Page 2 of Bad Star

Chapter Two

The dayafter Rainn was released from hospital her cousin visited her at home.

“I’m sorry,” said Margaret. “I wanted to come while you were still in hospital.”

Rainn laughed. “You mean you wanted me to stay in hospital longer?”

“You know that’s not what I meant. I wanted to get an earlier flight, but I couldn’t.”

“Margaret, you needn’t have. It’s such a long way to come and I’m fine, really.”

“Rainn, you were hit by a car! Of course I was going to come. I’d have come to wherever you were.”

“I’m not badly hurt. I was shaken but these injuries will heal.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Margaret. “I wanted to come.”

She was silent for a while and Rainn knew what she was thinking.

“Where’s Yvonne?” she asked, eventually.

“At work.” She heard Margaret shift in her seat. It was enough to know how she felt.

“Don’t be angry with her,” she said.

“How can I not be angry?” said Margaret. “How can she be so negligent?”

“It wasn’t her fault. It was me. I was stupid.”

“It wouldn’t have happened if she had kept an eye on you.”

“She can’t keep an eye on me all the time.”

“You could have been killed.”

“I wasn’t.”

“That was just good fortune.”

“Maybe,” said Rainn. “I’m not sure what it was.”

Margaret poured tea from the teapot. Rainn took her cup and she listened to Margaret stir in her milk and sugar.

“And the car driver?” Margaret asked. “What will happen to him? Was he speeding? Have the police spoken to him?”

“It wasn’t his fault. I stepped off the kerb straight into him.”

“Well, maybe. But he should still apologize.”

“If anything, I should apologize to him. I knocked the wing mirror clean off his Porsche.”

“Oh, poor him,” scoffed Margaret. “He’ll probably ask you to pay to have it replaced.”

“I offered,” blushed Rainn.

“What?” Margaret spluttered on her tea.

“He came into the hospital. I said sorry and asked if I could pay for the damage.”