Page 128 of The Side Road
‘Keep your eye on her,’ Blanche whispered to Mia.
‘You have something in your teeth,’ Mia said. ‘It might be spinach.’
‘I had spanakopita for lunch,’ Blanche said. ‘How long do you think it’s been there?’
‘Since lunch.’
Blanche rubbed her teeth until Mia gave her the all-clear.
‘What did they do to your head?’ Flora asked Leo. ‘Did they take pictures of it?’
‘They told him to drink more water,’ Blanche said.
‘All I ever do is drink water,’ Leo mumbled.
Arthur left his bag of sweets on the coffee table and pulled out his knitting. He was making a beer cosy using red, white and blue wool to support his favourite rugby team.
When no one was looking, Flora quickly dipped her hand into the sweet bag. She removed it just as swiftly and popped a barley sugar into her mouth.
‘Did you just eat a sweet?’ Blanche asked.
‘I won’t swallow it,’ Flora said. ‘I’ll just hold it in my mouth and then spit it out.’
‘If she eats too much sugar, she’ll die,’ Blanche said.
‘We’re all going to die,’ Arthur said. ‘Might as well be from sweets.’
Leo turned to the dog, who had shuffled closer looking for a pat. ‘It’s best to give them what they want.’ He stroked Snood's head. ‘They’re usually right about most things.’
Flora turned to Tash, who was also readingTheVelveteen Rabbitwith Mary. ‘Have you got a date?’
‘What?’ Tash shuffled further away from the troublemaker.
‘You should have a date. I always had a date, every night of the week if I wanted.’
Mia, still sitting next to Oliver, rested her head on his shoulder. ‘Dear god, will this never end?’
It did end. The following day, Arthur died.
40
THE VELVETEEN RABBIT
The tears caughtin Tash’s throat and her shoulders shook. It was a big, heartfelt cry that wracked her whole body. When Oliver wrapped his arms around her, she collapsed. He drew her in, pressing her cheek to his chest, and let her cry it out.
Eventually, her sobs subsided. With the heels of her hands, she dried her bloodshot eyes. ‘It’s not fair,’ she said.
‘I know,’ Oliver agreed.
‘Are we going to bury them next to one another?’ she asked. ‘That’s what Nan would have wanted.’
‘It’s not up to us.’
Tash had wanted to readTheVelveteen Rabbitat Arthur’s funeral. ‘It’s the part where the Skin Horse and the Rabbit are talking about becoming real,’ she told her father. ‘You see, the boy’s uncle made the Skin Horse real.’
She picked up the book, which was on the kitchen table, and began to read. ‘“Real isn’t how you are made, said the Skin Horse. It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, butREALLY loves you, then you become Real…once you are Real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.’’’A pleading look followed. Another round of tears rolled down her cheeks.
Oliver blinked, fighting back the grief he felt for Arthur and the overwhelming emotion for his daughter. With a deep breath, he composed himself. What a roller coaster the last few days had been.
