BooksBarbecue
Back Grow Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Title Page
  5. Intoroduction
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EITHT
  14. NINE
  15. TEN
  16. ELEVEN
  17. TWELVE
  18. THIRTEEN
  19. FOURTEEN
  20. FIFTEEN
  21. SIXTEEN
  22. SEVENTEEN
  23. EIGHTEEN
  24. NINETEEN
  25. TWENTY
  26. TWENTY-ONE
  27. TWENTY-TWO
  28. TWENTY-THREE
  29. TWENTY-FOUR
  30. TWENTY-FIVE
  31. TWENTY-SIX
  32. TWENTY-SEVEN
  33. TWENTY-EIGHT
  34. TWENTY-NINE
  35. THIRTY
  36. THIRTY-ONE
  37. THIRTY-TWO
  38. THIRTY-THREE
  39. THIRTY-FOUR
  40. THIRTY-FIVE
  41. THIRTY-SIX
  42. THIRTY-SEVEN
  43. THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. THIRTY-NINE
  45. FORTY
  46. FORTY-ONE
  47. FORTY-TWO
  48. FORTY-THREE
  49. FORTY-FOUR
  50. FORTY-FIVE
  51. FORTY-SIX
  52. FORTY-SEVEN
  53. FORTY-EIGHT
  54. FORTY-NINE
  55. FIFTY
  56. FIFTY-ONE
  57. FIFTY-TWO
  58. FIFTY-THREE
  59. FIFTY-FOUR
  60. FIFTY-FIVE
  61. FIFTY-SIX
  62. FIFTY-SEVEN
  63. FIFTY-EIGHT
  64. FIFTY-NINE
  65. SIXTY
  66. SIXTY-ONE
  67. SIXTY-TWO
  68. SIXTY-THREE
  69. SIXTY-FOUR
  70. SIXTY-FIVE
  71. SIXTY-SIX
  72. SIXTY-SEVEN
  73. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  74. CLIMATE EMERGENCY
  75. Copyright

Dana is quiet as well, leaning against the opposite wall of the hospital room. When she arrived in A&E, Mum had hugged her first, patting her shoulders and down her arms as if to check she wasn’t broken. Then she had thanked the two paramedics who had brought us in, then she looked to me strapped to the gurney.

She had looked sad, exhausted and drained. Her grey face is only just now starting to regain some colour as I try to reassure her, again, that I’m fine.

I suppose it’ll be a while before she believes me.

*

The next day, what happened is on the news. It’s not the headline, but after a couple of more urgent stories the reporter turns to our sleepy town, and there’s a police photo of Carl, then shots of Mr Walters being led from his house in handcuffs and manhandled into the back of a police car. He’s ranting about freedom of speech and is cut off by the reporter’s voice again and a helicopter view of the garden – our garden – from above. They’ve put a square, white tent over the well. Dana gasps when she sees that they’ve pulled the bush up to get to it; its branches and red leaves are lying on their side against the wrong wall. Then there’s Sargant Prangle talking in front of a bunch of flashing bulbs and microphones. She says that a violent and divisive hate crime has been avoided. Dana and I aren’t mentioned – Sargant Prangle’s idea.

*

Going back to school is a bit strange, especially how I explain my arm. Alan and Vince vanish overnight. Apparently, they found a bunch of alt-right and racist content on their school accounts. I didn’t think they were that stupid, but I have some idea of who might have put it there. And when the substitute Biology teacher is still there after the Easter holidays, it feels like she always has been, and that Mr Walters never really existed. Besides, we’ve got exams to focus on.

I have sessions with a counsellor in a nearby town. I can’t get out of them, but after the strangeness of the first one I quite enjoy going. They’re a mixture of talking about Dad, about how I remember him, and about letting go of blame, of pain, of guilt. It’s weird to say it, but after each one I feel like I’m getting better, like things are starting to happen inside me again, like something is growing. I’m not sure what it will grow into, but it’s exciting.