Paint
By slinkygirl81
- 491 reads
I'm cold. Cold and tired. I pull the thin blanket further over me but I'm still shivering. Mum and Rob are still downstairs , I can hear them. Rob's shouting at mum again. I don't know what she did this time but it must have been bad because mum told me to go to bed and she had that funny look on her face which tells me I should do as I'm told, and don't argue.
I can see my breath on the air and I lie there puffing in and out like a tiny dragon. Rob is banging something and mum is begging him to stop. Sometimes he bangs things and I think mum gets in the way because sometimes she has these big bruises on her arms. I told her she should stay out of the way when Robs banging things and she smiles, but its a funny smile. Almost sad. Then she hugs me and says she will next time.
One time Rob accidentally hit mum in the eye. Mum was very brave though, she didn't go to hospital even though her eye went purple and she couldn't open it. She stayed at home with me and I had three days off school because mum said she couldn't see very well to cross all the roads. I was a bit sad because I couldn't see my friends, and I missed out on making cakes, but mum said we could make cakes at home AND watch all my Disney films so we did that and it was ok. My teacher was glad to see me though, she asked if I was ill and I said, no , my mum was and she asked lots of questions about mums eye and how she hurt it. I told her Rob had done it on accident and she wrote that bit down in her book. Then she gave me a hug and told me to go to my seat.
I lie in my bed and listen. I think mums hurt herself again because it sounds like she's crying and Rob's shouting something about mum being stupid. I want to go see mum but Rob doesn't like me going downstairs after bedtime. Mum's crying is getting louder though, she sounds like next doors puppy when they used to go to work and leave her all alone all day long. I decide to risk it and get out of bed. I tiptoe to the landing and sit with my head pressed against the banister. There's a chink of light from under the kitchen door but I can't see anything. I think mum is ok now though because I can't hear her anymore but I can hear Rob, even though he's whispering. He's telling mum to wake up so she must have fallen asleep . That's why she's quiet! Silly mum ! She could have come to bed first !! I laugh out loud then clasp my hands over my mouth.
The kitchen door opens and I shuffle back to the wall so Rob doesn't see me. But he's rushing up the stairs and he runs straight past me to mums room. He comes back out with mums phone. He looks scared. He sees me and stops. There's dark red paint on his hand and on his jumper. Mum will be cross, she bought him that jumper at Christmas. Maybe that is why he looks scared. Sometimes I get paint on my uniform at school and mum always gets cross because it doesn't come out in the wash if its dry. But I reach out to touch it and it still feels wet so maybe mum can wash it and it will look nice again.
Rob is crying now and I don't know why. He throws mums phone at me and runs back down the stairs. He grabs his coat and goes out through the front door, slamming it shut behind him. I don't know what to do now but I still can't hear mum so I plod downstairs to the kitchen, still holding mums phone in my clean hand. The other one is all sticky from the paint and I don't want mum to shout at me for getting paint on her phone.
When I open the door I don't see mum for a moment. Theres something wet on the floor though and it makes my toes sticky. Rob must have spilt a lot of paint , maybe that is why he ran away ! I find the light switch and press it on. The light flickers once or twice then it lights up the whole room.
I see mum.
And I begin to scream.
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