Little Donkey (5 page)
Authors: Jodi Taylor
‘
Sometimes I wonder if you will forget me.
’
‘You know I never will. I owe you too much.’
‘
Jenny, I did nothing. You did it all yourself.
And now I must go.
’
I knew better than to try and keep him here. He expected more from me.
‘It was good to see you again, Thomas. And thank you again for bringing Russell home.’
‘
We shall see each other again …
’
‘Will we? When?’
But he was already fading. I could see the outline of the chest of drawers behind him. There was a last lingering of ginger biscuits and then he was gone.
Thomas was right. She was an angel. A happy angel. She was Russell’s daughter, with all of his charm and erratic behaviour, but slightly less messy eating habits.
Russell adored her and she him and yes; he turned out to be an unorthodox but effective father. He spent hours beside her cradle, talking incessantly to her, dashing off sketch after sketch, letting them fall to the floor in his excitement to start the next one.
And he painted. All day, every day. It was as if a dam had burst. Light and exuberance and movement exploded from every canvas he touched as he brought all the colours and complexities of life to his paintings. He painted his world as he saw it and it was joyful. Every afternoon we would sit with him in his studio as he jabbed at his canvases, whistling, singing odd snatches of tunes, talking to himself. Every now and then he would look across the room to us and smile. He was happy. Because in painting Joy, he had found hope.
Published by Accent Press Ltd – 2014
ISBN: 9781783752188
Copyright © Jodi Taylor 2014
The right of Jodi Taylor to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The story contained within this book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be copied, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers: Accent Press, Ty Cynon House, Navigation Park, Aberycnon,, CF45 4SN
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