Genius

by Clare Nonhebel

CHAPTER 36

  When Edgar left for work, Mildred found Eldred still huddled under the bedclothes.

  'Are you getting up for breakfast?’ she asked.

  Eldred eyed her warily.

  'You don't have to go to school,’ she assured him. 'Your father's told them you won't be in today. You can stay in bed a bit longer if you're tired.’

  'I'll get up,’ Eldred decided. He sat up, flung back the duvet and jumped out of bed. 'I don't feel quite so tired now.’

  Over cornflakes, he said, 'What are you going to do today?’

  'Nothing out of the ordinary,’ said Mildred. 'What do you want to do?’

  Eldred considered. 'Are you going out to the launderette?’

  'I would do, normally,’ said Mildred, 'but it can wait till tomorrow. You can't be seen out at the shops with me, Eldred, if you're meant to be too ill to be at school.’

  'No, I meant I'd be all right here,’ said Eldred, 'if you want to go out.’

  'I can't leave you at home on your own,’ said Mildred. 'People get prosecuted, going out and leaving nine year olds.’

  'I don't see why,’ Eldred said. 'You've done it before.’

  'I know,’ said Mildred. 'No, the launderette can wait. Your father's got enough shirts to last him till Thursday.’

  'I don't mind,’ Eldred repeated. 'If you want to go out.’

  'Well, there's no need, so that's all right,’ said Mildred. 'Is there something you'd like to do, or are you going to work on your computer programming?’

  'I wondered,’ Eldred said, 'if we could play a game.’

  'Oh Eldred, you know I'm no good at the games you play,’ said Mildred. 'I never could get the hang of chess or all those strategy games you like.’

  'No, I mean an ordinary game,’ said Eldred. 'Don't we have any of those? Ludo or snakes and ladders or something?’

  Mildred stared at him. 'Ludo?’

  'Don't we have it?’ Eldred asked. 'I thought we used to play that. Did we give it away?’

  'It's under the stairs,’ said Mildred, 'with all your other toys.’

  ‘Do I have toys?’ Eldred asked.

  'You've got loads of toys,’ said Mildred. 'Toys, games, puzzles that we bought you that you never played with.’

  Eldred's eyes were bright. 'Can we get them out?’ he said.

  Edgar phoned at lunchtime. 'Is he all right?’ he asked.

  'Fine,’ said his wife.

  'How has he been, since our talk this morning?’

  'Like a child,’ said Mildred.

  'What?’

  ‘A real one,’ she said. 'He's been playing board games, without making up new rules to make it complicated. And doing jigsaw puzzles.’

  'What do you mean?’ said Edgar, after a pause. Jigsaw puzzles?’

  Mildred lowered her voice. 'He's asked me to go out,’ she said, 'and get him a colouring book.’

  'Why?’ said Edgar blankly. 'What does he want to do with it?’

  'He found a set of felt-tip pens that we got him when he was four,’ Mildred said. 'He wants a colouring book. To colour the pictures in.’

  'Is he ill?’ Edgar asked anxiously.

  'Not at all. He seems very happy.’

  'Mildred,’ said Edgar. 'Do you think I should come home? What's happening?’

  'I don't know,’ she said. 'Did you tell him he could go to that school, if we could find the money?’

  'Yes,’ he said. 'I did. Do you think that was the wrong thing?’

  'No,’ she said. 'Perhaps he's just decided, before he goes, to have a childhood.’

  She returned to Eldred, who was busily making paper planes and colouring in the logos of different airlines on the wings.

  'Did Dad say it was okay?’ he asked, without looking up.

  'Say what was okay?’

  'If I have a colouring book,’ said Eldred.

  'Well, of course you can have a colouring book. Why not?’

  'I thought he might be worried,’ said Eldred, 'and think I needed psychiatric treatment because I was regressing to infancy or something.’

  'I don't think he's that worried,’ said Mildred.

  'People do that, you know,’ said Eldred conversationally. 'They can suddenly go right back to being children. Out of the blue, no warning. I read about it.’

  'I'm sure they do,’ said Mildred. 'But not usually at the age of nine.’ She put on her coat. 'Anything else you'd like, while I'm out? Apart from a colouring book?’

  Eldred hesitated. 'If you don't think it's detrimental to my character to get spoilt when I'm skyving off school,’ he said, 'would it be possible to have chocolate cupcakes?’

  'I expect it would,’ said Mildred. She kissed him on the top of his head. 'I won't be long. Don't answer the doorbell if it rings.’

  'Okay,’ said Eldred absently. He watched through the window as she went out of the gate and turned right, towards the shops.

  Then he picked up the phone and dialled the operator. 'I'm afraid I don't know the number I want,’ he said, 'but I believe it's a freephone call. Do I have to go through directory enquiries?’

  'Who did you want to call?’ asked the operator.

  'The child abuse helpline,’ said Eldred.