. I've never
cried so hard, and I spent all night at your bed side at the
hospital. I wouldn't leave you and …”
“I didn't ask you
too,” Hazel muttered. “I never wanted …”
“It's what sisters
do,” Paige shouted. “'Cause long after Mum and Dad die, we'll still
be here with Jeremy. And I know you don't believe me, but I love
you. I love you more than anyone else in the world because as long
as I can remember, there's been you in my room, playing with my
toys and at my school. I helped you with your homework, I helped
you with puberty and boys and everything. Even your make-up when
you went on your first date or when you were being bullied, it was
me that beat 'em up to put a stop to it.” Hazel sniffed back a tear
and stared at the floor. “So when you have a problem you won't talk
about, that is so bad you can't face life, it hurts when you won't
talk to me.”
“There's nothing
to tell,” Hazel muttered and shrugged. The naked Paige stared into
her sister's eyes, and she blinked. “Really, there's nothing to
tell.”
Paige gulped and
held out her arms to embrace her sister, holding her tightly and
sniffing back the tears. It was the first cuddle they had shared
since the troubled girl had left hospital four months previously
and
want to borrow it. I can give you something, but not much.” Jack
sighed. “I just need to see what you've got and start to think
about things and then get 'em down for a day or two when it's
ready. What d’ya say?”
Jack sighed. “My
parents would go bananas,” he told her. “And my Aunt is staying
with us at the moment. She's getting divorced.”
“Oh I'm sorry to
hear that.”
“It's OK. It's
number twelve, she's used to it by now. Her weddings are a
bi-annual event. I've been to seven or eight.”
“I bet she eats a
lot of toast,” Claire joked, but the flippant comment was lost on
Jack, and she returned to her pleading. “So is it at all
possible?”
“Yeah. But only
when my parents are out. Now there is a fundraising dinner on
Saturday evening for some politician that my Dad's friend gets
involved with. They are out all Saturday evening. Why don't you
come 'round then and I'll show you.”
Claire smiled and
put her arms around him, cuddling him excitedly. “Thank you,” she
whispered in his ear. “Thank you so much!”
“You're welcome,”
Jack replied with a smile.
* *
* * *
“Hi,” Paige
muttered as her sister stormed into the room and she leant over the
top bunk. “I was thinking, I know you always like sleeping on the
top bunk if we have them on holiday, and I've had it at home for
five years, so do you want to swap?”
“You wet the
mattress then?”
Paige scowled.
“No! I just thought …”
“You just thought
I might not try and top myself if I have the top bunk.”
“I didn't say
that,” Paige told her defensively.
“Why is everyone
treating me like a child? I 'ate it and …”
“'Cause you won't
talk to anyone,” Paige screamed. “And when you do, it's angry
grunts, and you barely say a word. What are we supposed to do? You
snap at everyone, it's like walking on eggshells with you.”
Hazel's eyes bored
into her sister. “Then don't talk to me.”
Paige swung her
legs over the side of the bed and descended the ladder. “You are my
sister,” she replied and grabbed her taller sibling by the tops of
her arms, shaking her aggressively. “I found you unconscious in a
pool of blood.”
“And if I'd died
you'd have the room to yourself,” Hazel spat back. “You'd love
that.”
A tear rolled down
Paige's cheek, and she gestured wildly at her sister. “I found you
in a pool of blood. I had three minutes of waiting for an ambulance
when I thought you were dead. How do you think I felt?” Hazel
didn't respond, and Paige shook her again. “Eh? I've had nightmares
that I really will find you dead one day, and you don't care. You
think we don't love you, but I was in pieces that night. I've never
cried so hard, and I spent all night at your bed side at the
hospital. I wouldn't leave you and …”
“I didn't ask you
too,” Hazel muttered. “I never wanted …”
“It's what sisters
do,” Paige shouted. “'Cause long after Mum and Dad die, we'll still
be here with Jeremy. And I know you don't believe me, but I love
you. I love you more than anyone else in the world because as long
as I can remember, there's been you in my room, playing with my
toys and at my school. I helped you with your homework, I helped
you with puberty and boys and everything. Even your make-up when
you went on your first date or when you were being bullied, it was
me that beat 'em up to put a stop to it.” Hazel sniffed back a tear
and stared at the floor. “So when you have a problem you won't talk
about, that is so bad you can't face life, it hurts when you won't
talk to me.”
“There's nothing
to tell,” Hazel muttered and shrugged. The naked Paige stared into
her sister's eyes, and she blinked. “Really, there's nothing to
tell.”
Paige gulped and
held out her arms to embrace her sister, holding her tightly and
sniffing back the tears. It was the first cuddle they had shared
since the troubled girl had left hospital four months previously
and
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