Read Online The Other Ida by Amy Mason - Free Book Online Page B

Bridie, Da wouldn’t have smelling salts, so Ida put her head in between her legs like she’d been taught to when she felt faint. Everything was scratchy – the red seat on her hands, her white woolly tights, her silky dress, her velvet headband. She tried to think about the scratchiness, to be annoyed about the scratchiness, and not to think about all the people who were waiting for her.
    â€œIda, Iddy Iddy Ida, I’ve been told you want to come up and see me,” said the man from the stage in a kind of song. The clapping got slower, someone coughed and a baby started to cry.
    â€œFor goodness sake pull yourself together,” her father whispered into her ear.
    â€œShe looks ill, Bryan, is she going to be sick?” It was the strange lady who’d come with them, a neat, smiling woman who smelled of tinned peaches.
    â€œIda, darling, my poppet, where are you hiding – watch out or you’ll get a right good hiding,” sang the man and then everyone in the whole theatre was laughing again.
    â€œRight, that’s it.” Ida felt her father’s hands round the waist of her taffeta party dress and she was lifted into the air, her eyes still closed tight, her arms by her sides and her head down. She had borrowed a book about sharks from the library and had been practicing playing dead for weeks.
    As she was carried through the air people cheered. And then there were bigger hands on her waist, lifting her higher into the air and a new, kind voice whispering, “Stand up, sweetheart, it won’t last long.” She straightened her legs, took a deep breath and opened her eyes.
    The light was so bright she couldn’t see at first and felt all wobbly like she often did at Mass. The man took her hand and Ida put her other arm in front of her face to shield her eyes.
    â€œNow, have you been a good little girl?” the man asked in his big loud lady voice.
    â€œNo. Not really.”
    Everyone laughed, and under her arm Ida could see children pointing up at her.
    â€œWhat a serious girl. You’re meant to say yes, sweetheart, or there won’t be any chocs. Shall we try again? All together now – have you been a good little girl?”
    Everyone said it together and Ida wondered if Alice and Da and the strange woman – Terri – would be saying it too.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWell done deary. Everyone give her a round of applause.” The man patted her on the bottom, handed her a Cadbury’s selection box, and whispered, “Go along now dear,” while the smiling blonde ice cream lady walked towards the stage and led her down some wooden stairs and back towards her seat.
    â€œThat was bloody embarrassing. Now you have to thank him for the chocolate and tell him how much you enjoyed it or that’s it,” said Ida’s da.
    They were walking through the stage door to Peter’s dressing room. Peter was Da’s friend.
    There were people standing around in the corridor, some little girls still in the sequinned leotards they’d been dancing in earlier on stage. They had their hands on their hips, were chewing gum and even had make-up on, Ida could tell.
    A door opened and there were some long skinny legs in suit trousers.
    â€œBry!” the man shouted and hugged Ida’s da, while the strange woman held Ida’s hand for the first time. Ida looked at her shoes. She wished she’d stayed at home with Ma, and watched her eat crystallised ginger, get drunk and mouth all the words along with The Wizard of Oz.
    â€œCome in, come in, get yourselves comfortable. Sorry there’s not much room, that stupid Jeanine tart has got the best dressing room obviously, despite being a terrible trollop and a bloody – excuse my French – awful actress to boot. Enough of that, here’s the star of the show!”
    Ida was jostled in until she was half under a rail stuffed with shiny dresses and feathery things. There was an