Love, Rosie (229 page)

ambulance
where
I
received
7
stitches
and
my
stomach
was
pumped.

The
parents
were
none
too
pleased.

Ruby:

Rosie:

Ruby:

Rosie:

Ruby:

Rosie:

Ruby:

I
bet
they
weren’t.
How
did
you
fall?
Were
you
doing
some
of
your

funky
moves
on
the
dance
floor
again?

Actually
no.
I
was
only
sitting
on
my
stool.

Ha
ha
only
you
could
fall
on
the
floor
while
you
were
sitting
down.

Very
dangerous,
that
sitting
down
nonsense.

I
know
that’s
weird
isn’t
it.
I
wonder
how
it
happened!

Well
you
should
ask
Alex,
he
was
there
too
after
all.

Good
idea!
He’s
online
now
so
I’ll
ask.

It’s
not
that
bloody
important
but
any
old
excuse
to
talk
to
him
I

suppose.
I’ll
hold
on
here
and
try
to
make
myself
look
busy
while

you
ask.

You
have
an
instant
message
from:
ROSIE

Rosie:

Alex:

Rosie:

Hi
Alex.

Hi
there,
do
you
ever
do
any
work?
Every
time
I
log
on
you’re
on
too!

I’m
just
chatting
to
Ruby.
It’s
cheaper
this
way.
We
don’t
have
to

answer
questions
at
work
about
the
telephone
bill.
An
Internet
bill
is

more
accepted
and
typing
makes
us
look
like
we’re
busy.
Anyway
I

just
wanted
to
ask
you
a
quick
question.

Alex:

Rosie:

Alex:

Fire
ahead.

Remember
on
my
16th
birthday,
I
fell
and
hit
my
head
bla
bla
bla.

Ha
ha
how
could
I
forget?
Are
you
thinking
of
this
because
Katie’s

love,
rosie

341

birthday
is
coming
up?
Because
if
she’s
anything
like
you,
you

should
be
afraid,
be
very,
very
afraid.
What
should
I
get
for
her
any-

way,
a
sick
bucket?

Rosie:

Alex:

Rosie:

Alex:

Rosie:

Alex:

Rosie:

Alex:

Age
is
only
a
number,
not
a
state
of
mind
or
a
reason
for
any
type

of
particular
behavior.

O
.
.
.
K
then.
What’s
your
question?

How
on
earth
did
I
fall
and
hit
my
head
on
the
floor
while
I
was
sit-

ting
down?

Oh
my
lord.
The
question.
The
Question.
The
Question
.

What’s
wrong
with
my
question??

Rosie
Dunne
I
have
been
waiting
20
years
for
you
to
ask
me
that

question
and
I
thought
you
never
would.

What??

Why
you
never
asked
is
beyond
me
but
you
woke
up
the
next
day
and

claimed
to
have
no
knowledge
of
what
had
happened.
I
didn’t
want

to
bring
it
up;
you
had
brought
enough
up
the
night
before!
Ha
ha.

Rosie:

Alex:

Rosie:

Alex:

Rosie:

Alex: