Eva's Holiday Page 7

‘I’ll stay here,’ I said. ‘I’ll take good care of Jeremy while you’re gone.’

  Kate shook her head.

  ‘Thanks, but I can’t leave. If I leave, it would be like abandoning him. You’ll have to go and get the tent.’

  Great. Once again I was getting the tough job.

  As I stood up to go, Kate seemed a bit uneasy.

  ‘You don’t need to chat to Martha or anything,’ she said. ‘Just get the tent, and come straight back, OK?’

  That sounded like a good plan to me, so I nodded, and set off down the field.

  The house looked even creepier than before. I felt like a small, lost child in a fairy story, as I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I jumped as the door creaked open at my touch. I jumped even higher when an old woman stuck her head out through the open window next to me. She had a thin, wrinkled face and long, white, straggly hair. She was wearing a shirt that looked like it was about a hundred years old.

  ‘Who are you and what do you want?’ she barked in a deep voice.

  ‘Er … I’m Eva. I’m Kate’s friend.’

  She gave a witch-like laugh.

  ‘Are you indeed? Now why are you here? I hope Kate’s not in some kind of trouble.’

  I thought about telling her the truth, but I wasn’t brave enough.

  ‘No,’ I said slowly. ‘She’s not in trouble.’

  Martha leaned farther out the window.

  ‘What’s Kate been telling you anyway?’

  I took a step backwards.

  ‘Nothing. She just told me about her dad, that’s all.’

  Martha narrowed her eyes. ‘That wasn’t my fault, you know. I hope she told you that.’

  I took another step backwards. This was totally weird. How could Kate’s dad being knocked down have been Martha’s fault?

  Surely she hadn’t been driving the truck?

  How awful would that have been?

  I decided it was time to get down to business.

  ‘Kate and I are going camping,’ I said. ‘So I need to get her tent. She said it’s in the bottom of the wardrobe in her bedroom.’

  ‘You’re not coming in here,’ said Martha.

  She needn’t have worried. There was no way I was going into that house without a team of minders to protect me.

  ‘Maybe you’d be kind enough to pass the tent out then please?’ I said in my sweetest voice.

  Martha didn’t reply, but she vanished from the window. Seconds later she was back and she shoved a black canvas bag out the window and onto the ground. I picked up the bag and ran towards the gate. I could hear the sound of the window slamming behind me.

  Chapter Nineteen

  It took me ages to get back to the field. When I got there, Kate was sitting cross-legged on the faded old rug, like some kind of ancient hippy.

  I dropped the tent to the ground and threw myself on to the rug.

  ‘That must be the heaviest tent in the world,’ I said. ‘My arms are killing me.’

  ‘What did Martha say?’ asked Kate.

  ‘Not much,’ I said.

  Kate looked relieved when I said that, and I wondered why. What dark secret about her grandmother was she trying to keep from me?

  ‘Thanks for getting the tent, Eva,’ she said then.

  ‘You’re welcome,’ I said, and then we sat in silence for a long time.

  ‘Will I help you to put the tent up?’ I asked after a while.

  Kate jumped to her feet.

  ‘Thanks, Eva. I don’t really know how to do it. That was always Dad’s job. He used to put up the tent, and I’d search for flowers to decorate it, and arrange our beds inside it and everything.’

  I had a sudden picture of a much younger Kate, with long hair, and a smiling face, running around the field and playing with her dad.

  But that was too sad, so I pushed it out of my mind, and helped Kate to empty everything out of the canvas bag.

  It wasn’t one of those modern tents that just pop up all on their own. There were ropes and poles and pegs, and none of it seemed to make much sense at first. In the end, after lots of disasters, and lots of very, very rude words from Kate, the tent was up – sort of. It leaned very much one way, and it looked like the first gust of wind would blow it away. Luckily though, it was a still, calm evening, and there was a small chance that the tent might stay upright until the morning.

  Kate and I sat on the rug admiring our work. Now that we weren’t busy any more, I realised that my stomach was rumbling. I hadn’t had anything to eat for ages and ages. But how could I go home and eat my dinner knowing that Kate was up here, alone and hungry?

