Page 38 of Homebound
“You are not.”
Reaching for the girl’s shoulders, Gemma was startled to realize that they were about the same size. Did she look as fragile and helpless? The idea was disconcerting.
The girl’s small frame was cold and wet under Gemma’s arm. Without hesitation, she shrugged out of her coat and draped it over her forced companion’s shoulders.
“No, you’ll freeze!” The girl tried to protest.
“You’re already freezing.”
“No, I'm not…”
“That’s okay. Wear it for just for a little bit.” She leaned heavily on the girl. Strength was in such short supply for Gemma.
Glued together like this, they remained stuck to the sweeper for hours as it crawled up and down the streets on its tiny wheels. Back and forth. Back and forth. And so they followed.
Fortunately for them, no sketchy individuals decided to violate the curfew that night, not in this part of the City anyway, and the two of them remained relatively safe.
“Do you think the militants will be here soon?” The girl asked the question that was on Gemma’s mind.
“They should. It’s going to be morning soon.”
“And the fine? Do I have to pay it right away?”
“I believe so. They will take you to your home if you don’t have money with you.”
The girl got quiet.
“Where do you live?” Gemma asked the girl.
“Oh, not far from here.” She vaguely waved her hand indicating everywhere and nowhere in particular.
Gemma didn’t press. It was obvious the girl’s circumstances were dismal.
Finally, two militants in gray raincoats approached their sweeper and slapped handcuffs on Gemma and the girl before they disabled the sweeper’s force field. Gemma told them her address and they all headed to her residence first.
To her surprise, the windows glowed with light when they approached the McKinleys’ home. Could it be that Aunt Herise and Uncle Drexel were waiting for her, Gemma, worried that she hadn’t come home? The suggestion was so preposterous that she immediately dismissed it.
Once she opened the door, the reason for the lights became clear. Uncle Drexel lay on the kitchen bench padded with blankets clutching a bloody arm to his chest and moaning in pain. He seemed to be delirious. Leena was crying wrapped in a colorful blanket on the pallet on the floor that served as her bed. The twins were in their loft, Desh sleeping, Ravi staring at his father with intense concentration.
Herise, tight-lipped and pale, was boiling water at the stove. She barely glanced at Gemma, her eyes skipping from her shackled wrists to the guard holding her elbow. There was no concern in her gaze; not even interest.
Gemma stopped just inside the room. “What happened?”
“A street fight,” Herise threw over her shoulder. “Your uncle was attacked by aliens on his way home. He’s in a bad shape.”
“Good God. I will help, Aunt Herise. Let me pay my fine.”
The militant released her to go to her room to fetch the dollars. Taking her little savings box out of her drawer, Gemma carefully counted out the exact amount to cover her dues. Then she took a deep breath and counted out more. Scooping up the coins, she brought them out.
“This is for both of us,” she told the militant.
He collected the money and left. From the window, Gemma watched them take the cuffs off the girl whose stunned, pale face was briefly illuminated by the lights streaming out of their home. And then she turned and ran into the darkness.
Chapter 12
Gemma overslept.
Not by a few minutes, oh no, - by hours. When she opened her gritty eyes, gray daylight was pouring into her window, weak and diluted. At first, Gemma’s sleepy brain had thought she was in her old room on The Islands, and it was summer, and the weekend breakfast of poached eggs and waffles with strawberry syrup was about to be served by mama on the porch. And coffee. She could almost smell the coffee.
