THE LONELY DESERT

PART TWO - THE BROKEN WOMAN

By Tessa Harvey


"What about my wages?" argued Shayla, a little ashamed, but determined to be heard. "I have a baby to look after, Mrs....whatever is old anyway.  What's wrong with euthanasia?"

No-one answered. The old lady and young Ari were already stumbling down the few steps. This lady knows about Duffer's dad and his mean ancestors. Act first, work it out later, she thought. No wonder that Duffer Dylan is an idiot - which was very unfair, but the old woman smelt badly and had bed sores,  her clothes were quite obviously dirty and food was not on a firm foundation as a necessity in her life.

Shayla looked at the messy bed, the crumpled bed clothes and wondered why she hadn't noticed, but I am so tired,  she thought. Glancing around, she saw the locked drawer where Adolf rather stupidly kept money for wages. Taking up the smelly bedpan, checking it was empty (yuk?) she smashed it against the flimsy lock. Inside the drawer was two hundred Australian dollars.  It  would do.

 Then a smart idea took root in her frazzled brain and she snatched up the syringe, the small bottle and stuffed them into her jeans. "Glory be," she muttered, quoting Auntie Ruth, "might as well be hung for a sheep as well as a lamb!" Shayla scuttled swiftly away, not bothering to close the house door and ran to her somewhat battered little Kia. "Please go, please," she muttered, and headed after her friend's vanishing Toyota.

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