Thursday 3 September
It was the horns that Imogen heard first. Frustrated drivers weren’t unusual in the narrow village high street but by the cacophony she could hear out of the window, these car owners were clearly multiple and on a scale that was tipping into apoplectic.
Curious, Imogen wiped her hands on a cloth to clean off the pastry flour. Bruno’s Cafe faced the high street and she headed for the window and looked out.
She reeled in surprise. There were one, two, three, she counted, massive removal vans in the road outside, each trying to get past the line of parked cars. They had blocked the road in each direction. Imogen watched as they moved forward determinedly, set on their task of getting to their destination, unable to reverse, havingno intentionof reversing.
A weight, solid as a stone, fell into the pit of her stomach. She was inexplicably reminded of old Second World War footage, enemy tanks rolling into French villages, conquering, flags aloft, taking everything that wasn’t theirs. The tribaldrumbeat of the soldiers’ marching boots menacing as they advanced.
Imogen had a sudden urge to run out of the kitchen and stand in the middle of the road. Stop the advancement with her bare hands. As she watched, she caught her reflection in the glass of the windowpane. Her cool blonde hair was tied up, her chef’s whites a reminder of what she was being paid to do. She was powerless, trapped in this kitchen with no prospect of leaving.
The procession continued outside. Imogen shook the earlier image from her head. There were no soldiers, no military tanks. Just removal vans.
She knew where they were going.
What she didn’t know yet was who they belonged to.
THREE
Thursday 3 September
The sound of an engine broke her from her reverie. Nancy hurried in from the balcony and made her way back downstairs where she found Lara kneeling at the window seat in the hallway.
‘Our stuff is here,’ said Lara.
Nancy opened the front door as the three vans, their tyres crunching on the gravel, came around the circular driveway. The first driver hopped out, eating a sausage roll out of a paper bag.
‘Nice place,’ he said, looking up at the gleaming barn with undisguised admiration in his eyes. ‘Reallynice.’
‘Thanks,’ said Nancy.
‘You ready for us to get started?’
‘Sure. Can I get you guys a tea? Coffee?’
‘Three teas, three sugars.’
Nancy was confused. ‘You mean three sugarseach?’
‘Yes please.’ The driver returned to the van, where his colleagues were already opening up the back doors, ready to unload.
Nancy went to her car where she’d kept back a few essentials: a kettle, mugs, teabags. A sharp, sudden crack made her look up at the barn.
‘Mum, it’s a bird,’ cried Lara. ‘On the ground.’
Nancy went over to where her daughter was standing outside one of the huge windows. Lara was staring at a small bird that lay on its side on the earth. The eye facing upwards was open and to Nancy’s mind it was staring into the middle distance, seemingly unable to understand what had happened. The bird was light brown and white with gold feathers at the base of its tail and a red patch on its head. It twitched pitifully, tiny movements that seemed to fade and grow less frequent. There was a mark on the window where it had struck it.
‘Is it dead?’ asked Lara, holding her breath.
God, she hoped not. Death had dealt too harsh a blow to her family of late. Nancy looked at her daughter’s stricken face and prayed for a miracle. She went closer to the bird and, bending down, she carefully picked it up. It was lighter than she’d imagined, its tiny bones and feathers barely registering in her hands. She felt it twitch further and then it cocked its head, regaining awareness. She opened up her palms and to her immense relief the bird flew off up into the blue sky.
3 September
RIPTON PRIMARY, YEAR 6
Erin Mackie, Tilly’s mum
Another traffic nightmare in Ripton. Couldn’t believe it when one of the three removal vans even stopped right in the middle of the high street to get a sausage roll from Bruno’s! Blocked the road entirely. I was late for my high-impact class. Grrr! 16:51
