—I’m suitably shamed.
I trip, almost dropping my phone.
‘Shouldn’t walk and text,’ Rosa says.
‘It’s against the law,’ says her less-evil twin.
I can’t see what I tripped over, but I suspect it was one of their skipping feet. I put my phone in my pocket. I need to pay attention.
Maya shifts her bag again.
‘Let me take it.’
She shakes her head. Her fingers are white where she’s holding it.
‘Not too many blocks now.’
We stand waiting for the lights to change. Beside me, Maya shifts her bag to the other shoulder. I don’t offer. I’ll wait for her to shift it one more time, then I’ll insist. On the other side of her, Seimone and Rosa are bouncing up and down on their toes.
A huge semitrailer rattles past, blowing a horn loudly. It’s brilliantly festooned in a red, green and yellow exhortation for a beer I’ve never heard of. The sun is as intense as I’ve seen it since we arrived. This busy, crowded avenue is all bright colours and glorious contrasts. I can’t remember why I thought New York City was ugly. Any city Sojourner is in can’t help but be gorgeous.
Something moves wrongly beside me. Maya’s bag spins, the shoulder strap twisting around her arm and pulling her off balance. I grab at her as she flies past me into the road. A bike slams into her. Her head hits the road with a sound that makes my stomach roil.
‘Maya!’
Seimone is crying hysterically.
‘Why did you push her?’ Rosa screams, tears streaming down her face. She’s pointing.
‘What the fuck?’ a man says. ‘Why would you do that?’ He has his phone out.
I can’t see who he’s talking about. Rosa and Seimone cling to each other.
Maya isn’t moving. She’s breathing, though, and her eyes are open. I crouch beside her, not sure if I should take her hand. Beside her head is a freshly chewed wad of chewing gum. Her ruby heart necklace sparkles. One of her pupils is huge.
‘You’ll be okay,’ I tell her, hoping I’m not lying. I touch the back of her hand gently.
‘It hurts,’ she says. ‘I want Lei-Lei.’
I slide my phone out of my pocket. 911, I remember, punching it in. This is the second time.
Behind me people are yelling, and the girls’ sobs are even louder.
Then I hear sirens. Loud. So loud.
The 911 operator tells me help’s already on the way. I text Leilani that Maya is hurt.
‘I’m getting Leilani, Maya. She’ll be here soon.’
Someone puts their hand on my shoulder.
‘Sir?’
I turn. Ambos. I step back onto the footpath. They crouch down beside Maya. I’m relieved she’s getting help. I want to ask if she’s going to be okay, but they can’t know that yet.
‘Che!’ Maya calls out.
‘I’m right here.’ I’m not sure she can hear me.
‘Why did you push her?’ Rosa screams again.
I realise she’s pointing at me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
The police keep me waiting in a small room. I already told them what I saw, as we stood on the footpath watching the ambos assess Maya. I’m not sure what happened. It didn’t occur to me that Maya was pushed. She lost balance. I thought maybe she tripped or someone bumped her heavy bag, pulling her off the kerb.
The police don’t ask me if I pushed Maya. They write down everything I say.
A police officer waits with me. She doesn’t speak much except to tell me David’s on his way.
There are four chairs and a table and water in a paper cup and nothing else. I reach for my phone. It isn’t in my pocket. The last time I had it was when I was beside Maya, when I texted Leilani. Did I drop it then? Or in the cop car on the way here?
I keep reaching for it, then remembering it isn’t there halfway through the movement towards my pocket.
I want to stand up and walk around, but it’s a small room.
‘Don’t do that, kid,’ the cop says.
I’m about to say do what? when I realise that my legs are doing a seated Ali shuffle.
‘I’m not great at sitting still.’
‘Learn, kid.’
I focus on keeping my legs from moving. It makes me want to tap my fingers instead. I settle for stretching out my arms and shoulders.
I don’t know how much later David walks in and draws me into a hug. I can feel tears burning, but I don’t cry. The police officer gets up and leaves us.
