The Girl from Hard Times Hill by Emma Barnes

Author:Emma Barnes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2014-09-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Nana Speaks Up

I lay on my bed sobbing into the pillows. I had never felt so miserable. ‘I won’t go,’ I said aloud. ‘I won’t! I won’t!’ My life was here, with Nana, Grandpa and Pam. I belonged on Hardy Hill through thick and thin – hard times and good. If they tried to make me go, I’d run away!

After a long while, I began to calm down. I found a clean handkerchief and blew my nose. It occurred to me that nobody had come upstairs to comfort me – not even Nana. Were they really angry? Nana and Grandpa never lost their temper. Not like Pam’s father, who got into terrible rages sometimes, and hit his children. What about Dad? Might he be the same?

I sat on the bed, with my arms wrapped round my knees. I wondered if the grown-ups were still talking downstairs. I wondered what they were saying about me. Maybe I should go and listen?

I got up, very quietly, and went to open the door.

Shirley was standing there, just outside the doorway.

‘How long have you been there?’ I hissed.

Shirley ignored this. ‘You’ve been crying.’

‘I know!’

‘Why don’t you want to come with us, Megan?’

‘Because – because I’ll miss here too much.’ It was the truth, and my voice wobbled at the thought.

At that moment, I heard a voice from downstairs. Nana. ‘Come down now, Megan. We want to talk to you.’

I swallowed. Then I glared at Shirley. ‘I’m not going to say sorry,’ I told her. ‘And I’m not going to Newcastle either!’

In the kitchen, they were all sitting round with solemn faces. They had been drinking more tea. Like I said, always tea in a crisis.

Mum was looking cross. Everyone else just looked serious and a bit sad.

‘Megan,’ said Dad, ‘we’ve been having a long talk, and we’ve decided not to go to Newcastle.’

I gasped. This was the last thing I had expected.

Mum said, ‘And you needn’t think it’s anything to do with the way you’ve behaved this evening!’

Dad said, ‘Your nana has been explaining that there are reasons why it’s important you stay here. And I don’t think we should split up the family at the moment. So we’re all staying.’

‘Oh, thank you, Nana,’ I gasped. I should have known she would understand. But she was looking very solemn and suddenly I felt uneasy, all over again.

Nana said, ‘I had a conversation with Miss Bulmer recently, Megan.’

‘Miss Bulmer?’ I couldn’t see what she had to do with it.

‘Yes. She told me that you have a good chance of passing the Eleven Plus and going to grammar school. If, that is, you really knuckle down and work hard.’

‘But – ’ I was confused. ‘What’s that got to do with Newcastle?’

‘This isn’t a good time for you to make a move, with the Eleven Plus coming up. So your mum and dad have decided that the family should all stay together for the moment.’

‘There will be other jobs,’ said Dad. I couldn’t tell if he was cross or not.

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