SALLY MURPHY

  Queen

  Narelle

  I L L U S T R A T E D B Y

  SIMON O’CARRIGAN

  To the Murphlings – Evan, Lily, Riley and Gwen –

  Granny’s proudest achievement. – S.M

  For Bill. – S.O

  Narelle

  I am Narelle.

  Narelle is me.

  I am the Queen of this place.

  Ruler of the domain.

  Keeper of the Kingdom.

  You would do well to know it and pay me due respect.

  My people have placed my throne just so, where the morning sunlight can worship and stroke me

  as I recline on my velvet cushion waiting for my loyal

  (and not so loyal)

  subjects to come and worship.

  Sometimes I stretch

  and leap from my throne

  to traverse my lands,

  stopping for a little sustenance or bestowing a regal look

  on any I encounter.

  1

  My life is blessed

  My people

  and those who know me

  feed me

  are blessed too.

  tend me

  stroke me

  I am Narelle.

  attend my every whim.

  They exist only to serve.

  L

  The older, taller people

  like to offer me choice tidbits at dinner

  and lunch

  and any other time

  I deign to visit the kitchen.

  The shorter, softer person, the one they call Maddie –

  My Maddie –

  likes to sit and stroke me and tell me how she loves me.

  The smallest, noisy one

  adores me loudly,

  following me for hours,

  calling my name

  and wanting to carry me.

  3

  He has not yet learned

  And they do not see

  to worship appropriately.

  the midnight dreams that disturb Perhaps he will grow soon.

  My Maddie,

  making her toss

  L

  and turn

  in her bed.

  My view of the world

  But I see it all.

  is, of course,

  superior to the humans’.

  They can see well enough, I suppose.

  But they do not seem

  to instinctively know, as I do, when the fridge door will be opened, when the noisy one will drop a scrap at dinnertime,

  when a bird will land

  outside the window.

  They like to stay awake all day then rest in the dark for hours, so they do not see what

  the world looks like

  through slitted eyes

  after a midmorning nap

  or on an early morning prowl.

  4

  Maddie

  They might all think Narelle is theirs but I know –

  and Narelle knows, too –

  My name is Maddie.

  that she is mine.

  Maddie is who I am.

  I live with my mum

  D

  and my dad

  and my little brother, Will –

  Right now

  who can be pretty annoying I need Narelle more than ever.

  mostly

  She might be a cat

  but is sometimes quite cute –

  but she is my best friend too and Narelle,

  and, suddenly,

  my cat.

  my only friend.

  Dad says Narelle belongs to the whole family.

  I used to play with Nicole and Samira.

  Mum says she’s the one who does all the work They were my friends.

  feeding Narelle and cleaning up after her.

  Every recess and lunchtime Will likes to follow her around we would sit together

  trying to catch her

  or play together.

  and pick her up.

  Some days we’d go to the library He calls her name, ’Relle,’Relle, and read together on the red beanbags as he chases her,

  in the corner.

  until she decides to let him pat her or to flee into the cat run where he can’t get her.

  6

  7

  I wanted to go to the library and Nicole wanted to play netball and suddenly we were saying things that friends should never say to each other.

  I stomped off one way

  and Nicole stomped off the other way and Samira just stood looking at us both before Nicole called her:

  Come on, Samira.

  And Samira trotted off after her looking over her shoulder at me to see what I would do.

  What could I do?

  If I changed my mind now

  Nicole would always be the boss.

  So I went to the library by myself but the beanbags were just not comfortable In class, we’d work together with no one to share them with.

  whenever we could

  and if one of us had to choose teams or groups we would always choose the other two.

  But even best friends fight sometimes and last week we argued

  over something silly.

  8

  9

  I wake up from a dream

  I wanted to stop.

  that scared me.

  To yell.

  I was running on the verandah at school To tell them I still wanted to be their friend.

  running from Nicole and Samira But they were laughing

  who were throwing things at me –

  with big ugly faces

  pebbles

  that sneered

  and pencils

  and snorted.

  and even library books.

  They did not look like my friends at all.

  On the verandah

  other kids sat on the benches or stood and talked

  or played their games

  but no one paid

  the slightest bit of attention to me.

  Didn’t they care?

  Now, in the dark

  I know that the dream was not real but it might as well have been.

  Nicole and Samira don’t like me any more and neither does anyone else.

