CHAPTER 8
‘Here she is,’ said Jim. ‘She was such a brave girl, weren’t you, Soon?’
‘Yes,’ Soony said.
'The nurses said she was the best patient they’d ever had,’ said Jim. ‘Didn’t they, Soony?’
‘Yes,’ Soony said.
‘Well,’ said June, ‘your bed is all turned down ready for you. Shall we tuck you straight in, and I’ll bring you a nice cup of tea?’
‘Yes,’ said Soony.
‘Come along then,’ said June. ‘I’ll give you a hand up the stairs.’
‘Will you be OK, love?’ Jim said. ‘I really have to get back to work.’
‘We’ll be fine, won’t we, Soony?’ said June. ‘I’ve put a big vase of lupins in your room; come and see.’
June sat on the end of Soony’s bed while they drank their tea.
‘Feeling all right, darling?’ June said.
‘Yes,’ said Soony.
‘A bit washed out? I think when you’ve finished your tea it would be an idea to have a sleep.’
‘All right then,’ Soony said. She gave June her cup and snuggled down in the bed.
June tucked the sheet around her and gave her a kiss. ‘We love you very much you know, Soony.’
‘Yes,’ Soony said.
‘Will you be OK? I’ll look in on you later.’
‘Yes.’
‘Have a nice sleep.’
‘June,’ said Soony.
‘Yes?’
‘I can’t find Popcorn.’
‘Can’t you, darling? I expect she’ll turn up.’
‘She’s gone. She’s not in my room.’
‘She’ll come back. You have a little sleep and when you wake up I expect she’ll be there.’
‘All right then,’ said Soony. ‘June?’
‘Yes?’
‘I got a friend called Karen.’
‘That’s nice. Have a good sleep now, Soony.’
‘Bye,’ Soony said.
‘She looks a bit white,’ June said, ‘but otherwise she seems fine.’
There was a crackle on the line. ‘Excuse me,’ said Miss Janes. ‘I’m getting a cough. Oh, that is good news. It all went smoothly then?’
‘Yes,’ said June. ‘It’s a weight off my mind now that it’s over. I’m sorry I made such a fuss.’
‘Oh, not at all,’ said Miss Janes.
‘It’s just that I had this feeling ... Well, anyway, everything’s fine. It’s just like you said; she doesn’t seem to have realized at all.’
Soony lay and thought about Karen. Poor Karen had been upset and Soony had comforted her. ‘Never mind,’ she had said. ‘You can share my Popcorn.’
Soony sat up in bed. ‘Of course!’ she said aloud.
‘It’s nice of you to phone, darling,’ June said. ‘Yes, everything’s fine. She’s having a little sleep.’
‘She really was good as gold,’ Jim said. ‘The nurses said there was no problem at all.’
‘Yes,’ said June. ‘It makes you wonder a bit, doesn’t it, if she would have been just as brave about having a baby? Still ...’
‘Look, love,’ said Jim. ‘It’s all over now. It’s time to look forward. We’ve hardly had time to think about our own little stranger, have we? After all these years of trying, and I don’t think you even said Congratulations.’
June laughed. ‘Congratulations, darling,’ she said.
Soony came downstairs in her red-heart nightie. She tiptoed past the open kitchen door, not disturbing June who was on the phone. Of course, she realised when she reached the gate, she didn’t know where Karen lived, but surely it must be somewhere beyond the main road.
Soony felt a bit tired as she stepped off the kerb. She hoped it wouldn’t be too far to walk. And what if Karen wouldn’t give Popcorn back?
As soon as she saw the wheels of the lorry bearing down on her, Soony knew what was going to happen, but somehow she was too tired to care. Because, you see, without Popcorn she felt so very deficient...
Copyright: Clare Nonhebel
Cover design by Shirley Walker
For details of Clare Nonhebel’s other books, author information and latest news, or to contact the author, see website https://clarenonhebel.com
Twitter: @clarenonhebel
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