Coastlines & Choruses (3)

Gouache on paper.

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Part 76. As they approach their new home, someone is waiting for them in the shadows.

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‘The rudeness of some people,’ said Flora, brushing down her outfit in a prim manner. ‘Today’s been an adventure, but this is where I need to leave you for the night.’

My heart sank. ‘You’re going? But… we’ll see you again soon, right?’

Flora pinched Lirita’s cheek. ‘I need to keep checking up on this one, so I’ll be dropping in very soon. Do take care of her in the meantime.’

Lirita brushed away Flora’s hand. ‘I’m not ill!’

‘Hmm, delusional too. That’s something else I need to look at. I’ll add it to the list.’

‘Wait, what list?’

‘Your patient file of course. It’s already bulkier than most people’s. Isn’t that right, Fez?’

‘Mrowwwwwww,’ said the calico cat, while hauling a heavy bag along with him.

Lirita made a frustrated, choking noise. ‘You won’t tell anyone, will you?’

‘What do you take me for? I’m a consummate professional!’

But before Lirita could complain further, Flora walked away, waving a hand as she went. ‘Got appointments to keep!’ Her cats, laden with shopping bags, skipped behind her until they all disappeared into the night.

As we watched them go, Titus climbed up Lirita’s body and into her arms, yawning loudly and spitting out bubbles before falling asleep in a scaly ball.

Y’oona yawned too. ‘Titus has got the right idea. Zaeema’s place is just a few buildings away. Let’s get there quickly.’

I felt dead on my feet as we continued walking, heavy beneath the weight of everything that had happened that day. In the darkness around me, I wanted to keep running, to forget this street, the city, this land, and disappear into the night. But Brighid’s chilly words whispered in my ears, as if the wind whipping around me carried nothing but her words. As I listened to the faint murmurs of people enjoying the night, mixed with the faint wash of the lake crashing against the shore, it seemed strange to me how I could be so close to others, in the same space, but the things that trouble us remain so different.

We continued down a quiet back street, beneath a clear night with the stars reflecting brightly off the cobbled streets and walls. It appeared that no one else was on this street but us. That was, until we heard a voice.

‘Y’oona.’

I spun round and saw someone behind us, half-shadowed meagre light. She had thick ash-blonde hair decorated with flowers, above a lilac face framed by ears that hung like folded wings. Her eyes were sapphire blue and seemed to collect the streetlight in little wisps that floated inside them. She seemed slight compared to Y’oona, but imposing in her stare and presence.

Y’oona froze. ‘Nadile? What are you doing here?’

A taut, worried look lined the woman’s face. She looked around with panic. ‘Here you are! I was looking all over for you! How could you make me worry like that? You’re meant to be there for me!’ She came up to Y’oona and grabbed her wrists. ‘I thought you were coming back to me. You want to be there for me, don’t you? You’re usually so caring towards me.’

Confusion crossed Y’oona’s face. ‘Well, yeah, but you know I went to visit my mother. I told you I was returning tonight. I sent a message ahead. Did it not arrive?’

‘I waited for you, but it’s so late and you’re walking the streets. Don’t you think that’s a little crazy?’ She looked at Lirita and I with curious eyes. ‘I wanted to meet you and walk with you. I didn’t realise you had… friends.’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Y’oona in a meek, deflated way. ‘I would have been home soon. I-’ She looked away from us as if ashamed. ‘Mother asked me to guide these two here. I wasn’t going to be long.’

Nadile looked at us all then turned back to Y’oona. ‘You do love me, don’t you Y’oona?’

‘I- Yes, of course I do.’

‘So why did you never think about how I was feeling?’ She turned to me. ‘Thank you, friends, for bringing Y’oona safely home. I can take it from here. Let’s get you home, before anything happens in these horrible streets. You don’t want to be responsible for getting us in trouble, do you?’

‘But I need to-’ Y’oona paused. She sighed. ‘No, I don’t. I’m sorry.’

Nadile pulled Y’oona, whose head sunk between her shoulders. She risked one last tense look at us, at Lirita, before turning away. I stood transfixed as the two abruptly disappeared into the night, a part of us torn away, with Nadile pulling Y’oona behind her.

We stood quietly. ‘What just happened?’ I said after a few tense moments. ‘That was strange… It wasn’t like her at all.’

Lirita’s head dropped with dejection. She then looked at me with eyes that glistened with moisture. After a moment she said, ‘Why couldn’t I say anything?’

‘Did you know she…?’

Lirita shook her head. ‘No… she never mentioned anyone else.’ Her face screwed up as if in indecision. She stepped forwards.

‘Maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea for us to go after her,’ I said. A wave of nausea crashed over me.

‘When did you start giving out advice?’ She caught the anger in her voice and softened it. ‘And how are we supposed to know where to go now?’

‘I’m not totally clueless y’know! I don’t know… we know Y’oona can look after herself. We should talk to her about it at a better time.’

Lirita folded her arms and turned away.  ‘Like I care. If she will let herself get bossed around by her girlfriend then that’s her problem.’

I put a hand on her shoulder. ‘We’ll find her in the morning. Maybe Zaeema knows more.’

‘Whatever. Yoo said the place we need to go is somewhere along here.’

‘That’s the first time I’ve heard you call her that.’

Lirita blushed. ‘Yeah ,well…’

I looked along the near-identical row of buildings for clues about the place we needed to find when I saw movement up in one of the windows. I shook Lirita’s shoulder. ‘Is that?’ Leaning against the windowsill was a person feline in appearance, with dark fur, idly licking their paws. They wore a bandana I recognised.

There was no mistaking it. I was looking at the same thief who stole my money at the Hoàngia parade.

‘Maybe, but I don’t think… Wait, what are you doing?’ hissed Lirita.

‘Getting back what it stole from me!’

I was about to run towards the building when a door opened and out of it appeared a tall, broad-shouldered man in a chef’s apron smeared with stains. His heavily lined face emphasised the content smile on his lips; the smell of bread following him made my stomach growl loudly. His eyes appeared closed but I could still feel him staring back at us as he put a sack into a refuse container. Then, without saying anything, he returned inside.

‘Why do you have to be so loud?’ whispered Lirita.

‘It’s good! Maybe he’s gone to get us something to eat.’

‘Is that all you can think about?’

‘Take what you can get, I say. Wait here.’

As soon as I heard the click of the closing door, I tiptoed up the yard as quietly as I could, beneath a wooden arch and past a small garden, with herbs and vegetables growing in long rows upon stone steps and in painted wooden boxes. Some of the vegetables wriggled from the ground, followed me with small beady eyes, and squeaked excitedly. Up on the roof, Minnow silently watched.

I hauled myself up onto a wooden fence next to the garden. Then, once precariously perched atop it, I pulled myself onto a sloping roof that led up to the level of the window. The feline person, with a yawn of boredom, returned back inside, but left the window open. I turned back to Lirita who tried to be inconspicuous, but couldn’t resist watching with an embarrassed grimace on her face. ‘What are you doing?’ she mouthed, while looking round to see if anyone else was in sight.

I was about to reach for the opening when the door clicked again and a pool of faint yellow light spilled out onto the road. I panicked and scrambled into the window, where I landed hard upon some creaky wooden boards. The dust motes I had disturbed floated around me as bright specks illuminated by rays of moonlight. I coughed and looked back outside. The door was now closed but Lirita was nowhere in sight. Probably hiding, I thought. I hissed her name, much more loudly than I intended, but she didn’t appear. Instead of waiting I decided to continue seeking the feline and turned back to the room.