《首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)》第133章

wiftly　erased。　She　was　crying　because　she　never　seemed　to　laugh　any　more；　and　also　because　the　previous　evening；　while　they　had　been　listening　to　the　jubilant　distant　thump　of　the　disco　in　the　church　hall；　Vikram　had　said；　‘Why　don’t　we　visit　Amritsar　this　summer？’
The　Golden　Temple；　the　holiest　shrine　of　the　religion　to　which　he　was　indifferent。　She　had　known　at　once　what　Vikram　was　doing。　Time　lay　slack　and　empty　on　her　hands　as　never　before　in　her　life。　Neither　of　them　knew　what　the　GMC　would　decide　to　do　with　her；　once　it　had　considered　her　ethical　breach　towards　Howard　Mollison。
‘Mandeep　says　it’s　a　big　tourist　trap；’　she　had　replied；　dismissing　Amritsar　at　a　stroke。
Sukhvinder　had　crossed　the　lawn　without　Parminder　noticing。　She　was　dressed　in　jeans　and　a　baggy　sweatshirt。　Parminder　hastily　wiped　her　face　and　squinted　at　Sukhvinder；　who　had　her　back　to　the　sun。
‘I　don’t　want　to　go　to　work　today。’
Parminder　responded　at　once；　in　the　same　spirit　of　automatic　contradiction　that　had　made　her　turn　down　Amritsar。　‘You’ve　made　a　mitment；　Sukhvinder。’
‘I　don’t　feel　well。’
‘You　mean　you’re　tired。　You’re　the　one　who　wanted　this　job。　Now　you　fulfil　your　obligations。’
‘But—’
‘You’re　going　to　work；’　snapped　Parminder；　and　she　might　have　been　pronouncing　sentence。　‘You’re　not　giving　the　Mollisons　another　reason　to　plain。’
After　Sukhvinder　walked　back　to　the　house　Parminder　felt　guilty。　She　almost　called　her　daughter　back；　but　instead　she　made　a　mental　note　that　she　must　try　and　find　time　to　sit　down　with　her　and　talk　to　her　without　arguing。
V
Krystal　was　walking　along　Foley　Road　in　the　early　morning　sunlight；　eating　a　banana。　It　was　an　unfamiliar　taste　and　texture；　and　she　could　not　make　up　her　mind　whether　she　liked　it　or　not。　Terri　and　Krystal　never　bought　fruit。
Nikki’s　mother　had　just　turfed　her　unceremoniously　out　of　the　house。
‘We　got　things　to　do；　Krystal；’　she　had　said。　‘We’re　going　to　Nikki’s　gran’s　for　dinner。’
As　an　afterthought；　she　had　handed　Krystal　the　banana　to　eat　for　breakfast。　Krystal　had　left　without　protest。　There　was　barely　enough　room　for　Nikki’s　family　around　the　kitchen　table。
The　Fields　were　not　improved　by　sunshine；　which　merely　showed　up　the　dirt　and　the　damage；　the　cracks　in　the　concrete　walls；　the　boarded　windows　and　the　litter。
The　Square　in　Pagford　looked　freshly　painted　whenever　the　sun　shone。　Twice　a　year；　the　primary　school　children　had　walked　through　the　middle　of　town；　crocodile　fashion；　on　their　way　to　church　for　Christmas　and　Easter　services。　（Nobody　had　ever　wanted　to　hold　Krystal’s　hand。　Fats　had　told　them　all　that　she　had　fleas。　She　wondered　whether　he　remembered。）　There　had　been　hanging　baskets　full　of　flowers；　splashes　of　purple；　pink　and　green；　and　every　time　Krystal　had　passed　one　of　the　planted　troughs　outside　the　Black　Canon；　she　had　pulled　off　a　petal。　Each　one　had　been　cool　and　slippery　in　her　fingers；　swiftly　being　slimy　and　brown　as　she　clutched　it；　and　she　usually　wiped　it　off　on　the　underside　of　a　warm　wooden　pew　in　St　Michael’s。
