1. The Coin
WHEN Milly emerged from
the hot afternoon sun and crept indoors holding a greasy old chain, her father
sighed and her mother trembled with fury.
‘You really must do
something about her!’, she exclaimed, ‘and stop treating her like a baby.’
‘What is it you propose
I do?’ asked Milly’s father a little glumly, resentfully.
‘Well, she has to learn.
She is doing these things to bait us. God knows if it will ever end if you
don’t jump on her now. Amelia, when
are you going to stop trying to upset your parents?’ asked her mother
forcefully, aggressively.
Milly’s features quickly
became troubled. Her bottom lip protruded and she felt bereft, as though a tiny
pearl which once lay in her soft palm now decided to suddenly shatter. She
didn’t speak for fear the old stammer would return. She wandered over to her
father in small, resentful baby steps, and attempted to bury her soft face in
his big chest. At that moment he stole a glance at his wife and she signalled
back a tortured expression- a look that said ‘there you go again- babying her…’
A swift change of mood
crept over the face of Milly’s father as he tried to betray his own moral sense
and began lecturing his daughter in order to appease her mother. The
awkwardness he felt meant that he unwittingly overstepped the mark.
‘You heard your mother.
That greasy old chain is the final straw! Get your act together or we will put
you in your room until night time. You are a silly, childish petulant little
girl!’
Milly, abandoned, felt
her face crumple and hot tears dripped down in anger and shame. As she rushed
out of the room, blinded, her father began making tentative steps towards his
daughter. He faltered when his wife’s frown came into focus, but charged ahead,
determinedly, to rescue his forlorn little princess. When he reached his
daughter he shoved a dollar coin into her trembling hand, and she accepted it
with grateful sobs.