Page 95 of Musical Games
Morag hated not being at the centre of everything. She was convinced the post office would fall apart or be robbed with Linda in charge and slept with a fire extinguisher next to her and one eye open in case Jamie burned the house down. The concerned and the nosy in Kinloch had been popping in at all hours with food and flowers, but Jamie had sent the food away. He was determined to show his mother he could be trusted and wasn’t a child anymore. He splashed a healthy dose of rum into the mug of hot chocolate, then decorated it with freshly whipped cream and mini marshmallows and took it upstairs.
Morag was propped up against a mountain of pillows. The room was so full of flowers it could have been a funeral parlour.
‘What took you so long? What have you got there? Ooh, mini marshmallows! Is Fi here? Did she do this or did Linda pop in? You must thank her. Put it on the side, son. Now, help me plump up my pillows. Have you fixed the light yet?’
Jamie took a pillow and thumped it.
‘No.’
‘Why not? That’s the whole reason I’m in this state.’
Jamie resisted using the pillow to smother his mother and instead tucked it carefully behind her.
‘Mum, you fell because you were pissed.’
‘Nonsense. And now I’m stuck here and have no idea what’s going on.’
‘So why are you always on the phone then?’
Morag ignored him and picked a mini marshmallow off the top of the hot chocolate.
‘If it hadn’t been for community spirit, I would have wasted away up here. Have you made sure you’ve thanked everyone properly?’
Jamie sat on the end of the bed and tidied the pile of his mother’s magazines. He turned over the soap ones with the pictures of Sam on the front.
‘Mum, I made the hot chocolate.’
She looked at him dubiously and took a sip, failing to hide her delight at the taste.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes. And the cottage pie you had for dinner. And the apple turnover and custard. And the oxtail soup for lunch. I even made the bread.’
‘But… but it was that fancy sourdough stuff Margaret and Donald have started baking.’
‘Nope. I made my own starter. It lives in the airing cupboard and I’ve called it Brad.’
‘Eh?’
‘I’ve made every single meal you’ve eaten since you’ve been up here.’
His mother looked completely confused. Like he’d just peeled off his skin to reveal he was one of the lizard people.
‘But—’
Her mobile rang, and she pulled on her glasses and looked at the screen.
‘Okay, son, you can go now.’
He stood. She shooed him with her free hand. ‘I’ll ring the doorbell if I need you later. Make sure you close the door, love.’
* * *
On her firstmorning in the city of dreams, Sam woke from a nightmare. She’d been standing in a huge flat desert of nothingness. All alone, except for snakes that slithered just out of her reach. Even though they looked like snakes, she knew who they were. They were the Ians and Karens in her life. Anyone who'd ever questioned or doubted her. Anyone who knew she wouldn’t make it and would always be on her own. The fact that the snakes didn’t attack was even more terrifying. They just watched her, waiting for the inevitable.
Mikey arrived at eight thirty with a huge coffee and a smile as bright as the sunshine.
‘Good morning! How did you sleep?’