She　let　herself　into　her　house　and　saw　at　once；　through　the　open　door　to　her　left；　that　Terri　had　not　gone　to　bed。　She　was　sitting　in　her　armchair　with　her　eyes　closed　and　her　mouth　open。　Krystal　closed　the　door　with　a　snap；　but　Terri　did　not　stir。
Krystal　was　at　Terri’s　side　in　four　strides；　shaking　her　thin　arm。　Terri’s　head　fell　forwards　onto　her　shrunken　chest。　She　snored。
Krystal　let　go　of　her。　The　vision　of　a　dead　man　in　the　bathroom　swam　back　into　her　subconscious。
‘Silly　bitch；’　she　said。
Then　it　occurred　to　her　that　Robbie　was　not　there。　She　pounded　up　the　stairs；　shouting　for　him。
‘’M’ere；’　she　heard　him　say；　from　behind　her　own　closed　bedroom　door。
When　she　shouldered　it　open；　she　saw　Robbie　standing　there；　naked。　Behind　him；　scratching　his　bare　chest；　lying　on　her　own　mattress；　was　Obbo。
‘All　righ’；　Krys？’　he　said；　grinning。
She　seized　Robbie　and　pulled　him　into　his　own　room。　Her　hands　trembled　so　badly　that　it　took　her　ages　to　dress　him。
‘Did　’e　do　somethin’　to　yer？’　she　whispered　to　Robbie。
‘’M’ungry；’　said　Robbie。
When　he　was　dressed；　she　picked　him　up　and　ran　downstairs。　She　could　hear　Obbo　moving　around　in　her　bedroom。
‘Why’s　’e　’ere？’　she　shouted　at　Terri；　who　was　drowsily　awake　in　her　chair。　‘Why’s　’e　with　Robbie？’
Robbie　fought　to　get　out　of　her　arms；　he　hated　shouting。
‘An’　wha’　the　fuck’s　that？’　screamed　Krystal；　spotting；　for　the　first　time；　two　black　holdalls　lying　beside　Terri’s　armchair。
‘S’nuthin’；’　said　Terri　vaguely。
But　Krystal　had　already　forced　one　of　the　zips　open。
‘S’nuthin’！’　shouted　Terri。
Big；　brick…like　blocks　of　hashish　wrapped　neatly　in　sheets　of　polythene：　Krystal；　who　could　barely　read；　who　could　not　have　identified　half　the　vegetables　in　a　supermarket；　who　could　not　have　named　the　Prime　Minister；　knew　that　the　contents　of　the　bag；　if　discovered　on　the　premises；　meant　prison　for　her　mother。　Then　she　saw　the　tin；　with　the　coachman　and　horses　on　the　lid；　half…protruding　from　the　chair　on　which　Terri　was　sitting。
‘Yeh’ve　used；’　said　Krystal　breathlessly；　as　disaster　rained　invisibly　around　her　and　everything　collapsed。　‘Yeh’ve　fuckin’—’
She　heard　Obbo　on　the　stairs　and　she　snatched　up　Robbie　again。　He　wailed　and　struggled　in　her　arms；　frightened　by　her　anger；　but　Krystal’s　grip　was　unbreakable。
‘Fuckin’　lerrim　go；’　called　Terri　fruitlessly。　Krystal　had　opened　the　front　door　and　was　running　as　fast　as　she　could；　encumbered　by　Robbie　who　was　resisting　and　moaning；　back　along　the　road。
VI
Shirley　showered　and　pulled　clothes　out　of　the　wardrobe　while　Howard　slept　noisily　on。　The　church　bell　of　St　Michael　and　All　Saints；　ringing　for　ten　o’clock　matins；　reached　her　as　she　buttoned　up　her　cardigan。　She　always　thought　how　loud　it　must　be　for　the　Jawandas；　living　right　opposite；　and　hoped　that　it　struck　them　as　a　loud　proclamation　of　Pagford’s　adherence　to　the　old　ways　and　traditions　of　which　they；　so　conspicuously；　were　not　a　part。
Automatically；　because　it　was　what　she　so　often　did；　Shirley　walked　along　the　hall