A Better Place by Tania Roberts

Author:Tania Roberts
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Scotland, New Zealand, Scottish Highlands
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Published: 2021-07-15T16:00:00+00:00

House at Runanga

Murdo

Chapter Fourteen

Upper Hutt 1914

“Florence, bring the pram here please. We need to get Lorna into it so we can fetch Lexie from school.”

Sarah finishes feeding two-month-old Lorna, changes her nappy and tucks her snugly into the pram folding a pink woollen blanket down under her chin. The bell is likely to have gone by the time they walk the short distance to the Hutt Primary School. Lexie has been at the school for less than a month since their move back to Lower Hutt from Runanga and as pre-arranged, will be waiting quietly by the gate. She is unsure of herself, unused to the structure of lessons, the discipline of a school routine and bewildered by all the changes in recent months – the birth of Lorna, the move from Runanga, a new home and her father leaving on the ship with Grandma Lynn.

Sarah too is struggling to cope. It seems each birth robs her of a little more strength. At least this pregnancy was not all in vain. She thanks God for blessing her with another girl. Lorna came into this world a little early, not surprising after the difficult return trip from Ashburton to Runanga, but in fine fettle, her little lungs announcing loudly to all that she had arrived. Maisie Burt came and stayed for a couple of weeks when Murdo first left but she has gone back to her parents house so now it is just Sarah and the three girls coping with day-to-day life.

The walk to the school leaves Sarah short of breath. Lexie is sitting on the ground surrounded by a group of older girls, some of whom Sarah recognises as girls from the Burt family. Lexie’s eyes are red, her cheeks moist with tears and her skirt and apron bunched up around her knees to reveal a bootless foot.

“What has happened here then, Lexie?” asks Sarah hoping it is nothing major as she doesn’t think she can cope with anything more.

“She’s got a big blister on her heel,” advises one of the girls on Lexie’s behalf.

Lexie turns her foot to reveal a large red welt on her heel. She sniffs and tries to stop crying but she has worked herself into quite a tither; her whole body trembles as she tries to catch a breath. Sarah thought this might happen, hoped that perhaps the leather of the second-hand boots was soft enough not to rub, but the boots are two sizes too big for Lexie.

“Well, ye’ll just have to walk home barefoot. I cannae carry ye.”

“I’ll give her a piggy-back Mam,” offers one of the girls.

“That would be very kind of ye. We just live up the road a little.”

“Yes, I’ve seen where you live. I just live a couple of doors down.”

Sarah is grateful for the help. By the time they reach the front gate they arrange for the girls to collect Lexie each morning and night and walk her to and from school. They say goodbye at the gate and go inside to apply a dressing to the blister.

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