The Changing Room

by Christine Sykes

  17

  ANNA

  At the park by the bay, Anna climbed out of her car, wrapped her winter scarf around her neck, and let Rufus off his lead. She’d decided to have her early morning walk there, rather than by the canal, to give Rufus a larger leash-free area. At least that’s what she said to herself, but in truth she didn’t want to run into Ted.

  Mist hung above the water, boats rocked gently and Anna could smell bacon cooking. Rufus sniffed the air, and Anna remembered the times she’d made bacon and eggs for her former lover. She couldn’t imagine William ever making breakfast for her, not the way Ted had done for his sick wife.

  She distracted herself by thinking about Claire’s instructions and going over the tasks she’d already completed. Claire had cleared Molly’s story for publication and the funding strategy was finished. Genevieve had found a venue for the VIP fashion sale and Alice had engaged the services of a company who volunteered to print the invitations for free. The event would be called Chic and Champagne.

  Rufus darted in and out of the water at the patch of beach. Anna called and he jumped up and down beside her, spraying her while she reached in her pocket for his treat.

  Later in the day she would collect the invitations for the sale. Anna was worried about the event. Genevieve had agreed to take the lead on it but Anna suspected she would end up being dumped with most of the work when everything had to be done in a panic, and not in the orderly way she preferred.

  Anna almost didn’t answer her phone when it rang, thinking it might be Ted, but when she looked at the screen, it was Molly.

  ‘Hello, dear. What’s the matter?’

  ‘I have to take Matthew to the hospital an’ I need someone to mind the other kids. Can you come?’

  ‘You want me to come and mind the children?’

  ‘I wouldn’t ask if there was anyone else.’

  ‘Well, I don’t know.’ Anna wondered why Molly didn’t take the other children with her but was too shaken up to ask.

  ‘Please, it’s urgent. The ambulance’ll be here in a few minutes.’

  ‘Oh, um. I suppose so.’

  ‘Please hurry.’

  Anna stood still. Rufus barked. She should take Rufus home, but that would take time and she was worried something terrible had happened. She gave Rufus a treat while she put his leash on, pulled him to the car and bundled him in. Anna drove as fast as the speed limit would allow to Molly’s place. At least she’d been there before.

  There was an ambulance outside and Molly was following a trolley down the path.

  ‘Just in time,’ Molly said breathlessly. ‘The kids need breakfast. Give ’em anythin’ they want.’

  The ambulance drove away with its sirens blaring.

  Rufus yapped. She couldn’t leave him in the car: for one thing, he’d shred the car seats, and for another it wasn’t right to leave a dog in a car for she didn’t know how long. He was excited to be put on the leash again in a different place, expecting another walk. Anna led Rufus into the house. The three children were watching TV.

  The boy turned around just as Anna was passing the door and screamed, ‘Lion, lion in house.’

  The little girls screamed. Rufus stopped to see what all the fuss was about and Anna tried to drag him down the corridor.

  ‘He’s not a lion,’ Anna said. ‘He’s a dog.’

  Rufus seemed determined to explore the lounge room and meet the children, who were watching a TV program about lions. The boy rushed over to Rufus.

  ‘Can he stay inside an’ play with us? Please?’

  ‘No. He has to go into the backyard.’

  ‘Why? Is he a circus dog?’ asked the boy.

  ‘No. Just a naughty dog.’

  ‘Why?’

  Anna was stumped. With no younger siblings or children in her life, she had no idea how to answer a child’s questions.

  ‘Who are you?’ asked the boy.

  ‘Um. I’m a friend of your mother. She asked me to mind you while she’s at the hospital.’

  ‘When’s Mummy coming home?’

  ‘Soon.’

  Her heart was pounding. Come on, she lectured herself. It’s only a dog and some children. You’ve dealt with worse. There was the time William tried to punch the representative of a rival organisation at a meeting and the water spilt all over the table, wetting the paperwork. Just distract them.

  ‘Food, anyone?’ Anna asked, hoping to calm them.

  ‘Yeah, food.’

  Rufus wagged his tail even harder.

  The twins went back to watching the TV.

  ‘What’s your name?’

  ‘Daniel.’

  ‘Okay, Daniel. Can you help me get the dog into the backyard so we can feed him and then you can have breakfast? Please.’

