Aviary

About two weeks passed and Matthew and I didn’t get together anymore. I was anxious about my kids finding out, or even worse – anyone who could make sure I’d lose my job.

But disaster stroke. I was cooking dinner for my kids when I smelled something burning. I looked out of the kitchen window and saw a black cloud hanging over the street. I swore as I saw how the clouds erupted from a house across the street.

I seized my phone, ready to dial 999 when I realized who’s house that was. I threw down my phone, turned off the cooker. I shouted at the kids to stay inside and grabbed the keys. I left the house and ran across the grass field, shouting for his name on top of my voice. But he wasn’t outside. So I did the most stupid thing in my life and kicked the door in. I hid my face in my sweater as I searched the ash filled house, where a fire was blazing in the kitchen.

I coughed as I called again, and I heard a cry coming from upstairs. I ran up the stairs and found Matthew in his room, clutching – to my great surprise – his small budgie in his cupped hands. It was wrapped in a towel but I could hear it screech really loud. Matthew seemed petrified with fear.

I seized him by his vest and pulled him up from the ground, dragging him down the stairs and out of the house. We were both coughing as we dropped down on the grass field, the sirens of the fire truck nearing.

Mrs. O’Donnall, who lived next to me came rushing towards us with a blanket. But I had only eyes for Matthew. He seemed in shock and he was crying and whimpering as he was still clutching the towel with the screeching bird.

‘Matthew, look at me!’ I shouted at him as the fire truck stopped in the street. ‘Are you hurt?’

‘N-No,’ Matthew whimpered. ‘But – gran is –’

‘There still someone inside!’ I shouted at the firemen.

An ambulance arrived and two paramedics started to take care of Matthew, who only needed some oxygen. As they took care of them, I took the towel with the bird, who had settled down a bit and held it for him.

I took Matthew inside, my kids eager to know what was going on. I had Matthew sit down on the table and Abi fetch the spare birdcage Val always kept in the garage in case one of the birds got sick. Once she’d brought it in, I released the bird and it sat on the floor of cage, obviously disorientated.

I gave Matthew a glass of water and told my kids to go upstairs. Alfie was complaining he was hungry, so I gave them a bag of crisps. Once I was sure they were upstairs, I sat down at the table with Matthew.

‘What happened?’ I asked him.

‘Gran was cooking,’ he said as he fingered the edge of the glass. ‘I – I felt the heat and went down to look. The – the kitchen was gone and – and so was gran.’

My stomach turned. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? He’d seen his grandmother dead?

‘Why did you hide upstairs then?’ I asked him curiously. ‘With the bird?’

‘I – I took Hamlet out of his cage and –‘ but he didn’t finish his sentence. He burst out in tears a buried his face in his arms. I let him cry.

I turned my chair to look out of the window and saw how the firemen tried to control the fire. My eyes caught a white sheet on the grass field and a handful of people standing around it.

Fuck.

‘Stay here,’ I told Matthew and I got up, leaving the house once more. I went over to the group of people and once I had reached them, I asked a paramedic: ‘Who is it?’

‘An old lady,’ the paramedic answered. ‘Unidentified.’

‘Lisa Parker,’ I said and everyone looked at me. ‘Her grandson is in my kitchen.’

‘Gran?’

We all turned around and saw Matthew standing halfway down the field, looking with large eyes at the white sheet on the ground. I was about to walk towards him when he ran towards us. But before he could reach the body, I caught him in my arms.

‘She’s dead,’ I whispered to him and Matthew gave out a wail.

The paramedic wanted to take Matthew from me, but I wouldn’t let her. Instead, I took him inside again, away from the body. I wasn’t sure what his relation was with his grandmother, but there was one thing I was sure off: the body would not be a pretty sight.