I fall into a chair. David takes the one beside it.
‘How is Maya?’
‘The hospital’s assessing her. She’s conscious. It can’t be too bad.’
It looked really bad.
‘Where’s Sally?’
‘At the hospital. Rosa too. Gene and Lisi are still in the air. Danny called a lawyer for you. She’ll be here soon. She said they shouldn’t have brought you here. She’ll sort everything out.’
I don’t know who Danny is. Two police officers come in and introduce themselves. I can’t be sure they’re talking to me, because they keep looking at David, not me. They both have hearty handshakes. I don’t catch their names.
It feels like this has nothing to do with me.
One of the cops is tall and the other one is short. For a moment I think they’re the same cops who came the night Rosa went missing. But this time it’s the man who’s tall. I’m not able to focus on what they’re saying. Maybe none of this is about me?
My feet are moving as quietly as I can manage. I haven’t had to sit this long since we flew here.
‘My son won’t be answering questions until our lawyer gets here.’
‘I won’t?’
‘You won’t.’ David is firm.
I take a sip of water. It tastes oily.
The two cops talk more with David, then they leave.
I notice that the floor is covered with that fake tile stuff. I can’t remember what it’s called, but in the corner of the room it’s started to curl up, like old wallpaper. I guess real tiles are too expensive.
The lawyer comes in with another police officer. Her hair is in a silver bob, but not the same kind of silver as the shop assistant at Spool. It grows out of the lawyer’s head like that. She tells me her name and we shake hands. The police officer tells me I’m free to go home, but I’m not to go out of town because there may be further questions.
I ask about my phone. The police say they’ll search the car I was brought in.
My legs are itching to run.
We don’t go to the hospital. David says that would cause a scene, because Rosa and Seimone are saying I pushed Maya.
‘I didn’t push her.’
‘I know.’ David reaches across the taxi to squeeze my hand.
At home I sit at the kitchen island. The lawyer is opposite me. David’s already said her name several times but I can’t remember it.
She doesn’t mind when I get up and walk around.
David makes coffee. I take a sip, but it tastes like soap. I put it down and look out the window, but all I can see is Maya lying on the road.
The lawyer says something. I’m not sure what.
I walk back to the island and sit down. There’s an ant on the counter. Do they have ants in New York City? If it were Sydney I’d believe it. Little black ants are everywhere back home. I look closer. It’s a small black grain of something. Coffee? Cocoa? Dirt? I can’t tell.
‘Che?’
‘Yes?’
‘You need to answer Ilene’s questions.’
I nod and stand up again. My legs twitch when I sit.
My lawyer – Ilene – is sipping coffee as if it were the most normal thing in the world to be sitting here asking me about an eleven-year-old girl being hit by a bicycle. Maybe for her it is normal.
Ilene explains that charges may not be pressed. They’ve only started looking, but so far CCTV footage doesn’t show anything. There aren’t cameras on that corner, and the
traffic cameras were pointing at the cars, not pedestrians. But they haven’t checked the surrounding shops.
That’s something I learn: there aren’t CCTV cameras everywhere in New York City. Then I remember Rosa told me that. And Rosa decided what streets we should take on the way to the subway.
Rosa engineered this. Did she mean to hurt Maya this badly? Did she mean to blame me?
The lawyer says the police have interviewed five witnesses. Seimone and Rosa and a man all say I pushed Maya. Two women say it was one of the girls. They’re both adamant it wasn’t me. One of the women says it was Seimone. The other one can’t be sure which girl it was.
Maya doesn’t know what happened. She doesn’t know who pushed her, only that she was. She’s talking, but she has concussion, three broken ribs, two broken vertebrae, and her left leg is broken in two places and will need surgery. Her spine is fine. She’ll be able to walk.
The cyclist doesn’t know what happened either. He came out of it with a broken leg, lots of gravel rash, and a destroyed bike. It’s as well it was his own lightweight racing bike, and not one of the heavy blue Citi Bikes. It’s not good for him that he wasn’t in the bike lane.
