The Forget-Me-Not Sonata(80)

Alicia cried out in delight and clapped her hands together. Florien felt his heart inflate like a balloon and his face broke into a triumphant smile. He held the chicken up by the neck and then with Alicia’s eyes upon him he twisted it, breaking it in one swift movement.

At that moment the sky opened and rain fell in a torrent of large drops. Alicia squealed and tore her eyes off the dead bird that swung from Florien’s victorious hand. ‘Leo, let’s go!’ she shouted, running off towards the house. Leonora emerged from the barn and followed her, laughing as the rain splashed off her head and shoulders and trickled down her back. Florien was left in bewilderment, standing alone in the yard as the chickens hurried for cover. He blinked away the stream of water that cascaded down his face and shame now surfaced with his reasoning. He was overwhelmed by a wave of self-loathing. He hated that snobby little girl. He would never speak to her again. Biting his lip in anger he walked through the yard to the vegetable garden where he fell to the ground and began to dig a hole with his bare hands. He placed the warm body in the earth and covered it up as best he could. Then he wiped his hands on his trousers and made his way back home feeling lower than he had ever felt before.

‘Florien killed a chicken for me,’ said Alicia to Leonora as they cowered for cover in a windy stone folly that stood beneath an umbrella of trees in the corner of the garden.

Leonora was suitably horrified. ‘He didn’t!’ she exclaimed, staring at her sister in disbelief.

‘Don’t be such a baby,’ Alicia sneered. ‘I told him I wouldn’t tell you, so don’t sneak.’

‘I won’t. I promise.’

‘Good.’

‘Did the chicken suffer?’

‘Terribly,’ said Alicia, smiling triumphantly. ‘First he had to chase it around the yard. It ran and ran until its little legs couldn’t carry it any further. It collapsed on the grass and when Florien picked it up I think I heard a gasp of terror. Then he wound his hands around its neck and squeezed slowly, very slowly, so that the chicken died a long and painful death.’ Alicia watched as her sister’s eyes filled with tears. She waited until they began to spill over her cheeks and then she put her out of her misery. ‘Don’t be silly, he killed it so quickly the stupid animal didn’t feel anything.’

‘Oh, I’m so relieved!’ Leonora gasped, hastily wiping her face. ‘You are mean sometimes, Alicia.’

‘And you’re a gullible old thing, Leo.’

Leonora smiled weakly at her sister’s affectionate tone.

‘What do you think of Florien?’ she asked. Alicia was never happier than when she talked about herself and her opinions and Leonora was only too ready to please her.

‘I think he’s handsome but dumb.’

‘You mean he never says anything?’

‘No, I mean stupid.’

‘Oh.’ Leonora thought her sister most unjust but she didn’t dare say.

‘He’ll be fun to have around though in the holidays,’ she continued. ‘I’ll be bored if it’s just you and me. Maybe he can build us a camp in the woods and we can ride those horses bareback.’

‘I love the caravans. We can play in them too.’

‘Perhaps,’ said Alicia whose mind was now wandering back to the yard and to Florien whom she had left alone with the dead chicken. ‘I wonder if he’s going to bury it or own up,’ she said, narrowing her eyes.

‘He’ll eat it, of course.’

‘No he won’t,’ replied Alicia and laughed. ‘He wasn’t meant to kill it. His father will eat him for dinner if he finds out. I don’t think he’s allowed to kill animals on his own. Besides, I said if he did it, it would be our secret.’

‘Ah,’ sighed Leonora who already understood. Alicia had made him do it and he had been too impressed not to seize the opportunity to show off.

‘He’ll be furious with me now,’ she giggled. ‘But he won’t be able to say anything without owning up.’

‘Poor Florien,’ said Leonora, looking out onto the lawn and imagining hot summer days helping him and his father in the flowerbeds. He probably wouldn’t want her to help him now.

‘You had better toughen up, Leo. No one will like you at school if you’re too nice.’ Leonora looked across at her sister and knew she was wrong. But still, she couldn’t help but admire her, Alicia was everything she wasn’t. And as if Nature had heard her thoughts the rain cloud moved away and the sun came out, bathing Alicia’s beautiful young face in a heavenly golden light.