The Granddaughter
She was a messunkempt plaits, a wrinkled school uniform with a crooked collar and cuffs haphazardly stitched on. The girl looked neglected, her eyes downcast.
Rebecca Wilson wrinkled her nose. Why had she even remembered that scruffy child? She set aside her beloved éclair. Where was George? He’d promised to come earlytoday was the anniversary of her late husband, Arthurs, passing.
A knock at the door.
“Whos there? George, is that you? Forget your keys?”
“Miss Wilson, you left your keys on the chair.”
“What? What keys?”
Rebecca opened the door and saw *her*. That same girl. What was this?
“Sedley? What keys? How did you know where I live? Have you been following me?”
The girl shook her head. Her threadbare coat had a stain on the pocket, her knee-high socks sagged, and her shoes were nearly falling apart.
Only now did Rebecca notice the girls eyesstrikingly blue, framed by thick black lashes.
Shed recently started teaching at the local comprehensive, called out of retirement after a lifetime at the college. Couldnt sit idle. Strange girl, this onenever mingled with the others. What was her name? Alice? Yes, Alice Sedley.
“Miss Wilson, you left your keys on the chair. I called after you, but you didnt hear.”
“Oh! Well, thank you goodness. Mustve forgotten to put them in my bag. Age, I suppose.” She tried to laugh it off.
“Youre not old,” the girl said solemnly. “You just rushed, thats all.”
“Thank you Alice.”
“Youre welcome. Goodbye, Miss Wilson.”
“Goodbye”
Rebecca closed the door, pensive, then joltedflung it open again. Soft footsteps retreated down the stairs.
“Alice.” Rebecca looked down; the girl looked up. “How did you know where I live?”
“I live next door. I see you walk to work. Sometimes I followtheres that dog on the corner. If I stay close to you, he doesnt growl at me. I smell of catsI feed them. In the basement. Hes a stray. I call him Rex.”
“And the address I asked the ladies on the bench. Told them you taught at my school. We take the same bus.”
*What a strange girl*, Rebecca thought. *Is she stalking me?*
“Fancy some tea?” The question slipped out before she could stop it. The girl nodded instantly.
Rude, reallyshe ought to have refused.
Rebecca poured the tea.
“Are you hungry?”
Alice shook her head, but Rebecca knew better. The girl was starving. *Why am I bothering with her?*
“You know what? Lets eat. I hate dining alone, and George is late”
She fussed, pulling food from the fridge. The girl ate neatly but ravenously.
“Thank you,” Alice murmured, eyeing the leftover roast. “I should go. Your cookings lovely.”
*So hungry shes praising my cooking*
She packed the leftoversmeat, potatoes, sweetsinto a container and handed it over.
Alice hesitated, then took it.
After she left, Rebecca scolded herself. *Unprofessional. Tomorrow, shell hug you in front of everyone. Or blurt something about the food.*
George slunk in at dawn, guilty.
“What day was yesterday?” she demanded.
“Thursday, Mum. Todays Friday”
“Dont cheek me, George.”
“Oh, were serious now? Im thirty, you know”
“Your fathers anniversary. He didnt deserve this.”
“Mum he wouldnt care if we ate yesterday or today. Lets do it properly tonight. Im going to bed. Day off.”
“Meaning youre sleep-deprived. What kept you out all night?”
“You *really* want to know?”
Rebecca stormed off to work, sour.
She waitedfor *that girl* to acknowledge her. But Alice passed by with nothing more than a perfunctory “Good morning, Miss Wilson.”
*Cheeky little*
She spent the day hunting for the wretched child. Was Alice avoiding her?
After work, she lingered, hoping to spot her. Nothing.
Three days later, nearing home, a scream tore through the air.
Alice.
Rebecca rushed toward the sound. A huge mongrel had its jaws clamped on the girls sleeve, shaking violentlytrying to wrench something from her.
“Get *away*!” Rebecca shooed the dog off. “Alice, are you hurt?”
The girls frightened eyes gleamed. “Hehe wanted the kittenwanted to” She burst into tears.
“Shh. Its over. Youre safe. Lets get you home.”
“I cant.”
