Diamond Girls (13 page)

‘I suppose you live in a bogging palace,' said Martine.

‘Well, it's hardly that, but it's a good solid semi – Victorian. It was my mum and dad's house, see. I grew up there. I've tried to keep everything in good nick. It's got a fair-sized garden, little rockery, vegetable patch at the end—'

‘Yeah, yeah,' Martine interrupted.

‘He sounds like an estate agent,' Jude whispered, too loudly.

Rochelle sniggered and tapped the immersion. ‘Have you got it working? Because I want a bath,' she said.

‘I'm not the general servant, you know,' said Bruce, running the kitchen tap. ‘You girls should keep civil tongues in your heads if you want folk to help you. There!' He put his hand under the tap and lightly sprayed Rochelle. ‘Warm enough for you?'

Bruce straightened up, unrolling the cuffs of his check workshirt. He let the sleeves hang down over his pink hands. ‘Well, I'm off, girls. I reckon you'll have to cope by yourselves until your mum comes back from the hospital.'

‘We can't cope, Uncle Bruce. Don't go!' I said, rushing to him.

I jumped up and put my arms round his neck. He took one little step backwards, looking startled, but then his arms came round me and he gave me a little hug. He smelled of sandlewood talcum powder and toffees, such a gentle, reassuring smell that I couldn't help clinging when he tried to unhook my hands.

‘God, stop acting like a
baby
,' said Rochelle.

‘Why are you making such a fuss? You hardly know him,' said Martine.

‘Cut it out, Dixie!' Even Jude was irritated with me.

I couldn't help it. I felt like a baby. I couldn't stop fussing. I couldn't cut it out.

‘You'll be OK, little 'un. Oh, there now, don't cry!' Bruce reached in his trouser pocket and brought out a very old-fashioned clean white handkerchief, carefully ironed into a square. ‘Here, dear, blow on this.' He tried to blow my nose for me, without much success.

‘I'll make it all mucky,' I said.

‘Never mind, that's what it's for. You keep it,' he said. He looked at Martine. ‘Look, I really
have
to go.'

‘I know. Go on, then,' she said.

‘I didn't mean to get into all this. I was just doing a favour for a pal.'

‘My dad,' I sniffled.

‘He's a lucky guy having a lovely little kid like you for his daughter,' said Bruce. He bit his lip, struggling with something. ‘Tell you what. I'll go home now. I've got to see about the shop and do stuff, but I'll come back tomorrow. I could come back to your place late morning, say. Then I'll take you all over to the hospital and your mum will have had the baby by then and you can all meet your little brother. OK?'

‘You bet it's OK, Uncle Bruce!' I said.

The other three nodded too. Jude even muttered ‘Thank you.' Bruce nodded back, waved his hand awkwardly in the air, and then practically ran out of the house.

‘Isn't he lovely?' I said.

‘No!' said Martine.

‘He's OK, I suppose,' said Jude.

‘He's OK if you don't mind him looking and acting like a total geek,' said Rochelle. She twitched her nose and stuck her front teeth over her bottom lip, doing a cruel Bruce imitation. Martine and Jude giggled.

‘Well,
I
think he's lovely,' I said. ‘He's my third favourite grown-up, after Mum and my dad.'

Martine found the kitchen cardboard box and made a pot of tea. We ate a packet of biscuits between us. I felt sad we hadn't got around to making Bruce anything, especially as he had that long drive back. I decided I'd keep the kettle boiling all Sunday morning so that he could have a cup of tea the moment he got here.

Martine tried phoning the hospital on her mobile but
it
took ages for her to be put through to the right ward and then they said they could only give information to Mr Diamond.

‘Well, there isn't one,' said Martine furiously, and zapped the phone off.

‘Mum is all right though, isn't she?' I said. ‘I mean, they'd have said if – if—'

‘Of
course
Mum's all right,' said Martine. ‘Stop being such a worryguts. Everything's fine.'

She was scared too though. I heard her get up very early in the morning and rush to the toilet. She shut the door, but I heard her being sick. She was shivering when she got back into bed.

