6
Three more days of cleaning, hauling, scrubbing, eating packet soup and mega-breakfasts and dreaming of a bouncy new mattress later, I cycled through the drab grey mizzle to have dinner with the Camerons. The door was flung open before I even rang the bell.
‘Hi, Superman.’
‘Hi.’ Superman, overcome with shyness, shuffled his feet on the welcome mat.
‘Are Ellen and Will in, or are you babysitting?’
He flicked his eyes up at me, the hint of a dimple appearing in his cheek. ‘I’m babysitting.’
‘Are you doing a good job?’
The dimples deepened. ‘Yes!’ Hamish shouted, in a deep superhero voice.
‘Can I come in?’
‘Uuuummmmm…’ He thought about it, as I flicked icy raindrops from my forehead.
‘Please?’
‘Uuuummmmm…’
‘Ellen, have you seen my jeans?’ Will came thumping down the stairs, wearing a shirt and boxer-shorts. ‘What are you doing, Hamish?’
I had automatically stepped back, but as he leant past Hamish to close the door, he saw me.
‘Hi.’ I averted my eyes, lifting one hand in a feeble wave. ‘I’m Jenny.’
‘Yes. Hi. Come on in. Watch the skateboard. And the stepladder. And, well, make yourself at home. I’ll be one minute. Ellen! Hamish opened the door again!’ He waited for me to enter, then whipped shut the bolt at the top of the door before leaping up the stairs, two at a time, leaving Superman grinning as he hopped up the ladder.
‘Is that how you opened the door?’
He nodded. Hop.
‘Did Mummy and Daddy tell you not to open the door?’
He pretended to think about that. Hop, hop.
‘Because it’s dangerous?’
‘Not dangerous for me! I’m Superman!’ Hamish threw himself off the fifth rung, landing in a heap on the hall floor before scampering off into the living room.
I snuck a glance back at the door, contemplating a pre-emptive escape.
‘Hi, Jenny,’ Maddie said, perched at the top of the stairs.
Okay, so no escape this time. ‘Hi. Where does this go?’ I replied, folding up the ladder.
‘Under the stairs. Daddy forgot to lock the cupboard door. You can leave it there, though. Hamish only opened the door because Jonno sounded the alarm.’
‘Alarm?’
‘The Jenny alarm. They’ve been waiting for you since swimming. They want you to play Hunt and Destroy.’
‘Hunt and Destroy? Is that a computer game?’
‘No.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘It’s like hide-and-seek, only with weapons. And wrestling.’
