For you. Youll soon. Youll give her name. In the stitches of her skin shell wear your say. Mammy me? Yes you. Bounce the bed, Id say. Id say thats what you did. Then lay you down. They cut you round. Wait and hour and day.
Walking up corridors up the stairs. Are you alright? Will you sit, he says. No. I want she says. I want to see my son. Smell from dettol through her skin. Mops diamond floor tiles all as strong. All the burn your eyes out if you had some. Her heart going pat. Going dum dum dum. Dont mind me shes going to your room. See the. Jesus. What have they done? Jesus. Bile for. Tidals burn. Ssssh. All over. Mother. She cries. Oh no. Oh no no no.
I know. The thing wrong. Its a. It is called. Nosebleeds, head aches. Where you cant hold. Fall mugs and dinner plates she says clear up. Ah young he says give the child a break. Fall off swings. Cant or. Grip well. Slipping in the muck. Bang your. Poor head wrapped up white and the blood come through. She feel the sick of that. Little boy head. Shush.
She saw it first when you couldnt open your eye. Dont wink so long windll change and youll stay that way. Im not Mammy. Its got stuck. She pull it open. Hold it up. I cant its all fall down. And now Holy Family on a Saturday night. He is leaning you are sleeping she the chair me whirlabout. Listen in to doctor chat. We done the best we could. There really wasnt much. Its all through his brain like the roots of trees. Sorry. Dont say. That. Hes running out Im afraid. Im afraid hes running down. You should take him home, enjoy him while you can. Hes not. He is. Cant you operate again? We cant. Shush. Something? Chemo then. Well have a go at that.
Gethsemane dear Lord hear our prayer our. Please. Intercession. Night in hospital beds. Faces on the candlewick. Lino in the knees. Please dont God take. Our. Holy Mary mother of all, humbly we beseech thee.
You white-faced feel the needle go in. Feel fat juicy poison poison young boy skin. In your arteries. Eyeballs. Spine hands legs. Puke it cells up all day long. No Mammy dont let them. Weeks for you. Weeks it. Scared and bald and wet the bed. Dark trees outside for me when it weather rains. She praying in a coat until I am froze. Hard chapel kneelers bare-kneed real repents. She does. And our father was. Where? Somewhere there. I think. Theres good news and bad news. Its shrunk. Hes saved. Hes not. Hell never be. So like it lump it a short breaths what youve got. Jesus in her blood that minute. Rejoice sacred heart of Christ. But well never be rid do you understand? he says. Shush now she says shush.
Read an extract from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah here
Read an extract from Hannah Kent's Burial Rites here
Read an extract from Audrey Magee's The Undertaking here
How many of the 2014 Baileys Women's prize shortlisted books have you read? Tweet us @ELLEUK #ELLEBookClub