Free Henry’s Daughter by Joy Dettman

the other one open, finds another five, but Eva’s chair is squealing back from the table, her eyes darting to Alice, to the solicitor; their eyes are sort of saying ‘we told you so’.
    â€˜We agreed lastnight, Mavis.’ Eva lowers her voice. ‘The divorce, and the adoption papers. You said you wanted – ’ She turns to Henry, who is standing behind his chair, swallowing spit. ‘You said you wanted – ’
    â€˜Spit it out. We’ve got no secrets in this house – unlike some.’
    And Henry finds his voice. ‘Go outside now, boys. All of you, outside. You can finish the dishes later. Take Alan and Edward with you.’
    â€˜They’re staying right where they are, Henry!’ Mavis stamps her foot and the rafters shake and any termites who might have been thinking of moving in for a quick chew pack their bags and run. The brothers stay and the twins stay.
    â€˜I don’t understand . You said . . . you said , Mavis, you said you’d sign , that you have no desire to disrupt – ’
    Lori scoffs the last spoonful of ice-cream, wipes therim of her plate clean with her finger, her eyes watching the play.
    â€˜I’d be up for child abuse signing those poor little buggers over to you.’
    â€˜She will sign, Eva. You will, Mavis. I’ve got nothing here to offer those boys.’
    â€˜You’ve got me,’ Mavis says. ‘And I’m a lot more than “nothing”, Henry.’
    â€˜They’ll visit us twice a year, Mavis. That’s what we agreed last night. We’ll still watch themgrow.’
    â€˜Ah, go outside and sing your bloody love songs to your chooks. You can’t see what’s right in front of your own eyes, for Christ’s sake.’
    Mr Watts reaches for his briefcase but Mavis is fast when she wants to be. She pounces on it, tosses it out to the verandah. He and Neil follow his case.
    â€˜We can do a lot for those boys,’ Alice finally breaks her silence, and Mavis turns to her. Almost,but not quite, looks at her.
    â€˜I know exactly what you can do, you bloody old bull dyke. Exactly. And I know how you do it too. You weren’t invited to my house, now get out of it, and take your girlfriend with you. I wouldn’t trust you pair to raise a Rottweiler with rabies.’
    Voices are running together. The brothers move away from the sink, take up positions on the safe side of doors. The twins,who don’t know a thing about survival, have got a chair and they are sticking to it. They look bored, lean heads on hands at the table, see Alice walk away, pleased to walk away. Lori hears the car motor, then the car horn. Beep-beep-beeeep-beep.
    â€˜I’ll pay you fifty thousand. Fifty thousand dollars, Mavis. That will make a lot of difference to your lives. Think of it. Think of your children.’She’s talking fast now. She’s sounding more normal.
    â€˜It’s too little, too late, you cold-eyed, lying bitch. And I am thinking of my bloody kids. Now get out of my house before I have to throw you out.’
    Eva ups the price. It’s like when the house down the street got sold at auction. ‘I’ll give you a cheque in your hand now, Mavis. Sixty-five thousand.’
    â€˜I’m not too sure of the going price ofchild’s flesh these days, dear . Have you had an appraisal recently?’
    Henry is standing there with a saucepan full of hot water, and by the look on his face, he’s thinking of letting Mavis have it. ‘They don’t know us,’ he wails.
    â€˜Then it’s past bloody time they got to know us, isn’t it?’ Mavis roars. She’s getting mad. She’s on her feet and looking for a weapon. ‘And if it hadn’t been for thatscrewed-up bitch, they would have known us five years ago when we went down there to bring them home. Get her out of here, Henry, before I have to do it myself.’
    Eva starts