Writing for Fun
August 2016
A Matter Of Life And Death - Diane Silverston
Matilda looked at the bundle of rags that someone had left on her doorstep. Why were they there? Who had left them? When had they been left? She certainly hadn’t heard anything, so it must have been during the night.
Suddenly there was a movement from the pile. Matilda moved back into her doorway. Was it a rat hiding there? Just as she was about to shut the door to go and get a broom and sack, she noticed a small foot had appeared from under the rags. Was there a person hidden among them? She grabbed a stick from the garden and started to pick the material away. As each piece was moved more of the body was obvious, covered with cuts and bruises. Who was it? Why and how had they got there?
Suddenly there was a groan and a whimper from the huddled figure. Matilda bent down and started to lift the figure up. It was the form of a slight young girl. She needed help now and there was only Matilda to do it. Hers was the only house set in the small clearing. Matilda half dragged half carried the young girl into her home and shut the door with her foot.
She placed the body onto the blanket that covered her sofa. First to get these rags off the body, get some water for the girl to drink and some warm water to bathe the cuts. As Matilda worked she could feel a response from the girl. She felt hands grasp and clutch at her.
‘Don’t worry. I’ll help you. You’re safe now.’ Matilda spoke gently and quietly. ‘Keep calm and still while I attend to your cuts.’
Each time Matilda touched a bruise or a cut the body shivered or twitched. Who could have done this? Why had anyone done it? Gradually Matilda soothed the young girl’s body, washed away the dirt and blood. She took the ragged clothes and threw them out the back door. She would deal with them later. She wrapped the blanket around the slight figure, banked up the fire and went into the kitchen to warm up some of her left over soup.
‘Please try and drink some of this, it will help warm you.’
The girl struggled to sit up a little, grabbed the mug and gulped at the liquid.
‘Slowly, slowly, there’s plenty.’
Gradually the girl relaxed and began to look better.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered.
‘Who are you and why are you here?’ asked Matilda.
‘I’m Anna. Please don’t let them find me. I can’t go back there. I can’t!’
‘Go back where? I don’t understand. Where have you come from? How did you find your way here?’
‘I ran away. I had to. They were making my life a misery. I couldn’t take anymore. I don’t know how I got here. I just ran and kept on running. I found a gate and came through. I couldn’t go on. Please don’t let them find me.’
‘Don’t worry you are safe now. Try and get some sleep. We’ll talk again later.’
Several hours passed before Anna woke up again. Matilda had cleared away all signs of blood, burnt the rags out in the garden and found something for Anna to wear. She was in the kitchen preparing some food when she heard some sobbing.
‘What’s the matter Anna, you are safe, really you are. Very few people ever come here.’
‘If they find me they’ll drag me back. I can’t go through that again. I think I’d kill myself rather then put up with their cruelty.’
Just then Matilda heard the click of her gate.
‘Go upstairs Anna, get in the bed in the little back room. Keep as quiet as you can.’
Anna started shaking.
‘Go on, go on. I promise you I’ll keep you safe.’
As Anna headed up the stairs there was a knock at the door.
‘Hello can I help you? Are you lost?’ Matilda asked the two young men standing at her door. They looked hot and tired as if they had been travelling some time.
‘Hello we are looking for our poor cousin. She is unfortunately rather feeble in the mind and has run off. We are very worried about her.’
‘Where has she run from and why do you think she might be around here?’
‘Our home is the other side of the forest and we found evidence of her heading this way. We found her shoes and cloak and fragments of her clothing caught in the branches. This is the first house we have come to and wondered if you had seen her. We need to get her home and give her the medicines she requires.’
‘I’m afraid I haven’t seen anyone for days.’
‘Do you live here alone?’ one of the young men asked as he attempted to go through the doorway.
‘No, my grand-daughter Julianna lives with me, but she is very poorly at present. She started the red patches and rash two days ago. I think it could be scarlet fever.’ Matilda spoke as if she was very worried.
‘Scarlet fever. Oh we don’t want to disturb her then, do we?’ The young men were backing up the path. ‘If you do see our cousin perhaps you could get a message to us. Here’s our card.’
‘Of course I’ll try,’ Matilda replied, ‘but it is very remote here. I hope you find her. Goodbye.’
As she shut the door behind her she smiled to herself. There was nothing feeble about Anna’s mind.
Matilda went upstairs to the little back room. Anna was sitting up huddled against the pillows.
‘Oh thank you. Do you they have really gone? Do you think they will come back?’
‘Yes, they’ve gone and no I don’t think they will return. They’re scared of scarlet fever. I told them my grand-daughter was suffering from it.’
‘Your grand-daughter?’
‘Yes, Julianna, I lost her three years ago, she died of a fever but I thought I could use her to cover your tracks.’
‘Oh you are so kind, how can I ever thank you enough?’
‘Tell me your story.’
Anna told Matilda all she had suffered at the hands of her cousins. Matilda couldn’t believe anyone could be so cruel to another human being.
‘Have you any other family or friends?’
‘No I’m on my own now.’
‘No you’re not, you have me. You can stay here if you want to.’
‘Thank you. You’ve saved my life. I’d love to stay here. You can call me Julianna if you would like to.’
‘I’d love to. We can help each other and care for each other, can’t we?’
‘Oh yes, we could become a family too, couldn’t we?’
Matilda got up, moved over to the bed and hugged her new grand-daughter.