THE LONELY DESERT
PART TWO - THE BROKEN WOMAN 

By Tessa Harvey

    Renate Jaeger stirred restlessly. It was always so very dark - all the time. She tried to remember why this was so. Her mind cleared a little for the first time in a very long while. Opening her eyes, the old lady tried to focus. At first everything was still a muddle and a blur then slowly she could make out a very young woman asleep in a chair near the bed. For a while, she drifted, dreaming of wandering the bluebell woods as a child in Europe. How lovely they were, swathes of glorious blue, the trees just foaming into blossom, leaves still new-green, almost glowing in the sunlight dappling the stillness.
    She sensed movement and suddenly horror gripped her. She had to get away. She moved leaden limbs. They must have drugged her again. The girl in the chair - perhaps she would help....
    Shayla Wilson woke up suddenly, alarmed. It had been a long night, yet another boring shift, but the pay was good. If the old woman needed the bedpan, she must help her just before her medication wore off and she needed more help to be calm.
    With the money, she had been able to afford a very small rental for Alfie and herself. Nobody cared who she was in the run-down neighbourhood. As long as the child did not wake them late into the night, all was well. Their lives were pinched and narrow. Who even thought about Shayla or a little brown baby when society was so multi-hued.
    Suddenly she was aware she was being watched, and glanced around, frightened. The fear of being held accountable for stealing a baby left to die still gripped her, though her aunt's neighbour had vowed silence on the subject.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE CHASM  By Tessa Harvey     Driving into the school parking lot, Margaret saw her eldest loping towards the car. "Mum! I'm to represent the school in the Science Fair next week. Charlie, Joe and me with out spinning, adjustable wind tower. One of the two in our shopping centre never works,  or barely. Isn't it great?!"      Eva arrived next with Mischa between Luca and Livia. They had all had a good day and her smallest was smiling.     "Jeus love us," said Mischa in a clear high voice. The family were astounded and all fell silent. Mischa was on the autism scale. After a few months at school, he was looking people in the eyes and beginning to smile. Margaret did not minimise all the care the whole family had showered on Mischa, but now he was coming on in leaps and bounds. And now she had some more wonderful news, but that could wait for Nicholas. Ariella was perched on the edge of the hospital bed, swinging her feet like a child. Her par...
Read more
Image
THE CHASM   By Tessa Harvey     Sandra felt road beneath her feet. It felt so good. She closed her eyes in relief. Then light swept towards her. She waved frantically. The car slowed. The people inside opened a window.     Sandra was sobbing, but managed to explain. "I can't get a phone signal," she cried. "Please, can you try?" A  woman got out of the car and tried to phone, but there was no signal. The man said "I'll go down the road a bit." Breathless, Sandra begged to be in the car and climbed in. The other lady got a torch from the boot. "I will look while you get help." It felt surreal. Darkness was deepening the mist. The woman flashed the torch. It illuminated her feet and a little bit of the path. It was enough. "Lord, you are a lamp to my feet," she prayed. As she went, she called out. There was a faint answering cry. The woman knew that voice. "Hold on Dylan. I'm coming. It's time to pray, friend."  ...
Read more
Image
THE CHASM   By Tessa Harvey     Soon Eva sauntered over. At eleven, she was growing fast. "Where is Jono?" she asked. "Coming, we hope, and hello to you, Eva." "Oh, sorry, hi mum, hi kids." Margaret hid a smile. Eva had obviously decided it was teenage time.     A tall boy hurried up. Like his siblings, he had many of his mother's Italian features, but his hair was more auburn like his Irish father and his eyes a stunning blue, not a lovely toffee brown.     "Mum, the principal wants to talk to you. Someone rang up to ask about us." "Then it will be later, son. We have to eat."     "Yum, what's for tea!" "I'm starving," several voices asked. "I could eat a horse," Luka said. "How did you guess?" responded his mother, laughing.     Margaret hastened down the corridor dodging visitors, doctors, hospital trolleys, tea and coffee volunteers. She saw a young man ahead of her and slowed, puz...
Read more