Read Online The Girl With No Past by Kathryn Croft - Free Book Online
Authors: Kathryn Croft
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happened at the library. That was exactly why I liked it there.
Maria asked if I’d eaten and when I said no she tutted, insisting I needed to have something, even just soup.
‘I’ll be fine. I’ll probably get my appetite back tomorrow.’
She tutted again. ‘Do you think you’ll be in tomorrow? Because you know you should probably just rest. If it is flu, you’ll be knocked out for ages.’ There was something in her tone. Disbelief? I told myself I was just being paranoid.
I agreed that it was doubtful I’d be better, and she fell silent for a moment. But it wasn’t long before she was launching into a story about a man she had spotted in the library that morning. ‘I’m going to give him my number next time he comes in,’ she said, and I laughed, once again admiring her confidence, her resilience.
‘Anyway, I better go,’ she said, and I felt a wave of disappointment. It surprised me how good it had felt to talk to her, even if that feeling was alien to me now. ‘Get better soon.’
Maria’s talk of food reminded me I was hungry, but I didn’t want to move from the sofa, even just to travel the short distance to the kitchen. My mind was firm; I would not budge until I’d thought of a way out of this mess.
It was already dark outside, so I had no way to judge how much time had passed, but eventually a seed of an idea came to me. Although I had initially dismissed the idea of replying to the email, if I chose my words carefully, perhaps there was a way I could get through to the person behind it. Try to find out what they wanted, without letting them think I was worried.
The laptop sat on the kitchen table, but before I had a chance to move, the doorbell chimed. I froze. It rang so rarely that I always forgot how piercing the sound was, how incongruous in my usually silent flat. Sighing, I headed for the stairs, convinced whoever was out there had got the wrong door and that it was my neighbour they were after.
Maria was the last person I expected to see standing on my doorstep. But there she was, shuffling her feet and rubbing her hands together. I blinked, sure I was hallucinating from lack of food, and that when I opened my eyes she’d be gone, in her place the familiar scene of the empty concrete garden and the road beyond. But then she spoke.
‘Oh, Leah, you sounded so ill on the phone I would hate myself if I didn’t come over to check on you.’ She held up a Tesco carrier bag. ‘And I’ve bought some ingredients so I can make you some soup. You’ve got to eat, haven’t you? Well, come on, are you going to let me in? You don’t look right, you know.’
I was overwhelmed by her kindness. Until it dawned on me that I had never given her my address. I opened my mouth to ask but she beat me to it. ‘Sam had the pay slips in the lunch room and I saw your address on yours. Sorry, but I really wanted to come and see you.’
I stepped aside and she sauntered in, as if she had been there many times before. Following behind her, my mind a jumble of thoughts about the email, Julian, having someone other than Mum in my flat and everything else that was not as it should be.
‘Oh this is…nice,’ Maria said, when we reached my front room. ‘Love books much?’ She gazed around, taking it all in, trying to match my flat to what she already knew about me. I don’t know what conclusion she reached but I’d put money on the fact she never pictured me living anywhere like this. Alone, yes, but not somewhere so basic and soulless.
‘It’ll do for now,’ I said, sitting on the sofa. ‘I’ll get something better eventually.’
Maria continued standing. ‘Hmmm. You should see my place, it’s a right shit tip! You should come over for dinner.’ Her words were lies to make me feel better but, either way, I was grateful for her tact. ‘Anyway, you just stay here and relax, I’ll find my way around the kitchen…if you don’t mind?’
I shook my head, sure I wouldn’t be able to say
Maria asked if I’d eaten and when I said no she tutted, insisting I needed to have something, even just soup.
‘I’ll be fine. I’ll probably get my appetite back tomorrow.’
She tutted again. ‘Do you think you’ll be in tomorrow? Because you know you should probably just rest. If it is flu, you’ll be knocked out for ages.’ There was something in her tone. Disbelief? I told myself I was just being paranoid.
I agreed that it was doubtful I’d be better, and she fell silent for a moment. But it wasn’t long before she was launching into a story about a man she had spotted in the library that morning. ‘I’m going to give him my number next time he comes in,’ she said, and I laughed, once again admiring her confidence, her resilience.
‘Anyway, I better go,’ she said, and I felt a wave of disappointment. It surprised me how good it had felt to talk to her, even if that feeling was alien to me now. ‘Get better soon.’
Maria’s talk of food reminded me I was hungry, but I didn’t want to move from the sofa, even just to travel the short distance to the kitchen. My mind was firm; I would not budge until I’d thought of a way out of this mess.
It was already dark outside, so I had no way to judge how much time had passed, but eventually a seed of an idea came to me. Although I had initially dismissed the idea of replying to the email, if I chose my words carefully, perhaps there was a way I could get through to the person behind it. Try to find out what they wanted, without letting them think I was worried.
The laptop sat on the kitchen table, but before I had a chance to move, the doorbell chimed. I froze. It rang so rarely that I always forgot how piercing the sound was, how incongruous in my usually silent flat. Sighing, I headed for the stairs, convinced whoever was out there had got the wrong door and that it was my neighbour they were after.
Maria was the last person I expected to see standing on my doorstep. But there she was, shuffling her feet and rubbing her hands together. I blinked, sure I was hallucinating from lack of food, and that when I opened my eyes she’d be gone, in her place the familiar scene of the empty concrete garden and the road beyond. But then she spoke.
‘Oh, Leah, you sounded so ill on the phone I would hate myself if I didn’t come over to check on you.’ She held up a Tesco carrier bag. ‘And I’ve bought some ingredients so I can make you some soup. You’ve got to eat, haven’t you? Well, come on, are you going to let me in? You don’t look right, you know.’
I was overwhelmed by her kindness. Until it dawned on me that I had never given her my address. I opened my mouth to ask but she beat me to it. ‘Sam had the pay slips in the lunch room and I saw your address on yours. Sorry, but I really wanted to come and see you.’
I stepped aside and she sauntered in, as if she had been there many times before. Following behind her, my mind a jumble of thoughts about the email, Julian, having someone other than Mum in my flat and everything else that was not as it should be.
‘Oh this is…nice,’ Maria said, when we reached my front room. ‘Love books much?’ She gazed around, taking it all in, trying to match my flat to what she already knew about me. I don’t know what conclusion she reached but I’d put money on the fact she never pictured me living anywhere like this. Alone, yes, but not somewhere so basic and soulless.
‘It’ll do for now,’ I said, sitting on the sofa. ‘I’ll get something better eventually.’
Maria continued standing. ‘Hmmm. You should see my place, it’s a right shit tip! You should come over for dinner.’ Her words were lies to make me feel better but, either way, I was grateful for her tact. ‘Anyway, you just stay here and relax, I’ll find my way around the kitchen…if you don’t mind?’
I shook my head, sure I wouldn’t be able to say
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