by Maria Farrer
“I’ll tell her,” said Ruby as she put the change in her pocket. “But she’s pretty busy at the moment.”
Ruby was used to lying. She had to lie to everyone—to Mr. Jay, to school, to anyone she came in contact with. She couldn’t tell anyone the truth about Mom’s problems because Mom said that people didn’t always understand and that if they thought she was too sick, they might come and take Ruby and Leo away and split up the whole family forever. And Ruby was never going to let that happen.
Ruby struggled out of the shop pushing Leo with one hand and carrying the bag of groceries in the other. She walked past Mr. Jay’s smashed-up car. He was right, it was a mess. In one day, that polar bear had managed to cause an awful lot of trouble.
Ruby wondered where he was now. Hopefully on the way back to wherever he came from … or NOT …
As she approached her block of flats, she noticed a large supermarket delivery truck parked outside. The back doors opened and out jumped Mister P, closely followed by Mrs. Moresby. Ruby watched in horror as the driver started unloading crate after crate of fish sticks.
She thought about trying to hide, or at least sneaking past and up to her apartment. But it was too late, Mrs. Moresby had spotted her.
“We made it,” said Mrs. Moresby, smoothing down her dress.
“What’s going on?” said Ruby.
“Well I had to get the bear out of the supermarket somehow. They said that if I paid for the fish sticks, they’d deliver them and the bear for free. Mister P seemed very nervous about getting into the van so I decided I’d better travel with him. It was quite a journey.”
“You paid for all the shopping?” Ruby knew she needed to act fast and get it all taken away. She hated to think what it had cost. She marched up to the driver. “We don’t need this delivery, thank you. You can take it all back. The bear too, if you like.”
“I’m not putting that bear back in my van,” said the driver, “I’ve never been so terrified in all my life. And the rest is signed and paid for.” He slammed the back door with a loud bang, got into the driver’s seat, and skidded off at high speed.
Ruby stared at the pile of frozen food on the pavement and at the truck disappearing into the distance.
“What are we going to do with it all?” she asked, looking first at Mister P and then at Mrs. Moresby. “Our freezer isn’t even working.”
“I can hold on to it for you,” said Mrs. Moresby. “I have a large freezer in my apartment which never gets used. I’ve been meaning to get rid of it.”
“But who is going to eat it? You don’t really think Mister P is going to stay, do you?”
“I rather think he might,” said Mrs. Moresby.
Ruby tried to think straight. It was true that there was no point in wasting all this food, but she couldn’t imagine where she was ever going to find the money to pay back Mrs. Moresby. She had no idea how long the bear was planning to stay … or even if he had a plan at all. If she started feeding him, maybe it would just encourage him to stick around and she certainly didn’t want that. Then again, she could hardly let him starve. She hid her face in her hands. She didn’t know where to turn.
“Don’t worry too much,” said Mrs. Moresby. “I’m happy to help.”
“I don’t need your charity, if that’s what you’re thinking,” said Ruby.
Mrs. Moresby sighed. “I’m just offering. I didn’t mean to cause offense.”
Ruby knew she should be grateful to Mrs. Moresby, but what if she could never repay her? Ruby didn’t need that kind of worry at the moment. She didn’t need a polar bear either, come to that.
“I suppose you’d like help getting all this to your apartment?” said Ruby, sighing. Leo was beginning to grizzle.
Mrs. Moresby shook her head. “I think you should get your baby brother and Mister P out of the sun. I’ve called my grandson and he is on his way over to give me a hand. We’ll be fine.” Mrs. Moresby waved them away. “And Ruby,” she said calling after them, “you can send your bear down any time he needs a snack.”
“He’s not my bear,” said Ruby. “He really isn’t. But thanks.” Ruby tried to smile, but she doubted it looked very convincing.
“You seem to have made a friend,” she said to Mister P as they traveled up in the elevator. Her shoulders drooped and she gave a sad laugh. “Everyone finds it easy to make friends except me.”
CHAPTER 7
Friends and Enemies
“Ruby Holton, you know you’re not allowed to use your mobile phone in class. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to remind you.”