‘Are you all right, Martine?' I whispered.

‘Ssh! You'll wake the others,' Martine hissed.

I couldn't get back to sleep. I don't think Martine did either. She tried to cuddle Rochelle to get warm, but Rochelle kept tossing and turning, digging into me with her bony elbows, suffocating me with her long curly hair. I cuddled up as close as I could to Jude, Bluebell clutched tight against my chest.

I don't think I've ever wanted Mum so much in all my life.

9

I HEARD A
car draw up outside at ten o'clock the next morning.

‘It's Uncle Bruce! He's here already!' I cried joyfully, running to the door. I opened it and stared.

It wasn't Bruce at all.

It was Mum getting out of a taxi. Our mum, back already, holding a blue blanket bundle in her arms.

I went flying out to her. ‘Mum! Mum! Oh, Mum, you're all right!'

‘Hey! Careful, Dixie! Watch out, you'll have me over. Mind the baby!'

Mum was holding the blanket close to her chest. I could just see a little tuft of black hair.

‘Let's see him, Mum!'

Mum's face tightened, as if she was still in pain.

‘Mum? What is it?'

‘I'm sore, sweetheart, seeing as I've just had a baby,' she said.

‘That'll be nine pounds eighty pence please,' said the cab driver.

‘Gawd, for that piddly drive? I'd have been better off waiting for an ambulance,' said Mum. ‘Here, Dixie, fish in my bag for my purse and give the guy a tenner. You can keep the change.'

‘Oh, very generous, I'm sure,' said the cabbie.

I found the money and gave it to him.

‘Thanks, darling,' said Mum, still hugging the baby close.

I was starting to worry terribly because she wouldn't show me his face. ‘Is he OK, Mum?' I whispered, very gently touching the tuft of hair. It felt so soft. I could feel the baby's warm pink scalp, so small, so delicate.

‘Dixie,' said Mum, like she was about to say something serious.

I looked up at her, my heart pounding. I decided I was going to love my new little brother no matter what.

‘Did he get born too soon, Mum?' I asked, patting the blue bundle.

‘Well, maybe I got my calculations wrong, darling. I got a lot of things wrong.'

‘Mum!' Rochelle came hurtling down the path, screeching her head off.

‘Ssh, Rochelle. He's asleep. Don't wake little Sundance. Is that his name still, Mum?'

Mum swallowed. Clutching the baby with one hand, she ran her fingers through her hair, tugging at it. It was as if she was tugging her face too, lighting up her eyes, making her mouth curl up into a big smile.

‘Of course he's Sundance, darling,' said Mum. She
peeled
back a corner of the blanket, showing us our little brother's face.

‘Oh Mum!' I said, nearly in tears. ‘Oh Mum, he's lovely!'

‘He's so
sweet
!' said Rochelle. ‘Look at his little nose and his tiny mouth! Oh, bless him.'

Mum still looked worried, but she rocked baby Sundance proudly. ‘Yeah, bless him,' she said softly, and she bent and kissed his little tufty head.

Then Jude and Martine came running out the house too, and everyone circled Mum and kissed little Sundance. We went indoors and Mum sighed at all the furniture still crammed willy nilly in the living room. She collapsed on her mattress, the baby still swaddled in the blanket, clutched tightly in her arms.

‘Was it really awful having him, Mum?' Martine asked.

‘Well, it was no picnic, darling, put it that way,' said Mum.

‘What time was he born?'

‘One o'clock this morning.'

‘Are you going to do his star chart, Mum?' I asked.

Mum had done all of ours, writing our fortunes in fancy italic writing and putting moons and stars all round the borders, and a clock at the top with the exact time of our birth and little pink baby-girl cherubs on either side.

‘His star chart?' said Mum, looking dazed.

‘Mum, are you all right?' said Jude, sitting down beside her. ‘How come they let you out of hospital already? I thought you were meant to stay in for twenty-four hours?'

‘Well, I discharged myself. I didn't fancy staying in there any longer than necessary, not when I needed to get back to you girls. And where's whatshisface? Did he clear off and leave you all by yourselves?'

