MARVIN'S CURSE

'Being next to a graveyard. That's going to be pretty tough...' said his dad changing the subject.  

'Thanks. I know.'  

'That's not what I mean, Marvin. You know that.' His dad sat down on the bed. 'I've tried to teach you everything I know, but you still haven't found a way of...' 

'I have my sketch pad and pencils,' Marvin protested. 

'You have a gift and you need to...' 

'No, Dad! I have a curse!' said Marvin, leaping up. 'A gift is something nice, something you want.' 

'Denying it won't make it disappear,' said Dad. 'And neither will drawing.'  

Dad joined Marvin at the window. 'Life would be so much easier if you just embraced your special ability.' 

Marvin frowned and picked at the loose shreds of wallpaper that clung to the window sill. He fought to remain calm, but this topic was one that had been discussed time and time again, and increasingly often lately. And the outcome was always the same - stalemate. 

'You done up there?' called Mum from downstairs. A hint of removal-panic lined her voice. 'Only there's a lot more stuff to be unloaded and we could really do with a hand!' 

His dad grinned. 'I could go down and help...'  

'I think you'd better go,' said Marvin, not wanting a repeat of his father's last attempt to help. Something that could be described in few words; mirror, face, Mum, scream. 'No, you'll just get me into more trouble.' 

'Okay,' said his dad, disappearing. 'I'll come back later... when she's alone.' 

Marvin raised his eyebrows then went to the door. 'Okay, Mum, coming!'  

He opened the box on the bed, ripping off the many layers of thick brown packing tape then rummaged until he found his binoculars. 

Returning to the window he polished a large circle on the glass with the corner of his sleeve. He focused the lenses until his vision was clear, but saw nothing really unexpected; rows of headstones and lots of trees. A stone path led from the right side of his house, into the distance. He couldn't quite see how far it went. 

Then something moved. Marvin stood up, scanning across the many stones and trees once more. A wild animal; fox, badger, rabbit? He refocused the lenses, pressing them hard against the window.  

A young girl moved lightly among the headstones. Her long dark hair flowed over her shoulders, the long fringe virtually covering her eyes. Marvin thought she looked almost attractive, for a Goth! 

She looked up at the window; her eyes catching his then looked away. He retreated quickly, embarrassed at being caught. 

He threw the binoculars on the bed, instantly regretting it as they bounced off onto the floor. He picked them up, wiping them across his T-shirt. 

'Sorry, Dad,' Marvin mumbled, cradling his precious treasure. He thought back to those times when Dad had disappeared to go bird watching, always taking the binoculars with him, never leaving the house without a goodbye hug. He missed that terribly.  

He returned them carefully to the box. He had no need of them now. He didn't need a lens to show him what lay waiting out there. No, he could see perfectly well with his own eyes. He kicked the wall in disbelief. Why had they moved here?  

'You do know that I never used them for bird watching,' said a voice. 

'I thought you'd gone.'