Nikki moved a little bit closer. He watched the light twinkling between the leaves of the apple tree. September or October, he thought.
‘You look like you’re concentrating,’ said Obi, looking at Elijah’s face. Obi’s hand was on top of Nikki’s.
‘I really like that tree,’ said Elijah.
Nikki turned her head to look at Elijah. ‘That’s exactly what I was thinking too,’ she said.
*
Before bed, Elijah walked over to the window and looked across the street. He tried to figure out which patch of sky Mama would be looking at, but he couldn’t think properly. He suddenly felt a little bad about having fun with Obi, but he didn’t know why. The houses opposite were all different shapes and sizes, but all tall with chimneys. Nikki stood behind him. He could see her hand above his shoulder. It waited and waited before she put it down by her side again.
As Elijah was about to turn, something caught his gaze. In the flats opposite, there was a window and standing in front of it was a girl. He couldn’t see her clearly but he could tell she had two plaits, one each side of her head, and white skin, and behind her on the wall of her room was a poster of a giant map. She was flashing a torch at the window, straight at them. ‘Who’s that?’
‘Oh, yes; that’s a new friend for you. She’s my niece, Jasmin. She lives across the street, and she’s your age – you’ll be in the same year at school. I’m sure you’ll be great friends. When you’re a bit more settled, I’ll introduce you. She’s quite a funny character.’
Elijah looked at the girl and tried to count the flashing. Maybe she was doing a code. Maybe she needed help.
‘I don’t have any friends,’ whispered Elijah. ‘Except Ricardo. He’s my best friend.’
Nikki swallowed really hard, like she had something she didn’t want to eat in her mouth, like a boiled vegetable.
TEN
‘He has so many scars,’ Nikki said. ‘Obviously there’s the one on his forehead, but we knew about that one. I mean, they’re all over him. Even his legs and feet. Only tiny, but still noticeable. All over his body.’ It was really late – she’d waited until she’d heard Elijah’s slow breathing from outside his bedroom door before creeping in next to Obi and pulling him towards her – and she was half asleep. ‘Thin scars in lines across his chest and back.’ Her voice was breaking even as she spoke, and their bedroom felt too hot. She moved even closer to Obi, pressing herself against him until it bordered on painful. She needed to feel him right next to her, to know that she wasn’t alone. The first night having Elijah with them, everything had been better than she could have imagined; he was polite and kind and helpful, not the troubled child they’d been expecting but a sweet and lovely boy. It was only when she’d seen the scars that Nikki felt anxious, questioning.
Obi kissed her cheek and pulled his arm around her back. ‘I’ve seen clients with the worst scars imaginable, and they’ve absorbed them. Of course they’re always a reminder of trauma, but people learn to live with things.’
Nikki shuddered.
‘And Elijah’s scars are not extensive. He’ll probably grow out of them. They will fade out, at least, as he gets older.’
‘I know they told us about the physical abuse, the way he was neglected, and I was prepared for him to be really frightened and obviously have some issues. But I just didn’t expect …’ She took a breath. ‘And he had this look in his eyes.’
‘He was upset.’
‘I know, but … what he said; it was really strange. I think it was biblical, about the devil. I wish I could remember the words. It was something like, “the devil is prowling round”.’
‘Maybe it’s something we should mention to Elijah’s team. But Ricardo said his mother was very religious. Lots of religious people quote the Bible when they’re scared – it’s just something he’s picked up.’
‘I know, I
‘You look like you’re concentrating,’ said Obi, looking at Elijah’s face. Obi’s hand was on top of Nikki’s.
‘I really like that tree,’ said Elijah.
Nikki turned her head to look at Elijah. ‘That’s exactly what I was thinking too,’ she said.
*
Before bed, Elijah walked over to the window and looked across the street. He tried to figure out which patch of sky Mama would be looking at, but he couldn’t think properly. He suddenly felt a little bad about having fun with Obi, but he didn’t know why. The houses opposite were all different shapes and sizes, but all tall with chimneys. Nikki stood behind him. He could see her hand above his shoulder. It waited and waited before she put it down by her side again.
As Elijah was about to turn, something caught his gaze. In the flats opposite, there was a window and standing in front of it was a girl. He couldn’t see her clearly but he could tell she had two plaits, one each side of her head, and white skin, and behind her on the wall of her room was a poster of a giant map. She was flashing a torch at the window, straight at them. ‘Who’s that?’
‘Oh, yes; that’s a new friend for you. She’s my niece, Jasmin. She lives across the street, and she’s your age – you’ll be in the same year at school. I’m sure you’ll be great friends. When you’re a bit more settled, I’ll introduce you. She’s quite a funny character.’
Elijah looked at the girl and tried to count the flashing. Maybe she was doing a code. Maybe she needed help.
‘I don’t have any friends,’ whispered Elijah. ‘Except Ricardo. He’s my best friend.’
Nikki swallowed really hard, like she had something she didn’t want to eat in her mouth, like a boiled vegetable.
TEN
‘He has so many scars,’ Nikki said. ‘Obviously there’s the one on his forehead, but we knew about that one. I mean, they’re all over him. Even his legs and feet. Only tiny, but still noticeable. All over his body.’ It was really late – she’d waited until she’d heard Elijah’s slow breathing from outside his bedroom door before creeping in next to Obi and pulling him towards her – and she was half asleep. ‘Thin scars in lines across his chest and back.’ Her voice was breaking even as she spoke, and their bedroom felt too hot. She moved even closer to Obi, pressing herself against him until it bordered on painful. She needed to feel him right next to her, to know that she wasn’t alone. The first night having Elijah with them, everything had been better than she could have imagined; he was polite and kind and helpful, not the troubled child they’d been expecting but a sweet and lovely boy. It was only when she’d seen the scars that Nikki felt anxious, questioning.
Obi kissed her cheek and pulled his arm around her back. ‘I’ve seen clients with the worst scars imaginable, and they’ve absorbed them. Of course they’re always a reminder of trauma, but people learn to live with things.’
Nikki shuddered.
‘And Elijah’s scars are not extensive. He’ll probably grow out of them. They will fade out, at least, as he gets older.’
‘I know they told us about the physical abuse, the way he was neglected, and I was prepared for him to be really frightened and obviously have some issues. But I just didn’t expect …’ She took a breath. ‘And he had this look in his eyes.’
‘He was upset.’
‘I know, but … what he said; it was really strange. I think it was biblical, about the devil. I wish I could remember the words. It was something like, “the devil is prowling round”.’
‘Maybe it’s something we should mention to Elijah’s team. But Ricardo said his mother was very religious. Lots of religious people quote the Bible when they’re scared – it’s just something he’s picked up.’
‘I know, I
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