  11

  a vegetable patch Narelle

  (for my people’s sustenance) lawn

  My domain

  and trees

  consists of everything

  green and brown and rustly within these four walls.

  swaying in breezes

  My throne.

  and filled with such promise.

  My lounge room.

  My bedrooms

  I should like to climb these trees (so many for one small cat).

  but even queens have limits My bathroom –

  and my people

  badlands with cold, unforgiving tiles.

  have built me a secure surround –

  My kitchen

  they call it a “run” –

  filled with delicious treats, to prevent intruders spoiling my time and the laundry,

  in the outdoors.

  where my litter box

  But oh I would so like

  (even queens must go) just once

  resides.

  to be able to reach

  The portal in the lounge room window the birds

  leads outside

  that sit in those trees,

  where I can survey

  tweeting

  my outer realms –

  and twittering.

  a flowerbed

  12

  13

  They may be pretty

  But still, I know the sound means breakfast but they have no respect for a queen.

  and so I dignify her

  with the correct response, I could teach them.

  returning from my early morning turn in the garden

  L

  to rub her ankles in thanks and eat the lovingly prepared kibble.

  Most delicious

  and a much better breakfast than the mush

  the people must eat.

  Strange, too, how the people eat while doing other things.

  The mother person

  barks orders:

  Brush your hair, Maddie.

  Puss, puss.

  Bring me your lunch box.

  I have yet to teach

  The father person

  the mother person

  pushes food into the

  to call me appropriately.

  noisy one

  Instead of beckoning me

  as he reads the morning paper with regal addresses

  repeating snippets out loud she makes a sound

  to nobody in particular.

  a little like the chickens which live next door.

  14

  15

  Maddie

  She is too busy getting ready for work and coaxing Will into his clothes and feeding Narelle

  When Dad wakes me

  and drinking her first cup of coffee for the day.

  I lie in bed,

  They don’t want to hear

  the doona pulled up to my chin, why I don’t want to go to school.

  and hope he’ll leave me here.

  If I hide in my bed all day D

  no one will be mean to me

  or laugh at me

  My breakfast is soggy.

  or just plain ignore me.

  I have been too slow

  Th

e kids at school won’t even care I’m not there and it has sat too long

  but that is much, much better in the bowl.

  than being pointed at

  But soggy or not

  and laughed at.

  it sticks in my throat

  Yes, I think I’ll stay here all day.

  like lumps of concrete.

  But Dad has other plans.

  Will is flicking bits of cereal everywhere Hurry up, Maddie.

  and laughing out loud.

  It’s not like you to dawdle.

  He sees Narelle under the table Get dressed and come and have some breakfast.

  licking up spills

  I want to say no

  and reaches forward to pat her.

  but Dad won’t listen.

  Narelle gives him a look

  Mum either.

  that says she is glad he’s stuck in his highchair 18

  19

  I wish I was stuck like that.

  Or even just as little as Will.

  Narelle

  Then I wouldn’t have to go to school.

  To that awful place

  After breakfast

  where I am all alone

  I like

  in the middle of three hundred other kids.

  to spend some time

  reclining on my throne,

  enjoying the morning sunlight and pondering the meaning of life, as all good rulers should.

  The people

  clear the dishes

  clang and bang

  hustle some more

  but finally rush for the door in a last-minute frenzy of Hurry up

  Gotta go

  See you tonight

  I forgot my violin.

  Then the door slams

  and I am left alone.

  21

  They do not think to pause I test to see

  and pay me respect as they leave, if the sunshine in my run

  though sometimes

  is as warm

  the noisy one tries to take me with him as the sunshine on my throne.

  and my Maddie always stops Then double-check, just to be sure.

  and gives me a quick pat.

  I make sure no one has filled But not today.

  my food bowl when I wasn’t looking.

  I warm each of the family’s beds in turn.

  L

  I spring onto

  the window ledge

  They think

  and count the traffic

  that because I am on my throne in the street,

  when they leave

  pretending to be a statue

  and on my throne

  when the postie stops

  when they return

  at the front gate.

  that that is where I spend my day.

  And then,

  Little do they know –

  when all my work is done,

  and nor is it their business –

  I return once more

  that once I am alone

  to my throne

  I really start my day.

  to await the return of my subjects.