  Just then I heard the unmistakable sound of Joey’s poor attempt at whistling.

  Seconds later I could smell the unmistakable smell of meat and onions.

  Seconds later again, Joey was ducking away from one of Kate’s hugs.

  As soon as he felt safe, Joey put a huge basket down on the grass next to the tent.

  ‘Paula sent food for both of you,’ he said. ‘And Eva, she says you’re to be home by nine-thirty.’

  Then he skipped away, still whistling tunelessly.

  Kate and I didn’t speak for ten minutes as we devoured the huge bowls of Mum’s special spaghetti bolognaise. Then we packed the empty bowls and cutlery back into the basket. After that we lay on the rug and looked up at the sky.

  ‘Your mum’s great at cooking,’ said Kate.

  I was feeling guilty again when she continued, ‘Martha says my mum was a disaster in the kitchen. She couldn’t boil an egg without burning it.’

  ‘Even so, you must wish she was still here,’ I said, feeling suddenly brave.

  Kate shook her head.

  ‘It’s hard to miss what you never knew you had.’

  I didn’t agree, but didn’t feel like arguing, so instead I changed the subject.

  ‘I’d love to spend the night here with you,’ I said, ‘but I know there’s no point in even asking Mum and Dad. I know they won’t let me.’

  ‘It’s OK,’ said Kate. ‘I don’t mind.’

  ‘But what if Chainsaw Man comes back?’

  She sighed.

  ‘I don’t know what I’ll do if that happens, but I’ll think of something.’

  ‘But won’t you be afraid up here all on your own?’

  ‘No. I’ve got Jeremy to take care of me.’

  I turned to look at her to see if she was joking, but it didn’t look like she was. Her face was perfectly serious. It seemed like she really did feel safe in this place, near this tree.

  And that meant I had to make sure nothing changed – ever.

  A while later, I checked my phone.

  ‘Oh no, it’s half nine!’ I cried, as I grabbed the basket and jumped to my feet. ‘I’m late. I have to get back or Mum and Dad will go crazy. Are you sure you’re going to be OK?’

  Kate stood up too. ‘It’s nice of you to worry about me, but I’ll be OK.’

  And then for the first time ever, she hugged me. I hugged her back, and then set off down the hill.

  Near the end, I turned and waved. ‘I’ll be back first thing in the morning,’ I called.

  Kate waved back. ‘I’ll be here.’

  And then I went home.

  Chapter Twenty

  When I went to bed that night, I couldn’t sleep. I tried to think of fun stuff, like hanging out with Ella and Victoria and Ruby, but nothing worked. The same picture kept pushing itself into my brain – a picture of Kate, all alone in the small, dark tent.

  Life just wasn’t fair.

  It wasn’t fair that Kate had no mum or dad.

  It wasn’t fair that she’d ended up living with that cross Martha in that horrible falling-down house.

  And it wasn’t fair that the one place in the whole world that was special to her was about to be destroyed.

  I couldn’t do anything to change the first two things, but I sure could do something about the third.

  Suddenly it became the most
important thing in my life.

  Even if I had to chain myself to the tree for six months, I’d make sure that it wasn’t cut down.

  Another long hour passed, and still I couldn’t sleep. This was crazy. I climbed out of bed and got dressed, pulling on my warmest fleece and tracksuit bottoms. Then I tip-toed downstairs, carefully avoiding the creaky step that Dad hadn’t got around to fixing yet.

  I found a scrap of paper and wrote a note – Mum and Dad, decided to get up early and go to the tree with Kate. See you later. Eva. xxx

  Hoping they wouldn’t guess exactly how early I’d got up, I slipped through the back door, closing it softly behind me.

  It was a clear night, and the light of the moon made everything a creepy silvery-grey colour.

  I didn’t want to frighten Kate, so I called softly as I got close to the tent. I could hear her fumbling with the tent-flaps, and seconds later she was kneeling at the tent opening, grinning happily.

  ‘You came,’ she said.

  ‘You don’t look surprised.’