‘He's coming back this morning, Mum, he promised,' I said.

‘Yeah, to take us to the hospital, but obviously we don't need him to do that now. Have you got his number, Mum? We'll put him off,' said Martine.

‘No! I want to see him!' I said.

‘Oh God, Dixie, you're so
sad
. Imagine getting fond of a geeky old twit like that,' said Rochelle, sitting the other side of Mum. ‘Can I give him a cuddle, Mum?'

‘No, no, leave him be, lovie. I'm hoping he'll nod off to sleep,' said Mum. ‘We need to sweet-talk old Bruce back again, Martine. We've got all sorts of baby stuff to get, and I'm not up to running around much at the moment. Plus we've got to get all the furniture shifted.'

‘He's got a bad back, Mum,' I said.

‘Yeah, so's every fellow I've ever met, when they want to get out of a bit of hard work,' said Mum. ‘Pathetic, the lot of them. They should try having the babies, that'd teach them. OK, who's going to make me a nice cup of tea? That hospital cuppa was stewed to death. I need to keep up my liquids if I'm feeding little Sundance.'

‘Oh yuck, Mum! Are you really going to feed him yourself? That's so, like,
animal
,' said Rochelle. ‘Aren't you scared it'll spoil your figure?'

‘Well, I've done it four times over and everything's bobbed back into place – or thereabouts,' said Mum, patting herself.

Her chest was impressively big now but her tummy was much flatter, nearly back to normal. She looked really really tired, though. Her face was so pale, and she had great dark smudges under her eyes. Her hair was all tangled and greasy, hanging lankly about her shoulders.

‘Shall I wash your hair for you, Mum?' I said.

‘I could run you a bath. We've got lots of hot water. We got the electrics working. If there's any trouble I know how to fix it,' said Jude.

‘Can I bath the baby, Mum? Oh please, let me,' said Rochelle. ‘Give him here!'

‘No, no, no!' said Mum. She said it so fiercely we all jumped and baby Sundance got startled, his little fists flying in the air. He wailed, and Mum rocked him in her arms.

‘Ssh, ssh! There now, baby,' she murmured into his tiny red ear.

‘Mum?' said Rochelle. ‘Mum, I promise I'll be ever so careful with him.'

‘I know, I know, but he's not a toy, sweetheart.'

‘You let me bath Dixie when she was tiny.'

‘I bet you banged my head on the bath!'

‘I've bathed all of you,' said Martine on her way out to make the tea. ‘Don't worry, Mum, I'll see to him. While I'm still here.'

‘No, not just yet, Martine,' said Mum. She took a deep breath. ‘Listen, girls, it's hard to explain, like, but we're still bonding, Sundance and me.
I
want to take care of him for the next few days, all right? I don't want any of you bathing him, dressing him up, changing his nappies—'

‘Like we'd
want
to change his nappies?' said Jude, pulling a face. ‘Mum, you look done in.' She put her hand on Mum's forehead. ‘You're burning up. I don't think you should have come out of hospital so soon. When Bruce comes how's about we get him to run you back to the maternity ward, just so they can check you out?'

‘No way,' Mum snapped. ‘Will you girls quit fussing! All I want is my cup of tea.'

‘Here you are, Mum,' said Martine, bringing it in from the kitchen.

Mum drank it down in three gulps and then lay back on her pillow, clutching Sundance. He was nodding off to sleep, his delicate eyelids drooping. Mum nuzzled him close, and in a minute she was asleep too.

The four of us stood watching, still a little awed, like shepherds in a Nativity painting. It seemed so weird that yesterday we'd just been Mum and us four girls. Now this new baby brother had changed everything.

‘That's my little brother Sundance,' I whispered to Bluebell.

‘And that's my brain-dead sister Dixie who still plays with cuddly toys,' Rochelle said, sighing.

‘Ssh! Let's go in the kitchen. We don't want to wake them,' said Martine. ‘Come on, we'll all have some tea.'