Ruby didn’t have time to read the text from Mom before Miss Dennis, her teacher, swept past her desk and scooped up her mobile phone. “No mobile phones without permission. You know the rules.”
“But I DO have permission. I’ve told you before. You checked, remember?”
“You do not have permission to use your phone in my lesson.”
“But it might be an important message from mom.”
“The only important message from your mom should be to concentrate on your work like everybody else.”
Ruby was too tired to concentrate on anything. She’d been awake half the night worrying about Mom and Mister P and how she was going to get the money to pay back Mrs. Moresby. Mom, at least, was beginning to get used to Mister P and she’d waved Ruby off to school this morning telling her she’d be fine. But Mom’s version of fine and Ruby’s version of fine were two different things, and she’d made Mom promise to text her if there was a problem.
Ruby thumped her book on the table.
“No need for that,” said Miss Dennis. “I’m sure your mom can wait until you get home to talk to you.”
Miss Dennis had no idea. She didn’t know anything. Ruby tried to focus on the page of science in front of her but everything seemed blurry and confused. She rubbed her eyes.
“Cry baby,” hissed Kelly.
“I am NOT crying,” said Ruby.
“You so are,” said Kelly.
That was it! The worry inside Ruby boiled over as red-hot anger and she picked up her science book and threw it at Kelly.
Kelly screamed and a buzz of gasps and laughter went round the class.
Miss Dennis looked at Ruby for a long time and then pointed at the door. “Outside, Ruby. Take your work.”
Ruby opened the door of the classroom and made her way to her usual desk in the corridor. Ruby was always being sent out of class. Sometimes, Ruby thought, it was better out here away from everyone else.
Of course, at break time she had to see Miss Dennis and apologize to Kelly. She hated Kelly, but she knew she shouldn’t have thrown a book at her. The rest of the day no one wanted to sit near her. She’d like to have apologized to Zena too—but even she was avoiding Ruby and whispering with the others.
At home time, she picked up her phone from the office, only to find it was out of battery so she couldn’t even check her messages. She walked home as fast as she could, took the elevator to the 22nd floor, and opened the door.
Straight away, she knew things were bad.
* * *
The apartment was hot and airless. Leo was standing at the bars of his playpen, tears streaming down his snotty face, his diaper so soggy that it was hanging halfway down his little legs. Mister P was pacing around the apartment looking flustered and there was no sign of Mom.
Ruby pushed Mom’s bedroom door open. The room was in darkness. It was scary when Mom was like this. It was the worst.
“Mom?’
No answer.
“Mom? Mom!”
Mister P came and stood beside her and put his paw on her shoulder. It was a large paw, but it felt comfortable.
“Wake up, Mom,” said Ruby more gently.
“Where have you been?” Mom’s voice was just a whisper, “I tried to call you.”
Ruby closed her eyes as relief washed over her. She always panicked when she couldn’t wake Mom up.
“Miss Dennis confiscat
ed my phone, but I’m here now. Don’t worry.”
Leo’s angry cries were getting louder and Mom put her hands over her ears.
“I’ll take care of Leo,” said Ruby. “I expect he needs feeding.”
Ruby had learned that she couldn’t do much to help when Mom was like this. The best thing was to look after everything else and let Mom rest as much as possible.
Ruby flung open the door to the balcony and picked up Leo.
“Yuck,” she said and tickled his tummy.
Mister P put both paws over his nose and turned his head away while Ruby changed Leo’s diaper. Then she settled her little brother in his chair with his sippy cup and some food.
Mister P’s tummy rumbled loudly. “I suppose you’re hungry too,” said Ruby, sighing. She knew she’d have no choice but to pay a visit to Mrs. Moresby to let Mister P raid her freezer.
Ruby finished feeding Leo then counted out the change left over in Mom’s purse. Then the three of them made their way down to the 21st floor. Ruby wasn’t sure which apartment was Mrs. Moresby’s, but Mister P had his nose down on the floor and sniffed his way confidently towards 21c.
