Page 36 of The Little Liar

“You don’t know where you come from?”

“I am from here. From here!”

“You’re lying. Where is Gizella? Does she know you are in her house? I want to see Gizella!”

Fannie’s heart was pounding so fast, she thought she would drop right there on the floor. All she could think of was to run. So she did. Out the back door and into the woods as the woman’s screaming words“Where are you going, girl?”faded behind her.

***

Fannie hid in the trees until the sun went down. She kept waiting to hear a siren, or the heavy boots of soldiers. But nothing came. Finally, she saw a light turn on in Gizella’s kitchen. This was usually the sign that it was safe for Fannie to come from the coop. She crawled on her knees until she reached the house, then tapped lightly on the door. Gizella opened it.

“What’s wrong?” Gizella asked. “Why are you on the ground?”

Fannie glanced left and right. Everything seemed normal.

“Fannie? What happened?”

In that moment, Fannie could have confessed the truth. She could have told Gizella about the encounter with the gray-haired woman. Perhaps things would have been different.

But a lie comes in many disguises; sometimes, it looks like safety. Fannie did not want Gizella to get scared, or decide it was too dangerous for Fannie to stay. So she did not mention the incident at all.

“Everything is fine,” Fannie said, getting up. “I’m sorry to have frightened you.”

“I saw the sewing you did. Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”

“But, Fannie, please don’t try that again. It is dangerous. Someone could have seen you.”

Fannie nodded. “Yes. You are right.”

Gizella paused for a moment, then went to her bedroom and came back with her pouch of rosary beads. She was wearing a pair of white gloves, the ones she wore to church.

“Do you see these beads?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know what they are?”

“You pray with them.”

“Yes. But these are not normal rosary beads. These are peas. Jequirity peas.”

“They’re pretty.”

Gizella lowered her voice. “They are poison. If you eat even just one, it can kill you.”

Fannie stared at the little red objects. They seemed so innocent. Gizella put them back in the pouch. “My husband gave these to me before he left. He paid a lot of money to someone who imports them. I have two sets. Mine and his.”

She exhaled. “I want you to have one.”

“Why?”

“Because I know the enemy. I know what they can do.”

Gizella looked straight at Fannie. “If we are ever caught, if there is ever no hope and they are going to do certain things to you? Sometimes...”

“What?” Fannie said.