  ‘What’s doggy’s name?’

  ‘Rufus.’

  ‘Funny name. Here, Rufusy, come on, doggy, come with me.’

  Rufus followed Daniel into the backyard and stood calmly. Anna spotted a plastic container on the grass and filled it with water.

  ‘What does doggy eat?’

  ‘Oh, anything. Biscuits maybe.’

  ‘We’ve got biccups.’

  ‘Can you show me? Rufus, you behave yourself while we find something for you to eat.’ Anna had used all the doggy treats in the park and on the way to Molly’s place.

  She followed Daniel into the house and they scrambled around the kitchen, opening cupboard doors and drawers. Anna wondered what on earth she was doing in this house with these children. She prayed Molly would come back soon.

  ‘What’s your name?’ Daniel asked.

  ‘Anna. What are your sisters’ names?’

  ‘Emma and Grace. Matty went to ho’pital with Mum.’

  Anna had almost forgotten about the injured boy.

  ‘What happened?’

  Daniel stared at her.

  ‘To, er, Matthew. What happened?’

  ‘He falled out of bed and hit his head.’

  ‘Did you see it happen?’

  ‘No.’ Daniel whimpered. ‘I’m hungry.’

  ‘OK, OK. What’s this? Cereal. Will that do?’

  Anna put cereal into chipped bowls and watered down the milk so there was enough for each of the children. Daniel disappeared with the cereal packet. When the table was set, Anna went to look for him and found him sitting and talking with Rufus, feeding him dry cereal.

  ‘He likes you,’ she said.

  Daniel smiled. It was a big, broad smile that lit up his face, reminding Anna of a sparkler she had held on cracker night when she was little. It had lit up her world for a short time and then faded.

  ‘Come on, wash your hands and have breakfast.’

  Daniel splashed water all over the bathroom.

  Anna convinced the children to sit in the kitchen to eat breakfast by turning the TV up loud so they could still hear it. They ate a little. Most of the cereal ended up splattered on the table, floor and chairs. Anna couldn’t work out how one of the girls spilled it down the back of her nightie.

  By mid-morning the children had finished their breakfast but were still in their nightwear. Anna had cleaned up the mess in the kitchen and wiped down the bathroom. The children were restless. The twins were sick of watching TV and Daniel wanted to take Rufus for a walk. Anna’s head throbbed and she was desperate for a cup of tea but had used up all the milk for the children. She had no idea where the shops were or how she’d even get the children to the shops to buy milk. In any case, she couldn’t find a kettle and the stove looked too foreboding for her to attempt heating water in a saucepan. No, she’d just have to wait for Molly.

  She tried to get the children dressed so they could go into the backyard, in the sunshine. Her mother had always made her go outside when the sun was shining. She’d had to wear a long-sleeved shirt and an ugly sun hat with a huge brim. Her mother had been fanatical about ensuring Anna’s white skin stayed white, saying Anna’s only good feature was her porcelain skin, and she
wasn’t going to let Anna ruin that as well. Anna didn’t ask what else she had ruined.

  The children pulled items of clothing from every drawer in their rooms and struggled into an odd assortment of clothes. Each insisted on choosing their own, and Anna decided she didn’t have the skills to direct their choices. Daniel had a pair of oversized shorts and she had to tie a piece of string around them to keep them up. He wore two T-shirts, one long and one short. Grace insisted on wearing a summer dress and chose a sparkly cardigan to go over the dress. Emma wore items of every different colour and pattern she could fit on her tiny body. Anna’s mother would have been shocked at the rag-tag sight.

  The phone and doorbell rang simultaneously. Anna fumbled with her phone.

  It was Molly. ‘Hey,’ she puffed. ‘We’re on our way back. Matthew’s OK.’

  ‘There’s someone at the door,’ said Anna.

  ‘Don’t answer it.’

  Rufus barked.

  ‘But …’

  ‘Jus’ don’ answer that door. I’ll be there soon.’

  ‘Door, door.’ Daniel tugged Anna’s tracksuit pants and pointed to the front door.

  ‘I know. Your mother’s on her way. We’ll wait for her to come.’

  The doorbell kept ringing. Rufus barked louder.

