Stormclouds by Brian Gallagher

Author:Brian Gallagher [Brian Gallagher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781847176172
Publisher: The O'Brien Press
Published: 2013-09-17T04:00:00+00:00

Maeve felt a thrill as the train sped across the estuary at Malahide. The sun sparkled on the dancing waves of the broad stretch of water and, looking out the carriage window, she couldn’t see the bridge that carried the railway, so that it seemed like the train was magically suspended while crossing the shimmering blue sea.

She was excited also to be meeting her father, who had arrived back in Ireland last night on an army flight from Cyprus to Dublin. He would be coming up to Belfast to spend most of his holidays with Maeve, but she had persuaded Aunt Nan to let her travel the one hundred and six miles to Dublin to greet him. It meant that they could have a couple of days together in Dublin and that Maeve could be reunited, if only briefly, with friends from her native city.

Maeve had accepted that Belfast was her home now. Her Dublin friends kidded her about how she had picked up the Northern accent, but part of her would always be a Dubliner, and she was looking forward to shopping in Henry Street with her father this afternoon, and maybe visiting Dublin Zoo tomorrow.

This was the first time that she had made the train journey alone between Belfast and Dublin. It had taken a bit of persuading, but eventually she had convinced Aunt Nan and Uncle Jim that at twelve years of age she was capable of travelling by herself for a couple of hours. Nevertheless her aunt and uncle had accompanied her to Great Victoria Street Station, instructed her not to talk to strangers, and seen her onto the Enterprise, the gleaming diesel train that ran between the two cities. Aunt Nan had given her wrapped ham sandwiches, two slices of apple tart, and a bottle of milk with a screw cap, all of which made Maeve feel like she was setting off on an adventure.

She had brought along her Enid Blyton book, The Secret of Moon Castle, and later a boy of about seventeen had joined her carriage at Dundalk, bringing with him a transistor radio tuned to Radio Luxembourg. Obeying her aunt’s instruction not to talk to strangers, Maeve hadn’t spoken to him, but she had happily sung under her breath when two of her favourite songs, ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ and ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’, were played on the transistor radio.

Now Maeve felt her pulses starting to race a little as the train sped through the suburbs of Dublin, making its way towards Connolly Station, where she was to meet her father. She loved reunions with him, and he always brought her some kind of present from his travels abroad. But she was usually a little nervous too. Apart from the risk of him being killed or injured, Maeve was conscious that things could change when people were apart. Supposing he met someone and wanted to get married again? Would she be expected to leave Aunt Nan and Uncle Jim and live with a stepmother? She

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