At half past three the streetlights were popping on. Mina was used to the walk home from her new school. She still didn’t like the dark but it was okay now that she walked with Nirmala. She lived in the next street along from Grannie and Grandpa’s, so they met in the morning and walked in together and waited for each other at the end of the day. It made all the difference.
Sometimes they stopped at the corner shop and bought some sweets or crisps. They talked about bands and boys and who’d said what at school. Nirmala had never asked her why she didn’t live with her mum, and Mina hadn’t told her. It had just never come up.
As she let herself into the house, Summer started barking and rushed into the hall. The little dog hurled herself at Mina, her front legs reaching up, tongue desperately seeking Mina’s hands. She’d been Mina’s birthday present in April, an amazing, wonderful surprise at the start of a perfect day.
‘Okay, okay. Hello, hello.’ Mina fussed the dog enough to make her calm down, then she hung up her coat, left her shoes by the front door and padded into the kitchen. The dog circled her, nearly tripping her up. Grannie was there, like she always was.
‘Hello, darling. Did you have a nice day?’
‘It was okay. I’m hungry.’
‘Do you want some milk? There’s flapjack in the tin.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Just one, though. I’m getting tea ready for five today. Have you remembered that Mum’s coming?’
‘Yeah.’
She saw her mum two or three times a week and every weekend. It had felt weird to start with, like everyone was on their best behaviour, but they’d settled into it. Mina had never gone back to Nelson House. After the Thing had happened, Grannie and Grandpa had taken her to their house and she’d stayed there.
She didn’t quite know what had gone on but somehow Grannie and Grandpa had helped Mum to give up the flat and find a studio apartment near to them. She’d overheard a muttered conversation one evening with Mum saying she’d pay them back and Grandpa shushing her and saying something about wiping a slate clean, but she didn’t know what that meant. Anyway, Mum was going to college during the day now and working in a pub in the evening. She was happier than she’d been for ages, and she’d even stopped smoking.
Mina washed her hands at the kitchen sink, then took the tin over to the kitchen table and selected the biggest piece of flapjack. The dog sat bolt upright at her feet, willing her to drop a crumb or two.
Grandpa wandered in. He had a half-day on Wednesdays. Mina liked it when he was home.
‘Ooh, flapjack.’
‘Not for you,’ Grannie said, firmly. ‘You’ll spoil your tea.’
Grandpa pulled a face at Mina and mimed slapping his hand, then took a square anyway.
‘I’ve got a joke for you. Knock, knock …’
Something stirred in the back of Mina’s mind. She tried not to think about Nelson House, but sometimes she couldn’t help it. She hadn’t told anyone what had happened with Nana Kath. She remembered some of it but the rest was blank. She had nightmares, though – dreams where she was shut away in the dark and couldn’t find the way out. They were getting less frequent but she still slept with the light on, and had her cuggy with her, even though she was twelve. Something else she probably wouldn’t tell Nirmala.
‘Mina?’ Her Grandpa’s voice brought her back into the room. ‘Knock, knock. You’ve got to say, “Who’s there?” Don’t they teach you anything at school these days?’
‘They don’t teach us jokes.’
‘Knock, knock,’ he repeated.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. ‘Who’s there?’
‘Little old lady.’
‘Little old lady who?’
‘I didn’t know you could yodel!’
It was so bad, it was almost good. Despite herself, Mina started giggling.
‘Oh, Mina,’ Grannie scolded. ‘Don’t laugh. It only encourages him.’
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