There are two, and strictly speaking they’re in Crofty, but the cockles come from the Burry estuary, which Pennclawdd sits on the edge of, and the families that own the plants all come from the village too. They’ve been harvesting cockles there for hundreds of years—”
“Yes, Grandma, we’ve been there with the school. So did you bring any home?”
“Of course, and a recipe for laver bread, which is actually seaweed. We tried some while we were there and it’s delicious.”
“Are you going to make it, or will Mum?” Paige asked warily.
“Oh, I expect I shall. Your mum’s always so busy, but she’s going to make us a seafood pasta this evening using some of the cockles I brought.”
Though Paige didn’t much care for cockles, she wouldn’t hurt her grandmother’s feelings by admitting it, so she simply said, “Cool. Can I have a cup of that tea, Mum?”
“Please?” Kay prompted.
“Please. Where’s Dad?” she asked her mother as Jenna got off the phone.
“He went to give Barry the builder a hand with something,” Jenna told her, “and knowing them they’ll stop at the pub on the way back. Good day? What happened to your knee?”
“Oh, I fell over in netball. By the way, Mr. Thomas was totally blown away by the footage me and Dad shot for my ICT project. He reckons I’m going to have a really good film when it’s edited together. He might even show it to the Welsh Tourist Board if it turns out to be as good as he thinks.”
Jenna’s eyebrows rose. “That’s fantastic,” she declared, coming to hug her. “Next thing we know you’ll be turning one of Celticulture’s books into a movie.”
Liking the idea, Paige said, “That would be so cool, wouldn’t it? Especially if it was Poetry Emotion. I agree with Dad, I reckon that would make a brilliant film, or TV series.”
“We can always dream,” Jenna said with a smile. “Do you have much homework?”
“Some. What time are we eating?”
“About six, unless Dad calls to say he’s going to be late.”
“Which would be typical. How come he didn’t go into Cardiff today?”
“Irene Evans needed some help with her dog, so he decided to put it off till Thursday. Ah, that’ll be Colin delivering some wood,” she declared as someone knocked on the utility room window. “I’ll just go and—”
“Paige! Paige!” Flora cried, dashing into the kitchen, her skinny blond ponytail spilling out of its pearly band and pink-rimmed spectacles steaming up with excitement. “You have to sponsor me,” she declared, grabbing Paige’s hand. “Mum already did and Grandma. It’s only ten p and it’s for charity.”
Allowing herself to be dragged from her toast into the sitting room, Paige said, “What do you have to do?”
“I’m doing it too,” Wills told her, from his upside-down position against the wall. “The boys have to stand on their heads for twenty seconds without toppling over.”
“And the girls have to do fifty skips without being out,” Flora finished. “She’s sponsoring me, not you,” she told Wills, “because I asked first.”
“That’s not fair. I was practicing. Mum! Tell her Paige’s got to sponsor me too.”
“It’s all right, I will,” Paige assured him. “Where are your glasses?”
“I took them off so they wouldn’t get broken.”
“You’re cheating,” Flora cried. “You’re not supposed to put your feet against the wall, is he, Paige?”
“I’m practicing,” Wills yelled. “Mum said she’ll come and hold me steady in a minute so I can try without the wall.”
“How many skips can you do?” Paige asked Flora, lifting her up and treating her to a boisterous hug.
“I did thirty-nine just now,” Flora replied proudly as she hugged Paige back. “I would have done more, but I got a bit tired.”
“She’s useless,” Wills declared, coming down from the wall.
“You are,” she shot back.
He poked out his tongue, so she did too.
“You’re such a baby,” he
“Yes, Grandma, we’ve been there with the school. So did you bring any home?”
“Of course, and a recipe for laver bread, which is actually seaweed. We tried some while we were there and it’s delicious.”
“Are you going to make it, or will Mum?” Paige asked warily.
“Oh, I expect I shall. Your mum’s always so busy, but she’s going to make us a seafood pasta this evening using some of the cockles I brought.”
Though Paige didn’t much care for cockles, she wouldn’t hurt her grandmother’s feelings by admitting it, so she simply said, “Cool. Can I have a cup of that tea, Mum?”
“Please?” Kay prompted.
“Please. Where’s Dad?” she asked her mother as Jenna got off the phone.
“He went to give Barry the builder a hand with something,” Jenna told her, “and knowing them they’ll stop at the pub on the way back. Good day? What happened to your knee?”
“Oh, I fell over in netball. By the way, Mr. Thomas was totally blown away by the footage me and Dad shot for my ICT project. He reckons I’m going to have a really good film when it’s edited together. He might even show it to the Welsh Tourist Board if it turns out to be as good as he thinks.”
Jenna’s eyebrows rose. “That’s fantastic,” she declared, coming to hug her. “Next thing we know you’ll be turning one of Celticulture’s books into a movie.”
Liking the idea, Paige said, “That would be so cool, wouldn’t it? Especially if it was Poetry Emotion. I agree with Dad, I reckon that would make a brilliant film, or TV series.”
“We can always dream,” Jenna said with a smile. “Do you have much homework?”
“Some. What time are we eating?”
“About six, unless Dad calls to say he’s going to be late.”
“Which would be typical. How come he didn’t go into Cardiff today?”
“Irene Evans needed some help with her dog, so he decided to put it off till Thursday. Ah, that’ll be Colin delivering some wood,” she declared as someone knocked on the utility room window. “I’ll just go and—”
“Paige! Paige!” Flora cried, dashing into the kitchen, her skinny blond ponytail spilling out of its pearly band and pink-rimmed spectacles steaming up with excitement. “You have to sponsor me,” she declared, grabbing Paige’s hand. “Mum already did and Grandma. It’s only ten p and it’s for charity.”
Allowing herself to be dragged from her toast into the sitting room, Paige said, “What do you have to do?”
“I’m doing it too,” Wills told her, from his upside-down position against the wall. “The boys have to stand on their heads for twenty seconds without toppling over.”
“And the girls have to do fifty skips without being out,” Flora finished. “She’s sponsoring me, not you,” she told Wills, “because I asked first.”
“That’s not fair. I was practicing. Mum! Tell her Paige’s got to sponsor me too.”
“It’s all right, I will,” Paige assured him. “Where are your glasses?”
“I took them off so they wouldn’t get broken.”
“You’re cheating,” Flora cried. “You’re not supposed to put your feet against the wall, is he, Paige?”
“I’m practicing,” Wills yelled. “Mum said she’ll come and hold me steady in a minute so I can try without the wall.”
“How many skips can you do?” Paige asked Flora, lifting her up and treating her to a boisterous hug.
“I did thirty-nine just now,” Flora replied proudly as she hugged Paige back. “I would have done more, but I got a bit tired.”
“She’s useless,” Wills declared, coming down from the wall.
“You are,” she shot back.
He poked out his tongue, so she did too.
“You’re such a baby,” he
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