Awake and Dreaming - Kit Pearson [37]
Anna and Lisbeth were talking about this Easter weekend, when the family was going to Vancouver to stay with Dad’s parents. “You’ll love it there, Theo,” said Anna. “Their house is near the beach. Grannie is a potter. Sometimes she lets us try throwing pots on her wheel.”
“And Gramps lets us ride on his golf cart,” said Lisbeth.
Theo rolled to her stomach and pulled little white daisies out of the grass. She didn’t want to go to Vancouver—what if she ran into Rae? Maybe being there again would undo the magic. Her head ached with confusion.
To her relief the other two stopped discussing it. They lay still in a dreamy silence. Theo sat up and gazed at the colourful plots around her; some were planted with tulips and grape hyacinths. The fragrant air caressed her and she tried to stop worrying. Maybe it would be all right; surely her new family would keep her safe, even in Vancouver.
She remembered she was supposed to take some sand to school tomorrow, for a shoebox diorama she and Jasmin were making. “I need to go to the beach,” she said. “Want to come?”
The other two didn’t answer. Had they fallen asleep?
But Anna’s eyes were open and Lisbeth was humming, her hands in the air trying to catch falling blossoms. “I said, I’m going to the beach,” said Theo more loudly.
They ignored her. A chill gripped Theo. “Anna!” she cried. Anna continued to stare at the sky. Theo jumped up. “Anna! Lisbeth!”
Anna sat up slowly, as if Theo had whispered, not shouted. “Did you say something?”
“Do you want to go to the beach?” croaked Theo.
“The beach?” Anna peered at Theo as if trying to put her into focus. “Sure! Come on, Lisbeth.”
Lisbeth stood up and gave Theo the same puzzled stare. Then she took her hand. “Let’s go.” She held onto Theo all the way and Theo tried to forget what had happened.
BUT IT HAPPENED AGAIN. That night at dinner she asked John three times to pass the bread; he didn’t seem to hear her. After dinner Ben sat right on top of her while she was reading.
“Ow!” cried Theo.
“Oh, it’s you!” said Ben in a surprised voice. “I didn’t see you.”
Didn’t see her? How could he not see her?
Over the next few days it got worse and worse. Sometimes the family would have a long conversation without including Theo. In school Ms. Tremblay stopped asking her questions. Theo spent whole recesses standing alone while the other kids ignored her, the way they had in her previous schools.
What was happening? If Theo was forceful—if she shouted or clutched at someone—she could usually get her family or teacher or friends to notice her again. But they always did so in a slightly puzzled way, as if it took them a minute to remember she was there.
Theo became more and more frightened. On Thursday she woke up with a pounding headache. At breakfast she said she was sick and didn’t want to go to school. She repeated it twice before Mum said, “You go back to bed, then. I’ll come and check on you when the others have left.”
Theo huddled under her quilt and waited for a long time. Finally she stumbled to the head of the stairs. “Mum!” She had to call many more times before Mum appeared.
“What is it? Oh, Theo! I’m sorry, I’d forgotten you stayed home this morning.”
Forgotten? Theo sat down on the stairs and exploded in tears.
“What’s wrong, Theo?” Mum came up and led her back to bed, then sat down on the end of it.
“You’re—you’re all forgetting me!” sobbed Theo. “All this week everyone keeps ignoring me! As if—as if I don’t exist!”
“Now, Theo, that’s nonsense. You’re imagining things because you don’t feel well.” Mum smoothed the quilt around her and gave her a kiss. “We’d never ignore you. You’re one of us now! We love you! I’m going to bring you up some ginger ale, okay? I’ll be right back.”
Theo tried to stop crying. That must be it. It must be feeling sick that made her feel so—so invisible. Mum’s reassuring words calmed her. She waited for her to return.
She waited and waited but Mum forgot to come back.
Finally Theo crept downstairs. Mum’s back was to her, concentrating on a painting. Theo stamped her