  ‘Oh dear,’ said Anna. She had never left a doorbell unanswered in her life. Anxiety crept up her body.

  ‘What ya doin’?’ asked Daniel.

  ‘Let’s go to the backyard and see if we can quieten Rufus.’ The three children followed Anna through the house and out the back. Rufus yelped and jumped up and down.

  ‘There, there.’ Daniel went to Rufus and cuddled his head. Rufus stopped barking.

  ‘You have a way with animals,’ said Anna.

  Daniel beamed at her. He ran over to the garden hose and turned it on.

  ‘Give Rufusy bath,’ he said.

  ‘Stop.’ Anna couldn’t reach the tap fast enough to avoid Grace being soaked, sparkling cardigan and all. Grace screamed. Emma yelled. Rufus ran towards Daniel, barking again.

  ‘Why didn’t you answer the door?’ asked a young woman over the side gate. ‘And what on earth is going on back here?’

  Anna had an inexplicable urge to laugh. The children were a bigger mess than before. Rufus had been thrilled to find a puddle from Daniel’s watering attempts and was now shaking muddy water all over Anna.

  ‘I’m Sophie from the welfare agency, and you are?’

  Anna brushed the muddy water off her tracksuit, wiped her hands and let Sophie in through the side gate.

  ‘I’m Anna, a friend of Molly’s. From Suitability.’

  Molly came through the back door into the yard, stopped and said, ‘Oh, my god, what a mess.’ Matthew stood beside her with a bandage covering half his head.

  ‘What happened to Matthew?’ asked Sophie.

  Anna looked from Sophie to Molly to Matthew. ‘How about we have a nice cup of tea?’ she said, thinking what a stupid suggestion this was as she’d used up all the milk on the children’s breakfasts. ‘I’ll go and buy some milk, shall I? For the tea.’

  ‘Shop’s on the corner; turn left when you get outta the house,’ said Molly.

  Anna put the leash on Rufus, grabbed her handbag and headed out the side gate. She was relieved to be alone for the few minutes it took to get to the shop and buy milk. For good measure, she bought shortbread biscuits and a roll of paper towels to wipe Rufus down.

  When Anna returned, the children were assembled in the lounge room watching TV. They wore clean, matching clothes. Anna finished drying Rufus with the paper towels, and he joined the children on the lounge and went to sleep.

  Sophie took a pot of boiling water off the stove and Molly pulled out teacups from the dresser.

  ‘These were my grandma’s. She said they should be used for guests.’

  ‘Shortbread, my favourite,’ said Sophie, taking a biscuit. ‘Now Molly, can you tell me exactly what happened to Matthew?’

  ‘He fell out of bed and hit his head on his toy truck.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Hey, what are you accusin’ me of?’ Molly looked frazzled.

  ‘Nothing. I’m just trying to get all the facts straight.’

  ‘Meanin’ what? Don’t ya believe me?’

  ‘Please Molly, don’t get upset, just tell me exactly what happened. What time was it?’

  ‘I’m not sure. When I looked at the clock it was six forty-five.’

  ‘OK, so you’re estimating the time it happened. Did you go to Matthew straight away?’

  ‘Course, I did. I was in bed, lyin’ there enjoyin’ the peace of the house, and I heard a thump, then Matthew screamed.’

  ‘And you went to his bedroom straight away.’

  ‘Yes, I already said so. What’re ya hintin’ at?’

  ‘Nothing. So, you didn’t see him fall?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Did any of the other children?’

  ‘Daniel must’a. He’s in the same room on the lower bunk.’

  Sophie asked to look at the room and the bunks. Anna followed them into the boys’ room. The top bed on the double bunk did not have a safety rail.

  ‘I thought you were going to have single beds instead of using the double bunk.’

  ‘I can’t afford ’em new. The charity store’s been lookin’ out for some for me an’ they tol’ me yesterday they got ’em, but I couldn’t get there to pick ’em up.’

  ‘Can’t they deliver them?’

  ‘For twenty bucks!’ Molly slumped on the lower bunk with her head in her hands.

  ‘Molly, this is the first sleepover you’ve had, and something has gone wrong.’

  ‘But it wasn’t my fault,’ Molly mumbled.

