Emily and The Spider (2 page)

Miss Perivale was always up early in the
morning.

“A good stiff constitutional and plenty of
water” she always used to say.

Emily always whispered “nutter” under her
breath.

This morning was the same as many for Monica
Perivale. Up at 5 am, brisk walk, plenty of water and then a few
laps of the veranda.

Miss Perivale was a mean woman. Never
married, no children and this job, tutoring Emily, was all she
had.

And another thing about Miss Perivale was,
she hated insects, especially spiders…..

As she finished her third lap of the veranda,
Miss Perivale was a little puffed so she sat down on a stool, that
had been conveniently left out. As she did so she happened to look
upwards, she immediately squawked “aggghh, how dreadful”! Mumbling
to herself, she proceeded to her room.

It was rather unfortunate that Emily had left
the kitchen stool there, by mistake, the night before, or Miss
Perivale would probably have glided straight past otherwise. But
seeing the stool and feeling a little ‘puffed out’ she had chosen
that moment to sit. And sit she did on ‘Little Em’s’ stool directly
under the spiders web!

A minute later she reappeared with, what
looked like, a deodorant sprayer. It was, however, much more
lethal. She removed the plastic cap and aimed the nozzle into the
rafters. She turned her head away and let the killer spray do its
work.

Miss Perivale released the whole can onto the
spider, the web and the babies contained in the cotton wool
ball.

The can, now empty, was thrown onto the lawn.
Miss Perivale turned to leave, looking very pleased with
herself.

‘Little Em’ woke up and rushed out of bed to
go to see her friend, with no slippers, no dressing gown, just in
her nightie. She ran to her stool and immediately climbed up.

“Hello” she whispered. But there was no
reply.

“Hello there” she repeated. Again, no
reply.

Maybe it was a dream after all, she thought
to herself.

“Psst”, “Spider, are you there”? Still, no
reply.

Emily sat now on her stool. Why didn’t she
answer, she wondered.

As ‘Little Em’ was just about to turn and
leave, to take the stool back to the kitchen, she was sure that she
heard the faintest of noises, a noise that was no more than a
squeak.

She crouched down to the floor and waited,
listening. There it was again. She moved closer to the floor. She
could just about make out a tiny voice, “mummy, help” it said.

“Hello” said ‘Little Em’, “are you ok”?

“Help me” came the tiny voice again.

Emily could not see the source of the voice,
so she said “I’m sorry, but I can’t see you”.

“I’m down here”, came the tiny voice, “in the
corner”.

Emily looked to the corner, made by one of
the wooden pillars supporting the veranda roof. There, hidden away,
was a tiny spidling, no bigger than ‘Little Em’s’ thumb nail.

“Oh, hello there” said Emily.

“Where’s mummy?” said the baby spider.

“I was wondering that too” replied Emily.
“Where did you come from”?

“Me?” asked the spidling. “I think I came
from the nest up there”.

‘Little Em’ put her hand out near the baby
spider. “Don’t be scared” she said. “Climb on”.

The spidling crawled into Emily’s hand and
Emily stood up.

“You are very pretty” said ‘Little Em’ to the
spidling. “What’s your name”?

“I don’t have a name yet”. “My mummy will
give me a name when we find her”.

Just then Emily looked around. She saw the
saddest sight that she had ever seen in all her eight long years.
There on the grass on the other side of the veranda was her friend,
the spider. The spider was not moving. Emily knew in her heart that
the spider was dead!

“Oh, baby” she said to the spidling. “I am so
sorry”.

She walked around the veranda, down the four
wooden steps arriving at the still body of her friend the
spider.

“There must have been a terrible accident”
she said. As she did, she lowered the baby spidling onto its
mummy’s back.

“Why isn’t mummy moving”? asked the baby
spider sadly.

“I’m sorry, but I think that she is
dead”.

The little spider started to cry. Emily held
out her hand and the spidling crawled slowly into the palm of her
hand.

“Come with me” said Emily, “I have an
idea”.

Emily held her hand close to her face and
smiled at the little creature. It smiled back.

‘Little Em’ walked back to her room,
carefully cradling the spider in her hand.

