Page 48 of The New Girl

‘Are you OK, Mum?’ Ruby asked.

‘I’m sorry to interrupt, girls. I know you’re trying to rehearse for your play, Ruby, but Robbie’s been up all night with a cold. I haven’t slept a wink. Your dad’s in the taxi and Orla’s working in the coffee shop. Could you please take Robbie out for a walk? I just need to lie down for an hour. The fresh air will do him good. I’ve wrapped him up, he’s ready to go.’

Ruby really didn’t want to take Robbie for a walk. The last time she’d done it, he’d kicked off and screamed the whole way around the park and everyone had stared.

But her mum looked so exhausted she couldn’t really say no. ‘OK, Mum,’ she said.

‘It’ll be good to get out and we can still practise the lines,’ Safa said enthusiastically.

‘Thanks, girls, you’re the best.’ Fiona gave them a tired smile and went to her room for some much-needed sleep.

Ruby threw her script on the bed and pulled on her boots. She stomped out the door and down the stairs. Safa followed behind, holding the script.

‘There’s no point bringing it,’ Ruby said, pointing to the script. ‘We won’t get a minute’s peace. Robbie will probably freak out before we get to the end of the road.’

Safa pulled on her puffa coat and fixed her hijab. Robbie was waiting in the hall in his wheelchair. He was snugly wrapped up in a coat, hat, scarf and blanket and he had a bag of bread on his lap.

‘Hi, Robbie.’ Safa smiled at him. ‘How are you?’

‘Hi hi hi,’ Robbie said.

‘Let’s get this over with.’ Ruby pushed Robbie’s wheelchair out the door.

‘Bye bye bye,’ Robbie said as they left the house.

They walked in silence down the road and across to the park.

‘Do you want to see the ducks, Robbie?’ Safa asked.

‘Es es es,’ Robbie said.

Safa handed him some bread from the bag. ‘You can give them some bread, OK?’

Robbie gave her a toothy grin. Ruby’s heart softened. He looked very cute in his blue hat. She felt bad for being grumpy. Poor Robbie, he was stuck in his stupid wheelchair all the time. She bent down and kissed him on the cheek. ‘I’m sorry for being grumpy, Robbie. You’re a good boy. I love you.’

‘I dove you,’ he said.

Ruby smiled and kissed him again.

‘Again,’ Robbie said.

Ruby kissed him again and then began pushing the chair along the path towards the little pond. Safa linked her arm and while Robbie threw half the bread in the direction of the ducks and ate the other half, they went over Ruby’s lines.

Everything was going well until they headed out of the park and down the main street.

Robbie had been really well behaved, and Ruby was feeling happy and full of love for him. But then they passed a big dog tied to a lamppost outside a shop. The dog turned its head towards Robbie and began to bark. Robbie’s arms and legs shot out in front of him, his head swung from side to side and he began to roar.

Ruby pushed the chair as fast as she could away from the dog, but it was too late. Robbie had got a fright and he was off. He roared, ‘No no no no no!’ at the top of his voice.

‘It’s OK, Robbie, the dog’s gone now,’ Ruby said as she pushed him further down the street. But Robbie kept screaming.

Safa tried to sing to him, but even that didn’t help. He was too upset. Ruby pushed faster.

‘Oh God, no,’ she cried. Heading towards them were Amber and Chrissie. They were staring at Robbie with their mouths open.

Amber grabbed Chrissie’s arm and they hurried across to the other side of the road. ‘Oh my God, quick,’ Amber said.

‘How embarrassing,’ Chrissie said.

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