Book Woman

by Ivan B

  “I might not make it back before 3pm.”

  Mary tried for a reassuring voice, but it came out more like miffed schoolteacher.

  “It’s all right, I’m quite happy having Josie here, she’s no trouble.”

  He thanked her and rang off as a shadow fell across her desk and she looked up at Bella. Bella sat down on the chair Josie was using.

  “Charlotte’s gone off to her afternoon job.”

  Mary gave Bella a straight look.

  “Will she be OK?”

  Bella shrugged.

  “She’s a bit rusty and has never seen a site-filter like the one we are using, but I think she will cope, she is quick on the uptake.”

  Mary cocked her head to one side.

  “So what’s wrong?”

  “She’s terribly afraid of doing something wrong. She keeps saying that this is her last chance at a decent job and doesn’t want to make a muck of it. That makes her over-cautious and she’s hesitating over even the simple things.”

  Mary gazed at the Internet Café.

  “Let’s hope she gains confidence.”

  Bella looked out the window.

  “If you wanted, I could probably manage till 2pm for a few days, give her a chance to get used to the software again and give her some back-up.”

  Mary reached out and touched Bella’s arm.

  “That would be great, but don’t push yourself too far.”

  Bella smiled and wandered off; Mary thought about the cost of the extra hours Bella would be working.

  At just before 4pm Mary received a text message on her mobile saying that Robert was ten minutes away. She looked down the library for Josie, but to no avail. Mary got up and wandered around the library, but no Josie. She was just starting to get worried when Josie suddenly appeared up the escalator. Mary gave her a serious look and said sternly, hands on hips.

  “And where have you been?”

  Josie stopped dead in her tracks, apprehension in her eyes.

  “Only to the toilet.”

  Mary cocked her head to one side.

  “What’s wrong with the toilet on this floor?”

  Josie became nervous and started shuffling from side to side.

  “I can’t lock the door, daddy says that I must always lock the door.”

  Mary closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  “Sorry Josie, I should have shown you; you push the handle up and it locks the door.”

  Josie looked at the floor, still clearly disturbed by Mary’s manner.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you Mary, I went straight down and came straight back up.”

  She looked so pathetic that Mary suddenly wanted to give her a hug, instead Mary took her over to her desk and they sat down. Mary held Josie’s hand.

  “I was just worried because I couldn’t find you, but I am sorry if I was nasty.”

  Josie looked her straight in the eye.

  “Does it mean I can’t come again?”

  Mary gave a genuine smile.

  “No it doesn’t, of course you can come again.”

  Mary reached into her desk drawer.

  “And I got you this. I thought that you might like to read it on your holiday.”

  Josie’s eyes became like saucers.

  “We’ve got this in our school, it’s brill.” She smiled at Mary.

  “When do I have to bring it back?”

  Mary grinned with the pleasure of having a gift received.

  “You don’t have to bring it back, it’s yours; I got it from the book-shop downstairs especially for you.”

  Josie fingered the cover, and said in a pitiful voice.

  “Dad says that I shouldn’t accept gifts from strangers.”

  Mary realised the seriousness of this.

  “Am I a stranger? We’ve known each other for nearly six months.”

  Josie’s face lit up. She jumped up and kissed Mary on the cheek just as Robert appeared at the top of the escalator. She turned to him.

  “Look what Mary’s given me – and she’s not a stranger!”

  Robert looked at Mary, bewilderment in his expression.

  “You didn’t have to…”

  Mary stood up.

  “I wanted to.”

  She turned to Josie.

  “Have a good holiday.”

  Josie gave her a broad grin, Robert pointed to the escalators

  “Gran and grandad are at the bottom of the escalator.”

  Josie waved to Mary and raced to the escalator, Robert turned to Mary.

  “That’s an expensive book, are you sure?”

  Mary gave him a withering look.

  “If I didn’t want her to have it I wouldn’t have given it to her.”

  Robert beat a hasty retreat.

  Chapter 7

  Discoveries

  Tuesday evening Mary set about giving her mother’s bedroom a thorough spring clean, as she manhandled the bedside cabinet to vacuum behind it a book fell out. Mary picked it up and went to stuff it back inside and then she stopped. It was an old medical dictionary and there was a bookmark in it. Mary opened the dictionary, the bookmark was in the section on cancer of the kidneys; Mary sat on the bed and was suddenly overcome by a single violent tremble. She read the passage in the book and then rushed to the kitchen and rummaged through the dirty linen throwing unwanted garments on the floor until she found a pair of her mother’s knickers. She inspected them closely, and another pair, and a third pair. She sat down weakly on the kitchen stool, all of them had very small, but still discernible, blood stains. She suddenly waved her hook and shouted at the ceiling.

  “No God, not my mother, do you hear? Not my mother!”

  She had another violent tremble and said, weakly.

  “Not my mother, please God not my mother” and burst into tears.

