Where Women are Kings Read Free Page B

bad – and mentioned Bishop – with more than a sentence here or there. I know Mummy used to pray a lot and she’s very religious. It’s good that you’re talking to me about things, Elijah. Talking is always good.’
    But Elijah didn’t feel good or safe. His heart was running across him and his stomach had moved. He looked past the orchids and out of the window into the daylight.
    Ricardo smiled again but Elijah could see his thoughts. Inside Ricardo’s head he was running fast away, all the way back to Brazil where he could hide from such an evil wizardin the jungle that had neon-green frogs and spiders as big as a hand and you could keep lizards as pets in your living room.
    ‘Do you want a biscuit?’ Ricardo reached down into his bag and pulled something out. He waved a packet in the air: custard creams. Ricardo always brought custard creams.
    ‘Wicked boys don’t eat biscuits,’ Elijah said. He sighed. ‘You don’t believe that I’m evil.’
    ‘No, I actually know for sure that you’re a good boy. I want to help you, and I can. We’ve got you to a safe place, and I’ve lined up some therapy. Now that you’re settled with Sue and Gary, we can help you properly. Play therapy and art therapy, a nice school for you to start. I want you to see a special lady, Chioma, who helps children just like you. She’s very nice. I think we can all help you, Elijah.’
    ‘Nobody can help me. Even Mama couldn’t help me.’
    After the hospital, where he couldn’t see Mama at all but could hear her howling like a wolf from somewhere far away, they had told him he had to stay with other families for a while. Elijah had stayed with many strange families in many strange houses. At first, when he had moved in with Sue and Gary, he had been allowed to see her three times a week, and she’d held him and whispered into his ear, ‘I love you so much, and I promise everything will turn out well,’ and pulled him close to her body, close enough for him to smell her skin, and everything was strange but bearable. But then the weeks went on and on, and he was waiting and waiting; they told him he had to stay with Sue and Gary for a while. Nobody told him when he could go home with Mama. Not even Ricardo. ‘I want to go home.’
    ‘I know you do, but it’s our job – my job – to keep you safe. You deserve to be loved and to be safe.’
    ‘I want to go home. I don’t deserve anything.’
    Ricardo opened the biscuits. ‘You deserve so much, Elijah. But why don’t you start with a biscuit, for now?’
    I feast on human flesh
. Elijah looked at the packet for a long time before reaching his small hand towards the biscuits, taking one, and putting it into his mouth whole.
    Ricardo smiled, the special one. ‘I think you’re making real progress, Elijah. I’m so glad you’re feeling settled enough here to talk about how you feel. And nothing has gone wrong for a long time. You’re doing really well.’
    Elijah shrugged back at Ricardo. He wanted to climb on his lap and go to sleep. Once, Ricardo had picked him up and carried him, and Elijah had liked it, the sense that Ricardo might be strong enough to carry a wizard, or even fight a wizard. Maybe Ricardo had special powers too. He felt close to safe. Almost. After Mama, Ricardo had known Elijah the longest in the world.
    ‘Before we go for our visit today, I have to tell you about your Mama,’ said Ricardo. ‘There’s some things we need to talk about. She’s not doing so well, Elijah, I’m afraid. She’s still being assessed for a while, but we need to talk about the future …’
    Elijah ate his biscuit and closed his ears. Being a wizard could sometimes be useful. If he wanted to close his ears, he could, like they had tiny shutters that came down whenever he commanded. He didn’t hear another word that Ricardo said.
    *
    The contact centre was a low building with windows that didn’t open. There were children’s pictures on the walls next to more