Blue Bedroom and Other Stories Read Free

that,” he added, sounding suddenly forlorn.
    â€œHe was my best friend.”
    â€œI know.” Willie shook his head. “Funny thing, friendship. You a little chap, how old are you? Eight years old. And yet you and Bill Sawcombe got on like a house on fire. We always thought it was because you was so much on your own, being so much littler than Vicky. Like an afterthought. Little afterthought, Bill and I used to call you. Harding’s little afterthought.”
    â€œWillie … are you going to make a coffin for Mr. Sawcombe?”
    â€œI expect so.”
    Toby thought of Willie making the coffin, choosing the wood, planing the surface, tucking his old friend up in its warm, scented interior, as though he were tucking him up in bed. It was an oddly comforting image.
    â€œWillie?”
    â€œWhat is it now?”
    â€œI know that when a person dies, you put them in a coffin and carry them to the graveyard. And I know that when people are dead they go to Heaven to be with God. But what happens in between?”
    â€œAh,” said Willie. He took another draught of tea, emptying his mug. Then he laid his hand on Toby’s head and gave it a little shake. “Perhaps that’s a secret between God and me.”
    He still did not want to play with David. When Willie had departed for Sawcombe’s in his little van, Toby set off for home because he couldn’t think of anything else to do. He took a shortcut through the sheep paddock. The three ewes who had already lambed were out in the middle of the field, with their children about them. But Daisy had taken herself off into a corner, to the shade and privacy of a tall Scotch pine, where she was sheltered from the wind and the blinking spring sunshine. And beside her, teetering on wobbly legs, tiny as a puppy, stood a single lamb.
    Toby knew better than to go near her. He watched her for a little, saw the baby nuzzling the huge woolly body for milk, heard Daisy’s gentle voice as she spoke to her baby. He found that he was torn between pleasure and disappointment. Pleasure because the lamb had arrived safely, and disappointment because it was not twins and now Mrs. Sawcombe would not have her two hundred percent lambing. Daisy, after a little, lay cumbrously down. The lamb collapsed beside her. Toby went on up the field, climbed the fence, and went into the house to tell his mother. “Daisy’s had her lamb. That’s the last one.”
    His mother was mashing potatoes for lunch. She turned from the stove to look at Toby. “Not twins?”
    â€œNo, just one. It’s sucking and it looks all right. Perhaps we’d better tell Tom.”
    â€œWhy don’t you go and phone him?”
    But Toby didn’t want to ring Sawcombe’s in case Mrs. Sawcombe answered the telephone and he wouldn’t know what to say.
    â€œCan’t you do it?”
    â€œOh, darling, I can’t just now. Lunch is ready and after that I’m going down to see Mrs. Sawcombe and take her some flowers. I’ll leave a message for Tom.”
    â€œI think he should know now. Mr. Sawcombe always liked to know right away about the lambs arriving. Just in case, he said.”
    â€œWell, if you feel so strongly about it, get Vicky to phone Tom.”
    â€œ Vicky? ”
    â€œIt can’t hurt to ask her. She’s upstairs, ironing. And tell her lunch is ready.”
    He went to find his sister. “Vicky, lunch is ready, and Daisy’s had her lamb, and we wondered if you’d ring Sawcombe’s and tell Tom. He’ll want to know.”
    Vicky put down the iron with a thump. “ I’m not going to ring Tom Sawcombe.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause I don’t want to, that’s why. You ring him.”
    Toby knew why she didn’t want to ring Tom. Because she had been so horrid to him at New Year, and because since that he hadn’t spoken to her. “You ring him,” she said