Page 102 of The Vanishing Place
“I don’t know,” Effie said again.
“What’s this?” asked Anya, holding up a football.
“A ball.”
The child frowned. “It’s not round.”
Effie contained a smile. “It’s a rugby ball.”
“Rugby.”
“I could show you if you like? On my phone.”
The girl shook her head. “Is it yours?” she asked.
“No. It’s…” Effie looked at it then, really looked at it. Her throat narrowed. “It used to belong to Lewis. He gave it to Aiden. June must have kept it.”
“Aiden?”
“My little brother.” Effie turned the ball in her hands. “He died. A long time ago.”
“How?”
“It was something called tetanus. From a rusted nail that cut into his foot,” she said. “I later learned that my dad never had us vaccinated.” She forced herself to gulp down the pain and the anger. “I never forgave him for that.”
“Vaccinated?” asked Anya.
“It’s something that the doctor gives you, a special medicine to protect you from getting ill.”
“Am I vaccinated?”
“Not yet.”
Distress flashed through the child’s face.
“It’s okay.” Effie touched the girl’s arm. “When you’re ready, we’ll go and see the nurse and he’ll sort everything.”
The child’s shoulders sank, her small body curving inward like a young fern, and she picked at her sleeves.
“Is there a medicine for when it hurts here?”
“Sorry?” Effie frowned.
“Here.” Anya touched her chest. “It’s always sore. Ever since…since leaving Mum and Four, it hurts here. And in my tummy sometimes.” She looked up. “Like there’s a bruise inside my stomach.” Fear stirred behind her eyes. “Am I going to die?”
“No. No.” Effie moved over and pulled the girl into her. “You’re not going to die.” She ran a hand through Anya’s hair and kissed her forehead. “You just miss them. Your mum and Four. And sometimes, missing people can be very painful.”
“I’m not meant to miss them.”
“What do you mean?”
Anya frowned—a wounded expression.
“Mum was a bad person,” she said. “Mum never listened. And…” She looked up, her face younger than before. “I thought that Four was good. He was kind. Sometimes on rainy days he gave me treats. But the policewoman said that Four wasn’t good. She said Four was a bad man and that I shouldn’t love him.”
“Oh, Anya.” Effie squeezed the girl to her chest. “I’m so sorry.”
For a moment, they sat like that, curled and pressed together. Effie held her tight, as though it might absorb some of her pain.