“Children your age usually”
Rebecca stopped. *Strange girl.*
“Ill hide him under the stairs. If they dont chase him out again.”
“Who?”
“Them.”
*Ah. Of course.*
At school, shed asked about Alice. Most shrugged. Only old Mrs. Higgins, the maths teacher, knew: “Troubled home. Mother drinks. Or the grandmotherwho knows?”
“How was she even enrolled?”
“Not my concern,” Mrs. Higgins muttered, shaking her head.
Later, Rebecca tailed Alice. The girl darted past the snarling dog, then stopped near a benchpulled out a textbook. *Doing homework outside?*
At home, she rowed with George again. Divorced two years ago, no kids. “Natasha was perfect for you!” “Boring,” hed said. Now he was chasing some fling.
She needed air.
Outside, a slurred voice screeched: “*Alice!* Wheres that wretched girl?”
A dishevelled womaneyes just like Aliceslurched by the flats. Mother? Grandmother?
“Excuse me”
“What?”
“Youre Alice Sedleys?”
“Piss off.”
“Im her teacher. Where is she?”
“Asleep. At home.” The woman staggered inside.
“Alice,” Rebecca called softly. “Come out.”
The girl emerged from the shadows.
“Stay with me tonight.”
“Shell punish me.”
“She wont dare.”
“If she loses custody, theyll take me.”
“Who is she?”
“My nan.”
“Wheres your mother?”
“Gone.”
“Left you?”
“*Gone.* Four years now.”
“Did she drink?”
“No. We were happy. Then she got sick. Ive no one else. They get money for meNan and her bloke.”
“Right. Youre coming home. Well sort this.”
“I *cant*”
“I said *well sort it*.”
George was home, packing for a trip. He froze at the sight of Alice.
“Whos this?”
“Alice.”
The girl stared at him.
“You staying the night?” he asked.
“Dunno.”
He left, glancing back.
In the morning, Rebecca let her sleep, fed her breakfast.
“Lets go.”
“Where? The childrens home?”
“The shops.”
George emerged, groggy. “Whered you find her?”
“My student.”
“Ah.”
At the store, Rebecca picked new clothessmart, proper. The girl bloomed like a flower.
“What a lovely granddaughter,” the cashier chirped. “Looks just like you.”
Rebeccas heart swelled.
“Bin these rags.”
“No!” Alice clutched her old coat. “Theyll sell them. Then beat me.”
“What do we do?”
“Dunno.”
“Café?”
“With you?”
“Why not? Ever made cake?”
“Me? Teach *you*?”
“Mum and I baked. Before she got sick.”
They baked, laughed, drank tea. George returned*too soon*and ruined the mood.
“I should go,” Alice whispered.
“Ill walk you.”
“Whats your name?” George asked, studying her.
“Alice. I *told* you, George,” Rebecca snapped.
“Did *she* send you?”
Alice shook her head.
“George, *what* is this?”
The girl froze on the threshold.
“Explain. Now.”
The truth spilledold as time.
“Mum, remember Diana Sedley? Two years younger. Lived nearby. Her mum drank. We were involved.”
“Diana? Never heard of her.”
“I loved her. Just kids, but”
“And Alice?”
“She never told me. I was with Natasha by thenyou liked *her*. Proper girl.”
“When did you find out?”
“When I saw Alice. Shes your *double*.”
Hed met Diana after the divorce. Shed claimed Alice was his. Hed called her a liar.
“You *abandoned* her”
“I didnt *believe* her! But Id never abandon a child. Im not *that* cruel.”
“Yet you did.”
“Alice,” George knelt. “Do you know me?”
“Yes. I saw your photo when I brought the keys. I knew.”
“Im not sending you back. *Ever.*” He pulled her close. “Shes *mine*, Mum. My daughter.”
Tests confirmed it. Georges girlfriend, Elena, stood by him in court. Rebecca clutched Alices handterrified theyd take her.
***
“Dad, can I live with Gran?”
“What if she says no?”
“She wont. Shes lonely.”
“And Im not?”
“Youve got Elena.”
Rebecca walked hand-in-hand with her granddaughter, uncaring of gossip. Shed found her joy.
George grew close to Alice. Elena leftamicably.
“Was it because
