CHAPTER TWELVE
Marie stood at the top of her street, a strange feeling had taken hold of her. She felt her body lift slightly, sh didn’t know what to think. Her body lifted further and further off the ground, it took her several seconds for her to realise that she was flying. Flying through the air at break neck speed, feer gripped her as if she had been plunged into icy cold water. She went carreering this way and that way, hurtling to earth only to pull up at the last minute.
Gradually she slowed down, flying at a more reasonable pace. She could see the ground clearly, she wwas flying over an alley way that she didn’t rcognise, there were peole there burning fire in metal drums. She found all of this disconcerting, what were they burning and how had she suddenly aquired the power of flight?she was in the counttry now and it was dark. She culd not see a thing but she had a feeling that she was turning around, going in the opposite direction. Home.the lights of the town cae into view and she was fying erratically over rooftops. Eventually after what seemed like hours she was entterng through her open window.
She woke with a start, the strange and discncerting feeling of her dream still clung to her heart. Slowly she got out of bed, very carefully. She felt at a low eb, depressed. Her dream, more like a nightmare had threw her off balance.
Downstairs she entered the kitchen, a folded up piece of paper sat on the table with her name on it, full of apprehension she opened it and read.
Marie,
I’m very dissapointed in your behaviour last night. Drinking at your age is completely unacceptable. It’s like your father and I have told you, you are grounded. From now on after five o’clock the doors will be locked.
From mum.
Marie took the note, scrunced it up and threw it in the bin. This would make life difficult. How would she get past a locked door?
She couldn’t.
The the idea came to her. Her bedroom was above the coal bunker. It wasn’t too far of a drop, she could tie her bedsheets together and climb down that way. She had seen it be done on the television. Surely it couldn’t be that difficult.she could even climb back in, just as long as her parents didn’t notice her absense. She would just have to leave later.
She poured herself a glass of water and downed it in one, immediately regretting it as her head began to pound. She poured herself another one, this time taking two paracetomals and downing them with the glass of water. Hopefully her pain would abait soon. She boiled the kettle and made herself a cup of tea, lighting a cigarette she wondered what she would do for the day. Watch some television, read a book. She liked reading, she liked reading adult books and then to talk about them, impressing people. She loved George Orwell. Her father had read every single George Orwell book out ther. She had read a few; Animal Farm, Down and out in Paris in London, 1984. Adults seemed amused and impressed when she talked with fluency about them. She didn’t know why they were amused.
She sat down in front of the television ready for a mornings monotony.
It was five o’clock and Marie could hear her parents talking about her again.
“I’m going to have a word with her now.” Her mum said.
“And what are you going to say?”
“What we discussed.”
“Make sure you say about Donna.”
“I know, I know.”
Her mum came into the living room and sat down beside Marie.
“I’m here to have a word with you.” She started.
“Right.” Marie was in no mood for any of this.
“I trust you got my note?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ll reiterate. Your behaviour last night was completely unacceptable. If you’re going to live here you have to show me and your dad some respect.”
“Well maybe I don’t want to live here.”
“Don’t be cheeky. You have to live here. Look the bottom line is you’re too young to drink. Once you’re eighteen you can do what you like but untill then you do what we say.” Her mum drew breath. “Do you hear me?”
“Right.”
“And another thing, I don’t think that it is a good idea for you to be hanging around with this Donna girl.”
“But mum! She’s my friend.”
“She’s too old for you.”
“You can’t say that, I will hang around with her!”
“That’s my final word Marie.”
“Right.”
It was best just to agree with her mum, whether she had any intention of doing as she was told was another matter entirely.
She sat on her bed texting Clare.
Mum just had a word with me. Bad craec.
So did mine. Had both parents. Even worse craec.
Clare replied.
What did they say?
Grounded for even longer.
A text came in from Donna.
Had fun last night. Fancy doing it again soon.
She replied instanly.
Have to lie low for a bit. Parents on my back.
No probs chick. But soon.
Marie lay back on her bed, bored again.