“Where are we going”? asked the spider.

“We are going to find you a name” Emily
replied.

In ‘Little Em’s’ bedroom was a large wooden
bookcase, with each of its six shelves housing all manner of books.
Books about ancient Egypt, scary ghost stories, books about boats
and books about legends. However, that day she knew exactly the
book she wanted. It was a huge book about every animal in the
world.

She placed the baby spider on her desk and
whispered “wait here a minute”.

“Ok” came the little reply.

Emily went back to the bookcase and lifted
out the book, using both hands. She carried it to her desk and
before she placed it down, she checked that the spidling hadn’t
moved. She didn’t want to squash the little thing.

“Right” said ‘Little Em’ “lets find out what
you are”. She opened the book at the back and started to scan the
index.

“V- Vultures, no…T – Tigers, no”. She looked
at the spidling, “I don’t like tigers, do you” she asked.

The spidling looked back at her. “ I don’t
know, I have never seen one”.

“Right, here we are S- Spiders, that’s what
you are. Here now, pages 167-185, wow, quite a lot

you must have quite a big family…..Oh,
sorry”.

The baby spider hadn’t heard though. She was
too busy looking at the picture on page 168.

“That’s a Goliath spider. I don’t think that
you’re one of those”.

“Me either” squeaked the spidling.

As ‘Little Em’ flicked through the pages, one
picture caught her eye. Page 181, Bird Eating spiders!

“Here you are”, said Emily excitedly. “That’s
you, a Bird Eating spider”.

“Oh”, said the baby, “What’s a bird”?

Emily flicked to another page to find a
suitable picture to show to the spider.

“That’s a bird” She said, pointing to a
picture of a bird.

“And I’m a Bird Eating spider” said the baby
spider cautiously.

“Well, yes. But you can eat other stuff
too…., anyway, now we know what you are we can sort out a name for
you”.

“What’s your name”? asked the spider.

“My name is Emily, but my daddy calls me
‘Little Em’”.

“That’s a nice name” said the little
spider.

“Thank you. Now what shall we call you”?

“How about Emily”? said the spidling.

“I don’t think that would work” said ‘Little
Em’. Now let’s see, you are a Bird Eating spider, so how about
Beryl? No, I don’t like that. What about Bryony? No, that’s a bit
weird. I know” she said, and started to write down the first letter
of each word….Bird Eating Spider…..BES.

“How’s that”? she exclaimed, holding up the
paper.

“How’s what”? said the spider.

“Your new name, of course”? said Emily.

The little spider looked around the corner of
the paper. “I can’t read” she said.

“Oh, sorry” said Emily “it says BES, for Bird
Eating Spider”. “And my best friend”.

“Thank you” said Bes, “I like it”.

That night, after tea, Emily took Bes a small
bowl of milk, which Bes promptly fell into and ‘Little Em’ had to
fish her out.

“Well, that was pointless” she said. “We
better find you something else to eat”.

“Ok” came the milky reply.

After a few cookie crumbs Bes crawled on to
Emily’s pillow and asked sadly “Do I have a daddy”?

Emily was staring at the ceiling looking at
the lines and counting the cracks. “I suppose so” she said.

“Can we go and see him”? asked Bes.

“Well, I don’t know where he might be”. Emily
sat up now and Bes crawled into her palm. They both looked at each
other and then fell easily asleep.

Next morning, Emily woke up and looked around
for Bes.

“Over here”, came the tiny little voice, “on
the window sill”.

Emily went over to the window sill and there
was Bes, enjoying a few flies that she had found. Emily looked out
of the window and noticed a small bird watching them. It was
sitting on the hand rail of the veranda.

“Good morning bird” said Emily friendly. The
little blue and green bird chirped and flew away.

“Bes”, said Emily, “you know last night, you
said that you would like to find your dad”?

Bes looked up at Emily.

“Well, I’ve been thinking…..why don’t we go?
I mean…he can’t be too far away can he? And anyway, we can just
take some food and water and just, well, go and have a little
look”?

Bes ran up ‘Little Em’s arm excitedly and sat
on her shoulder. “Thank you, Emily, my friend”.