‘The police might not press charges,’ Ilene says. ‘No one died, and you’re minors. Can you tell me what happened?’ She’s turned the stool so she’s facing me. ‘In as much detail as you can.’
‘Not really. I didn’t see. We were about to cross the road, then Maya was on the road. I thought she tripped.’ Had I thought that? I’m not sure I was thinking about what happened. I was thinking about how to help her. ‘I didn’t push her. I didn’t realise she was pushed.’
‘What did you say?’ David asks.
I’m on the other side of the room.
‘Sorry,’ I say, walking closer. ‘I said I didn’t push her.’
‘Could you sit down, Che?’ David says.
I sit at the island again. My legs vibrate, but there’s nothing I can do to stop them.
‘Who do you think pushed Maya?’ Ilene asks.
‘Rosa.’
David’s lips thin. The anger vanishes from his face before Ilene looks at him.
‘Yet Rosa thinks you pushed Maya.’
‘She’s setting me up. It’s what she does.’
As I tell Ilene about Rosa, I wonder why Rosa’s blaming me. What does it get her?
‘Do you have proof that this is something she would do?’ Ilene asks.
I tell her about the recordings I made, the notes I have on Rosa.
Ilene looks briefly unsettled. ‘Can you give me access?’
I walk upstairs and get my laptop. I unlock the protected folders and copy them to the USB drive she hands me. She now has everything. David hasn’t said a word.
After the lawyer leaves he hugs me.
‘It’s going to be alright,’ he says. ‘Ilene needs to know about Rosa. You did right.’
‘I did?’ He hadn’t looked like he thought that.
‘I have a tonne of phone calls to make. Are you going to be okay?’ He disappears into the study before I reply.
I check my tablet. A million texts. I use it to call Leilani. She’s still at the hospital.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘It’s not your fault.’
I’m not sure about that. I should have kept myself between Maya and the girls at all times. Not let them mess about so much. I should have known they were planning something. Were they planning something? Or was it Rosa seizing an opportunity?
‘How is she?’
‘She’s doing okay. She’s talking. Doesn’t remember much. She has concussion. She’s banged up. Lots of broken bones. Her left leg is bad.’
‘Is she in pain?’
I’m not sure Leilani hears me. She sounds like a robotic version of herself. As if she’s slid into the uncanny valley and is telling me about some stranger. I feel like I’m right there with her.
‘She knows who she is, who the president is, blah blah blah. She swears it couldn’t be you. She thinks it was from the other side – that Rosa did it. But she’s foggy.’
‘Can I see her?’
‘Immediate family only. But she asked for you. And her tennis bag.’ Leilani makes a sound that I guess is a forced laugh. ‘Her rackets were totalled. She doesn’t know Seimone and Rosa are saying you pushed her. She refused to see Seimone.’ Leilani’s voice quavers, sounding human again. ‘I’m scared, Che. I’m scared Seimone pushed her.’
I call Sojourner. She doesn’t answer. We weren’t going to see each other tonight. Sojourner’s studying for her first-aid exam.
I need to see her. But Ilene said I should stay at home until the situation is clearer.
—Can I see you? I text. —It’s important.
No response. I start to look at my texts, then realise I don’t have the heart to respond. No one knows what’s going on. How can I joke with Nazeem or Georgie or Jason right now?
When Rosa and Sally return I’m sitting at the kitchen island eating cereal because there’s nothing else. David’s in the study.
Rosa is wearing the red and blue outfit. I’m not sure why I thought she’d have changed. This is the first time she’s been home since the accident.
No, not accident.
Sally is holding Rosa’s hand. Sally’s face is red and blotchy, like she’s been weeping. I’m sure Rosa has cried too, but there are no signs of it. She takes one look at me, then looks away, marches up the stairs and slams the door to her bedroom.
‘It’s been a long day,’ Sally says. ‘The McBrunights are at the hospital.’
She hugs me, but it’s brief. There’s no weight behind it, there’s almost no Sally behind it.
