Short Fiction|Kate Ennals In Hiding
I
put my feet into the green wellies and then wrapped the coats on the stand around me. I was delighted with my hiding place. While I was waiting to be found, I saw, through the frosted glass beside the front door, Victoria drive up in her big black landrover. Damn, I thought. Victoria, 42, is my older sister by five years. She belittles me, laughs at my silliness, makes fun of my taste, and, in contrast she shows the world how capable she is, how organised, how sophisticated and cool. Victoria always looks sleek. She is tall, shoulder length brown hair and wears jeans with perfect white shirts. She has pedantic manners and is insistent that people abide by her rules. She thinks this makes her more interesting as well as a little frightening. She is right. Victoria impresses. With a look, she can make you feel like a stick insect, unless, of course, she turns her favours on you. Then you glory in her admiring gaze, and feel amazing. Victoria abhors physical violence. She pontificates about it. Wars, politics, justice. Her own anger is patient. She likes revenge served cold. Many people would be surprised to hear this for she is also a sensible, intelligent woman, a purveyor of justice. Victoria has a reassuring manner. You wouldn’t go to her for affection but she is often wise and practical, a woman of the world. Victoria does interesting things. She goes to art galleries, visits architectural sites, political rallies. She has erudite dinner conversations where she holds court. Victoria devises grandiose plans, manages projects, and can be awe inspiring. For a long time, I venerated her. Victoria got me my first job. She ensured I found a nice place to live using her connections. She found me boyfriends and took care of all the practical issues in the family. This madness of me being in hiding began this afternoon with a simple game of hide and seek. The street gang had come over to play in ours. I had stopped cooking and joined in. We had been doing penguin impersonations, waddling walks which was hilarious. It was me who suggested hide and seek, I wanted to try out my coat stand idea. When I saw Victoria arrive, my heart sank. Victoria would call a halt to the game to discuss the reason for her visit, whatever it was. And she doesn’t like children. But, today, it was Saturday and it had that happy go lucky, all is well with the world, feel to it. I didn’t want Victoria to ruin it. So I decided to stay in hiding. If she couldn’t find me, she might go away. Victoria knocked at the front door three times. Sharp, officious raps. She was within two feet of me. I felt almost hysterical with boldness. Soon the children came dancing to see who 65
LIJLA Vol.5, No.1 February 2017