Awake and Dreaming - Kit Pearson [65]
But Theo just shrugged, wishing she hadn’t said anything. She thought of Rae compared to Laura—Laura who had once been her mother, but only in a fantasy; that is, an idea for a fantasy that had faded away … Rolling over, she began to yank up grass and throw it away.
WHEN THEO CAME OUT of school at three she flushed with embarrassment. Rae was standing by the fence, dressed in shiny leggings and a skimpy T-shirt that didn’t reach her waist. A cigarette dangled from her fingers. None of the other kids’ mothers looked like a teenager. Theo tried to rush Rae away as fast as possible.
“The old place hasn’t changed much,” said Rae. “Boy, did they hate me there!”
Theo didn’t answer.
“I hear Sharon drags you to church every Sunday. You don’t have to go with her.”
“I like it,” said Theo. “It’s peaceful there.”
Rae shrugged. “Suit yourself. But I think Sharon’s been coddling you. There’s no need to pick you up from school every day as if you were five. It’s only a few blocks. You could walk home by yourself.”
Theo didn’t answer. She would rather go home on her own but she didn’t want Rae to know she agreed with her.
“It’s strange to be in this neighbourhood again. Do you want to see the house I grew up in?”
“Sharon already showed it to me,” said Theo, but Rae was walking in that direction.
“They’ve sure spiffed it up,” said Rae when they reached the blue cottage. “See that big tree by the window? That’s how I used to sneak out at night. Sharon saw me once and snitched. She was such a saint. Dad never yelled at her.” She stubbed out her cigarette and lit another one. “The good sister and the bad sister—that was us. Sharon would eat all her vegetables. I’d pretend to be sick and spit them into the toilet.”
“Why?”
Rae looked surprised. “Why? I guess because they expected me to be bad. Ma would laugh and call me her wild one, and Dad would just get angry. He had no time for me—he liked Sharon the best. They would spend hours looking at books about other countries and shut me out completely. It wasn’t fair! Are you listening to me, Theo?”
As usual Rae was like a child wanting attention. “Sharon says there’s no point in wishing the past was different,” Theo told her. “It’s all water under the bridge.”
She sighed and took her mother’s hand. “Come on, let’s go home.”
RAE TOLD SHARON that Theo could go to Skye’s house by herself and even play in Beacon Hill Park with her.
“But that’s not safe!” said Sharon. “What if they meet a stranger?”
Rae laughed. “Theo can look after herself. If she can survive downtown Vancouver, she sure isn’t going to have a problem in Victoria.”
“But what about that little boy who disappeared?”
“That was a tragedy. But look, Sharon, nothing’s safe. You never let the kid out of your sight! Theo knows how to deal with strangers and she and Skye can watch out for each other. Don’t you remember all the days we used to spend in the park?”
“Yes, but those were different times,” said Sharon.
“Not that different. And I think Theo should be allowed to walk back and forth to school with Skye. She wants to, don’t you, kid? She’s embarrassed to be picked up like a baby.”
“Do you want that, Theo?” asked Sharon. In spite of her disappointed expression Theo had to nod.
“But—” Then Sharon looked resigned. “All right. She’s your child, after all. As long as you’re here after school.”
“I’M SO GLAD you’re my friend again,” said Skye. Theo enjoyed her more now that there was some space around them. They walked back and forth to school every day with a gang of other kids on their street—Darcy and his little sister Madison, Simran, Alan, and the Kwon twins.
After school they had a snack at Skye’s or Theo’s, then went out again to the park. Rae had persuaded Sharon to buy Theo a secondhand bike, promising to pay her back. They rode their bikes along the cement walkways, stopping to feed the ducks or gaze at the petting zoo. They had strict instructions about never leaving the paths, but Theo felt much freer. That was because of Rae, she had to admit.
Skye didn’t go on and on about her father as much. She was