  Kate shook her head.

  ‘I’m not surprised. You’re my friend. I knew you’d come.’

  I didn’t know how to answer that, so I just crawled into the tent and lay down. Kate edged back in beside me.

  ‘Now you’re here, I’m not afraid any more,’ she said. ‘So I can leave the tent-flaps open.’

  ‘But I thought you weren’t afraid anyway. I thought Jeremy was minding you.’

  She giggled.

  ‘He was doing his best, but it’s nice to have a human being here too. Just in case.’

  Neither of us spoke for a while. The air was warm, and there was a smell of damp canvas that was kind of nice.

  I was just dropping off to sleep, when Kate spoke.

  ‘I can see Lyra,’ she said.

  I sat up quickly.

  ‘Who’s Lyra? What’s she doing here? Is she on our side?’

  ‘Lyra’s not a person. It’s a constellation.’

  I lay down again, relieved.

  ‘Look,’ said Kate pointing through the open tent-flap. ‘See that bright star over there?’

  I shook my head. ‘What bright star? They all look the same to me.’

  Kate patiently explained, and after a while I could see what she was talking about. When I looked closely, I could see differences between the stars. Some were brighter than others, some twinkled more, and some were almost invisible – just the faintest points of light. Then she showed me how some of the stars were arranged in shapes. She was really patient, and explained everything carefully. It was totally cool, and I forgot how tired I had been a few minutes earlier. By the time I fell asleep, I’d had my first, very thorough, lesson in astronomy.

  When I woke up, a greyish light filled the tent. It was chilly, and I pulled the old rug over me to try to get warm. Kate was still asleep. She looked young and peaceful. Her short hair was all spiky-looking.

  She looked like she needed someone to take care of her.

  I wished she had someone to take care of her.

  Just then I heard the sound of heavy boots coming along the road. I grabbed Kate and shook her.

  ‘Wake up. Someone’s coming.’

  Kate jumped up and together we scrambled out of the tent. Just above the hedge, I could see the bobble of a hat bouncing along in time with the footsteps. It would have been funny, if I hadn’t been so scared.

  Kate gave a big sigh. ‘You don’t have to worry, Eva. I know that hat. It’s just Martha.’

  I stepped back towards the tent, as if the flimsy canvas could protect me from the cranky old woman.

  Soon Martha was beside us. She looked totally bizarre in a faded old skirt, a huge rugby jersey, big heavy mens’ boots and a purple woolly hat. She was carrying a basket.

  ‘I’ve brought you some food and a hot drink,’ she said.

  For one second I thought she was like the evil queen in Snow White.

  Had she come to poison us?

  Did I dare to touch anything that came out of that basket?

  I waited for Kate to answer.

  ‘Thanks, Martha,’ she said.

  Martha gave a small smile. Then she put the basket on the ground and walked away.

  When she was gone, Kate reached in to the basket and took out a flask and two cups. She opened the flask.

  ‘Mmmmmmm,’ she said. ‘Hot chocolate. Martha makes the yummiest hot chocolate.’

  I pulled out a bundle wrapped in a tea-cloth. Inside were four warm scones, with melting butter dripping down the sides.

  All thoughts of poison vanished from my mind as we drank the hot chocolate and ate the scones in seconds.

  ‘That was really nice of Martha,’ I said, when I finally stopped for breath.

  ‘You sound surprised.’

  That’s because I thought she was a total witch. I hesitated.

  ‘Well … I am a bit surprised. I thought Martha was … well you know … kind of mean.’

  Kate laughed.

  ‘She’s not mean. She just gets very grumpy sometimes – when her bones hurt. When she’s like that, I usually just keep out of her way.’

  ‘I think maybe her bones were hurting her yesterday when I went to get the tent,’ I said, and Kate gave a small giggle, before turning serious again.

  ‘Martha’s had a hard life,’ she said. ‘Her husband, that’s my grandad, died when she was very young, and my dad was her only child. She still feels guilty about what happened to him.’

  Suddenly that reminded me of something.

  ‘Yesterday, Martha said it wasn’t her fault, you know … about your dad. She wasn’t driving the truck, was she?’

