...."Shut
up ya nonsense," she bellowed at the birds now
melting away and tut-tutted self-annoyance when she
realised she’d inadvertently alerted the girl
to her presence.
.....The girl turned
to see an immense West Indian woman waving a plump
arm earnestly whilst short legs pistoned their gargantuan
burden at an ungainly trot towards her, the whites
of her eyes round and rolling.
.... "Ya's alright,
gal?" Rosie asked, once she had breathlessly
completed the short distance. The question appeared
foolish. The moment Rosie looked into the young girl’s
eyes the choking pressure of drowning tears was obvious.
....."I wanted to
do it?" the girl spluttered, struggling to swallow
her anguish. "I wanted to kill myself... But
I couldn't..." Retching hard on her deep hurt
she lost control and, falling against Rosie's mountainous
chest, she released convulsive grief in a storm that
rained on Rosie’s heart.
.....Slowly the girl's
torrent faded to a whimper. Never one to mix words,
Rosie quickly established that the girl's name was
Varsha, and told her sternly that she looked awful
and that it was a cup of tea she needed, then she
could tell her all about whatever troubles she had.
....."I like a good
natter," Rosie said with a quaking chuckle.
....."The car?"
Varsha sniffed wetly. Feeling humiliated, she desperately
wanted to excuse herself, but Rosie was already bustling
her towards the house, telling her that her son Dylan
would take care of that later.
......Too weak to refuse
the bouldering woman, Varsha obediently allowed herself
to be hugged and billowed by Rosie's insistent arm.
She even, almost, managed a smile as she watched Rosie's
boundless body defy gravity as they tiptoed, at times
precariously, around cow-patters that peppered their
path.
