Beyond the Storm by Diana Finley

Author:Diana Finley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2019-07-31T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Düsseldorf 1955

‘Give this to Max’s wife as soon as you arrive,’ Anna says. She hands Eve the cloth shoulder bag, now fat and heavy and oddly bulging. It reminds Eve of Mr Steiner’s boa constrictor after eating a large meal of rabbit and mouse. Mr Steiner is American. His boa constrictor is called Walter, which is a typically American name. Walter doesn’t eat very often, so he is very hungry when he does. He opens his mouth as wide as a cave and swallows lots of enormous pieces of meat. Even so he’s not very scary; he’s not dangerous like a poisonous snake. He’s more like a pet dog. Eve thinks about how Walter had slithered sneakily onto Mr Steiner’s special armchair, and then sulked when he was shooed off it. Remembering about Walter makes her smile to herself.

‘Eve, are you listening? You’re to give these things to Max’s wife straightaway. And don’t forget to call her Frau Braun.’

‘I know, Mamma, I won’t forget. When is Max coming?’

‘Just as soon as he gets here!’ Anna snaps. ‘There’s no use hopping from one foot to the other like a flea – he won’t come any quicker. Why don’t you go and wait out in the driveway? But be sure to come and tell me before you leave.’

Anna turns and walks towards the sink. Eve wonders if she’s in a bad mood again. She frowns and sticks her tongue out at her mother’s receding back. She slides along the kitchen table towards Maggi, pushes her finger into her bowl and tries to load it with the soft gooey biscuit mix, but Maggi smacks her hand away.

‘Tsh! Wait until it’s cooked!’

Eve sticks her tongue out at Maggi too, and then starts to run from the kitchen. Maggi lifts her wooden spoon and pretends to be fierce. Eve gives a joyful shriek.

‘Are you being a nuisance again?’ Anna calls from the sink, but she doesn’t sound very cross this time.

Outside Eve shuffles two lines in the gravel with her feet, but the stones get stuck in her sandals and poke into her feet, making little dents that hurt. She sits on the front steps and picks out the stones with her finger. The sun burns through her dress into her back. She wasn’t allowed to wear shorts to visit Max’s house, so she has to wear her sundress. Today is hot, just as she likes best, and the stone steps feel warm and dry and rough against her bare legs. She finds a good stick for drawing shapes in the gravel. She writes her name: E – V – E. If only Max would come. She draws a house, a tree, and a dog in the gravel, and then suddenly Max comes riding round the corner on his big, black bicycle. The wheels make a lovely, scraping sound on the drive and Max is whistling the tune of ‘I love to go a-wandering’.

‘Max!’ she shouts, jumping up to greet him.

‘Hallo, kleines Kaninchen’ – ‘Hello, little rabbit,’ he says, swerving the bicycle dramatically to a stop in front of her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.