In Times of War

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

   When I wake up, Dennis and Nancy are lying on either side of me, which is a little surprising. They’re both curled up against my side, dead asleep. Dennis snores softly and Nancy lets out a small giggle in her sleep. I laugh softly at the sight, but the small movement from my laughter hurts my throbbing head even more. I wonder why they’re here but I get my answer whenever Aunt Tess (Mrs. Howell) walks through the door.

“Aunt Tess, what’re you doing here?” I ask her groggily.

   “Your mama went to fetch Doctor Tennant. She wanted someone to stay here in case you woke up, and to keep that Tony boy away.” I frown a little that they want David to stay away. Alice comes in and her mother exits, saying something about making soup.

“Spill, now.” She demands as she takes a now awake Nancy onto her lap and sits in the chair by my bed.

   I tell her everything I can remember about last night. I can’t remember anything that happened after David and I fell in the water to swim, though. I remember little bits of the conversation David and I had before I hit my head, but nothing much. I only remember that he didn’t want to be called ‘Tony’ because it sounded too much like his dad’s name, and that he wanted to be called ‘David’ now. I wonder why he wouldn’t want to be named after his dad; I know that if I were a boy I’d want to be just like my dad.

“So, he didn’t kiss you?” She asks, disappointed.

“I don’t know, Allie. He might have, and I would hate myself forever if I forgot something like that.”

   I hear the front door open and Mama walks in with Dr. Tennant. Dr. Tennant checks me for all injuries, asks me stupid questions and concludes that I have something called a ‘concussion’. Apparently, my brain hit my skull when I fells and I’m going to have bad headaches for a while. He said that I’d probably get my memory back over the next few weeks. He said I couldn’t run, skip rope, play games, or do anything that could possibly injure my head anymore. So, basically, anything fun was out of the question. He also tells me that I need to get lots of rest. No complaint there.

   I thank him, Mama thanks him, Aunt Tess thanks him, pretty much everyone thanks him for coming out on a Sunday. Mama gives him some cake to take home to his wife, Rose. He thanks us and goes back to his lovely blue house in town. All the children love Doctor Tennant because he’s hilarious, almost never serious, and he had a really neat blue shed in his backyard that he says is bigger on the inside.

   Aunt Tess and the Monkeys leave, Alex, who had been listening to the radio the whole time, went to a friend’s house, and Alice stayed in my room for just a few minutes longer. Mama goes downstairs to finish the soup Aunt Tess started. Alice sits there, just looking at me like she expects me to say something. When I don’t, she does.

“I’ll go and tell Tony you’re okay.” She says.

“Thank you.” I tell her and she walks out. I hear her call a goodbye to my mother as the front door closes behind her.

   The rest of the day was unbelievably boring. Mama wouldn’t let me get out of bed to do anything except use the bathroom. The next day, Mama didn’t let me go to classes. Alice came over after classes and told me about what I’d missed. I asked her about David.

   “When I got there, his mama let me in and up to his room. He was pacing back and forth, and he was really worried. I told him everything you remembered and that you were okay. He was really happy you were. I asked him if he kissed you an-“

“Alice! Why would you do that?” I interrupt.

   “Because I wanted to know and I wanted to see you face when I told you I asked. Anyway, he avoided the question and wouldn’t give me an answer. He really wanted to come and see you but I convinced him that you would rather he didn’t, and keep his head on his shoulders, than him come and see you, and lose your head.” I was disappointed that he avoided the question about a kiss, and I was disappointed in myself for forgetting. Alice leaves and I leave my bed, directly disobeying my mother’s orders.