  ‘It never is.’ Sophie pushed her hair back off her face in frustration and Anna noticed deep lines on her forehead. Too deep for such a young woman.

  ‘What did you say to me?’ Molly stood up from the bed.

  ‘Look, let’s calm down. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that, but we want to avoid any accidents.’

  ‘Ya think it’s my fault Matthew hurt himself?’

  ‘I didn’t say that.’

  ‘But ya meant it. Will this stop me gettin’ my kids back?’

  Anna tried to calm Molly, but Molly pushed her aside.

  ‘Well, tell me straight, will it?’

  ‘Molly, you know we want you to have the children back full-time,’ said Sophie. ‘That’s our aim. But we want to make sure you can cope. I’ll have to do a report on this incident and we’ll decide whether we continue with the plan or we go back a step.’

  ‘What does “go back a step” mean?’ asked Anna.

  ‘Molly is on a gradual program to reunite with the children. This was the first sleepover and if it had gone well, we would have extended the sleepover period.’

  ‘I can’t go through all that again,’ cried Molly. ‘It’s cruel. To me and the kids.’

  Anna looked at the children sitting quietly in the lounge room. It was hard to believe these angels had caused such chaos earlier. Even Rufus was quiet and well behaved.

  ‘Molly, I’m not saying it will happen, only that we have to consider it. We’ll need to get a report from the doctor about what happened. Was anyone else involved?’

  ‘Only Anna, who I called to come an’ help with the kids.’

  ‘So, Anna, how well do you know Molly and the children?’

  Anna paused. If she said not very well, she was worried about what Sophie would think of her being left with the children. Yet it was the truth. Then she remembered the way William used to avoid answering difficult questions.

  ‘Molly and I are both volunteers with Suitability.’

  ‘I see. And do you volunteer together?’

  ‘Well, we’ve done a workshop together.’ Anna was trying to think of what else to say. ‘And Molly helped me put down her experiences with Suitability, so we spent quite a lot of time together doi
ng that.’

  ‘OK. And the dog?’

  ‘He’s mine. His name is Rufus.’

  ‘The children seem to like him,’ said Sophie. Rufus was splayed out on the couch with his head on Daniel’s lap. ‘Could you give Molly a character reference if we need one?’

  ‘Sure.’ Anna was stumped about what she could say in a character reference. ‘But it might be more helpful if Claire, the coordinator of Suitability, did one.’

  ‘That’s a good idea. I know Claire and her position with the organisation.’

  ‘What if I talk to her?’ suggested Anna. ‘I’ll be seeing her in the next day or so.’

  ‘All right, but I need something by the end of the week at the latest.’

  ‘Not a problem,’ said Anna. ‘Just tell me what you want me to include.’

  Sophie gathered the reluctant children and led them to her car, with Molly trailing behind. Anna put Rufus on the leash and joined them.

  ‘Can doggy come too?’ asked Daniel from his car seat at the front as Sophie buckled him in. ‘Please.’

  ‘No, I’m sorry but it’s not possible,’ said Sophie.

  ‘But we lub ’im,’ cried Emma.

  Grace said, ‘Pwease, Anna.’

  Sophie put each of the girls into their car seats.

  ‘It’s all right,’ said Anna. ‘I’ll bring him around next time you visit if your mother agrees. When will that be, Sophie?’

  ‘Well, another visit is due in two weeks, but it’ll depend on the report.’

  ‘You mean I might not see the kids then?’ said Molly. ‘That’s not fair.’

  ‘You’ll see them, I promise,’ said Sophie, obviously keen to get away now she had all the children buckled in. ‘I’m just not sure if it’ll be overnight again.’

  ‘Bitch,’ said Molly as the car left the kerb. ‘Stuck-up, rotten bitch.’

  ‘Come on, Molly, it’ll be all right.’

  ‘An’ what would you know? You’ve never been through this, this hell. What was all that waffle about knowin’ me? You could’a said ya did an’ got it over with.’

  ‘But Molly, I don’t know you very well. And I never met the children before.’

  ‘Ya could’a lied for me.’

  ‘Molly, I’m sorry, but I can’t lie for you. I’ll draft something for Claire and I’m sure she’ll sign it.’

  ‘Good for you,’ said Molly.