Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop
Page 64
At 4.30, after they’d sold basically everything, Rosie was on the point of closing up and giving Tina her Christmas bonus when there was a creak at the door. It barely tinkled as the bearded man with the glasses opened it carefully. It was Edison’s dad, Arthur. He pushed the wheelchair in.
‘Edison!’ said Rosie and Tina in unison, Rosie’s worries temporarily forgotten.
Edison pushed himself in very slowly and carefully in his wheelchair. Meridian wandered out to see what was going on.
‘Who’s this?’ said Edison warily.
‘I’m a robot now,’ said Meridian. ‘Only not a real robot. A little one.’
‘You see,’ said Edison, ‘that’s mostly where I go. Behind there. It’s my place.’
‘I like your robot chair.’
‘I know, it’s cool,’ said Edison, brightening slightly.
‘Hello!’ said Rosie. ‘How’s Hester?’
‘Uncomfortable,’ said Arthur. ‘Can I have two hundred and twenty grams of coconut spaceships?’
‘I have never been asked in metric before,’ said Rosie. ‘Amazing. You really are a scientist, aren’t you?’
He smiled shyly.
‘A scientist whose wife currently has very peculiar tastes. I also need two hundred and twenty grams of liquorice allsorts and some gravel.’
Rosie looked at Edison.
‘I miss you,’ she said.
Edison smiled, as if this was only to be expected.
‘Yes, I guess she’s too small to be much use.’
Rosie muted the fact that Edison had never been remotely useful either and refrained from taking sides.
‘I nam MUCH USE,’ came the defiant voice. ‘If we get BAD SPIES.’
‘I think I’m going to get a rocket launcher fitted,’ said Edison, indicating his right armrest. ‘Just here.’
Rosie glanced at Edison’s dad, who just said mildly, ‘All right, you start drawing up the plans and I’ll have a look in the shed.’
‘So, the wheelchair…’ Rosie started, not knowing a good way to get into the conversation.
‘Two months, they’re hoping,’ said Arthur. ‘Lots of physio. He’ll have faint neck problems, probably, for the rest of his life, but he’s healed remarkably well for a puny thing.’ He smiled at this and clearly didn’t mean it in the slightest.
Edison lowered his voice.
‘They’re replacing all my bones with admantium so I will be super-strong like Wolverine.’
‘I see,’ said Rosie. ‘Wow, you are going to be fearless after that.’
‘I think everyone at school is already afraid of me,’ said Edison.
‘In case they break you,’ said his dad. ‘Thanks, Rosie.’
Meridian looked at Edison.
‘So anyway, okay, maybe you can keep my place for me until I come back,’ he said. ‘Which is soon.’
‘That’s okay,’ said Meridian. ‘I going back to ’Stralia. Rosie coming with me.’
Arthur and Tina both raised their eyebrows at this.
‘I’m coming to VISIT,’ said Rosie, her cheeks colouring.
‘Grangy says you’re coming to stay prolly,’ prattled on Meridian. ‘She said you’ll have sleepovers with me for ever.’
‘Well, this is sad news,’ said Edison’s father.
‘And completely untrue!’ said Rosie. ‘Please don’t take your gossip from a three-year-old!’
‘Out of the mouths of babes,’ said Tina.
‘And you can shush too. As if I’d make plans like this without telling you.’
Arthur and Tina swapped glances.
‘Well,’ he said. ‘Merry Christmas one and all.’
‘And to you,’ said Rosie. ‘Have a wonderful day!’
‘I think Santa is going to be very busy tonight,’ said Edison. ‘Do you know what speed he travels at? Nine hundred kilometres per second. Fortunately he’s magic, otherwise all the reindeer would burn up on entry. That’s why Rudolph has a red nose, though. Because he goes at the front.’
‘Well, I’m glad you’ve thought this through,’ said Rosie. She came out from behind the counter and kissed his pale blonde hair. ‘Happy Christmas, my dearie.’
He felt so thin under his scarf and heavy puffa jacket; his little arms were like sticks.
‘I prescribe plenty of sweeties,’ she said.
‘That’s why I like you better than Moray and all those hospital doctors,’ said Edison, his voice muffled through the hug.
Edward dropped off a very tired, very quiet Lilian at Rosie’s house before she went back to the home. They would join the rest of the family up the hill in the morning, but Lilian wanted to go through Henry’s clothes and things, which Edward had said would be fine. Plus it would give her a bit of peace and quiet in the morning, whilst Angie and Pip managed the children’s unbearable excitement up at Peak House.
Rosie ran out briefly into the snow to kiss Edward, who looked completely drained, and make him promise to keep in touch. As soon as the police had heard the story, and about Henry’s death, they had dismissed the entire case and the lorry driver could spend Christmas without it hanging over him. He had of course lost his job; Edward had promised to see if he could find something for him at the building society that didn’t involve any driving.
Rosie was on the point of inviting him in; then she looked at Lilian, curled up like a child in the back seat, so fragile and delicate-looking, and decided against it. They would meet again at the funeral, of course… oh, there was so much to arrange. Well, she would worry about that when the time came. Now her priority was her great-aunt.
She half carried, half coaxed Lilian into the cosy sitting room, where she had the fire roaring high. There was a stew slow-cooking on the stove, something easy and digestible, but Lilian didn’t want anything to eat. Rosie carefully set her down and got her a medicinal glass of red wine. Unusually for Lilian, she hadn’t said anything. Rosie sat next to her and patted her on the shoulder, giving her time.
After she’d finished the wine, Lilian looked into the fire for a long time. Eventually, she sighed. Then she said, ‘Well, that’s that.’
