Give Me Truth Read Free Page A

so.’
    â€˜Cool. You mind if we go with you?’

‘What are we going to do, David?’
    Allie sprawls on the floor in Gran’s spare bedroom. This used to be Mum’s room. There are twin single beds in here now, and the mattresses are hard. On the bookshelf there’s a doll – pink dress and bonnet – which cries when Allie tilts it forward. Mum flat out denies it was hers when she was a kid, as if owning up to it might make her seem weak somehow. She’s a deputy principal now: they’re not allowed to be weak.
    â€˜David – did you hear me?’
    â€˜Yeah, I heard you.’
    â€˜Well?’
    â€˜How do I know?’
    She reaches up to the bed, grabs a pillow and pegs it at me.
    â€˜What was that for?’
    â€˜Shut up, David!’
    Allie’s not quite twelve yet, but she forgets I’m just sixteen. It’s not like I’ve got all of life’s answers written on the back of my hand. Normally I’d tell her to shut up right back, or toss an insult at her that she can’t understand – that really annoys her. But now isn’t normal.
    â€˜It’s not gunna stay like this,’ I say. ‘This is only for tonight.’
    â€˜Then we’ll go home?’
    â€˜Definitely.’
    â€˜You promise, David?’
    How could anyone promise that?
    â€˜Yes, I promise, Allie. Nothing surer.’
    Â 
    We sit around the breakfast table. Gran’s having the best time, fussing over us. She smiles like we’re enjoying a picnic, but for me and Allie it feels more like our own funeral.
    â€˜There – I think we’re all set.’ Gran looks the table up and down. ‘If there’s anything you can’t see, tell me and I’ll get it for you. Bog in.’
    Mum has that steely look she gets in her eyes – focused, determined. No one dares mention last night. She pats Gran lightly on the back. ‘Thanks for going to all this trouble, Mum.’
    â€˜No trouble, Lorraine. You can stay as long as you like.You know I love having you here.’ She turns to me and Allie, all smiles. ‘We’re family. We don’t need anyone else.’
    Allie is so predictable. A piece of toast she’s eating shoots out of her mouth at the same time as she spits out the words I knew she’d say.
    â€˜Dad is our family! We should be with him!’
    Then she’s off, with Mum after her.
    â€˜Allie Curtis, you come back here this minute and apologise. Allie – ’
    A door slams and then it’s just me and Gran.
    She is old and round and full of chatter, which is all good grandmother stuff. But when Allie and I are at Gran’s place we have to be quiet. Almost invisible. She goes mental if we make a mess. And she’s never liked Dad. The thing that really gets me, though, is that sometimes, even when she’s smiling, she says words that don’t belong with smiles.
    I mop up Allie’s toast.
    â€˜David.’
    I look at her. ‘Allie didn’t mean that, Gran. It’s just …’
    â€˜I know.’ Her tight-skinned hands fold into mine. ‘It’s not going to be easy for quite a while.’ She leans in closer, her eyes peering out over the top of her glasses. ‘It’s understandable for Allie to be like that. But you’re older, David. You have to be realistic.’
    I nod, hoping that will be enough to make her stop. It’s not.
    â€˜Your father refuses to go to a counsellor.’
    I take my hand away.
    â€˜He won’t try at all. He’s getting worse every day. You tell me if I say anything you don’t think is right.’
    The floor looks very interesting.
    â€˜And now he’s hit you.’
    She lets that hang in the air. The longer it dangles there undefended, the worse it sounds.
    â€˜He didn’t mean it.’
    She’s smiling now. ‘David, he hit you.’
    I mop up some more crumbs.
    â€˜Didn’t