Free The Tree by Judy Pascoe Page A

them from falling down. Any spring there may have been in the elastic waistband had been washed out long ago. Aware that the neighbours may be listening she sent Edward out in front. She stayed back in the shadow of the laundry door. James was awake too, I could sense it. He was somewhere in the house watching.
    I felt sorry for Edward having to do my mother’s dirty work.
    â€˜No,’ I said when he was halfway up the tree, before he’d even said a word. ‘I’m not coming down, so you might as well not bother to come up.’
    â€˜For God’s sake, Simone,’ he said. ‘I need to go to bed. I’ve got exams tomorrow.’
    I remembered some elephantine Aunt or other had commented on that, at the time of Dad’s death – ‘. . . and with Edward’s exams coming up . . .’
    â€˜I’m not coming down ever,’ I said. ‘I hate you all and I’m going to live up here now.’
    â€˜Why don’t you start as of tomorrow?’ said Edward. ‘And give me a break.’
    â€˜No,’ I said.
    â€˜You’re so bloody selfish,’ he said, retreating down the tree. But mother wouldn’t have it and she demanded he climb up again.
    â€˜What’s so good about this bloody tree?’ he said, settling on a branch below mine, resigned it seemed to life in the tree with me.
    â€˜I can talk to Dad. That’s all,’ I said. ‘And Mum used to, but now she doesn’t any more.’
    â€˜What do you mean, talk to him? Dad’s dead.’
    â€˜You haven’t even tried. So how would you know?’
    â€˜Because I know there’s no point.’
    I wished he would, but I knew he was locked into the logic of his textbooks, he couldn’t let go of that and I didn’t hate him for it.
    â€˜I’m going to stay up here,’ I said. ‘Until she promises to stop kissing the plumber.’
    â€˜Did she kiss him?’
    â€˜And not just a little kiss, either,’ I said.
    â€˜What else then?’
    â€˜It was like a kiss with arms.’
    I could see Edward shake his head. He seemed in no hurry to move now either.
    â€˜What is going on?’ my mother called up. I could hear she was seething through the grille of her locked teeth. Neither of us answered her.
    â€˜Would one of you speak?’ I heard a rustling below us and realized she had started to climb up after us.
    â€˜Where are you?’ She had stopped at a point below Edward. Her voice was hoarse with restrained fury. She was trying to whisper, but I felt the entire neighbourhood knew we were in the tree.
    â€˜Simone is upset,’ said Edward. ‘Because she saw you kissing the plumber.’
    Edward had taken up my corner and I felt huge affection for him. My mother didn’t reply.
    â€˜All I know is it’s one o’clock and it’s school tomorrow and I get in trouble from the teachers if you’re tired,’ Mum finally said.
    â€˜Whose fault is that?’ said Edward.
    I couldn’t remember him ever answering her back in that tone.
    â€˜I should be in bed. I’ve got exams tomorrow, but you wake me up like a madwoman and force me up this tree,’ he said to Mum. ‘I don’t care if she stays up here or not.’
    Maybe because there was this distance and branches between us Edward felt liberated to speak in a way he couldn’t have face to face.
    â€˜It’s none of your business what I do with the plumber,’ she said.
    â€˜It is, if you’re kissing him,’ I said.
    â€˜Ssssh!’ my mother hissed.
    â€˜And I don’t want you to kiss him,’ I added.
    Suddenly I became aware of this other silent person. The fourth party. The tree.
    â€˜You don’t know,’ my mother said, sounding feeble and close to tears, ‘I’m so lonely.’
    â€˜How does that make us feel,’ said Edward.
    â€˜See, you don’t understand that I can love you, but