The Library of Lost and Found(94)
But with each day that passed, her song began to grow quieter. She stopped hopping around to greet him. He moved her cage to the window so she could see the forest, and he brought wild berries for her to eat. “Please sing for me, little bird,” he whispered through the cage. The nightingale cocked her head to one side and sang, but her voice was so small he could hardly hear it.
He tried taking her out of the cage and set her on the windowsill. She gave a small chirp, but her happy cheep was now a small croak.
The woodcutter was very sad. “I’m so sorry, little bird,” he said. “I didn’t mean you any harm. I was trying to look after you. I’ll take you back to your home in the forest.”
When they stood back among the trees, the nightingale had forgotten how to fly. She didn’t know how to find her own food any longer. She hopped around and was lost.
The woodcutter took her back to his hut, where they stayed together for the rest of their days. The little bird did her best to sing, to please him. She greeted him with a small song when he came home, but he could tell that her heart wasn’t in it. And the woodcutter was forever full of regret, because he had taken a beautiful thing and tried to turn it into something else.
38
Crocodile
Entering the library, the day after the Christmas dinner, Martha closed her eyes and breathed in the aroma of the books, the old radiators and the fraying carpets. She patted the yellowy-white computer and straightened a few books on the shelves. It felt like she was home.
She spotted a chocolate wrapper left on the science shelf and she threw it in the bin. The return shelves needed emptying and there was a Polaroid photo pinned to the noticeboard, of a man dressed as a large brown ferret. She heard movement in the kitchen and Suki wandered out.
“Martha.” She sped forward and flung out her arms. Her bump got in the way as she threw a hug. “You’re back where you belong.”
“Yes. Have you been looking after yourself? Should you really be in work so early? Sit down and leave the returned books to me. Thank you for passing some clothes to Siegfried, for me to wear.”
Suki pulled away. “I’m fine. I wasn’t sure when you’d be back, so I moved the reading group session to an earlier date. I’m having a crustacean section next week.”
“A cesarean? Oh, Suki. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry I wasn’t around…”
“I only found out the day before last. The baby is lying in a beach position.”
“Do you mean breach?”
“Yes. That’s it. It’s the safest way to deliver, for both of us. So, I want to ask for your help with something.”
Martha expected her to run through a list of tasks, all to do with administration of the library, but instead Suki took a deep breath. “Will you come to the hospital with me?” she asked. “After my culmination, Ben has made his mind up and he isn’t coming back. My mum is in Marbella-ella, and I could really do with a friend right now.”
Martha glowed inside when she heard that word. Perhaps there wasn’t a particular time, or happening, that made an acquaintance become a friend. Maybe it was just an organic thing, not to be studied or planned. “I’d love to help out,” she said. “Have you thought about your hospital bag, and what to pack? I believe that you won’t be able to lift anything afterwards for at least six weeks. You should stock up your kitchen cupboards with tinned food.”
Suki sighed with relief. “I knew you’d be good at this. I’ve told Clive that he’ll have to appoint someone here, sooner rather than later. Your sister gave me your job application and I passed it to him.”
“I thought about my Cumulus Vitae when I wrote it,” Martha teased.
“Do you mean your Curriculum Vitae?”
“Something like that.”
* * *
Branda was the first person to arrive for the reading group. “Martha,” she exclaimed. “You’re back. I’ve bought you a new book.” She reached into her large purple handbag and took out a hardback with a black cover and big orange capital letters. “It’s very noir,” she said. “I totally recommend it for our next read.”
Nora reached under her seat. “I’ve brought you chocolates, to say thanks for doing my laundry,” she said sheepishly. “My new boyfriend fixed my washing machine.”
Siegfried was the next to arrive. He gave Martha the briefest glance, then rolled his eyes when he saw Branda’s book.
“I’m not sure what we’re supposed to be discussing,” Horatio said. “I’ve brought the book about the inmate and the goldfish.”
Martha waited patiently for them to settle down, to take things from bags and to remove their coats. She found their chatter warm and animated, rather than stressful.
Clive arrived and sauntered into the library. “Martha,” he said with surprise in his voice. “It’s, um, good to see you back.”
“It’s nice to be back. I trust you received my job application and reference?”
“Yes. Um, it was very interesting. It’s gone to the panel for consideration.”
“Panel?”
“It’s a new appointment system,” Suki said. “A panel of people read all the applications, to ensure they’re all considered fairly. It’s good for diversity, isn’t it, Clive?”