  I pitter-patter through the house ensuring no intruders.

  I visit the litter box

  and do what a queen must do.

  22

  23

  Maddie

  I slowly climb out,

  dragging my backpack behind me.

  Bye, darling, Mum calls.

  In the car on the way to school Have a lovely day.

  Mum prattles

  Lovely?

  about work

  I don’t think so.

  and about what we’ll do on the weekend and about the new words Will has learned.

  Outside the classroom

  She doesn’t stop talking.

  Nicole and Samira sit together on the verandah.

  Doesn’t let me get a word in.

  I say hello

  If she did

  as I go past

  maybe I could tell her

  but my voice comes out as a kind of croak.

  that I can’t go to school

  Nicole laughs.

  won’t go to school

  Samira says hello back

  that I need to stay with her.

  but Nicole nudges her hard.

  But because she doesn’t stop We’re not talking to her, remember?

  I don’t say it

  she hisses.

  and when she pulls into the school I hang my bag on the hook, hoping they don’t see

  that I’m blinking back tears.

  Have a lovely day?

  If only Mum knew just how

  unlovely it will be.

  D

  In class

  until, at last, it comes to Samira.

  I should be safe.

  She unfolds and reads it.

  I don’t sit near Nicole or Samira I see her look at Nicole

  because Mrs Mitchell

  who gives her the thumbs up.

  separated all the groups

  Then Samira

  a few weeks ago.

  grabs her pencil

  So they can’t be mean

  and writes something on the note.

  and can’t deliberately ignore me, either.

  Instead of passing it back though That’s what I think.

  she passes it to Kara

  But at silent reading

  who reads it and grins.

  I see Nicole pass a note

  She passes it on

  to Riley

  and soon it seems that everyone who passes it to Anna

  in the class has read it

  People are looking at me.

  Smirking.

  Narelle

  Sneering.

  I do not know

  I am a cat

  what the note says

  and my cat senses tell me

  but I do know it is about me when my people are near.

  and it is not nice.

  It is not the sound of the car in the street My face burns

  nor the slamming doors

  and I bury it in my book

  or the front door opening.

  hoping no one will see.

  No, long before I hear any of these But someone does.

  I know they are coming.

  Maddie, says Mrs Mitchell.

  But still, I am a queen

  Sit up straight.

  and it would be unseemly

  You cannot read slumped like that.

  for me to react with too much haste.

  You will hurt your back.

  So I stay where I am

  Nicole laughs.

  eyes closed

  Why can Mrs Mitchell see

  on my throne

  what I am doing,

  until the car has arrived

  but not what Nicole is doing?

  the doors opened and closed Everyone is staring at me, and they are inside the house.

  but I feel all alone.

  Then – and only then –

  I open one eye in greeting, stretch luxuriously,

  28

  29

  yawn a little

  and nimbly step down from my throne.

  I grace the mother person with a rub of her ankles avoid the noisy one with his cries of There is –

  There’s ’Relle

  then focus on My Maddie.

  Usually she will pick me up and hug me.

  But not today.

  Today she pats my head absently then heads off down the passage to her bedroom.

  Should I be offended?

  Or worried?

  The noisy one has spotted

  that I am not with Maddie

  and he is in pursuit.

  in the tree nearest my run.

  ’Relle, ’Relle, he cries Tantalisingly close

  and I hasten my way across the room to my portal.

  but still beyond my reach.

  Time for some fresh air.

  They show no respect.

  Do they know a queen is in attendance L

  as they cavort on the branch above my head?

  30

  31

  It is a monarch’s job I jump onto the bed and

  to be sure her subjects are safe and happy pad to the head end.

  whenever possible.

  Rrrooowww?

  Maddie’s silence signals something wrong I ask,

  even though the big ones are too busy to notice.

  but My Maddie doesn’t answer.

  I pad on velvet feet

  I try again

  to her room

  and this time she turns her head to look.

  and squeeze through the almost-closed door.

  She is leaking

  Maddie’s bag is on the floor, salty tears

  thrown in haste, it seems, and tentatively I lick one away.

  and Maddie herself

  Her velvety skin is smooth.

  lies facedown on the bed.

  Her hand comes up and pulls me away Is she asleep?

  from her face

  Perhaps she has seen, from my example, and down beside her

  how therapeutic a daytime nap can be.

 

1 2 3