Read Online The Different Girl by Gordon Dahlquist - Free Book Online
Authors: Gordon Dahlquist
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Caroline knew, and what I didn’t.
“We’ll go to sleep,” said Irene. She went to Caroline first, whispering in her ear. I wanted to hear what she said. I wanted to know if something had changed and, because inside I knew it had, whether we could change it back.
She came to me last, like always.
5.
The next morning Caroline woke having had a dream. While Eleanor tied my smock I watched Caroline sit with her head cocked to one side, staring at nothing. Irene knelt next to her, whispering quietly. Caroline stood, still caught in her thoughts, while Irene unfolded her smock. As she dressed her, Irene spoke to the rest of us, waiting patiently for Caroline to find her own way to being awake.
“I asked everyone to think about what we can do with the sailcloth in the yard. It will be dry by now, and I was hoping we could try some of your ideas.”
She had Caroline’s ties done and took her hand. Irene pointed with her chin at the kitchen and the three of us got going on breakfast, putting water in the kettle and measuring tea for the pot. Irene and Caroline stayed in the bedroom for another few minutes. When they finally came in Caroline was focused as ever, going straight to the cupboard for the oatmeal, which was what Irene had decided to cook.
“Will May have breakfast with us?” asked Eleanor, setting the table.
“Not this morning,” said Irene. “She’s still asleep.”
Isobel asked how much May slept normally versus how much she slept now and whether that was a question of living on a boat or nearly drowning or the yellow pills. While Irene answered, I noticed Caroline looking at me. Eleanor asked Irene about May’s bandages, how many there had been before versus how many she had now and which ones would be the last to come off, or would there be some that never did, and also about the scab on the side of May’s face.
“What did you dream?” I asked, deciding to whisper. Caroline shook her head.
“Veronika?”
I turned to Irene, because I’d also been listening to them. “My idea was to make an awning for shade on the kitchen porch.”
“That’s very good,” she said. “Caroline?”
“My idea was about water.” Irene looked at her, as if she didn’t quite understand, so Caroline went on. “To stretch the canvas and catch water when it rains, to store it, to make tea.”
“That’s very good, too. It’s already a good morning, with all of you being so smart.” We always wanted to make Irene happy, and she smiled as she sat down to eat. “Caroline, why don’t you go ask Robbert if he has anything we can use to cut the sailcloth. Be careful not to disturb anyone.”
We all watched as Caroline walked out and carefully went down the steps and across the yard, though she was only partway across when Irene called us away from the door to plan the rest of the morning. We had so many ideas, and she had so many questions, that we barely noticed Caroline didn’t come back.
• • •
Eventually we took a nap—which was when we finally realized how long she’d been away—but when we woke up Caroline was there with the rest of us like always. Irene had eaten her lunch while we were sleeping, so we went straight into the yard. Irene explained our walk would be without minutes, with all of us walking together. The difference, she said, was that this time we wouldn’t be walking alone. She pointed and we saw May on the porch of Robbert’s building. The shape of her face had changed, because her hair was pulled behind her head. She had borrowed one of Irene’s clips. We never used Irene’s clips, because we needed our hair like it was, hanging down and wiped clean to catch the sun. Irene waved for May to join us.
“We’re all going to walk together,” she said, and then to May, “We can show May our island.”
Irene held out her hands to Eleanor and to Isobel. “And no pinching,” said Isobel.
“That’s right,” said Irene, with a smile, still looking at May. Caroline and
“We’ll go to sleep,” said Irene. She went to Caroline first, whispering in her ear. I wanted to hear what she said. I wanted to know if something had changed and, because inside I knew it had, whether we could change it back.
She came to me last, like always.
5.
The next morning Caroline woke having had a dream. While Eleanor tied my smock I watched Caroline sit with her head cocked to one side, staring at nothing. Irene knelt next to her, whispering quietly. Caroline stood, still caught in her thoughts, while Irene unfolded her smock. As she dressed her, Irene spoke to the rest of us, waiting patiently for Caroline to find her own way to being awake.
“I asked everyone to think about what we can do with the sailcloth in the yard. It will be dry by now, and I was hoping we could try some of your ideas.”
She had Caroline’s ties done and took her hand. Irene pointed with her chin at the kitchen and the three of us got going on breakfast, putting water in the kettle and measuring tea for the pot. Irene and Caroline stayed in the bedroom for another few minutes. When they finally came in Caroline was focused as ever, going straight to the cupboard for the oatmeal, which was what Irene had decided to cook.
“Will May have breakfast with us?” asked Eleanor, setting the table.
“Not this morning,” said Irene. “She’s still asleep.”
Isobel asked how much May slept normally versus how much she slept now and whether that was a question of living on a boat or nearly drowning or the yellow pills. While Irene answered, I noticed Caroline looking at me. Eleanor asked Irene about May’s bandages, how many there had been before versus how many she had now and which ones would be the last to come off, or would there be some that never did, and also about the scab on the side of May’s face.
“What did you dream?” I asked, deciding to whisper. Caroline shook her head.
“Veronika?”
I turned to Irene, because I’d also been listening to them. “My idea was to make an awning for shade on the kitchen porch.”
“That’s very good,” she said. “Caroline?”
“My idea was about water.” Irene looked at her, as if she didn’t quite understand, so Caroline went on. “To stretch the canvas and catch water when it rains, to store it, to make tea.”
“That’s very good, too. It’s already a good morning, with all of you being so smart.” We always wanted to make Irene happy, and she smiled as she sat down to eat. “Caroline, why don’t you go ask Robbert if he has anything we can use to cut the sailcloth. Be careful not to disturb anyone.”
We all watched as Caroline walked out and carefully went down the steps and across the yard, though she was only partway across when Irene called us away from the door to plan the rest of the morning. We had so many ideas, and she had so many questions, that we barely noticed Caroline didn’t come back.
• • •
Eventually we took a nap—which was when we finally realized how long she’d been away—but when we woke up Caroline was there with the rest of us like always. Irene had eaten her lunch while we were sleeping, so we went straight into the yard. Irene explained our walk would be without minutes, with all of us walking together. The difference, she said, was that this time we wouldn’t be walking alone. She pointed and we saw May on the porch of Robbert’s building. The shape of her face had changed, because her hair was pulled behind her head. She had borrowed one of Irene’s clips. We never used Irene’s clips, because we needed our hair like it was, hanging down and wiped clean to catch the sun. Irene waved for May to join us.
“We’re all going to walk together,” she said, and then to May, “We can show May our island.”
Irene held out her hands to Eleanor and to Isobel. “And no pinching,” said Isobel.
“That’s right,” said Irene, with a smile, still looking at May. Caroline and
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