‘I’m going to lie down. I’m buggered,’ she says. ‘I’ll get David to check on her.’
I nod, but she’s already walked away.
I check my tablet again. There’s a text from Sojourner. —Okay. I need a break.
I’m about to ask her to come here when I realise I need to get away too. Even if it’s only for a few minutes.
I ignore what Ilene told me. —How about the park? Near the dog run.
—5 mins.
—Ok. I don’t have my phone.
—See you soon.
I leave a note on the island saying I’ll be back in half an hour, grab a jacket, and close the door quietly behind me. I doubt they’ll notice I’m gone.
The park is much quieter than it is during the day. It can’t be far off ten o’clock.
A few dogs are running back and forth in the dog run, leaping on their owners, who look exhausted. I walk past the entrance, wishing I’d been more specific about where to meet. I make the circuit back to the entrance. Should I hover closer to the direction she’s coming from?
‘Che!’
Sojourner’s in trackpants, T-shirt and a hoodie. I run to her and hold her. She hugs me. I don’t want to let go.
‘What’s wrong?’
I don’t know where to start.
I kiss her. The taste of her is so amazing that for a brief moment I can almost forget what’s happened. Sojourner pulls away first.
‘What is it, Che?’
‘There was an accident. Maya’s in the hospital.’
Sojourner pulls away from me. ‘Is she going to be alright?’
‘She’s conscious. Broke a lot of bones. Concussion. They think she’ll be okay. She doesn’t remember what happened.’
I kiss her again.
‘I was there. Rosa and Seimone too.’
‘That’s awful.’
I nod. How do I tell her the worst of it?
‘I had to see you.’
She takes my hand and leads me to a bench. She knows there’s more. It must be all over my face.
‘I thought it was an accident. That she tripped or something. Her bag was too heavy. I should have carried it.’
‘It wasn’t an accident?’ Sojourner looks confused.
‘They don’t think it was an accident.’
&
nbsp; ‘They?’
‘The police. I don’t know what happened. We were standing waiting for the lights, then Maya was on the road. A bike hit her. A bike! Bastard should’ve been in the bike lane. Though I guess a car would’ve been worse. She’d be dead. I didn’t see what happened. I couldn’t stop it.’
Sojourner’s arms are around me. ‘It’s not your fault, Che.’
‘I know. But the witnesses are saying different things. They’re saying Rosa pushed her, or Seimone.’
‘No.’ The shock makes her flinch. ‘That can’t be right.’
‘Rosa and Seimone say I pushed Maya. A witness agrees. I didn’t push her.’
‘Of course you didn’t.’ Sojourner sounds utterly certain. ‘But why would your sister say that? Why would Seimone?’
‘You know how I told you Rosa likes to make trouble? This is the kind of trouble she makes. She’s not normal.’
Sojourner stares.
‘She’s always been like this. Always. I try to stop her, but she always wins.’
I’m crying. Sojourner’s holding me. The feel of her skin against my skin is enough to make me feel better. I don’t know how long we hold each other.
‘Maya’s dead.’
I hear the words but they don’t stick. I’m still holding my keys. David holds the door open and pulls me inside.
‘What?’
‘Maya’s dead.’ David’s face doesn’t change. He’s in shock.
I can hear Rosa sobbing upstairs. Sally must be comforting her. I wonder when Rosa learned to sob like that.
‘She’s dead?’
‘From a cerebral haemorrhage.’
I run through everything I know about bleeding inside the brain. I wonder where the bleeding was. She landed on her back, hit her head hard. Was it her brain stem? That’s really bad.
Of course it’s bad. Maya’s dead. Does it matter where the bleeding was?
I could have saved her. I could have taken her bag. I could have made sure I was always between Maya and my sister and Seimone. I could have refused to look after Rosa and Seimone, stuck them with one of the McBrunights’ staff.
I could have smothered Rosa before she was old enough to hurt anyone.
I know Rosa pushed her.
My Sister Rosa Page 29