Emily quickly washed and dressed in her
favourite clothes; shorts, trainers and a t-shirt with the number
74 on it. Then she got out her rucksack, which was made to look
like a furry monkey hanging on her back. Into this she put her
torch, some sweets and a bottle of water. Emily then gathered up a
few flies from the window into her hanky, for Bes, for the journey.
She turned to Bes, “ready”?

“Ready”! said Bes.

“Oh, I had better leave a note for mummy and
daddy” said Emily.

“Good idea. What are you going to say”? asked
Bes.

This is what she wrote:

Dear Mum and Dad,

Gone to look for Bes’s daddy.

Back soon. Love Emily. XXX

“That will do” said Emily. “Lets go”!

And so they went. ‘Little Em’ with her monkey
rucksack and Bes barely noticeable on her shoulder.

They walked out of the bedroom, along the
veranda, down the four steps and across the garden. At the edge of
the jungle Emily stopped.

“What’s the matter”? asked Bes.

“Oh, nothing, it just felt like we were being
watched” she said. “I am just being silly” and they walked on into
the jungle, never looking back.

The little blue and green bird watched them
enter the jungle, chirped and then began to follow them, unseen,
jumping from branch to branch into the trees.

There was someone else watching too. Miss
Perivale sat on the edge of her bed and carelessly watched as
‘Little Em’ entered the jungle. A small evil grin crossed her face
and she lay back on her bed and settled down to sleep again.

“I must be going mad, but I am sure we are
being followed” Emily said. “Ever since we left the house”!

Bes turned around on ‘Little Em’s’
shoulder.

“Nope, can’t see anyone” she said.

Emily turned her head towards Bes and
whispered, “try looking up”.

Bes crawled up Emily’s neck and stood on top
of her head and looked up. She saw the bird immediately. Bes ran
back down Emily’s head to her ear and whispered “its that little
blue and green bird that we saw earlier”!

Emily looked up. “Hey, you, bird. Are you
following us”?

There was no reply.

“Well, if you are, why don’t you come down
here”?

There was a small rush of air and Emily found
herself face to face with the little animal. A little taken aback,
she said “oh, hello…er, my name is Emily”.

The little blue and green bird just stared
back at her.

“Do you have a name”? Emily asked.

The little bird tilted its head from side to
side.

“Can you speak”? asked ‘Little Em’.

“Speak, of course I can speak” replied the
little bird, “and what do you think you’re doing wandering around
the jungle on your own? And do you know that you have got a
bug..Ughhh..on your shoulder”? The bird hardly stopped for
breath.

“Bug”! said Bes.

“Oh my, a talking bug”! said the bird,
talking faster than Emily had ever heard before.

“Aren’t we clever! Been around a few years
and never heard an eight-leg speak before”!

“Oh this is Bes, my friend” said Emily.

“Oh, you’re friend, you say? Well, I’m not
one to judge. So pleased to meet you both” said the bird. “What
kind of bug are you anyway?.....a spider, yes”?

Emily looked at Bes, “best not to mention it
yet” she said quietly.

Emily quickly changed the subject. “We’re off
to look for Bes’ dad” she said.

“Oh, I know that” answered the bird
matter-of-factly! “I’ve been watching you for the last few days.
And, by the way, I don’t think much to your teacher-lady. Mean old
thing she is. Left a little present in her water, I did. Skinny
piece of dirt that thing”! The bird finally stopped for breath
before starting again. “So, off to find daddy, hey? Well good luck,
it’s a very big place….”.

Emily interrupted the bird. “What’s your name
please”?

“Well my real name is Howard, but I don’t
really like that much, so most people call me “Oi you in the
bushes”, just kidding, one of my little jokes”.

Emily looked at Bes and Bes looked at Emily,
both saying nothing.

“Oh well, that one didn’t work” said the bird
looking at the both of them. “Why don’t you just call me ‘Bird”,
hey”?

“Okay” said Emily.

“Okay” said Bes.

“Good, so that’s settled. Emily, Bes and Bird
out together in the jungle, looking for a daddy spider. What sort
did you say you were again? Oh, never mind, come on. If we’re going
to find daddykins then we’d better start looking”.