Two
Beth pointed towards the garden. The adults’ gaze followed her slim finger.
Pat was the first to respond. Blowing out the candles in one breath, she ran towards the patio doors. Luckily, they were already open. Through them in a second, she sprinted into the garden, and was at the paddling pool before Beth had time to realise she’d left her side.
Grabbing Charlie from his prone position in the pool, Pat manoeuvred him onto his back on the grass. Leaning in, her ear next to his mouth, she seemed to be studying him, looking for movement. Next, she began pressing down on his chest and counting. She turned her head and her eyes met Don’s. Up to that point in Beth’s life, she’d not observed fear in an adult. To see such obvious alarm on both her parents’ faces was unsettling. Nanna looked worried too. Beth wanted to ask Lisa for advice, but she was engrossed in what their mum was doing.
Pat shouted, ‘Don, get an ambulance. Call one, NOW.’
Beth watched as her mum began breathing into Charlie’s mouth.
Michelle giggled. ‘Is she kissing him?’
After a few breaths, Pat resumed pushing down on Charlie’s chest.
Beth could hear her dad on the phone. ‘Ambulance. Please hurry. Tweny-two Tennison Avenue. A young boy. Drowned, I think. Please just hurry up.’
She wanted to cry. More screams were desperate to escape. But she knew she mustn’t. Both her parents were busy, the last thing they needed was her causing a stir.
Lisa told her not to worry. ‘I’m sure he’ll be OK.’
Beth ran to her nanna. Burying her head in her lap, she tried to keep the sobs inside.
Being hugged by Nanna was, as always, a comfort. She used large quantities of fabric softener in her washing, meaning her clothes had a distinct sweet smell that never failed to reassure.
Nanna rubbed Beth’s back gently. ‘Your mum’s a brilliant nurse, she’ll save him.’
But Beth wasn’t so sure. She couldn’t shake the image of Charlie, lying face down in the water, his body a star shape. Had he been in there long? Did he trip? Was he messing about?
After a couple of minutes, curiosity got the better of her, and she lifted her head from her nanna’s lap and edged her way out into the garden. She stood completely still, watching her mum. Lisa watched too, she seemed to be quietly counting every compression, every breath. She was fascinated.
Don ran into the garden, announcing as he flew past, ‘They’re sending it now. It’s coming. For Christ’s sake, save him!’
Pat refused to be distracted, continuing with her routine.
The next part went by in a blur. Later, when she tried to recall how long they’d waited, Beth couldn’t be sure. She knew her dad had paced around the garden. She knew Nanna had turned her attention to Michelle, who had gotten upset when it had finally dawned on her what was happening. And she knew Lisa continually told her not to panic. But it could have been a minute, it could have been ten.
Then, two things happened at once – the sound of sirens echoed around the garden and Charlie began noisily coughing up water.
A pale faced Don fetched Charlie’s parents from number forty-six, and they arrived, shocked and bewildered, just in time to accompany him to the hospital.
That night, as they got ready for bed, the twins talked about what had happened to Charlie.
‘Those ambulance people were impressed with Mum,’ Lisa said.
‘Yeah. But I don’t get why he went back to the pool. Why do it?’ Beth asked.
‘How should I know? To be honest, I would’ve thought he’d be more interested in the food. He loves cake.’
‘There was me thinking he was in the toilet. I wish I’d known he was lying in the water.’
‘Look, it’s like I’ve told you before, he’s just a bit thick.’
‘I know, but … he could have died.’
‘I knew he wouldn’t.’ Lisa sounded smug.
‘Maybe you did, but I didn’t! He looked really weird, his hair was kind of spread out around his head, like a lion or something.’
‘He does have a big head, doesn’t he?’
‘I guess so.’
‘Oh, he definitely does. His head looks like that thing you entered into the odd shaped vegetable contest at the summer fair.’
‘Lisa, don’t talk about him like that. Not when he could have died.’
‘Why not? Nearly drowning doesn’t stop him being an idiot. It doesn’t make him brave. He’s been a wally since the day we met him. He laughs at his own jokes and he tries to smell his own farts!’
‘Lisa!’
‘Well, he does. Remember the school play last Christmas, when he was Joseph and you were Mary? One line he had. One stupid line. How many times did he make you practice?’
In a squeaky voice, Beth said, ‘My wife’s about to give birth, we need shelter.’
‘Exactly, he’s a wally if he can’t remember that. Then there’s the stuff with the Polo mint. Breaking it into pieces and trying to convince the tooth fairy he’d lost four teeth in one night!’
‘I don’t think he actually means to be a wally.’
Lisa was adamant. ‘He doesn’t know how to be anything else.’
‘Poor Charlie. I just can’t bear the thought of him being face down in the water.’ Beth shuddered. ‘I’d hate not being able to breath.’ She asked again, ‘Why would he go back to the paddling pool.’
‘You need to stop worrying about it. He’s alive. He’ll be home soon, up to his usual stuff. Trying to impress you and Michelle.’
‘Yeah, I guess so.’ A thought struck Beth. ‘It’s a shame we never got to blow out our candles, isn’t it?’
In disbelief, Lisa asked, ‘Is that all you can think of? Anyway, Mum did them for us. For safety.’
For a moment, they were silent. Both so proud of their quick-thinking mum.
Beth shook her head. ‘I never imagined her doing stuff like that. Even though I know she works in a hospital. I never thought …’
‘She’s in the accident bit, for God’s sake. What do you think she does all day?’
‘I know. Sorry. How silly of me,’ Beth apologised to her sister, then asked, ‘Will you tell me a story? I’m not sleepy enough.’
Lisa began to recite Alice in Wonderland, her personal favourite, occasionally stopping to talk again about the day’s events. ‘Poor Dad.’
‘Oh yes, poor Dad. I thought he was going to be sick.’
‘I suppose he blamed himself. You know, it was his idea to make a pool.’
Beth wondered, ‘Do you think Charlie’s parents will blame Dad?’
‘They’d better not. It definitely wasn’t his fault.’
‘I’ll bet they will blame him though. They’ll be mad for sure.’
‘Look. Charlie’s all right. He didn’t die. So, as long as he hasn’t gone doolally, what right do they have to be mad?’
Beth hoped Lisa was right. She worried much more than her twin. All she knew was she didn’t want Charlie’s parents to be angry with their dad. She wanted them to be grateful to their mum. Their brilliant mum who saved lives.
Lisa resumed her story, and Beth began to doze off. As well as her sister’s elaborate tale of the Mad Hatter’s tea party, she was aware of their parents talking downstairs. The last thing she heard before she gave in to sleep, was Don saying, ‘Blimey, Pat, none of us will forget this day in a hurry.’ And he was right.