| Birdwoman
by Julie McGowan
Dan waited, trying to look as if he didn’t care, but he
could feel his insides wobbling. They were huddled around Taylor, the
leader, whispering and sniggering as they thought up different ideas.
But he still tried to look as if he didn’t care.
Eventually the rest of the gang peeled away from Taylor, who strode towards
Dan.
‘OK. We’ve decided. You’re in – once you’ve
passed the test.’ He pulled a face – not quite a smile, not
quite a smirk, as if he knew Dan would fail.
‘So what’s the test?’ Dan’s mouth felt dry and
furry.
‘You’ve got to go into the birdwoman’s shop and bring
back two different things.’
Some of the others started to laugh. Birdwoman was the old crone who sat
behind the counter of R Helliwell – Antiques. They called her birdwoman
because through the gloom of the musty shop, filled with old heavy furniture
and things no one ever wanted, all you could see were her eyes, razor-sharp,
like a bird of prey getting ready to swoop. People said she was a witch,
and whenever the gang dared each other to step inside the shop she’d
wave a stout stick at them and squawk in a parrot-like voice, ‘Get
out of here! Get out before I call the police!’
Dan held his head up to show there was no challenge he couldn’t
rise to. It was the way you had to be with Taylor. One little weakness
in your character, he’d pounce on it and make it bigger than it
was and tell everyone else. He’d given Dan a hard time since primary
school, until Dan realised that the only way to get him off your back
was to act as cool as him and join the gang.
‘When do you want me to do it?’ Dan asked.
‘Now. We’ll wait outside, make sure you don’t bottle
out, or pretend you’ve done it.’
The trouble was, you couldn’t get through the door of R Helliwell’s
without making the old-fashioned bell above it jangle so the birdwoman
knew straight away you were there. It seemed even louder today and the
bright sunshine made the shop even gloomier inside, so Dan couldn’t
see anything at first, including the old woman’s beady eyes. He
moved as quietly as he could, looking around for anything he could quickly
put into his pockets, but it was all big stuff, ugly ornaments and Bibles
smelling of old paper. All the small things were near the counter.
His heart was beating so loudly it was echoing in his ears and any second
he knew he’d hear the old woman’s raspy voice. But, as his
eyes adjusted to the gloom, he realised she wasn’t there behind
the counter! It was his lucky day! He could grab a couple of things, dash
out, and hand them over with just the right sort of carelessness that
would show he could do this any day.
There were some necklaces on a stand on the counter. Looking around as
he reached for them, he suddenly noticed a small pair of feet, wearing
worn-out slippers, jutting out from behind the counter.
He had to look, of course. Couldn’t just clear off and pretend.
Peering round the counter, he saw the birdwoman, looking as crushed as
a tiny sparrow, lying on the floor. Without thinking, he stuffed the necklaces
in his pocket and knelt down beside her.
Then he saw the blood on the side of her head and became more scared than
he’d ever thought it was possible to be. She was so pale, perhaps
she was dead! Perhaps someone else had been in and attacked her! And now
he’d be under suspicion! He had jewellery in his pocket, his fingerprints
would be all over the place! And Taylor and the others wouldn’t
hesitate to shop him to keep themselves out of trouble!
He could make a run for it, leave her there – if she was dead what
could he do anyway? Then she gave a slight moan, and he knew that he’d
have to stay.
‘It’s alright, it’s alright,’ he said to her.
‘You’ve been hurt. Lie still – I’ll get help.’
He fished his mobile out of his other pocket and dialled 999. ‘Keep
her warm and still. There’s an ambulance on its way,’ the
operator told him.
Her eyes were open when he looked at her again. ‘I fell,’
she muttered feebly.
‘Don’t worry, there’s help coming, just don’t
move,’ he told her. He covered her with his coat and went outside
to tell the others what had happened. But they were legging it in the
other direction from the sound of the siren a couple of streets away.
Idiots, he thought, can’t even tell the difference between an ambulance
and a police car.
He went with the birdwoman to the hospital. She was clinging onto his
hand by now, and the ambulance men seemed to think he was related. He
didn’t tell them otherwise – how else could he explain why
he was there?
Eventually a nurse said he could see Mrs. Helliwell. She was sitting up
with a dressing over her forehead.
‘I want to thank you for rescuing me,’ she told Dan, and he
noticed what a sweet smile she had. And kind eyes.
He hung his head and told her why he’d really been there. She didn’t
say anything, but when he dared to look up again, her eyes were still
kindly. And suddenly he found himself telling her everything. How Taylor
and the others had started bullying him when they found out he was adopted
and how it had got worse when his Dad left home. ‘That’s two
Dads who don’t want you any more!’ they’d scoffed. He
told her how he knew his Mum worried about him, but the only way to beat
them was to join them. Finally, when there were no more words, he fished
the necklaces out of his pocket.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said.
She thought for a moment. ‘Bullies are really just cowards, you
know. But you’re not a coward, you’re a hero – you stayed
with me when it would have been easier to run away like they did.’
The smile playing around her lips now had a mischievous quality to it.
‘And don’t you think it’s strange that they’re
scared of a little old woman like me?
She pushed the necklaces towards him. ‘Why don’t you keep
them – as a thank you from me? Use them how you wish. Just make
sure you stay being a hero.’
‘Why are you wearing gloves, on a hot day like this?’ his
Mum asked next morning.
This time the familiar note of anxiety in her voice didn’t irritate
him.
‘Don’t worry,’ he said, with the first proper smile
he’d given her in a long time. ‘I’m not going to get
into any sort of trouble – and I’ll be back soon.’
The gang were on the usual corner.
‘Here you go,’ Dan said to Taylor, thrusting the jewellery
into his hand.
‘What happened?’ one of them asked.
He shrugged. ‘Nothing I couldn’t handle.’
He looked scornfully at Taylor. ‘But I’ve decided –
the gang’s a bit childish for me, really.’
They were passing the necklaces around. Dan felt a lightness that hadn’t
been there for years. All his troubles were melting away like snow in
sunshine.
‘By the way,’ he said as he walked away, ‘She is a witch.
She knows I took those, and she’s put a curse on anyone who handles
them.’
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