Ten White Geese (9781101603055) by Bakker Gerbrand

Author:Bakker, Gerbrand [Bakker, Gerbrand]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781101603055
Publisher: Penguin USA
Published: 2013-02-25T22:00:00+00:00

40

This time the red-headed boy at Dickson’s Garden Centre had a very different look on his face. He was wandering the car park in a red Santa hat, helping where help was needed. When he saw Bradwen, who had come out of the exit just behind her carrying a Christmas tree, he stopped in his tracks. She saw him wavering: he could hardly pretend he’d been approaching someone else. It was snowing lightly. All of the garden-centre employees were wearing red Santa hats and there were decorated Christmas trees everywhere, even between the tables in the Coffee Corner. A Christmas carol was playing on the PA system. The roses had been moved to make room for racks full of candles and other Christmas paraphernalia; it took her a while to find them. After picking out twelve rose bushes, she asked Bradwen to choose a Christmas tree, but only because she thought they could plonk it in the corner, decorate it and be done. He took one with roots. That was handy, he said, because you could plant it in the garden in January. When she saw him dragging the tree through the aisles, she realised she’d need baubles and tinsel and fairy lights.

The pots with the rose bushes rattled on the big trolley; she could barely look at them. Her head was aching.

‘All right?’ the redhead asked when she walked past him. ‘Yes, I’ve got help today,’ she said, giving him a sideways glance. She heard Bradwen say, ‘Hi, mate,’ in a rather jovial tone of voice, which undoubtedly meant something. The boy looked away, scanning the car park. Sam, who was sitting in the car, began to bark excitedly.

*

Bradwen drove very carefully up the drive; the snow was an inch deep. She sat with her hands on her lap and counted the geese. All four were still there and now, because of the whiteness around them, she saw how filthy they were, how bright the orange of their beaks. The sheep were much blacker than usual. It was only when she looked ahead at the house that she saw the tyre tracks.

‘Someone’s been here,’ she said.

This time there was no note on the door.

How long since I gave those animals something to eat? she thought. Later, taking the geese a few chunks of bread, she saw that the tyre tracks ran over the field and that the sheep were crowded together near the fence.

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