Anne Fine - Anneli the Art Hater

Anneli liked to wave, if they were there. They always waved back, if they could. They all knew Anneli because Jodie sometimes took her and Josh along.

Today there was no one in sight. Only the drive and what little could be seen of the long sloping lawns, and the six great holly trees shading the high stone wall behind. No point in hanging about. Anneli picked up her bag and strolled on, into her own street, her thoughts turning back to Henry and his ideas for making money.

Cake baking might be out, but what about the other two ideas? What were they, now? Oh, yes. Sweeping up leaves. Ridiculous! Anneli hadn’t seen a dead leaf in months.

And looking for precious things in attics.

What attics?

Anneli sighed. Honestly, sometimes Henry was hopeless. She might as well go home and ask her mother’s advice about raising money – yet again.

As she came up the path between the two houses, Anneli caught sight of Old Mrs Pears’ pale face at one of next-door’s upstairs windows.

Old Mrs Pears waved.

Anneli waved back, politely feigning a happy smile. When your own teacher’s grandmother lives next door, you don’t take chances.

Safe in the porch, her smile dropped away like a discarded mask, and moodily pushing the door open, Anneli walked in.

Behind the door, Josh was waiting with his thumb in his mouth and the purple velvet cloth he loved clutched in his fist as usual.

‘Hello, Josh.’

‘’Lo.’

He followed Anneli along the hall and into the kitchen. Here, Josh’s mother was busy cooking.

‘Hi, Jodie.’

‘Hello, Anneli. Good day?’

But Jodie didn’t wait for Anneli to answer because the sharp smell of burn had suddenly risen from the pan and started to fill the kitchen. Hastily Jodie turned her back and started furiously stirring.

Anneli was curious. ‘Is supper going to be very early?’

‘No,’ Jodie told her. ‘It’s just that it’s my turn to cook but I have a most important meeting just before.’

‘About Carrington Lodge? And the children?’

‘Yes.’ But, though she looked worried, Jodie didn’t go on to explain. In any case, she was busy rattling through the drawer in search of the bread knife. ‘Here, Anneli. Do me a giant favour and make a couple of sandwiches to keep you and Josh alive till supper.’

Josh stood in the doorway, holding his precious purple cloth to his cheek as he watched Anneli carefully slice the loaf. As she spread peanut butter, she asked Jodie, ‘Will Mum be home soon?’

‘Not for another hour. Someone was sick so Helen’s had to stay to teach another class.’

‘Oh.’ Anneli’s disappointment was intense. She slipped off the chair. ‘I’ll go and read, then.’

Jodie looked up from the sauce that was proving so tricky. ‘You couldn’t be an angel and take Josh with you? Keep him happy just for a few minutes, till I get all this lot sorted.’

Anneli sighed. But still she let Josh follow her along the hall and into the sitting room. It was impossible to read your own book when Josh was about. He always wanted you to read to him instead. So while she was rooting through the bookshelves, looking for something that they both enjoyed, she asked him amiably, ‘So, Josh. What did you do today at playgroup?’

Josh made a face.

‘Had to sing songs.’

‘You’re lucky,’ Anneli told him with feeling. ‘I had to paint.’

In a surge of sympathy, Josh held out towards her the velvet cloth, spattered with bread crumbs and smeared with peanut butter.

‘It’s all right,’ Anneli told him. ‘It’s all over now.’

Josh finished his sandwich, then started picking up the bits he’d dropped and eating those.

‘Want to go and help Mummy?’ Anneli suggested hopefully.

‘Help you ,’ Josh said firmly.

‘Go on, then,’ Anneli said. ‘Help me. Which shall we do first? Sweep up dead leaves, bake cakes to sell, or find an attic full of precious things?’

Josh looked embarrassed.

‘Not got no leaves,’ he said. ‘Can’t cook.’

‘Not got no attic, either,’ Anneli said bitterly.

Henry’s trio of bright ideas had all turned out to be right duds.

‘Got an attic,’ said Josh.

‘Don’t be silly. We haven’t got an attic.’

‘Got an attic.’

‘You don’t know what an attic is.’

‘Do.’

‘Don’t.’

He stuck his tongue out at her.

‘Do.’

Anneli was irritated.

‘All right,’ she challenged him. ‘Show me!’

Instantly, Josh made for the door.

Anneli followed. She never thought that Josh had anything at all to show her, but she went with him as he clambered up the stairs, until he reached the door that separated Jodie’s top half of the house.

Anneli pushed it open. Josh walked past his own little bedroom, barely larger than a cupboard, and through the room in which Jodie kept her books, her sewing machine, the television and the stereo. He threaded his way between the armchairs, and grasped the handle on the door to his mother’s bedroom.

‘You’ll catch it,’ Anneli warned. ‘You’re not allowed to play in there.’

‘Not playing,’ Josh insisted. ‘Showing.’

He opened the door.

Going into Jodie’s room was, Anneli always thought, like stepping in a magical cavern, or going under water suddenly. The glorious silk shawls draped over the window to hide the wall outside made it glow soft and greeny-blue, like living at the bottom of a goldfish bowl. The room smelt of flowers and joss sticks. Plants trailed and climbed all over, even inside the fireplace with its pretty patterned tiles. Little bells hanging by embroidery silks were jingling softly in the breeze from the window. The floor was bright with rugs, and the bedspread a riot of patchwork.

And scattered all over, on everything, were pretty things: rings that dazzled, bangles that caught the light, earrings that sparkled; small painted jewel boxes, tiny enamelled beads, gleaming glass pots, brass dishes overflowing with strange foreign coins. The walls were bespattered with bright postcards, and a floppy straw hat with scarlet ribbons hung from the bed post.

Everywhere you looked was something you longed to try on, or touch, or stroke, or take the lid off and peep inside.

No wonder Josh was forbidden to play here.

‘Go on, then,’ Anneli teased him. ‘Show me the attic.’

To her astonishment, Josh dived under the bed and disappeared behind the hanging folds of patchwork counterpane.

She heard his muffled voice.

‘Come on .’

Catching her breath, she knelt and followed him.

Under the bed, it was quite dark and very dusty. Anneli sneezed several times. When she recovered, it was to find that Josh had stuck his purple cloth in her face.

‘There,’ he said. ‘Bless you.’

Anneli pushed the cloth away.

‘Where’s this great attic, then?’ she said a little meanly. After all, her hair was catching in the bedsprings overhead, and pulling. She was bent double. It was too dark to see a thing, and Josh’s feet were digging in her stomach.

‘There,’ Josh proclaimed.

‘Where? I can’t see a thing!’

‘There!’

Josh found one of her hands and pulled it over till it touched the wall behind the bed.