A Home at Honeysuckle Farm by Christie Barlow

Author:Christie Barlow
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780008240912
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2018-02-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

The last time I’d stood here was as a ten-year-old child, happy and carefree, before life got complicated. I couldn’t quite believe I was back here again, it seemed so surreal. A fizz of excitement popped inside me and there was no mistaking the huge beam etched on my face as I clutched the keys tightly in my hand. This place could actually be mine, the key I held could be the key to my future.

Grace was watching me with curiosity. ‘Are you ready for this? I’m excited, so goodness knows how you are feeling!’ She draped her arm around my shoulder and gave me a quick hug.

‘Ready as I’ll ever be,’ I said, placing the key in the lock and turning it slowly, savouring the moment. ‘I can’t believe I’m here, it’s so bizarre.’

‘Me neither,’ Grace answered, hovering behind me on the pavement. I pushed open the door then waited.

‘What are you doing?’ she asked, puzzled, looking over my shoulder.

‘Listening for the beeps, but it doesn’t appear to be alarmed. Are we ready for this?’

‘Eek!’ squealed Grace in my ear.

‘I take it that’s a yes,’ I chuckled.

‘I’m feeling a tiny spark of jealousy,’ Grace admitted, following me inside the foyer. ‘This could all be yours.’

‘Look at this place!’ I said, rolling my eyes around the room.

It was as though time had stood still. Even though Jim had been keeping an eye on this place, dropping in every now and again, everything looked like it had remained untouched. There was still an old jacket hanging on the coat stand behind the reception desk, and a shrivelled-up plant on the window-sill.

Pulling on the cord of the blind, I spluttered as a cloud of dust mushroomed into the air. The sunlight flooded the room and Grace gasped.

‘OMG, the noticeboard is still up,’ she exclaimed, pointing to the large cork board hanging on the wall.

‘Extra show rehearsals for ballet,’ I read out.

‘And look, there’s our names.’ She ran her fingers over the cast list.

The A4 paper pinned to the board contained information for all the dance classes: ballet, jazz, tap and modern. Under each class was a list of the names of the children who attended, and on a separate sheet were the adults.

‘Big band night was popular,’ I mused, looking at the list of names. ‘Dorothy and Bert were regulars.’

I was in awe of the place – all those names, all those classes filled to the brim, bringing hours of joy to the students – and now Grandie was giving me the chance to bring this place back to life. All this was going to be mine.

‘Why didn’t Ted keep it going? There were other teachers here apart from your mum.’ Grace turned towards me.

‘I think he was heartbroken, and it was a family business,’ I answered, still taking in my surroundings.

It was a little sad knowing the school had closed down after Grandie and Mum argued, but knowing what I knew now, Grandie would have found it difficult to carry on without Mum.

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