“You’d better be right,” Ruby said as she pressed the buzzer. “Otherwise we’re in
BIG trouble.”
The door opened and, much to Ruby’s relief, there was Mrs. Moresby, a huge smile spread across her face. “You found me!” she said.
“Mister P found you,” said Ruby.
“Well, I suppose if you’re used to hunting your prey in the ocean, it’s not going to be that hard to find your fish sticks in an apartment building.” She laughed a big, bright laugh. “Would you like to come in?”
Ruby hesitated. She hardly knew Mrs. Moresby. Mister P gave her a hard shove with his nose and the next thing she knew she was in the middle of Mrs. Moresby’s living room. Ruby glowered at the bear. She’d be having words with him later.
Everything in Mrs. Moresby’s apartment was bright and tidy, just like Mrs. Moresby herself. The apartment had a friendly feel with lots of photographs on all the surfaces. Ruby couldn’t help noticing a picture of a boy doing a trick, maybe a kickflip, on his skateboard.
Mrs. Moresby followed her gaze. “That’s my grandson,” she said. “He loves his skateboarding.”
Ruby felt a lump of jealousy in her throat.
“I haven’t really got much time,” said Ruby. “I need some food for Mister P.”
Mister P had positioned himself close to the kitchen door, right by her freezer, and was staring at Mrs. Moresby in a hopeful way.
“How many packets would he like, do you think?” asked Mrs. Moresby. Mister P’s eyes danced over the piles of fish sticks.
“I’ve only got money for eight,” said Ruby, “Do you think that will be enough?”
“Enough for today, perhaps,” said Mrs. Moresby, laughing again. “Unfortunately, I think you might find that polar bears have quite an appetite.” She counted out eight packets and emptied them into a large plastic tub.
“Don’t we need to cook them?” Ruby asked.
“I wouldn’t have thought so,” said Mrs. Moresby. “Polar bears are used to cold and ice. It doesn’t look as though he’s fussy.”
Mister P already had his nose in the tub and they watched in fascination as Mister P tossed a fish stick in the air and caught it in his mouth. Leo clapped his hands and Mister P did it again and again.
“He’s a bit of a juggler, your bear,” said Mrs. Moresby.
Ruby folded her arms.
“Sorry,” said Mrs. Moresby. “I know, he is
NOT
your
bear.”
It had been a long day but, in spite of everything, Ruby found she had quite enjoyed her visit to Mrs. Moresby and part of her didn’t want to go back home. Still, she shouldn’t leave Mom for too long and she needed to eat too—and tidy up—and get Leo ready for bed—and do her homework. The list of things to do was always so long. She said goodbye to Mrs. Moresby and climbed the stairs back home.
Ruby took Mom a sandwich and a cup of tea and she and Leo sat with her for a while. Mom sipped at her tea, but ignored the sandwich so Ruby ended up eating it herself. Then she dragged Leo’s crib into her own bedroom so he wouldn’t disturb Mom in the night. It was quite late by the time she pulled on the old T-shirt she slept in and folded her uniform ready for the morning. Now there was only her reading homework left to do.
She picked up her book. “The Secret Life of Polar Bears” it said on the front. She’d chosen it during library time today because she thought it might be useful. She went to the index to see if there was anything about polar bears and hot-air balloons, but nothing was mentioned so she turned to the first page and started reading. “Polar bears live in the Arctic Circle,” she read aloud, quietly. She raised her eyebrows. Not this one, she thought as a long furry nose poked round her bedroom door. “They are solitary creatures,” she read as Mister P pushed his way into her room and squeezed into the gap between her bed and the wall on the opposite side to Leo’s crib. “Solitary,” she repeated and looked at Mister P.
Mister P blinked and settled himself with his head on the bed beside her. Ruby rolled her eyes. “Well this is going to be a cozy night,” she said. “Do we not think it might be a bit crowded for a solitary creature with THREE in this bedroom?”
Mister P shifted himself from side to side until he was nice and comfortable.