  Mary knew she was in bed, but there was something wrong; she was lying on her belly and her legs felt like lead and her arms were pinned by her side. Her nose was running and she couldn’t wipe it. She found it irritating and humiliating, especially as her nose was dripping all over the bedclothes and it was dripping blood. She needed her mother, but her mother wasn’t there. She tried to call, but only noises came out. She tried to move, but her body wouldn’t answer her requests for movement, she called again, and again and again, but her mother didn’t come. She realised that she was all alone and screamed.

  Mary woke up in a sweat and found herself trembling, the house seemed absurdly empty and she pulled the bedclothes tight around her; she didn’t like being alone in the house, she didn’t like it one little bit.

  The following morning passed without incident and Mary managed to maintain a façade of normality. Only when the library had closed did she sit at her desk and shake, fifteen minutes after closure her mobile phone rang, she looked at the screen of the mobile and then spoke into the mouthpiece.

  “Mother!”

  Her mother sounded chirpy.

  “Said I’d ring you today, library shut?”

  Mary sighed yes, how are you? Where are you?”

  “Some dreadful motorway service station, I’m in the disabled toilet, only place to get some peace.”

  Mary sighed,

  “Are they treating you well?”

  Her mother laughed,

  “What do you expect, thumbscrews?”

  “I mean are they looking after you?”

  Her mother laughed again.

  “Well Cathy and Jenny have been arguing about the best route to Devon for an hour, the two children have been asleep each side of me, so all is normal.”

  Mary took a deep breath.

  “I’ve been cleaning your room and I found the medical dictionary in the bedside cabinet – I wasn’t prying, it just fell out.”

  “Oh.”

  Mary waited and got no further response.

  “How long mum, how long have you had blood in your urine.”

  There was more silence, then she spoke hesitantly.

/>   “About a month, maybe a couple of weeks longer.”

  There was more silence and then Mary’s mother spoke with her stern no nonsense mother’s voice.

  “And don’t go thinking the worst, there are at least six diseases of the kidney that lead to blood in the urine and it might be any one of them, or nothing at all. It hasn’t been getting worse.”

  Mary took a deep breath.

  “But you will go to the doctor when we get back?”

  Her mother snorted.

  “Only if you insist, can’t abide doctors pulling me about.”

  Mary said firmly.

  “I insist.”

  She could almost feel her mother sighing.

  “Well I’ll go then, but just for you mind, just for you.”

  Mary decided to push the point.

  “And if it gets worse you’ll go to a doctors in Devon?”

  Her mother snorted.

  “Only if it gets worse, I’m not letting these two think that you don’t look after me.”

  There was a hammering sound in the background and her mother sighed again.

  “Looks like we’re about to go. Take care.”

  Mary sniffed.

  “You take care. Love you.”

  “Love you to.”

  Mary put the mobile down and sighed, her mother was right, Mary had been on the Internet for an hour and discovered numerous diseases that left blood in the urine, some minor, most curable, but some highly undesirable. She wandered over to the Main Internet console and looked at the screen, every Wednesday afternoon they updated their virus checking software and did a sweep of the entire system; today’s download seemed to be enormous and was only half-way through. She was contemplating a quick lunch in the next door tea rooms when the doorbell rang. She made her way down, via the lift, expecting a book delivery, but it was Robert at the door. She opened it and must have looked bewildered as he smiled.

  “You said I could have a look round, remember?”

  She felt a fool and opened the door wide. She took him up to the library and over to her desk, she pulled out the plans and as she unfolded them she tried for polite conversation.

  “You eventually got Josie and her grandparents to Aldeburgh OK?”

  He grimaced.

  “Not till nearly eight o’clock; A12 was blocked just north of Wickham Market and we sat for two hours on the dual carriageway going nowhere.”

  Mary looked at him.

  “What was the problem?”

  He gave her a funny look.

  “It’s been on the news, some protest about a fourth nuclear reactor at Sizewell. They parked four old caravans on the road and then set light to them, with all the holiday traffic it literally took hours to put them out – apparently they filled them with old paint – and tow them off the carriageway and then lay gravel for the traffic to go over at a snail’s pace. I came home a different route or I wouldn’t be here yet.”

  Mary shrugged.

  “Haven’t seen the news this morning, other things on my mind.”

  He studied the plans, both old and new, and stroked his already smooth chin.

  “I see what you mean; five rooms each side here with five doors, but only four doorways here.”

  He looked at her.

  “But nobody in their right minds builds rooms without access, can I take a look?”

  Mary pointed to the back stairs.

  “Help yourself, but if you don’t mind I’ll stay here.”

  He smiled and walked away with all the manner of a child on a treasure hunt, Mary went back to her download.

  Half an hour later, in the stillness of the closed library, Mary could hear Robert banging about upstairs. She smiled to herself, she’d already given the walls a good beating, but not found any hollow spots. She automatically raised her eyes to the ceiling and then squinted. She walked down the library and turned off the main overhead lights and walked back and once again looked up. She smiled to herself and picked up her mobile phone and dialled Robert’s number which she had entered for safety into the phone’s memory bank. She heard the phone ring and then Robert answered, all professional.

  “Robert Handly.”

