Klara and the Sun(51)
‘Thank you for waiting,’ I said.
‘Just self-interest. Suppose you’d got stuck out here all night and got damaged. I’d be in deep shit then for bringing you out here.’
‘I think Rick waited out of kindness. I’m very grateful.’
‘Did you find what you went in there for?’
‘Oh yes. At least, I believe so. And I believe there’s now reason for hope. Hope for Josie. Hope that she’ll get better. But first I must perform a task.’
‘What kind of task? Perhaps I can help with it.’
‘I’m sorry, I’m not able to discuss this matter with Rick. Tonight I believe an understanding was achieved. A contract, if you like. But it might be jeopardized if I speak about it freely.’
‘Okay. I don’t want to put anything at risk. Still, if there’s anything you think I could do…’
‘If I may speak frankly. The most important thing Rick can do is to try hard to go to the Atlas Brookings college. Then Josie and Rick can remain side by side and the wishes expressed in the kind picture will remain possible.’
‘God, Klara, it’s obvious Mum’s been working on you. She makes it sound so easy. But you’ve no idea what it takes for someone like me to get into a place like that. And even if I did, what happens to Mum? I just leave her out here on her own?’
‘Miss Helen may be stronger than Rick supposes. And even if Rick isn’t lifted, he has special talents. If he tried very hard, I believe he could be accepted by the Atlas Brookings college. Besides, Miss Helen has said she has a secret weapon to assist him.’
‘Her secret weapon? Some creep she knows who helps run that place. An old flame of hers. I don’t want any part of it. Look, Klara, we should be getting back.’
‘You’re right. We’ve been out a long time. Miss Helen might be concerned. And if I could return before Josie’s mother comes in, that would avoid awkward questions.’
* * *
—
The next day, when the doorbell rang towards the middle of the morning, Josie seemed to guess who it was and, leaving her bed, hurried out onto the landing. I followed her, and as Rick stepped past Melania Housekeeper into the hall, Josie turned to me with an excited smile. But then she made her expression completely blank as she went to the top of the staircase.
‘Hey, Melania,’ she called down. ‘Do you know who this weird guy is?’
‘Hello, Josie.’ Rick, looking up at us, had on a cautious smile. ‘I heard this rumor we might be friends again.’
Josie seated herself on the top step, and though I was behind her, I knew she now had on her kindest smile.
‘Oh really? That’s strange. Wonder who put that out there.’
Rick’s own smile became more confident. ‘Just gossip, I suppose. By the way, I really liked that picture. I put it in a frame last night.’
‘Yeah? One of those frames you make yourself?’
‘To be honest, I used one of Mum’s old ones. There are so many lying around. I took out a picture of a zebra and put yours in there instead.’
‘Great swap.’
Melania Housekeeper had walked away into the kitchen, and Rick and Josie went on grinning at each other from either end of the staircase. Then Josie must have given a signal, for they both moved quickly at once, she rising to her feet, he reaching for the banister.
As they went together into the bedroom, I remembered Melania Housekeeper’s instruction from before and followed them in. And for a while after that, it was like the old days, with me on the Button Couch facing the rear window, Rick and Josie behind me, laughing about silly things. At one point I heard Josie say:
‘Hey Rick. I’m wondering if this is the correct way you hold one of these.’ In the reflection I saw her holding up a table knife left behind from breakfast. ‘Or is it more like this?’
‘How would I know?’
‘I thought you might, being English and all. My chemistry professor said you should hold it this way. But what does she know?’
‘What would I know either? And why do you keep saying I’m English? I’ve never actually lived there, you know that.’
‘It was you yourself, Rick. Two, three years ago? You kept insisting how English you were.’
‘I did? Must have been a phase.’
‘Oh yeah, went on for months. You were like, pray this, pardon me that. That’s why I thought you might know about the knife thing.’
‘But why would an English person know any more than anyone else?’
A few minutes later, I heard Rick moving around the bedroom, and he said:
‘You know one reason I like this room so much? The place smells of you, Josie.’
‘What? I can’t believe you said that!’
‘I meant in an entirely nice way.’
‘Rick, that’s so not what you can say to a girl!’
‘I wouldn’t say it to any girl. I’m just saying it to you.’
‘Excuse me? So I’m not a girl any more?’
‘Well, not any girl. What I’m trying to say, all I’m saying, is that I haven’t been here for a while, and so I’ve forgotten some things about this room. The way it looks, the way it smells.’