My Granddaughter
She was a grubby little thing, with messy plaits, a wrinkled school uniform, and a crooked collar clumsily stitched in place. The girl looked neglected, her expression dull.
Rosemary winced. Why had she thought of that scruffy child now? She set aside her beloved éclairwhere was Gregory? Hed promised to come early. Today was the anniversary of Edwards passing…
A knock at the door startled her.
«Whos there? Gregory, is that you? Forget your keys again?»
«Miss Rosemary, you left your keys on the chair.»
«What? What keys?»
Rosemary opened the door and saw that same girl. What on earth?
«Sedley? What keys? How did you know where I live? Have you been following me?»
The girl shook her head. She wore a tatty woollen hat, a threadbare coat with a stain on the pocket, sagging knee socks, and shoes nearly falling apart.
Only now did Rosemary notice her eyesdeep blue, framed by dark, fluttery lashes.
Shed only recently started teaching at the school, called in for English literature after retiring from the college. A year of idleness had been unbearable. But this girl odd, keeping to herself. What was her name again? Alice Alice Sedley.
«Miss Rosemary, you left your keys on the chair. I called after you, but you didnt hear.»
«What keys? Ohgoodness, thank you. Must be my age,» she joked weakly.
«Youre not old,» the girl said seriously. «Just in a hurry, I think.»
«Thank you Alice.»
«Youre welcome. Goodbye, Miss Rosemary.»
«Goodbye»
Rosemary shut the door, thoughtful, then suddenly reopened it. Faint footsteps echoed down the stairsAlice descending slowly.
«Alice,» Rosemary called, peering down as the girl looked up. «How did you know where I lived?»
«I live next door. I see you walking to work sometimes. Or I follow behindtheres that dog on the corner. He growls unless I stay close. He snarls at me because I smell of cats. I feed them, the strays in the basement I call him Rex. Hes homeless.»
«And the address?»
«I asked the ladies on the bench. Said you worked at my school. We take the same bus»
What a strange child, Rosemary thought. Was she spying?
«Fancy some tea?» she blurted. The girl agreed instantly.
Rude, reallyshouldve refused. Rosemary poured the tea.
«Are you hungry?»
Alice shook her head, but Rosemary knew she was. Why am I bothering with her?
«Tell you whatlets eat together. I hate dining alone, and Gregorys late»
She bustled about, fetching food. The girl ate neatly but ravenously.
«Thank you,» Alice said, eyeing the leftovers. «I should go. Your cookings lovely.»
Imagine thatso starved she complimented my mediocre food.
Rosemary packed up the leftovers, adding biscuits, pressing them into Alices hands.
«No thanks needed,» she muttered, but the girl took it.
Afterward, Rosemary scolded herselfunprofessional. What if the girl hugged her at school? Praised her cooking in front of everyone?
Gregory slunk in at dawn, sheepish.
«What day was yesterday?» Rosemary demanded.
«Thursday, Mum. Todays Friday»
«Dont be clever, Gregory.»
«Ooh, full-name treatment. Im thirty, you know»
«It was your fathers memorial. He deserved better.»
«Mum he wouldnt care if we ate yesterday or today. Lets do it tonight. Im knackeredday off.»
«So youve been up all night? Doing what, exactly?»
«You *really* want to know?»
Sour-faced, Rosemary went to work.
She waited for Alice to acknowledge her. But the girl passed by with only a curt greeting.
Cheeky little madam.
All day, Rosemary hunted for her, but Alice seemed to vanish.
Days later, nearing home, she heard a scream.
Alice, pinned by a snarling mongrel, its teeth sunk into her sleeve.
«Shoo! Get off!» Rosemary waved the beast away. «Alice, are you hurt?»
The girls frightened eyes made her chest ache.
«Hehe wanted to t-tear the kitten apart!»
«Shhh, its over. Youre safe. Lets get you home.»
«I cant.»
«Children your age usually»
Rosemary stopped. Odd girl.
«Ill hide him under the stairs. If they dont chase him out again.»
«Who?»
«Them.»
At school, inquiries about Alice yielded shrugsuntil old Miss Penelope, the maths teacher, wobbled her head and whispered:
«That familys trouble. Mother and stepfather drink. Or is it the gran?»
«But how was she enrolled?»
