Room_ A Novel - Emma Donoghue [87]
“No, she’s here but she’s not really.”
Noreen’s face goes all confused.
“Look.” I point at the bed. “It’s a day she doesn’t get up.”
Noreen calls Ma by her other name and asks if she’s OK.
I whisper, “Don’t talk to her.” She says to Ma even louder, “Anything I can get you?”
“Let me sleep.” I never heard Ma say anything when she’s Gone before, her voice is like some monster.
Noreen goes over to the dresser and gets clothes for me. It’s hard in the mostly dark, I get both legs in one pant leg for a second and I have to lean on her. It’s not so bad touching people on purpose, it’s worse when it’s them touching me, like electric shocks. “Shoes,” she whispers. I find them and squeeze them on and do the Velcro, they’re not the stretchies I like. “Good lad.” Noreen’s at the door, she waves her hand to make me come with her. I tight my ponytail that was coming out. I find Tooth and my rock and my maple key to put in my pocket.
“Your ma must be worn out after that interview,” says Noreen in the corridor. “Your uncle’s been in Reception for half an hour already, waiting for you guys to wake up.”
The adventure! But no we can’t because Ma’s Gone.
There’s Dr. Clay on the stairs, he talks to Noreen. I’m holding on tight to the rail with two hands, I do one foot down then another, I slide my hands down, I don’t fall, there’s just a second when it feels fally then I’m standing on the next foot. “Noreen.”
“Just a tick.”
“No but, I’m doing the stairs.”
She grins at me. “Would you look at that!”
“Gimme some skin,” says Dr. Clay.
I let go with one hand to high-five him.
“So do you still want to see those dinosaurs?”
“Without Ma?”
Dr. Clay nods. “But you’ll be with your uncle and aunt all the time, you’ll be perfectly safe. Or would you rather leave it till another day?”
Yeah but no because another day the dinosaurs might be gone. “Today, please.”
“Good lad,” says Noreen. “That way your ma can have a big snooze and you can tell her all about the dinosaurs when you come back.”
“Hey, buddy.” Here’s Paul my Uncle, I didn’t know he was let in the dining room. I think buddy is man talk for sweetie.
I have breakfast with Paul sitting beside, that’s weird. He talks on his little phone, he says it’s Deana on the other end. The other end is the invisible one. There’s juice with no bits today, it’s yum, Noreen says they ordered it specially for me.
“You ready for your first trip outside?” asks Paul.
“I’ve been in Outside six days,” I tell him. “I’ve been in the air three times, I’ve seen ants and helicopters and dentists.”
“Wow.”
After my muffin I get my jacket and hat and sunblock and cool shades on. Noreen gives me a brown paper bag in case I can’t breathe. “Anyway,” says Paul when we’re going out the revolving door, “it’s probably best your ma’s not coming with us today, because after that TV show last night, everybody knows her face.”
“Everyone in all the world?”
“Pretty much,” says Paul.
In the parking he puts out his hand beside him like I’m meant to hold it. Then he puts it down again.
Something falls on my face and I shout.
“Just a speck of rain,” says Paul.
I stare up at the sky, it’s gray. “Is it going to fall on us?”
“It’s fine, Jack.”
I want to be back in Room Number Seven with Ma even if she’s Gone.
“Here we are . . .”
It’s a green van, Deana’s in the seat with the steering wheel. She waves her fingers at me through the window. I see a smaller face in the middle. The van doesn’t open out, it slides a piece of it and I climb in.
“At last,” says Deana. “Bronwyn, hon, can you say hi to your cousin, Jack?”
It’s a girl nearly the same big as me, she’s got all braids like Deana but sparkly beads on the ends and an elephant that’s furry and cereals in a tub with a lid that’s shape of a frog. “Hi Jack,” she says very squeaky.
There’s a booster for me beside Bronwyn. Paul shows me to click the buckle. The third time I do it all myself, Deana claps and Bronwyn too. Then Paul slides the van shut with a loud clunk. I jump, I want Ma, I think I might be going