Archie.
When she saw him, she flung the comic aside and dove for him.
“What kept you so long, Daddy? I’ve been waiting here for you for so long!” she protested, grabbing his arm.
Wolf stared at her stupidly.
Then Robin let go of his arm and pointed in the direction of the seating to Wolf’s left.
“See what I got for you,” she said, beaming.
Wolf screwed his head around...and he stopped breathing.
Chapter 3
FROM behind the trunk of a coconut palm, on the west fringe of the garden, she had watched Daddy emerge from the house and she had scurried to the back garden. Hiding behind one of the swimming pool change rooms, she had peeked out. Bruno had come wagging his hinds, demanding to be loved.
“Shhh, Bruny, not now...later, yes? ... Go!” She pushed him gently away with her hip. The big Alsatian’s eyes turned morose and he loped away, head down, tail limp, a tragic figure. Robin felt bad for him, but she would make it up to him later.
Many minutes later, Daddy appeared and she immediately darted out of her hiding. Crouching low and keeping to the shadows, she circled the east wing of the bungalow and was back to the front garden.
And she kept dodging Daddy, moving around the house over and over, sleek as a kitten, silent as the night, just about remaining elusive. She desperately wanted to stay back here with Daddy, not go back to the Home, and she would do all in her power to see to that. At least, she would prolong her leaving as much as she could.
She heard him call out to her, and keep calling, but of course she was having none of it. Finally, she saw him go over to the main gate. He talked to the big men there, returned, and stood in the middle of the garden. Robin watched him from behind a rather tallish rose bush on the west side. Daddy is so worried now. Poor Daddy, she thought. She truly felt for him. She wanted to run over and hug him from behind, but today she resisted. She had her own pressing needs. Then she saw Daddy trundle off into the house. Robin now came out of her hiding, soundlessly crossed the garden and concealed herself behind a Christmas tree across from the front porch. From here, she could keep tabs.
A shuffle behind her made her look back sharply. A woman was quietly coming up the walkway. Their eyes met and both Robin and the woman froze abruptly.
And then, from some fifteen feet apart, they began regarding each other...with such rapt engrossment that Time came to a standstill.
The woman’s eyes had narrowed to pinpoints and she was staring at Robin with orbs that were like drills—they pierced into the girl as if she was trying to reach into her very essence. Robin knew the woman wasn’t really conscious of this—it was just a natural reaction on her part. But why she should exhibit such a deep interest in her, a complete stranger, beat Robin.
What she did realize, however, was that she herself was staring at the woman with the same single-minded absorption, her eyes round and wide. And that a weird flutter had begun in her belly. Again, it completely beat her why she should feel this way, for Robin was positive she had never laid eyes on her before.
Or perhaps I do know her from somewhere! Robin thought wickedly. Perhaps she’s my mom and I her daughter...perhaps we were so in some other birth!
How long they stood there, immersed in each other, helplessly lost in mutual fascination, none can tell, but it was the older woman who recovered first. She seemed to give a tremble, as if reluctantly snapping herself out of it. Her narrowed eyes now relaxed.
“Hello,” she said in a low voice.
Robin gave an involuntary quiver herself as she shook herself out of her own spell.
“Hi,” she returned, her voice equally small, her face grim.
Rationality restored, Robin now found herself studying the woman’s features.
She liked the woman’s hair immediately. It was brown and waist-length and shimmered in the light of the overhead bulb. She thought of her
When she saw him, she flung the comic aside and dove for him.
“What kept you so long, Daddy? I’ve been waiting here for you for so long!” she protested, grabbing his arm.
Wolf stared at her stupidly.
Then Robin let go of his arm and pointed in the direction of the seating to Wolf’s left.
“See what I got for you,” she said, beaming.
Wolf screwed his head around...and he stopped breathing.
Chapter 3
FROM behind the trunk of a coconut palm, on the west fringe of the garden, she had watched Daddy emerge from the house and she had scurried to the back garden. Hiding behind one of the swimming pool change rooms, she had peeked out. Bruno had come wagging his hinds, demanding to be loved.
“Shhh, Bruny, not now...later, yes? ... Go!” She pushed him gently away with her hip. The big Alsatian’s eyes turned morose and he loped away, head down, tail limp, a tragic figure. Robin felt bad for him, but she would make it up to him later.
Many minutes later, Daddy appeared and she immediately darted out of her hiding. Crouching low and keeping to the shadows, she circled the east wing of the bungalow and was back to the front garden.
And she kept dodging Daddy, moving around the house over and over, sleek as a kitten, silent as the night, just about remaining elusive. She desperately wanted to stay back here with Daddy, not go back to the Home, and she would do all in her power to see to that. At least, she would prolong her leaving as much as she could.
She heard him call out to her, and keep calling, but of course she was having none of it. Finally, she saw him go over to the main gate. He talked to the big men there, returned, and stood in the middle of the garden. Robin watched him from behind a rather tallish rose bush on the west side. Daddy is so worried now. Poor Daddy, she thought. She truly felt for him. She wanted to run over and hug him from behind, but today she resisted. She had her own pressing needs. Then she saw Daddy trundle off into the house. Robin now came out of her hiding, soundlessly crossed the garden and concealed herself behind a Christmas tree across from the front porch. From here, she could keep tabs.
A shuffle behind her made her look back sharply. A woman was quietly coming up the walkway. Their eyes met and both Robin and the woman froze abruptly.
And then, from some fifteen feet apart, they began regarding each other...with such rapt engrossment that Time came to a standstill.
The woman’s eyes had narrowed to pinpoints and she was staring at Robin with orbs that were like drills—they pierced into the girl as if she was trying to reach into her very essence. Robin knew the woman wasn’t really conscious of this—it was just a natural reaction on her part. But why she should exhibit such a deep interest in her, a complete stranger, beat Robin.
What she did realize, however, was that she herself was staring at the woman with the same single-minded absorption, her eyes round and wide. And that a weird flutter had begun in her belly. Again, it completely beat her why she should feel this way, for Robin was positive she had never laid eyes on her before.
Or perhaps I do know her from somewhere! Robin thought wickedly. Perhaps she’s my mom and I her daughter...perhaps we were so in some other birth!
How long they stood there, immersed in each other, helplessly lost in mutual fascination, none can tell, but it was the older woman who recovered first. She seemed to give a tremble, as if reluctantly snapping herself out of it. Her narrowed eyes now relaxed.
“Hello,” she said in a low voice.
Robin gave an involuntary quiver herself as she shook herself out of her own spell.
“Hi,” she returned, her voice equally small, her face grim.
Rationality restored, Robin now found herself studying the woman’s features.
She liked the woman’s hair immediately. It was brown and waist-length and shimmered in the light of the overhead bulb. She thought of her
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