Way the Crow Flies by Ann-Marie Macdonald

Author:Ann-Marie Macdonald
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780060586379
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2003-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

GOOD FRIDAY

CLAIRE’S PHOTO IS ON the cover of the London Free Press. Madeleine sees it when she opens the door to get the milk from the front step. The photo is a little smudgy because it’s a black-and-white reproduction of Claire’s school picture—the one everyone had taken in the gym last November. But it is unmistakeably Claire smiling up from the front porch next to the milk. And the caption: Missing Child. Claire is famous. Madeleine carries the paper up with the milk, exclaiming, “Extra, extra, read all about it!”

Her mother takes the paper and thrusts it at her father, saying, “I don’t want any of these in the house”—as though she were talking about getting rid of all the spinning wheels in the kingdom.

Jack is neither surprised nor offended, he merely folds the paper into his briefcase, and when Mike comes down and turns on the radio for the news, Jack shuts it right back off. They eat breakfast, Mimi dressed and made up as usual, leaning against the counter with her coffee and cigarette. It is as silent as it was during the missile crisis. This time, however, there is not even the crinkle of newspaper pages. Just the sound of crunching. Madeleine looks at Mike. He is wearing the same innocent expression as her father. She pokes her toad-in-the-hole and the yolk streams out.

Today is a holiday. But it’s Good Friday, which means you are not supposed to have too much fun. There is to be no television tonight—Jesus is on the Cross, this is no time to be watching the Three Stooges. Mike is not even allowed to play road hockey. Maman lays down the law every year. And for supper, fish. Not fish ’n’ chips, but a piece of watery white flesh on the plate next to pallid canned peas and boiled potatoes. No dessert. Offer it up for the suffering of Our Lord. When He was thirsty, all they gave him to drink was vinegar. Remember the poor starving children in Africa. It is raining, because it always rains on Good Friday.

Madeleine leaves to call on Auriel, but sees Colleen out in front of the Froelich house in a rain poncho. She is crouched with her coffee can, parting the grass with her fingers. Madeleine quietly retreats and cuts through several backyards before emerging farther up and crossing the street to the Bouchers’ house. They are going to listen to Auriel’s mum’s Vera Lynn records and let the budgie fly around. Then they’ll go next door and play with Lisa’s new baby brother. They will continue to speculate about Claire’s perilous adventure. Auriel has suggested that she may have run away to Disneyland. As Madeleine knocks on the Bouchers’ door, she glances down the street to where Colleen is making patient progress across her front yard.

“Hello pet, come in out of the rain,” says Mrs. Boucher. Madeleine smells cinnamon buns baking—Mrs. Boucher is Anglican, they don’t have to suffer as much on Good Friday. Something in her expression changes as she looks over Madeleine’s head toward the street.

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