Rosie nodded. Lilian turned her ancient eyes on her. They looked even older today somehow, their pale blue getting paler and softer; her lovely soft skin whiter and thin as paper.
‘Edison!’ said Rosie and Tina in unison, Rosie’s worries temporarily forgotten.
Edison pushed himself in very slowly and carefully in his wheelchair. Meridian wandered out to see what was going on.
‘Who’s this?’ said Edison warily.
‘I’m a robot now,’ said Meridian. ‘Only not a real robot. A little one.’
‘You see,’ said Edison, ‘that’s mostly where I go. Behind there. It’s my place.’
‘I like your robot chair.’
‘I know, it’s cool,’ said Edison, brightening slightly.
‘Hello!’ said Rosie. ‘How’s Hester?’
‘Uncomfortable,’ said Arthur. ‘Can I have two hundred and twenty grams of coconut spaceships?’
‘I have never been asked in metric before,’ said Rosie. ‘Amazing. You really are a scientist, aren’t you?’
He smiled shyly.
‘A scientist whose wife currently has very peculiar tastes. I also need two hundred and twenty grams of liquorice allsorts and some gravel.’
Rosie looked at Edison.
‘I miss you,’ she said.
Edison smiled, as if this was only to be expected.
‘Yes, I guess she’s too small to be much use.’
Rosie muted the fact that Edison had never been remotely useful either and refrained from taking sides.
‘I nam MUCH USE,’ came the defiant voice. ‘If we get BAD SPIES.’
‘I think I’m going to get a rocket launcher fitted,’ said Edison, indicating his right armrest. ‘Just here.’
Rosie glanced at Edison’s dad, who just said mildly, ‘All right, you start drawing up the plans and I’ll have a look in the shed.’
‘So, the wheelchair…’ Rosie started, not knowing a good way to get into the conversation.
‘Two months, they’re hoping,’ said Arthur. ‘Lots of physio. He’ll have faint neck problems, probably, for the rest of his life, but he’s healed remarkably well for a puny thing.’ He smiled at this and clearly didn’t mean it in the slightest.
Edison lowered his voice.
‘They’re replacing all my bones with admantium so I will be super-strong like Wolverine.’
‘I see,’ said Rosie. ‘Wow, you are going to be fearless after that.’
‘I think everyone at school is already afraid of me,’ said Edison.
‘In case they break you,’ said his dad. ‘Thanks, Rosie.’
Meridian looked at Edison.
‘So anyway, okay, maybe you can keep my place for me until I come back,’ he said. ‘Which is soon.’
‘That’s okay,’ said Meridian. ‘I going back to ’Stralia. Rosie coming with me.’
Arthur and Tina both raised their eyebrows at this.
‘I’m coming to VISIT,’ said Rosie, her cheeks colouring.
‘Grangy says you’re coming to stay prolly,’ prattled on Meridian. ‘She said you’ll have sleepovers with me for ever.’
‘Well, this is sad news,’ said Edison’s father.
‘And completely untrue!’ said Rosie. ‘Please don’t take your gossip from a three-year-old!’
‘Out of the mouths of babes,’ said Tina.
‘And you can shush too. As if I’d make plans like this without telling you.’
Arthur and Tina swapped glances.
‘Well,’ he said. ‘Merry Christmas one and all.’
‘And to you,’ said Rosie. ‘Have a wonderful day!’
‘I think Santa is going to be very busy tonight,’ said Edison. ‘Do you know what speed he travels at? Nine hundred kilometres per second. Fortunately he’s magic, otherwise all the reindeer would burn up on entry. That’s why Rudolph has a red nose, though. Because he goes at the front.’
‘Well, I’m glad you’ve thought this through,’ said Rosie. She came out from behind the counter and kissed his pale blonde hair. ‘Happy Christmas, my dearie.’
He felt so thin under his scarf and heavy puffa jacket; his little arms were like sticks.
‘I prescribe plenty of sweeties,’ she said.
‘That’s why I like you better than Moray and all those hospital doctors,’ said Edison, his voice muffled through the hug.
Edward dropped off a very tired, very quiet Lilian at Rosie’s house before she went back to the home. They would join the rest of the family up the hill in the morning, but Lilian wanted to go through Henry’s clothes and things, which Edward had said would be fine. Plus it would give her a bit of peace and quiet in the morning, whilst Angie and Pip managed the children’s unbearable excitement up at Peak House.
Rosie ran out briefly into the snow to kiss Edward, who looked completely drained, and make him promise to keep in touch. As soon as the police had heard the story, and about Henry’s death, they had dismissed the entire case and the lorry driver could spend Christmas without it hanging over him. He had of course lost his job; Edward had promised to see if he could find something for him at the building society that didn’t involve any driving.
Rosie was on the point of inviting him in; then she looked at Lilian, curled up like a child in the back seat, so fragile and delicate-looking, and decided against it. They would meet again at the funeral, of course… oh, there was so much to arrange. Well, she would worry about that when the time came. Now her priority was her great-aunt.
She half carried, half coaxed Lilian into the cosy sitting room, where she had the fire roaring high. There was a stew slow-cooking on the stove, something easy and digestible, but Lilian didn’t want anything to eat. Rosie carefully set her down and got her a medicinal glass of red wine. Unusually for Lilian, she hadn’t said anything. Rosie sat next to her and patted her on the shoulder, giving her time.
After she’d finished the wine, Lilian looked into the fire for a long time. Eventually, she sighed. Then she said, ‘Well, that’s that.’
Rosie nodded. Lilian turned her ancient eyes on her. They looked even older today somehow, their pale blue getting paler and softer; her lovely soft skin whiter and thin as paper.