  Mary smiled to herself at his professional tone.

  “Hi Robert, it’s me, Mary, I think that I’ve found our access.”

  He muttered something and then appeared from the stairwell a minute later. She pointed upwards.

  “Two hatches in the ceiling directly in line with the centre windows.”

  He looked up and said sarcastically.

  “And you haven’t noticed them before?”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “I’m not in the habit of examining the ceiling, I’ve better things to do.”

  Robert nodded, still in professional mode.

  “Most people never look up. A ceiling is a ceiling is a ceiling.”

  He turned to her.

  “Have you got a ladder?”

  “No, why would we need one.”

  He grinned.

  “To enter two of your rooms most likely!”

  He pointed across the road.

  “I’ll see if I can borrow one from the hardware shop over there.”

  He set off on his mission and Mary finished her virus sweep of the Internet Café software and closed the system down. She wandered over to the window and saw Robert struggling across the street with what looked like a huge triple aluminium ladder. She grinned as she watched him struggle against the usual sea-breeze up the High Street and then went to turn the escalator on. He arrived upstairs with his burden.

  “Thanks for the escalator, good idea that.”

  He took out a small pair of binoculars from his coat packet.

  “Keep these in the car.” He muttered.

  He surveyed the hatch nearest the High Street and then manhandled the ladder into position. He expertly shinned up the ladder, opened the hatch and disappeared from view. Mary waited for about five minutes and then he reappeared and climbed down.

  “You have just got to come and see what’s up there.”

  She looked at the ladder.

  “There is no way I am going up there.”

  He smirked.

  “Afraid of heights?”

  She scowled and replied tartly.

  “No I’m not afraid of heights, but I’m not risking my legs on a ladder, they can only just about bloody well do stairs so a ladder is out of the question!”

  He blinked and a look of comprehension of what he had just said sank in; his face took on a sheepish expression.

  “Sorry, I should have remembered that you used a stair-lift at home.”

  She simmered down.

  “I’m rather touchy about it.”

  He nodded.

  “There is another way to get you in the room, but you might not like it.”

  She decided that she was not going to be beaten by his manner.

  “Try me.”

  “I could take you out of the window of the adjacent room, along the parapet and in through the window of the hidden room.”

  This sounded even worse than a ladder as she knew that the parapet was only just over a foot wide, but she had her pride and one admission of failure a day was enough. She put on a brave face

  .“Sounds fine.”

  He gave his schoolboy grin and shot up the ladder, there was some banging and then he came down.

  “Don’t reckon that that window has been opened for fifty years.”

  They walked up the stairs and Robert watched Mary struggle up beside him. She dot-and-carried, moving up one step at a time, always leading with the left leg and pulling on the banister rail as she moved up. Halfway up he decided to take a risk, especially knowing how touchy she was on the subject of her mobility.

  “Would it help if you hung onto me?”

  She gave him a withering look, but still tucked her left arm into his right elbow. He tried for a light hearted comment.

  “Bet you don’t com
e her often.”

  She stopped on the half landing, gave him a curious look and then, when he was expecting a sharp retort, gave a genuine laugh instead. He could feel her shaking through their linked arms. The joke seemed to lift the air of antagonism between them and they climbed up the rest of the stairs. They walked to the adjacent room and Robert opened the window and climbed out, he climbed back in again.

  “Wrong room, parapet from here looks a little wobbly.”

  They proceeded to the next room and once again he climbed out and climbed in. He looked around the room, basically a storage area for old books, and then proceeded to make a progressive pile under the window. He stood back.

  “Health and Safety wouldn’t like it, but I reckon it will do.”

  He looked at her.

  “Go up it backwards and sitting down, then I’ll help you stand up once you’re through the bottom half of the open window.”

  Mary swallowed, going out the window onto a foot wide parapet was one thing, going out backwards and trusting him for help was quite another.

  She had to admit failure.

  “I won’t be able to stand up, I won’t be able to bend my knees far enough back.”

  He didn’t comment, but looked at the sash window.

  “If I open the top unit instead of the bottom, could you stand on the window ledge and get over it?”

  She gulped at the prospect, but was not going to be beaten, especially with him there.

  “I’ll give it a go.”

  He thought for a moment.

  “Stay there, I’ll just adjust the window next door.”

  He almost ran from the room and Mary perched herself on the edge of and old table and waited. A minute or so later she heard some more banging from the next door room, then an oath followed by a sliding noise. He came back into her room shortly after. She grinned.

  “Heard your Spanish.”

  He gave a slow grin.

  “Damned window dropped onto my hand.”

  He walked up the pile of books, climbed over the window and then stood looking at her. He gave an encouraging smile.

  “Window is so wide you won’t have to bend your knees, just sit on the top of the bottom window and swing over.”

  She slowly climbed his makeshift book-staircase and sat on the top of the bottom half of the sash-window and swung her left leg over, she then tried lifting her other leg over and would have failed if he hadn’t grabbed her ankle and eased her leg over for her. The next bit was as easy as he said and within a minute she was standing on the parapet. He turned his back on her.