On Her Own...

 


The first time her mother stayed out all night, Mary didn’t worry. She was well used to her erratic behaviour and wasn’t surprised by anything her mother did.In some respects, it was a treat, not to have to worry about going a whole evening without upsetting her mother. Something she seemed unable to do, no matter how hard she tried.In the unaccustomed peace and quiet, she read a book for a while and then went to bed. She was hungry, but it didn’t matter.
Mary took herself to school the next day, and tried not to think about anything else. When she got home, the flat was empty and quiet, just as she had left it that morning. The beds were unmade and dirty plates sat in the sink. She looked for something to eat, searching through every cupboard and finding just half a packet of stale biscuits and a small tin of baked beans.
She was beginning to feel a little lonely and very hungry. She should have a wash, but there was no hot water. She wasn’t in the mood anyway, so she went to bed.Before going to school in the morning, Mary searched the flat, looking for money. There had to be some somewhere, for there was no food and she was beyond hungry. She almost wished her mother would come home. Almost.
She managed to find enough small change to buy a loaf of bread on her way home and was greeted by more silence as she let herself in.
For the first time, Mary began to worry. Supposing she never came home? Maybe she had gone off with some man, leaving her to fend for herself?  She had never stayed away this long before.That night she was too hungry to sleep. Her stomach hurt and she felt sick, even contemplated going through the bin, just in case there was something there she could eat.
When Mary left for school on the third day, she knew she would have to do something. But what was an eight year old supposed to do?

All day she tried to concentrate on her lessons, but she felt so alone. She found herself looking at her schoolmates. How many of them went to bed hungry, she wondered. How many of them had a mother like hers?At the end of the school day, Mary walked home slowly, hating the not knowing and what she might be forced to do. If only she could manage, her mother could stay gone. Inside the front door, she stopped and listened. There was nothing. Nothing at all.She slammed the front door behind her and made her way to the high street. At the police station, she hesitated, and then walked inside.
It didn’t take them long to find her mother. Almost as though they knew where she was. It took just long enough to treat her to a decent meal followed by ice cream, which she couldn’t enjoy. She was terrified, knowing her mother would probably kill her for subjecting her to all the humiliation.
Understandably, being dragged home by the police had done nothing to improve her mother’s mood. She was fuming, refusing to look at Mary, who was way past regretting her actions. God alone knew what would happen next. But she had no choice, did she?
© 2015 Jaye Marie