Bound By Bellarmine

lowered her head.

again-tight at the corners

me uncom

ast two when I fi

ft. The duvet held

er, and the room still carri

cooled. My

ed. I still c

Quiet. Maybe asleep. Maybe staring a

rred buried. Made me remember

to be l

elf. Always checking if I'd said too m

was a ledger-what I owed, how I cou

that mad

could be in the

na Fabron was Port Azure's prize doll. Rich,

en Remigio Bellarmine

fifty

d to s

ace, her manne

ure, whatever else old men in suits use when they

x months. Pla

said she was going s

n't com

escape, the car, the m

he loved her, but he nearly bailed th

at first. Took her hands,

idn't

m down before they

umped in

e months pregnant and stil

migio to let

her k

tried to leave. I

or cages. Remigio's cont

ted. Wa

r old, she ran again, this

hidden f

Damp walls, steep roads,

seven, that's

ide the train station. Bought them cheap from the far

Argued over bruised appl

ot. Dust clung to her scalp. The wind had cr

he used. She wore shapeless clothes from discount bi

ever fit

didn't look

ched her

she used to be. The high cheekbone

d see it-what made Remigio want her

d to me. Nietzsch

stened to the rhythm, the way her voice

s of my life, and it was the

or my father, didn't kno

ve. I swept the floors, cross

her child on our block walked off to nursery school with fi

tter glue. I

abet in pencil on the back of old betting slips and

't afford

ked about

to be good

r plastic bricks or crayon drawings I heard the

ore than she made in thr

ree black cars blocking the alley. Glossy. Silent. Cl

s had gathered, mutter

amp. My rucksack strap was

a father. So

hbourhood kids

he'd show up one day with chocolate an

Too busy to visit, b

me. And I c

recognise wal

nt room, shoulders hunched, arms tigh

me, she bro

ed in on hers

her and rested a

anymore. You can't keep her in this place, surrounded by god knows what. P

irst time I saw Au