If I Could Talk
‘One, two, eight, five’ She counted the pink spiders dancing on the ceiling once again.
‘Ninety, six, oh damn,’ she had forgotten. ‘No spiders, no buggies, just spots, yes that’s what the square yellow face told me, spots, dots, spot, buggies, creepy crawlies…’
“Here we are dear, time to clean up. Visitors day you know.”
‘Not square yellow face, long black face. Don’t wanna wet thing, no, no, stinky wet thing, bad things, tongues, no.’
“Stop struggling dear, let’s just wash that pretty face clean. There. We’re done.”
‘Evil black face, nasty, dragon dung….vissers? Vissers day? Friend be here, friend must be here. Round sweet face friend. Must find present, pearls, diamonds, gold. Don’t want friend to think I dunno remember.’
“My, look at that pretty smile. It always makes you happy when it’s visitors day.” says long black face.
‘Ow, don’t, no, quit, hurt head. Pretty he says it is, I remember…I remember, someone, who, stroking it, smelling it….NO! Hurt, don’t hurt, please don’t hurt…”
“Calm down love, calm down. It’s alright, see? It is only a hairbrush.”
‘No, no, no! Light, red, pain….oh pain… man, evil white, holding hair, choking hair….”
“Calm down or you wont be able to have visitors.”
‘Must see sweet round face, must. Pain okay if I see sweet round face. Bad man hurt hair…’
“All done. Ready for your visitors?”
‘Happy now. Sweet round face is here. Rocky face bird here too but dunt matter. Rocky face plays with doll in other bed. Glad rocky face likes doll. Leaves me to see sweet round face. Round face talks silly; boggies, spellos, I like when round face talks silly. Round face like hhhhh’s, talks hhhh,s a lot. Dunno why, feel so sad, happy when around sweet round face.’
“Time to go.”
‘Damn rocky face. Always taking away sweet round face. No fair. Wanna play more.’
“Bye.”
‘Oh wait, I dinna give sweet round face present. Goody, round face not gone, with other faces…too many faces…still here is present sweet round face.’
“Thanks mum.”
‘Rocky face is upside down, dunt care.’
“Come dear, back to bed,” says long black face
She turns to look back. ‘I wish I could go with sweet round face. Makes me feel all green that rocky face gets to go. I hafta stay with the rag doll.’ Slowly she shuffles back to her bed