Cousins

ary was creeping cautiously along the corridor towards Colin’s room that night when she heard someone coming. She hid in a doorway and listened. Colin’s bedroom door opened.

‘No, please, Mrs Medlock!’ she heard him beg. ‘I don’t like it. It tastes horrible. It makes my stomach burn.’

‘I know you don’t like it, Colin,’ said Mrs Medlock, ‘but your father says you must have it. It’s going to make you well.’

Mary heard Colin sob. ‘It won’t. Nothing will. Please …’

‘Colin, it’s either the medicine or the brace,’ said Mrs Medlock firmly. ‘Now come along. Be good and it will soon be over.’

Colin screamed and Mary swallowed, feeling her own insides twist. Although she had heard the cries before, it was different now she knew that it was Colin making them. Her hands balled into fists. She wanted to run in and shout at Mrs Medlock, to grab the medicine from her and throw it away so Colin never had to take it again. Why did he need medicine anyway? He was pale and thin, but he didn’t look dreadfully ill.

After a few minutes, Mary heard Mrs Medlock leaving. ‘I shall come back later when you’ve calmed down,’ she said, shutting the door with a shake of her head.

Mary pressed herself into the shadows. She could only imagine how much trouble she’d be in if she was found. She waited a few more minutes and then crept along the corridor and opened Colin’s door.

He jumped. There were tears on his face. He dashed them away with his hand and turned away from her. She could tell he was trying to compose himself, that he didn’t want her to see him crying.

‘Sometimes I need to be medicated.’ He spoke in a stiff, stilted voice as if he felt the need to explain. ‘My father says it’s for my own benefit. I never see him, he’s much too busy, but it’s what the doctors told him.’ He took a breath and turned to look at her. ‘I thought you wouldn’t visit again.’

‘I decided I wanted to,’ Mary said.

Her eyes fell on something on the far side of the room – a wheelchair! She hadn’t noticed it the day before. She went over and sat down in it. ‘Is this your chair? Can’t you walk? Is that why you have it?’

‘That is not your business. Don’t touch it!’ Colin said crossly.

‘It moves well,’ said Mary, swinging from side to side in it. ‘Do you want me to help you into it, then we can go and explore together? I could push you!’

‘No!’ Colin said. ‘I don’t use it much because of my back. You’ve seen my father’s hunchback, well, mine is the same, only much worse. I’ve never been able to walk.’ He sighed deeply. ‘Mary, I’m afraid to say your cousin is dying!’

The words sprang out of Mary’s mouth before she could stop them. ‘You don’t look like someone who’s dying.’

Colin sniffed peevishly. ‘How many dying people have you seen?’

Mary didn’t answer. Her mind was too busy turning over what he’d just said. If he really was dying, why didn’t he look more ill? She’d only seen him sitting in bed, but he didn’t appear to have a really bad hunchback. And why did he sound almost proud that he was dying? Something wasn’t right.

‘We could go outside?’ she suggested. ‘That might make you feel better.’

‘Outside?’ Colin echoed as if she’d suggested going to the moon. ‘I can’t do that.’ He put a hand dramatically to his throat. ‘They tried to take me outside once and the stench of the roses nearly killed me!’

Mary couldn’t hold back her grin. ‘You’re telling me you’re afraid of flowers?’ Her cousin glared at her. ‘That really isn’t very sensible.’

She could see he was cross that she wasn’t taking him seriously.

‘What if I was to tell you that there’s a paradise out there?’ she went on. ‘Where the birds sing for you and a friendly dog plays with you?’

‘I’d say you were lying,’ Colin said crossly. ‘And,’ he went on, his voice rising, ‘I’d say that I’m not interested, even if you are telling the truth. I am not interested in anything outside!’

‘But …’ Mary began.

Colin turned away. ‘I’m tired now. You may go.’

Mary’s mouth dropped open. How dare he order her around, particularly after she had just told him something so wonderful! ‘What?’

‘I’m tired,’ Colin repeated. ‘Please leave.’

‘No.’ Mary folded her arms and felt a stab of satisfaction as Colin gave her a shocked look. He clearly wasn’t used to having his commands ignored. ‘I am not your play toy, to be put down when you choose!’ she told him.

‘You came here to me. I didn’t invite you,’ he said.

‘I told you secrets,’ she retorted. ‘About my magic place.’

‘Secrets I didn’t care to know of!’ He sat bolt upright. ‘Now get out and leave me alone,’ he ordered, pointing to the door.

‘Oh, you’re insufferable!’ Mary snapped, marching over to it.

‘And you use words you don’t understand!’ Colin exclaimed.

Mary looked round and their eyes met. In that moment, Mary felt a strong connection surge between them. We’re really quite alike, she realised suddenly. Not in all ways but in some. We … we belong together.

Colin sank back against his pillows and some of the tension seemed to leave the room.

Mary glanced at a portrait of her Aunt Grace on the wall near the door. ‘Is that your mother?’ she asked. ‘They say I look like her.’

‘I hate her,’ Colin muttered.

‘Hate her?’ Mary echoed, confused.

Colin nodded. ‘For dying. She loved me hugely, but then she died and left me all alone – is that not unforgivable of her?’ He gave Mary a self-pitying look, clearly expecting sympathy.

But she had none to give. ‘At least your mother loved you,’ she said sharply. ‘My mother never loved me!’ She stared at the floor.

There was a long silence.

When Colin spoke, his voice was softer. ‘Will you read to me while I try to fall asleep, Mary? I struggle to sleep. My back hurts and I think too much.’ She glanced up and saw he was looking at her almost pleadingly.

She nodded and then returned to his bed and sat in the wheelchair beside it. ‘Very well. I will tell you a story of gods and a quarrel over who first made fire.’

Colin snorted in disgust. ‘That sounds terrible.’ He gave her a book. ‘Here, read me this instead.’

A laugh burst out of Mary.

‘What?’ Colin said in surprise.

She shook her head. ‘I think you might quite possibly be the rudest boy I have ever met!’

Colin opened his mouth indignantly. Mary raised her eyebrows at him and he subsided. Opening the book, she began to read.