A Child Called It-David
How I Live Now-Daisy
Setting- California, David's house
Daisy walked in the warm California air, enjoying the difference between New York and California. She longed to be back in England before all of the drama started but she still enjoyed being away and visiting other cousins. She had never met these people and knew very little about them, but they were still family either way. She reached the house and knocked on the door but there was no answer. She stood there for five minutes but still no one answered. There was no car in the driveway either, so she decided to just open the door, and luckily it was unlocked.
She walked around the house yelling, “Is anyone home?” wondering if they remembered that she was visiting. Out from the basement came a frail boy who was even thinner than she was, he looked slightly nervous and approached her slowly.
“Hey, I’m Daisy. Which son are you?” she asked.
“Dave…” he replied quietly.
“Dave?” Daisy questioned, she hadn’t remembered being told about any kid named Dave. She knew about the two sons and the baby but that was all. This boy seemed extremely weird to her, she could sense that something wasn’t right. She eyed the bruises along his arms, he followed her gaze and quickly explained that he fell down the stairs a few days ago and got very banged up. The words flowed out of his mouth so naturally, like it had been rehearsed a thousand times before.
“So where is the rest of your family?” she asked.
“My mom took them to the zoo,” he answered.
“And you didn’t go?”
“No…I didn’t feel up to it and someone had to be home to greet you. I’m just going to stay home and do a few chores…” Dave said.
“I could help if you want…” she offered, still feeling like something was going on.
He looked at her stunned, like no one had ever offered to help him before. “That would be great…but I wouldn’t want my mom to catch you helping. I don’t think she’d want me to make a guest do any work…” he told her. She had no clue what kind of punishments awaited Dave if his mom found out he had any help.
“Well,” she started, examining his thin figure, “how about we have something to eat? I’m starving.” She lied, eating was the last thing she wanted to do.
“I could make you something…” he said obediently. Daisy shook her head and asked him to eat with her, and he eventually agreed.
They made sandwiches and sat down to eat, Dave eyed the sandwich ravenously. Daisy just picked at hers while she watched her newly found cousin devour his. When he finished she handed him the rest of hers and he didn’t protest. He sat back and looked content but still slightly worried. They cleaned up and sat around for awhile. Daisy asked him a few questions but avoided anything about the bruises and his weight seeing as she’d only known him a few hours.
She helped him a little while he did the chores until they heard a car stop in the driveway. He quickly picked up the pace and told her to go and get settled but she knew he was trying to get rid of her. She turned in the doorway and said, “I’m not sure what you’re going through, but no matter what, I know you can make it through this. Take it from someone with experience in terrible times, things will get better someday.” With that she left Dave to himself, with a tiny glimmer of hope from her words.