Miss Penelope shrugged harder.
Later, Rosemary watched Alice dart past the droopy-eared mutt, then pause at a bench outside her block. She pulled out a textbook.
Studying outside?
At home, Gregory was fighting with his ex again. No childrenjust restlessness. Natasha had been lovely. «Boring,» hed said. Now hed found someone *exciting*.
Needing air, Rosemary stepped out
«Alice! Wheres that wretched girl?» A slurred voice echoed.
A dishevelled woman loitered by the flats. Her eyesjust like Alices.
Mother? Grandmother?
«Excuse me»
«What?»
«Are you Alice Sedleys guardian?»
«Piss off.»
«Im her teacher. Where is she?»
«Asleep inside.» The woman turned away.
«Alice?» Rosemary called into the dark.
The girl emerged from the shadows.
«Come home with me.»
«Shell punish me.»
«She wont dare.»
«Theyll take me away if she loses custody.»
«Who is she?»
«My gran Mummys gone. Four years now.»
«Did she drink?»
«No. We were happy. But she got ill. Now its just themGran and her husband. They take the money for me»
«Right. Youre coming with me. Well sort this.»
Gregory was home, packing a bag. He froze at the sight of Alice.
«Whos this?»
«Alice.»
The girl stared.
«Staying the night?» he asked.
«Dunno»
In the morning, Rosemary let her sleep, then fed her.
«Lets go.»
«Where? The care home?»
«The shops.»
Gregory eyed the girl. «Whered you find her?»
«My student.»
«Ah.»
Rosemary bought new clothesAlice lit up like a Christmas tree.
«Your granddaughters beautiful,» the shopkeeper gushed. «Looks just like you.»
Rosemary smiled, warmth blooming in her chest.
«Now, toss that old coat.»
«No!» Alice clung to it. «Theyll sell it. Then beat me. I shouldnt have come.»
«What do we do?»
«Dunno.»
«Café?»
«With you?»
«Why not?»
«Can you bake cakes?»
«Ernot really.»
«Mummy and I used to. Before she got poorly.»
«Lets try. Need ingredients?»
«If youve run out»
They baked, laughing, drinking teauntil Gregory returned.
Blast. Shed almost forgotten how he ruined things.
«I should go,» Alice murmured.
«Ill walk you.»
Gregory blocked her path. «Whats your name?»
«Alice. I told you, Gregory,» Rosemary snapped.
«Did she send you?»
Alice shook her head.
«Gregory, whats going on?» Rosemary demanded.
«Her mothers gone four years Dad.»
«What? Aliceexplain!»
The girl froze.
«Gregory? Who sent her? Do you know her?»
«Yes, Mum Shes my daughter. Alice.»
The story unfoldedold as time.
«Remember Diana Sedley? Her mother.»
«No.»
«She lived two streets over. We were kids in love. Then I met Natashayou approved of *her*.»
«And Alice?»
«Diana never told me. By the time I found out, I didnt believe her. I was a fool, Mum.»
«You abandoned her.»
«I didnt know! Three years passed. Alicedo you know me?»
«Yes. I saw your photo when I brought the keys. I knew.»
«I wont send her back. Shes *mine* now. Alice, come here Shes my granddaughter.»
Tests confirmed it. Gregorys girlfriend, Elena, stood by him in court.
Rosemary clutched Alices hand, terrified shed vanish.
***
«Dad can I live with Gran?»
«What if she says no?»
«She wont. She gets lonely.»
«And I dont?»
«Youve got Elena»
Hand in hand, Rosemary walked with her granddaughter, uncaring of gossip. Shed found her joyher flesh and blood.
Gregory grew close to Alice, though he and Elena parted ways.
«Not because of me?» Alice fretted.
«Never. Id choose you over anyone. Wish Grandad couldve met you.»
At parents evening, Gregory met Alices teacher Now Alice walks to school with both mother and grandmother.
«Hard having teachers as family?» classmates ask.
«Nah. Its brilliant,» Alice grins.
«How did I live without her?» Gregory murmurs. «Diana, forgive me Ill never leave her again.»
Sometimes Alice visits her other grancleaning, cooking, scolding them sober.
The old woman weeps, kissing her hands.
«My girl my own blood,» she sobs, swearing to quit the bottle.
