Read Online The Power of Forgetting by A M Russell - Free Book Online Page B

comforted and small, and slid out of my clothes and under the
quilt. I left the curtains wide and looked out at the wispy high
clouds. Was this my dream? Did I wake in hospital? I was confused
still. Did we break that reality or not? I rolled onto my side and
curled round tighter and tighter, shutting out the world. Closing
down. I thought of the bright sea and the silver flowers. I thought
of all the different metallic paints and in my mind trying to match
their delicacy. It was so impossible.
*****
     
Three
     
    I walked that
path again; from our house to the nearby village. It was three
miles through the fields. I was ahead of the others. Marcia was
walking with Janey; Davey seemed to be getting on fine nattering
away to Sam. My parents and Karis plus new man were trailing slowly
behind. I wasn't any mood for admiring scenery, and wished that
this strange appointment would not take long. The pub. We were
going to the pub. Apart from good Yorkshire beer and really first
class meals I couldn't see why we were going there.
    We came to road
between stone walls. We all had to go single file. As we got to the
cross roads we had spread out so much that I had to stop and wait.
I looked to the left. In the distance was the bridge where the road
narrowed. There were walls on either side. I looked away. Don't
think; don't remember. Don't follow that train of thought. I dug my
hands deep into my jacket. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment. A
shimmering of the landscape followed the realisation that I wasn’t
that far from the spot where I had crashed. Oh God! No… not that. I
opened my eyes. Marcia and Janey had caught up with me. Marcia
slipped her arm round my waist on my right. Janey whispered ‘Is he
for real?’ and slipped herself under my left arm. I knew she meant
Morel. She looked up at me, this time serious and enquiring; with
no trace of that teasing and girlishness she had shown back in
London.
    ‘Don’t worry
Angel.’ I said, and kissed her on the forehead, ‘I think Karis has
it all under control.’
    ‘He’s right
there.’ said Marcia softly in my ear, leaning into me so that her
bubbling chocolate curls blinded me momentarily.
    ‘I think the
weather might brighten later.’ said Morel, eyeing me up and down.
Marcia and Janey both shifted closer to me. Perhaps they both
thought I was still in danger of being difficult since last night.
They had been having a long conversation just before they caught up
with me.
    ‘You must be a
very interesting guy,’ said Janey lightly, ‘I think Karis didn’t
bring you down here to give us a forecast.’
    He smiled
easily looking at me: ‘She said she came here to help her brother;
I believe her; when she said there is very good reason.’ He glanced
back to the others slowly making their way to us, ‘You are
certainly all so protective of him. I do…. envy such devotion.’
    Marcia’s grip
round my waist tightened, and Janey straightened and stood up on
her toes. That reflexive movement that meant she might give someone
an ear bashing. It was usually aimed at men who annoyed her. I kept
hold of her so she didn’t have a go at him. But she just seemed
lost for words as Karis and Sam caught up with us.
    ‘They’re so
slow,’ said Sam, ‘I think there’s time to get a sneaky double in
before they get here.’
    ‘Err… who?’ I
said.
    ‘The love
birds….’ Said Sam, grinning at me, ‘I must say you’re not doing too
badly either.’
    We all turned
to see my parents with arms round each other. I realised that we
had all come together without the forced pressure of a birthday or
something else. They looked so happy. I blinked and gasped. Janey
looked up at me again. She knew what I was thinking. Karis was
stood with her arms folded. She had that totally unreadable
expression, that underneath covered a lot of confusion. I often
felt like that myself. But today there was Morel, and there was a
growing feeling that we would all soon know something new. He