Read Online Alone Beneath The Heaven by Rita Bradshaw - Free Book Online
Authors: Rita Bradshaw
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she’s not mine, is she? She doesn’t belong to me like a mam.’
A heavy silence followed, one which Rodney felt at a loss to break. He was aware that his own childhood had been privileged, one of considerable wealth but also with the security of a close-knit, loving family, in which each member was genuinely concerned for the welfare of the others. Public school, tennis and cricket in the summer, and winter holidays in Europe - he had taken it all as normal life until leaving the safe, comfortable confines of his élite circle in Windsor and travelling north.
Since his arrival in Sunderland two months ago, the rawness of life in certain areas of the town where he visited patients had depressed and saddened him many times. He had felt pity, frustration, anger, and a burning sense of helplessness, but never the desire to protect and shield one of the inhabitants, as he did with Sarah. The child had touched something deep inside him, a fount of tenderness, of strong, parent-like compassion, and it had been instantaneous. She had been on his mind constantly since the day before, and when he had received the telephone call first thing, from a governor who was anxious that the matter should not become public knowledge, he had found it difficult to talk to the man civilly.
A quiet knock at the door, followed by Maggie’s shambling entrance into the room, brought Rodney to the realization that the child had fallen asleep against him, worn out, no doubt, by the traumatic events of the last twenty-four hours.
‘She was upset.’ He explained Sarah’s tear-stained face as he placed her gently back in the bed and straightened up, Maggie sighing and flopping into a straight-backed chair at its foot.
‘Aye, well it’s not surprisin’, is it?’
‘No, I suppose not.’ There was silence for a moment and then Rodney said, ‘What will happen to her, Mrs McLevy?’
She liked this young doctor. Maggie stared at the tall broad-shouldered figure in front of her. Dr March had always treated the Home’s helpers like dirt - while keeping on the good side of Matron and grovelling for his whisky - but this young man was polite, respectful like, without being patronizing. Her thoughts moderated her tone as she said, ‘She’ll go on as before, lad, what else? There’s no other option.’
‘She doesn’t want to go back with the other children.’
‘No, I can understand that.’ Maggie paused for a moment. ‘She’s different you see, an’ bairns bein’ bairns, they don’t like it. I don’t mean her looks, although they’re out of the ordinary, but she’s bright, intelligent too, an’ she feels things. She can’t shrug things off like the rest of ’em in here an’ they know it an’ it makes ’em cruel.’
‘Can’t - can’t you do something?’
They looked at each other for a moment, and Maggie raised her eyebrows as she said, her voice scarcely audible, ‘An’ what would you have me do, lad? Keep her tied to me apron strings all day, have her sleep apart from the others, eat alone? Even if that were possible, which it’s not, it wouldn’t do the lass no good. She’s in here an’ she’s got to cope with it the best she can. Now I’m not sayin’ that lightly.’ She raised her hand as he went to speak. ‘God knows I hate to see the bairn suffer, an’ I’ve prayed for things to be different for months now, but it’ll be worse if anythin’, after this last bit of mischief by Florrie. The bairn used to comfort herself with a story she’d made up about her mam an’ da, you know. She thought I didn’t know but her little pal Rebecca told me about it a while back. I think it got so she believed it herself in the end.’
Rodney swore, very softly, as he glanced down at the small figure in the bed.
‘Anyway, don’t you worry about it, lad. You’ve got enough on your plate from what I hear, what with old Dr March laid up an’ you doin’ the
A heavy silence followed, one which Rodney felt at a loss to break. He was aware that his own childhood had been privileged, one of considerable wealth but also with the security of a close-knit, loving family, in which each member was genuinely concerned for the welfare of the others. Public school, tennis and cricket in the summer, and winter holidays in Europe - he had taken it all as normal life until leaving the safe, comfortable confines of his élite circle in Windsor and travelling north.
Since his arrival in Sunderland two months ago, the rawness of life in certain areas of the town where he visited patients had depressed and saddened him many times. He had felt pity, frustration, anger, and a burning sense of helplessness, but never the desire to protect and shield one of the inhabitants, as he did with Sarah. The child had touched something deep inside him, a fount of tenderness, of strong, parent-like compassion, and it had been instantaneous. She had been on his mind constantly since the day before, and when he had received the telephone call first thing, from a governor who was anxious that the matter should not become public knowledge, he had found it difficult to talk to the man civilly.
A quiet knock at the door, followed by Maggie’s shambling entrance into the room, brought Rodney to the realization that the child had fallen asleep against him, worn out, no doubt, by the traumatic events of the last twenty-four hours.
‘She was upset.’ He explained Sarah’s tear-stained face as he placed her gently back in the bed and straightened up, Maggie sighing and flopping into a straight-backed chair at its foot.
‘Aye, well it’s not surprisin’, is it?’
‘No, I suppose not.’ There was silence for a moment and then Rodney said, ‘What will happen to her, Mrs McLevy?’
She liked this young doctor. Maggie stared at the tall broad-shouldered figure in front of her. Dr March had always treated the Home’s helpers like dirt - while keeping on the good side of Matron and grovelling for his whisky - but this young man was polite, respectful like, without being patronizing. Her thoughts moderated her tone as she said, ‘She’ll go on as before, lad, what else? There’s no other option.’
‘She doesn’t want to go back with the other children.’
‘No, I can understand that.’ Maggie paused for a moment. ‘She’s different you see, an’ bairns bein’ bairns, they don’t like it. I don’t mean her looks, although they’re out of the ordinary, but she’s bright, intelligent too, an’ she feels things. She can’t shrug things off like the rest of ’em in here an’ they know it an’ it makes ’em cruel.’
‘Can’t - can’t you do something?’
They looked at each other for a moment, and Maggie raised her eyebrows as she said, her voice scarcely audible, ‘An’ what would you have me do, lad? Keep her tied to me apron strings all day, have her sleep apart from the others, eat alone? Even if that were possible, which it’s not, it wouldn’t do the lass no good. She’s in here an’ she’s got to cope with it the best she can. Now I’m not sayin’ that lightly.’ She raised her hand as he went to speak. ‘God knows I hate to see the bairn suffer, an’ I’ve prayed for things to be different for months now, but it’ll be worse if anythin’, after this last bit of mischief by Florrie. The bairn used to comfort herself with a story she’d made up about her mam an’ da, you know. She thought I didn’t know but her little pal Rebecca told me about it a while back. I think it got so she believed it herself in the end.’
Rodney swore, very softly, as he glanced down at the small figure in the bed.
‘Anyway, don’t you worry about it, lad. You’ve got enough on your plate from what I hear, what with old Dr March laid up an’ you doin’ the
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