The Baby

Author:Lisa Drakeford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chicken House

The meadow is picturesque today. Blurry, shimmering sunshine on damp grass. Frantic birdsong all around. Early-morning breezes breathe on her face. And there are bright white flashes as a trio of wood pigeons fly into the sky, making a clumsy racket as they are disturbed.

It could be a jungle. There is so much sound. If you listen too closely it can nearly deafen you. There is no room for any more noise.

Which is odd because it has been a quiet week. The quietest week in a while. Alice has settled into a calmer routine. She has found a new place to eat her lunch for a start. Down in the toilets by the caretaker’s office. These are not used as much as the others upstairs because they are older and cold. They still have vast, thick pipes which are rusting and noisy. They smell musty. But Alice does not mind. She can eat her Cheddar cheese sandwiches undisturbed and this is a bonus. From here she is able to scuttle out unseen to either Rocket Club, Gifted and Talented Maths, or the library, which she notices the girl with the blonde hair no longer frequents. Alice has moved on to a Joseph Delaney book and she is enjoying it immensely. She feels safe under the protective eye of the librarian. She has not attempted to make friends with anybody else. She is apprehensive on this issue. So, for the moment, she has stopped the idea of making friends, even though she is letting down her family.

Her dandruff problem is being addressed. Her mum bought her some Head & Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo from Boots after Olivia had a word with her. Alice quite likes the shampoo as it is the colour of beryllonite. The smell is good too. And after the first few washes the white flecks on her shoulders are fewer in number. It has not stopped the laughter from the girls in the corner of her tutor group however. But nothing except perhaps some sort of military tank will ever stop them. She has made the decision that her bag should be on her person at all times now though. So even when she has to go to the toilet or get something from another classroom, she takes her bag. She is learning fast. Just like she has with Eliza.

And even home feels quieter. Nobody seems to be visiting Olivia these days. Jonty has not called since the last domestic violence, and Ben and Nicola don’t come. She misses these friends with their cheery greetings and their pleasant smiles and she knows for a fact that Olivia feels this too. Her sister has had several days off school over the past three months and she often looks very sad. Alice feels sorry for her sister but does not know how to make her happier. Even Sandy has tried.

Sandy is overjoyed to be let off her lead. She lollops off into the long meadow grass following a scent so that only her tail and hindquarters are showing.

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