stones
yelling
Sheâs my sister, Annie!
He rushes back to me
Weâll see Janey, huh?
Yeah, Tim!
Next day
when school is over
and jobs are done
me and Tim
sneak back
to the hospital ward
We peer through a side window
Inside kids are coughing
crying
sleeping
Where is Janey?
Tim
taps
a secret brotherâsister beat
Someone moves
A head pokes up
Janey!
She spots us
Holds up her hand
Me and Tim grin
Janeyâs got her laughing stone!
Behind us
a voice growls
What do you children
think youâre doing?
Nurse!
We spin around
Her face is red with madness
Annie, you are old enough
to know better!
Do you want
to get sick?
Do you want
Tim to get sick?
Anyone can catch this illness
You could catch it!
shouts Tim
Nurse waves her arm
GO!
Nurse told on us
Me and Tim
are being punished
Jobs
jobs
jobs
Sweep
mop
wash dishes
scrub pots
Nancy says
Stop worryinâ, Annie
Janeyâs strong
she be back soon
but if you keep helpinâ Tim
with his jobs
theyâll give him more work
Heâll be down on his hands and knees
scrubbinâ the floor
Poor kidâll be worn out!
Tim is already worn out
I am too
But Iâve got to help him
I glare at Nancy
Nancy frowns
When you first come here
Janey was strong for you, ay?
That why you helpinâ Tim?
âcause heâs her little brother?
you beinâ strong for Janey?
I nod
Nancy shrugs
I ainât gunna argue with that, Annie!
Sometimes
ya just gotta do
what feels right inside
Every night
I am strong for Janey
Every night
I send her moonlit messages
Stop coughing
Eat
Laugh
Be brave
Come back!
Every night
I sing for Janey
in my language
Nancy creeps to my bed in the dark
Annie, you singinâ too loud
Teacher only likes English
You forgot or what?
Didnât forget
Just donât care!
Listen
some girls got sharp ears
Some girls tell on you for a sweet!
Like Janey got told on
when she stole them glasses
Teacher got a bag of sweets
thatâs why some kids tell her stuff
You sing like a bird, Annie
Reckon your songs fly to Janey
You keep singinâ
but sing real soft, ay?
Donât want you to find trouble
you get what Iâm sayinâ?
Tim grabs me at breakfast
Eyes red and puffy
Nose snotty
Wanna see me sister!
Tim needs to see Janey
I need to see Janey
Janey needs to see us
Why wonât Nurse understand?
After school
we sneak back
to the hospital ward
Tim gives his secret tap
Janey doesnât move
I thump the window
Janey raises her head
Hair dull
Face thin
Darkness round her eyes
Tim gasps
Poor Janey
She real crook, Annie!
Janey slides out of bed
No, no, stay there, sis!
cries Tim
Janey stumbles over
Eyes sunk
Lips dry
Skin tight
She presses her hand
to the window
I take Timâs hand in mine
press our hands
to the same spot
All our hands together
Tim is crying
I am crying
Janey gives a little smile
Her head droops
hand slides away
body flops down
Janey is coughing
but the noise sounds weak
Nurse comes into the room
sees Janey out of bed
lying on the floor
spluttering
Spots me and Tim
at the window
GO AWAY!
I wake to see Janey
standing by my bed
I rub my eyes
Is she really here?
Janey?
I smile at her
You come back?
Janey stares past me
past the other girls
past the walls
of the locked sleeping room
I jump out of bed
You cold?
Annie, Iâm a good big sister, huh?
Yeah, Janey!
Janey smiles like the sun
Someone touches my shoulder
I jump in fright
spin around
Nancy says
Who you talkinâ to?
Talkinâ to Janey
I spin back
Janeyâs gone
Go to sleep, Annie
Nancy says
You dreaminâ, girl!
In the morning
I wake happy
So what if I was dreaming?
Janey smiled
Janey talked
Janeyâs getting better
I jump up
and straighten the blanket on her bed
Janeyâs coming back!
Nurse is here
at school
talking to Teacher
Both talking soft
both
Learning to Kill: Stories