A Pocketful of Rye by Anthony Masters

Author:Anthony Masters
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2013-09-17T04:00:00+00:00

Hector stared up at the heap, took off his glasses, polished them, and put them neatly in their case.

“Hector’s a fraidy.”

The eight-year-old danced around him, scuffing up dust and tiny stones in his face. Her flaxen curls were secured in an enormous blue grip and her teeth were held back by strands of wire. Elfin-like, her matchstick legs danced continuous circles around him whilst he stood self-consciously trying to maintain his eleven-year-old dignity.

“Hector’s a fraidy.”

He thought of clapping his hand around her mouth to silence her before her taunts brought the others to him, but indecisive as ever he hovered, torn between cowardice and bravado. Another child was coming—oh and two more bigger boys.

“Hector’s a fraidy.”

“Why?” The others, curious, jostled the little girl and peered at Hector.

“Why?”

Conscious of attention, she decided to retain it as long as possible.

“Why is Hector a fraidy?”

Sharp twelve-year-old eyes made the ideal audience for her.

“Shan’t tell.”

“Come on—tell us.” A bigger boy stepped out of the gathering crowd of children.

“Won’t tell,” she repeated a little less firmly.

The bigger boy caught a strand of flaxen hair and began to pull.

“Now—why is Hector a fraidy?”

The answer came in a squeal of pain—“Because he won’t climb the volcano.”

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