  Kate looked at me like I was crazy.

  ‘Of course not,’ she said.

  ‘So why does she feel guilty?’

  Kate put her head down.

  ‘Weeeeell, it’s complicated. I suppose Martha thinks that somehow she could have saved Dad.’

  That sounded a bit crazy to me.

  Martha wasn’t even there.

  And if she had been there, what could she have done? How can you save anyone if they step out in front of a big truck?

  Did Martha think it was her fault because she hadn’t taught her son the Safe Cross Code properly when he was small?

  Anyway, I so didn’t like talking about Kate’s dead father, so I changed the subject.

  ‘I think I’d better go home and tell Mum and Dad I’m not dead or kidnapped or something,’ I said. ‘Will you be OK here for a bit?’

  Kate nodded.

  ‘Sure. Me and Jeremy – we’ll be just fine.’

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I didn’t really tell a lie when I got back to the house. I just didn’t exactly tell the truth.

  ‘Hi Mum, hi Dad,’ I called as I let myself in the back door.

  ‘Hi darling,’ said Dad. ‘It’s not like you to be up before us. What time did you get up?’

  I tried to look innocent. ‘Er … I’m not really sure. I didn’t check my phone. It was early though.’

  (Like the middle of the night!)

  Mum rubbed my head like I was a puppy.

  ‘You’re being really nice to Kate. We’re proud of you.’

  This was getting embarrassing, so I put a quick stop to it.

  ‘I just came back to say “hi”,’ I said. ‘So, hi. Now I think I’ll go back and keep Kate company for a while.’

  I ran out again, before anyone could argue, and minutes later I was back in the field with Kate.

  I sat down beside her.

  ‘Now what?’ I asked.

  ‘Now we just wait to see what’s going to happen. Or did you have other plans?’

  I couldn’t answer her. I hadn’t known what to expect when Mum and Dad dragged me on this holiday, but I so hadn’t expected this.

  I lay back on the rug and looked up at the sky.

  ‘Pity the stars are gone,’ I said.

  Kate giggled.

  ‘They’re not go
ne. They’re up there in the daytime too. You just can’t see them, that’s all.’

  It was a strange thought. I wondered if that was the way Kate felt about her dad? Was he still somewhere, watching over her, like the invisible stars? I was deciding if I dared to say this to Kate, when my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of feet marching along the road.

  I sat up in time to see Joey marching into the field, followed by nine or ten little boys. They started to chant, ‘Listen to us – we’re making a fuss. Listen to me – save the tree.’

  Kate stood up, and laughed as the boys marched closer.

  They marched right up to the edge of the rug, and then they stayed there, marching on the spot, chanting their refrain over and over, and ignoring Kate’s giggles.

  In the end, Joey raised one hand in the air.

  ‘Troops, at ease,’ he said, and instantly the boys stopped marching and stood quietly.

  ‘Where do you want us?’ asked Joey.

  ‘Er……,’ I began, not really sure what to do with this band of determined little boys. ‘Why don’t you go over there and play soccer for a while, like yesterday.’ I said. ‘And we’ll call you if we need you.’

  ‘Yay, soccer,’ screeched one of the boys pulling a soccer ball from underneath his sweat-shirt. Then they all ran off to the other side of the field.

  Half an hour later, the boys were still kicking their football. Kate and I had plenty to occupy us though, as it was getting very crowded in the shade of the tree.

  Hans and Friedrich were back, accompanied by three Japanese tourists.

  ‘We meet them in the Bed and Breakfast,’ said Hans.

  ‘And they want to help saving the tree,’ said Friedrich.

  The Japanese tourists kept smiling and nodding and taking endless photographs. I wondered what their friends back home would make of the bizarre scene.

  Mum and Dad were there, with a small, quiet man who ran the local shop. The woman from the pub was there too, chatting to some of the local farmers. Miley was there, with a huge round red-faced woman that Kate said was his wife. She kept shaking our hands and thanking us and saying that it was nice to get out for a change – something that made me think that she must have a very, very sad life.