Klara and the Sun

Josie looked out, her foot on the threshold, and shouted into the outdoors: ‘Come on! What are you doing?’ Then she grasped the doorframe and leaned out at an angle. ‘Hurry up! Everyone’s already here!’

Rick appeared in the doorway, and Josie, taking his arm, drew him into the hall.

He was dressed as he’d been on the grass mound, in normal jeans and sweater, but the adults seemed immediately to notice him. Their voices didn’t actually stop, but the volume fell. Then the Mother came through the crowd.

‘Rick, hello! Welcome! Come on in.’ She placed a hand behind him, ushering him towards the guest adults. ‘Everyone, this is Rick. Our good friend and neighbor. Some of you already know him.’

‘How are you, Rick?’ a woman nearby said. ‘Great you could make it.’

Then the adults began to greet Rick all at once, calling out kind things, but I noticed a strange caution in their voices. The Mother, speaking above them, asked:

‘So Rick. Is your mother keeping well? It’s been a while since she came over.’

‘She’s fine, thank you, Mrs Arthur.’

As Rick spoke, the room became quiet. A tall woman behind me asked: ‘Did I hear you lived nearby, Rick?’

Rick’s gaze moved across the faces to locate the speaker’s.

‘Yes, ma’am. In fact, ours is the only house you can see if you step outside.’ Then he did a small laugh and added: ‘Aside from this one, I mean.’

Everyone laughed loudly at his addition, and Josie, beside him, smiled nervously as if she’d made the remark herself. Another voice said:

‘A lot of clean air out here. Good place to grow up, I bet.’

‘It’s just fine, thank you,’ Rick said. ‘That is until you need a fast pizza delivery.’

Everyone laughed even more loudly, and this time Josie joined in, beaming happily.

‘Go ahead, Josie,’ the Mother said. ‘Take Rick in. You should be hosting all your other guests too. Go on in now.’

The adults stood back, and Josie, still holding Rick’s arm, led him towards the Open Plan. Neither of them looked at me, so I was unsure if I should follow. And then they were gone, the adults once more filling the hall, and I was left standing near the front door. A new voice nearby said:

‘Nice boy. Lives next door did he say? I couldn’t hear.’

‘Rick’s a neighbor, yes,’ the Mother said. ‘He’s been friends with Josie forever.’

‘That’s wonderful.’

Then a large woman whose shape resembled the food blending machine said: ‘Seems so bright too. Such a shame a boy like that should have missed out.’

‘I wouldn’t even have known,’ another voice said. ‘He presents himself so well. Is that a British accent he has?’

‘What’s important,’ the food blending woman said, ‘is that this next generation learn how to be comfortable with every sort of person. That’s what Peter always says.’ Then as other voices murmured in agreement, she asked the Mother: ‘Did his folks just…decide not to go ahead? Lose their nerve?’

The Mother’s kind smile vanished and everyone who’d heard seemed to stop talking. The food blending woman herself froze in horror. Then she reached out a hand towards the Mother.

‘Oh, Chrissie. What did I say? I didn’t mean…’

‘It’s okay,’ the Mother said. ‘Please forget it.’

‘Oh, Chrissie, I’m so sorry. I’m so stupid sometimes. I only meant…’

‘It’s our worst fear,’ a firmer voice nearby said. ‘Every one of us here.’

‘It’s okay,’ the Mother said. ‘Let’s leave it.’

‘Chrissie,’ the food blending woman said, ‘I only meant a nice boy like that…’

‘Some of us were lucky, some of us weren’t.’ A black-skinned woman, saying this, stepped forward and touched the Mother’s shoulder kindly.

‘But Josie’s fine now, isn’t she?’ another voice asked. ‘She looks so much better.’

‘She has good days and bad,’ the Mother said.

‘She’s looking so much better.’

The food blending woman said: ‘She’s going to be just fine, I know it. You were so courageous, after all you’d been through. Josie will be really grateful to you one day.’

‘Pam, come on.’ The black-skinned woman reached forward and began to lead the food blending woman away. But the Mother, looking at the food blending woman, said quietly:

‘Do you suppose Sal would want to thank me?’

At this, the food blending woman burst into tears. ‘Look, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m so stupid, I just open my mouth and…’ She sobbed, then continued loudly: ‘And now you all know it, know for certain I’m the world’s greatest fool! It was just that nice boy, it seems so unfair…Chrissie, I’m so sorry.’

‘Look, really, please forget it.’ The Mother, now making more effort, reached forward and held the food blending woman in a light hug. The food blending woman immediately returned the hug, and went on crying, her chin on the Mother’s shoulder.

There was an awkward quiet, then the black-skinned woman said in a cheerful voice: ‘Well, they seem to be managing okay in there. No sounds yet of an all-out brawl.’

Everyone laughed loudly, and then the Mother said in a new voice:

‘Hey, what are we doing still out here? Let’s go in the kitchen, please, everyone. Melania’s been preparing more of those wonderful pastries from her homeland.’