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Authors: Charity Norman
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and stopped on the landing, trying to hide the towel behind his back.
‘Wet bed?’ I whispered.
He was awfully embarrassed, bent over and shivering. Poor thing, he’d taken off his pyjamas and was wearing nothing but underpants. He looked little and knock-kneed and spindly.
‘It’s all right,’ I said. ‘Don’t worry. Nobody will be cross.’
‘I don’t know why it’s starting up again.’ His mouth was turned down, his nose running.
I felt very adult. It was a whole lot better than feeling young and lonely. ‘Were you going to try and sleep on that towel? C’mon, let’s get you some clean stuff. I’ll fetch it—you go and pop on some nice dry pyjamas. Put on a sweatshirt as well. We don’t want you getting cold, might set off your asthma.’
I tiptoed to the linen cupboard and pulled out clean sheets and things. They felt warm after being near the hot-water tank.
Then I took off Theo’s soaking sheet and mattress saver and duvet cover and put new ones on. Theo stood watching with chattering teeth and his arms tightly wrapped around his chest. Finally he hopped into bed, and I covered him up. He reached down to the floor and picked up Bigwig, his rabbit.
‘Thanks,’ he said, as Bigwig disappeared under the duvet with just the tips of his ears sticking out.
I bent and kissed him on the forehead. Gramps often did that. ‘You’re welcome.’
‘You know Dad?’ he said.
It was a shock, coming out of the blue. ‘No, I don’t,’ I said. ‘Not anymore.’
‘Remember how he used to play football with us?’
‘No.’
‘Remember how he always used to carry us on his shoulders? I remember looking down at people’s hair. You must remember that.’
‘So?’
Theo squirmed deeper under the duvet. ‘Nothing.’
I sat on the end of his bed, trying to work out what was in my brother’s head. He’s a mystery sometimes.
‘You know Neanderthal man?’ he asked suddenly.
‘Not personally.’
‘We all have a little bit of Neanderthal man in us. They lived thousands and thousands of years ago, didn’t they?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Gramps said we all have some of their, um . . .’
‘DNA.’
‘DNA. Anyway, a bit of them. Right?’
‘Right.’
Theo was quiet for a few seconds. Then he said, ‘So we must have a lot of Dad.’
‘You’re mad. Shut up and go to sleep.’ Feeling cross and twitchy, I turned off the lamp and burrowed under the duvet at the opposite end, so that we were topping and tailing. There was plenty of room. I meant to go back to my own bed, I really did, but I thought Theo might drift off if I was nearby. His duvet cover was warm and smelled of Persil, and I didn’t want to be alone again. So I decided to stay for a minute or two. Or ten.
Sleep was settling all over me in a purple cloud when Theo broke into my cloud-drift. He’d been thinking. He does far too much of that.
‘Scarlet?’ he whispered.
‘Shh. Go to sleep.’
‘I can’t.’
‘Try counting sheep.’
I could hear his breathing, just a little wheezy, and wondered whether he was going to have an asthma attack. He could only have counted about twenty sheep before he piped up again. ‘I’m scared.’
I sighed. ‘Why’re you scared?’
‘I think I’ve got the nasty part of Dad in me.’
Seven
Joseph
‘You’re a bloody genius, Scott,’ groaned Akash. ‘Not again ! Less than four days out of rock college and you’re begging to get sent straight back. What’s your problem?’
Joseph shrugged. ‘I just wanted to . . .’
‘Yeah, yeah. I know, spare me. You just wanted to see your daughter. Couldn’t you have waited? You’ve applied, right? You’ve got a date for court? So do yourself a favour and stop trying to get yourself locked up again. She’ll have run straight home and told your in-laws. Might be a warrant out for you already.’
They were on their way to look at the car for Joseph. Akash was driving.
‘I called her Zoe,’ Joseph confessed
‘Wet bed?’ I whispered.
He was awfully embarrassed, bent over and shivering. Poor thing, he’d taken off his pyjamas and was wearing nothing but underpants. He looked little and knock-kneed and spindly.
‘It’s all right,’ I said. ‘Don’t worry. Nobody will be cross.’
‘I don’t know why it’s starting up again.’ His mouth was turned down, his nose running.
I felt very adult. It was a whole lot better than feeling young and lonely. ‘Were you going to try and sleep on that towel? C’mon, let’s get you some clean stuff. I’ll fetch it—you go and pop on some nice dry pyjamas. Put on a sweatshirt as well. We don’t want you getting cold, might set off your asthma.’
I tiptoed to the linen cupboard and pulled out clean sheets and things. They felt warm after being near the hot-water tank.
Then I took off Theo’s soaking sheet and mattress saver and duvet cover and put new ones on. Theo stood watching with chattering teeth and his arms tightly wrapped around his chest. Finally he hopped into bed, and I covered him up. He reached down to the floor and picked up Bigwig, his rabbit.
‘Thanks,’ he said, as Bigwig disappeared under the duvet with just the tips of his ears sticking out.
I bent and kissed him on the forehead. Gramps often did that. ‘You’re welcome.’
‘You know Dad?’ he said.
It was a shock, coming out of the blue. ‘No, I don’t,’ I said. ‘Not anymore.’
‘Remember how he used to play football with us?’
‘No.’
‘Remember how he always used to carry us on his shoulders? I remember looking down at people’s hair. You must remember that.’
‘So?’
Theo squirmed deeper under the duvet. ‘Nothing.’
I sat on the end of his bed, trying to work out what was in my brother’s head. He’s a mystery sometimes.
‘You know Neanderthal man?’ he asked suddenly.
‘Not personally.’
‘We all have a little bit of Neanderthal man in us. They lived thousands and thousands of years ago, didn’t they?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Gramps said we all have some of their, um . . .’
‘DNA.’
‘DNA. Anyway, a bit of them. Right?’
‘Right.’
Theo was quiet for a few seconds. Then he said, ‘So we must have a lot of Dad.’
‘You’re mad. Shut up and go to sleep.’ Feeling cross and twitchy, I turned off the lamp and burrowed under the duvet at the opposite end, so that we were topping and tailing. There was plenty of room. I meant to go back to my own bed, I really did, but I thought Theo might drift off if I was nearby. His duvet cover was warm and smelled of Persil, and I didn’t want to be alone again. So I decided to stay for a minute or two. Or ten.
Sleep was settling all over me in a purple cloud when Theo broke into my cloud-drift. He’d been thinking. He does far too much of that.
‘Scarlet?’ he whispered.
‘Shh. Go to sleep.’
‘I can’t.’
‘Try counting sheep.’
I could hear his breathing, just a little wheezy, and wondered whether he was going to have an asthma attack. He could only have counted about twenty sheep before he piped up again. ‘I’m scared.’
I sighed. ‘Why’re you scared?’
‘I think I’ve got the nasty part of Dad in me.’
Seven
Joseph
‘You’re a bloody genius, Scott,’ groaned Akash. ‘Not again ! Less than four days out of rock college and you’re begging to get sent straight back. What’s your problem?’
Joseph shrugged. ‘I just wanted to . . .’
‘Yeah, yeah. I know, spare me. You just wanted to see your daughter. Couldn’t you have waited? You’ve applied, right? You’ve got a date for court? So do yourself a favour and stop trying to get yourself locked up again. She’ll have run straight home and told your in-laws. Might be a warrant out for you already.’
They were on their way to look at the car for Joseph. Akash was driving.
‘I called her Zoe,’ Joseph confessed
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