After I dump Esmeralda’s clothes in the washing machine, I look for Ma but can’t find her. Ivy is there, fussing.
‘Girl, come help me with deliveries!’ She bustles me out to the side gate and punches the numbers.
A man in a red shirt is standing next to a red van.
‘Hold the gate open,’ Ivy tells me and she goes to where the man is stacking up boxes on a little handcart.
‘Want me to bring them in for you?’ he asks.
‘The Pasquales don’t allow anyone in that they don’t personally invite,’ Ivy says and grabs the handle of the hand cart. She hauls it past, with me flat against the gate holding it open for her, and the man looks at me and shrugs.
Up the street, a woman cries out and the delivery driver takes a few steps in that direction. ‘What... that man just hit that woman,’ he says.
I let the gate go and run. I run hard as I can. Legs flying like on the farm. My stupid hard shoes don’t make it easy, but I’m fair moving when I hit the Ape side on, with my knees up and driving into his rib cage. He staggers sideways and falls and I’m on top of him, pounding at his face with my fists and they’re too small to do anything so I bring a foot up and stomp his face a couple of times, with my stupid shoe, before he grabs me and throws me off.
I scrape the heels of my hands and one elbow when I hit the concrete.
He sits up red and raging.
‘Don’t you lay a hand on my Ma!’ I scream. My own red raging is way stronger than his, even if my fists are not.
‘P, please!’ Ma whimpers, lying on the footpath.
I run to her and help her get up. The Ape looms over both of us.
The delivery driver arrives on thumping boots and shoves him back with, ‘What do you think you’re doing?’
‘Ma, come on,’ I say, dragging at her, in a hurry to get her up.
Ivy arrives puffing and panting. ‘Come on, Rosie,’ she says in her bossy voice. ‘Let’s get you inside and cleaned up.’ She takes Ma’s other arm and we get her moving a couple of steps. It was the Ape! It was always the Ape hitting Ma, never Ivy, never the Pasquales.
‘Rosie!’ the Ape yells, like he’s yelling her name from a mountaintop.
Ma stops and looks back, and when me and Ivy tug at her again she pulls her arms from our grips.
‘You walk away from me now and it’s over!’ Ape yells at her, his face red and trembling.
‘Danny,’ Ma whimpers.
‘No!’ he yells. ‘You choose now. Me,’ he stabs his fat gorilla finger at me, ‘or her.’
‘You don’t need that no-hoper,’ Ivy whispers in Ma’s ear and takes her arm again.
Ma don’t move.
‘Me or her!’ the Ape yells.
‘Ma,’ I whisper and take her hand. She pulls it back. I grab it again. ‘Come home,’ I plead, coz even though she makes me mad day after day, she’s my Ma and there ain’t no life for her with him.
She pulls her hand away again, and whimpers, ‘Danny!’
‘Rosie, no,’ Ivy pleads.
Ma walks away from us. She walks towards the Ape. And when she gets there, she doesn’t punch him in the face like I hope she will. She wraps her arms around him like he is the only one who can save her. And it sinks on me slowly that she’s leaving me behind.
Ivy’s worked it out. She wraps both arms around me and pulls me so close my back sinks into her belly. ‘No!’ I scream at Ma. ‘We’re family, Ma! I’d fight for you, always! Come home!’
The Ape pulls Ma away down the road.
Ma glances back, she’s crying. Tears roll down her face. She sniffs. ‘I’ll come back for my stuff, Ivy,’ she says.
‘Ma!’ I scream. But she won’t look at me.
Ivy hauls me back to the kitchen. She feeds me sweet tea and puts me to bed.
‘She’ll be back,’ Ivy says, ‘she always comes back.’
In the morning, Ma is not back. She’s still not back by the time I go to school with Esmeralda.
I’m heavy-hearted and sorry sad, like I really did something bad to Ma, but I can’t think what. And now I’m leaving and Ma ain’t here to stop me. And she probably won’t come after me. I’m lost in the world. I sit in the car and squeeze Esmeralda’s hand real tight. This time for me.
‘Can Peony just walk me to the door?’ Esmeralda asks.
We’re early and Jonagold has got the car right up close to the school and he’s grinning when he says, ‘Sure thing, Miss Esmeralda.’
Ez laughs and pulls me from the car. I walk with her to the school door, holding her hand. ‘Are you ready to go home?’ she asks, looking past me at Jonagold waiting.
I nod. I’m ready more than ever. Nothing to keep me here no more.