“Hmm,” said Ruby. “They are well adapted to a life in the snow and ice.”
Ruby put down the book and looked at Mister P. “You’re a long way from home, Mister P. Are you in trouble or something? Otherwise, what are you doing here?”
Mister P stared out of the window. Little pin-pricks of light twinkled in his deep black eyes. Ruby smiled. “Did you know you’ve got the night sky in your eyes?”
Mister P closed his eyes slowly and started to snore. Ruby lifted his head gently off the bed and placed it on the floor. She’d had enough of her book. She didn’t think there was anything very secret about what it told her. She could write a far better version.
She turned off her light and lay in the darkness, but her mind was too busy with worries. Sometimes it was hard to know what to do with all this worry. At home she was careful to keep it all inside, but at school sometimes, like today, it all overflowed like a big angry roar and there was nothing she could do to control it.
“I’m not really a nasty person, Mister P. Everyone says I am … but I’m not, you know.”
Mister P loudly. It was easy to talk to a sleeping polar bear, thought Ruby, though he wasn’t much good at giving answers. She gave up trying to sleep, switched on the light again and picked up her copy of Board Talk magazine. She flicked through the pages to distract herself with all the wonderful pictures and stories. She wished Dad were still here, she wished she could be a champion skater, she wished Mom would be better in the morning and that all her worries, including a large snoring polar bear, could go away.
CHAPTER 8
Problems and Solutions
The sound of her alarm dragged Ruby from a deep sleep and she wondered if the city was in the grip of an earthquake. Her room was shaking and there was a loud thunk, thunk, thunk close to her ear. She stuck out her hand towards the clock. Why did it feel furry? And why was Leo laughing?
She slowly opened her eyes and the day crashed in on her. Oh great! So the polar bear was definitely still here. In fact, he was perched on the edge of her bed smacking the alarm clock as hard as he could with his front paw. Leo was bouncing up and down in his cot, giggling for all he was worth.
Ruby tried to grab the alarm clock. “It’s 6:30 in the morning! Give me a break.”
Mister P dropped the shattered alarm clock onto the floor and Ruby covered her head with her duvet and took a few deep breaths before clambering off the end of her bed. She left the chaos of her bedroom and went through to Mom.
“Morning,” said Ruby, trying to sound chirpy as she opened Mom’s cu
rtains. “It’s a lovely sunny day.”
Mom barely moved. Ruby could see she was awake, but she was staring at the wall almost as if she couldn’t see Ruby at all. Ruby sometimes wished she could see what was going on in Mom’s head. If only Mom would talk to her, she might be able to help. A wave of hopelessness nearly drowned Ruby as she tried to work out what she should do for the best.
“Do you think we should get the doctor?” she asked.
Mom shook her head and felt for Ruby’s hand. Silent tears ran down her face. “I don’t need the doctor. I’ll be OK soon. Don’t you worry.”
Don’t worry? DON’T WORRY?! Ruby bottled up her shout inside her. How was she supposed not to worry?
“I’ll stay home today, shall I?” said Ruby. “I’ll send a note to school off your computer. I’ll say I’m sick again, shall I?”
Mom nodded. Ruby closed the door to Mom’s room and it felt like shutting her troubles away. Leo was crying gently and Ruby lifted him out of his crib held him close.
“Don’t cry,” she whispered. “I’ll look after you and I promise, promise, that no one will ever take us away from Mom. Not ever. We’ll be OK, you’ll see.”
But there was no time for feeling sorry for herself and she pushed Mister P away.
“It’s too hot for that,” she said clearing her throat. “And we need to get on with the day. Here, you can make yourself useful.”
Ruby sat Leo in between Mister P’s two front paws and watched as Leo tried to grab the end of Mister P’s nose. Mister P soon got the hang of the game and played along. Ruby smiled as she watched them and wondered what excuse to use in her absence note today. She’d already used doctors’ appointments, dentists’ appointments, Grandmother’s illness, and chicken pox. She’d once tried asthma but then her teachers started asking her about inhalers. She sat at Mom’s laptop.