Viper

He worked his way in like a splinter. Like a considerate lover with a virgin not yet old enough for his attentions. Sneaky. Slimy. Revolting. How did I not see it at the time? How did I not vomit when he entered the room?

+

The day it happened was gorgeous. Such awful things should be confined to gloomy, grey days. The ones that are thick with clouds. Or else black skies, shattered by lightning, and split by raw howls.

The second worst part is, I was going to cancel. She should never have gone. I was still chewing over it, over how to break the news to her, when the clatter of her boots on the stairs pulled me up short.

She was so beautiful, my little angel. Her face shining with excitement, joy pouring out of her eyes and off the corners off her mouth. Oh, darling.

It pierced my heart to tell her she couldn't go. Her adorable features grew ugly in that moment, promising thunder.

"But Isaiah said- "

I held up a hand.

"No, Loretta! I won't hear it! This isn't Isaiah's decision. I'm your mother, and I've said no."

Looking back, this was the first time I'd come close to criticising Isaiah.

Loretta practically squealed in distress and indignation.

"But he said it was special. For my birthday! I'm going to ride Merlin, he's the best pony ever-"

"Loretta..." I tried to warn her, but she wasn't listening. My blood was up. All the way up. To my ears. I was pulled taut as a bowstring, with Ivor still laid upi and the baby sickly, probably the measles, although how he caught it is anyone's guess, and now this...

She was still prattling on about Merlin, and her birthday, but it was hard to make out because tears were in full flow. I felt fairly awful, having to say her no. Sometimes, the selfishness of little children grates something wicked.

When I looked api and he was stood there, it was as a saviour. He'd Weasled his way into the room when he should have butted out and left well alone.

Loretta spun to face him. "Isaiah! You drive, don't you? You can drive a car? All the way to the pony school?"

"Oh, no, Loretta," I tried to stop her, not wanting to impose on him. "Darling, Isaiah won't want to drive all that way. You can't ask that."

"Umm... Actually..." Isaiah said, uncertainty cloaking his lying tongue, "I don't mind too much, Mrs.C. You see, I can't get a refund so it would be less of a bind, do you see, to drive her over there and know it's money well-spent..." He looked into Loretta's chubby little face with those intense eyes. "I can take you he said "But only if it's alright with your mother."

Loretta spun back to face me, eyes alight again, this time with hope.

"Oh, pleeeease!" she said, and I'm not sure why I still hesitated. We all three of us knew I'd changed my mind.

"Alright," I said, "but only if you're sure, Isaiah."

"I'm sure I don't mind none. Be a shame for her to miss out after all. But it's your decision Mrs.C."

She fairly flew at him, and wrapped her arms round his middle, squeezing with all her might.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" she was saying.

I should have pulled her away, same as I'd stop her hugging a snake. But I didn't. I was gracious, and it was the death of her.

The last time I saw her, I snapped at her, and fair broke her heart. When in the next instant I fixed it, she gave the hug that was mine by rights to that snake.

That was the last time I saw her. Alive and well, anyway.

When the phone rang later that day, I answered it without even a twinge of premonition. Well, we've already established that mine might be faulty.

She'd been thrown. Merlin was not the best pony. He was the feistiest, and far too strong, and too strong-willed, for a little girl whose only access to ponies had been stories about them, and pictures.

Even still, I didn't blame the snake. When next I saw him, I fell apart with my grief, and he wrapped around me like a constrictor. He squeezed the aching breath out of me, and I sighed into his empty chest.

He didn't lie to me. He didn't say, "It'll be alright." That much, at least, I can respect him for, if nothing else.

+

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