The Other Ida Read Online Free Page A

Uta coming, Da?”
    He touched her hair. “Try not to think about her. You’ve this marvellous house to play in after all.”
    â€œBut who will change Ally’s nappy?”
    â€œYour mother will have to do it I suppose,” he said.
    He leant down to Alice and picked her up under the armpits. Alice looked bewildered.
    Ida stood on the landing. She still needed a wee. Downstairs there was lots of banging and loud, deep voices as the men started to bring in the sofas and the boxes and things. How long before she could have her books and toys? Why wasn’t Uta here? She turned to a door her father hadn’t said was a bedroom. It was small inside, the floor made up of black and white squares. Her first thought was good for hopscotch , and she felt excited, before noticing the brownish loo that stood in the corner with dust all over its seat.
    Round the bath was a shower curtain with red and blue fish swimming up and down it and Ida summoned her courage and pulled it back. The bath was the same as the loo, cracked and sort of brown, but at least her bottom wouldn’t touch the bath. Climbing over the edge, she rolled down her knickers, and watched her pee snake through the dirt and go down the plug.
    She took off all her sick-covered clothes, left them in a pile on the bathroom floor and walked across the landing to the room that Da had said would be hers.
    It smelled of dust but was bigger than her room in London, with peach wallpaper and two tall windows that looked out towards the front. The carpet was soft and red and like nothing they had in their old house; it was like something a king would have. She walked into the middle and lay down. The deep pile felt lovely between her fingers and on her naked body. She wished Uta was there to read to them and sing Swedish songs, and plait their hair with her cool, white hands. Ma had said she’d gone on holiday, but when would she be back? Ida never imagined that her holiday would last all the time until they moved.
    She shut her eyes. She could hear the wind outside and tried to ignore it. So this was her new house. The house Ma said was probably just for the summer. At least the carpet was nice.
    From the corridor downstairs she heard the sharp sound of high heels and knew her mother had arrived.
    Ida stood up, closed her bedroom door as quietly as she could, and lay back down on the floor.
    Chapter four
    ~ 1999 ~
    â€œFuck me, come in then,” said Alice.
    Ida had forgotten her voice – shaky, high pitched, and still slightly posh. A softer version of Bridie’s. It was the voice that Ida had worked so hard to drop. She turned around.
    â€œGod,” Ida said.
    Alice had changed. The mousy fourteen year old was now a slim woman, her wavy hair tied up into a messy bun. Her features were still small and neat, like their da’s. She wasn’t wearing make-up and looked clean and toned, an immaculate dark blue tracksuit revealed a slice of flat stomach. Ida pointed at it and raised her eyebrows.
    â€œYou’ve got those diagonal lines going down to your fanny, those muscle things – like you’re in Gladiators .”
    Alice didn’t laugh but put her finger to her lips and pointed upstairs to indicate someone was sleeping, beckoning Ida through the dark hallway towards her mother’s study.
    â€œWhat about my room?” Ida asked, unable to hide the hint of panic her voice.
    â€œYour room?” Alice said. “It’s been my room for ten years or something. You’ll have to go in here.” She opened the door.
    â€œIt smells different,” Ida said, trying not to look around.
    â€œNo fags,” said Alice, as she folded out the chair bed in the corner.
    â€œCan I light one?”
    â€œNo.”
    She lit one anyway and Alice threw a cushion hard onto the floor.
    â€œWhat?” Ida laughed. “It’s what she would have wanted.”
    Alice turned, her face screwed up with