Home Girl. Alex Wheatle
a leather case, Louise took out my file. A strained elastic band held the flimsy folder and untold papers together. She slid it over to Tony, who ignored it, took a sip from his fruit drink, and introduced himself again. “Just call me Tone.”
I didn’t know what to say. Monkey on a skateboard. This is really happening. Colleen sat beside Tony. “And I’m Colleen,” she smiled. “Colleen Golding. We’re glad to have you with us.”
The Holmans said the same shit.
I glanced briefly at Colleen and then concentrated on my phone. I tried to focus on a game but it wasn’t happening.
“Sharyna! Pablo!” Colleen called out.
Pablo hot-stepped in first. He was still giggling. Then Sharyna entered the kitchen as if the world’s paparazzi were waiting for her. All nervous smiles and sideways glances. She had her arms behind her back and her chin was held high. “Hi, Naomi,” she greeted in a grown-up voice.
I busted out a smile. I loved her long braids. “You know my name,” I said. “You all right? Top ratings for your plaits.”
“Thanks,” Sharyna replied.
I think she blushed but I couldn’t quite tell.
“That’s Sharyna for you,” laughed Tony.
Louise chuckled and took another custard cream. I scoped the creases around her eyes. Some of the other kids on her files had obviously stressed her out till her balloon was about to pop.
Colleen offered me my coffee. She laughed nervously. “Your coffee all right, darling?”
I sampled it. It could’ve done with more sweetness.
“It’ll pass,” I said. “Could’ve done with a chocolate biscuit to go with it though.”
* * *
As the grown-ups chatted, sunk more biscuits, and scanned my file, I allowed Pablo and Sharyna to check out my phone. Sharyna and Pablo were then called to wash the dishes. When Pablo had dried the last one, Colleen turned to me. “Are we ready for the tour?”
A tour? The house is pretty but it’s not Buckingham Palace.
“S’pose so,” I said.
“Follow me then,” said Tony, carrying my bags.
Leaving Louise and Colleen in the kitchen, Tony led me up the stairs, followed by Sharyna and Pablo, to my room. I held on to my meerkat. Tony opened the door and I stepped in slowly. I stood for some long seconds under the doorframe. I looked at the double bed. This is new. I don’t usually get a double bed to crash out in. Tony fidgeted beside me. Sharyna and Pablo remained in the hallway.
Yeah, not too bad. I’ll see where my life rolls from here.
I went and placed my meerkat gently between the pillows. I checked out the furniture. “Where’s the telly?” I asked.
“The last girl we had staying with us didn’t watch too much telly,” explained Tony. “She read a lot of misery books.”
I stepped toward the window and peered out into the back garden. I could just about make out the shape of a shed. I thought of Dad. If he could get his life up to spec he could live in a house like this. “Do I look like I read a lot? I wanna telly.”
“Ask me like that and you won’t get it, young lady.”
I turned around. I picked up my meerkat and pressed it tight against my chest. “I want a frucking telly! What do you expect me to do when I’m up here? Play noughts and crosses on the walls?”
Sharyna and Pablo crept closer to the door. I lasered my eyes into Tony’s forehead but he must’ve had a deflective shield cos he remained calm. I heard two pairs of feet hoofing up the stairs. “You won’t get a TV if you talk to me like that,” Tony said again.
Louise rushed into the room. There were custard cream crumbs about her mouth. I nearly busted out a giggle. “Everything all right?” she asked, looking at me and then to Tony.
“Everything’s fine,” replied Tony. “We’re just getting to know each other.”
Almost bouncing into Louise, Colleen stumbled in. “Anything wrong?” she asked.
“No,” I said. “I just wondered if it’s all right me having a telly in my room.”
Colleen and Tony swapped glances. Tony shook his head and dropped my bags on the floor. He smiled and said under his breath, “We have one of those.”
“Er, yes, the spare TV’s in my room,” said Colleen.
Tony shook his head again. Louise glanced at him. “I’ll get the telly,” he offered.
I dropped my attitude. “I want a DVD player too,” I said. “I’ve got nuff DVDs in my bag. I’d love to watch ’em. Sometimes I can’t sleep. I get nightmares.”
I wasn’t lying. I had issues with my sleeping as long as I could remember. Tony smiled a funny smile.
“Attitude, Naomi,” said Louise. “Remember we talked about the right tone when we’re talking to people? And I think we’re missing a word.”
Louise keeps playing that same tune. I’m not a frucking idiot. I get it. I clutched my meerkat even tighter and rolled my eyes. “Pretty please with bells on wrapped in a pink envelope.”
“Yes, you may,” replied Tony with a posh voice. I flung him an evil look.
Tony left the room. Colleen smiled nervously. “Do I need to wash any of your clothes tonight?” she asked. “Maybe a school uniform?”
“She’s not attending school until next Monday,” explained Louise. “She has Thursday and Friday off to help her adjust to her new surroundings and to give her time to bond with her new family.”
“So you’ll be with me during the day,” said Colleen. “We can get to know each other.”
“Woo hoo!” I mocked. “This is all a bit too much.”
That wasn’t called for. She’s only trying to be nice. Allow her.
Returning with a portable TV, Tony waited until I cleared the books from the desk. He dropped his posh voice. “Thank you,” he said.
“Where’s the . . . ?”
Sharyna entered carrying a DVD player. She placed it beside the television and gave me a gorgylicious smile. How can I carry on spitting attitude after that?
“Thanks,” I said. “What’s your name again?”
“Sharyna.”
“Maybe when they leave us alone we can watch some spine curlers.”
“That would be so—”
Louise cut off Sharyna’s excited response. “She’s only eleven,” she warned.
“I watched horror films when I was six,” I said. I wasn’t lying. Mum used to love ’em too. We’d sit down in our raggedy sofa munching Haribos. “The new Evil Dead’s the gorilla’s knuckles.”
“Sharyna, would you like to show Naomi the rest of the house?”
“Yeah,” Sharyna smiled. “I’ll show her my room first.”
* * *
Half an hour later, I was in my room running my fingers through Sharyna’s braids. She didn’t mind. We were getting on neatly.
Louise popped her head around the door. “Can I have a minute?” she asked.
“Sure,” replied Sharyna.
Louise waited until Sharyna closed the door. “Will you be all right here?”
“As