Read Online Lessons From Ducks by Tammy Robinson - Free Book Online

under a bed in the spare room - on the cobbled patio out back like she’d seen the Greek’s do in movies. She was curious to see if it would make her feel better but it didn’t really. All it did was make a big mess that she’d then had to clean up.
    Having Oscar in such close proximity was testing every ounce of strength to feign normality though. If she didn’t know otherwise she would have sworn, on a bible in any courtroom with hand held over heart, that he was –
    Obviously a lot older, but how she imagined Ben would have looked if -
    No. She couldn’t allow herself to think like that. It was merely that they had a similar hair colour – a sandy pale colour like the fluffy bunny tail plants that grew along the beach – and eyes – such a clear, startling blue, like –
    Stop it, she scolded herself.
    “Would you like to feed them?” she asked him, holding out the bread. He was standing back, unsure still about this woman who looked at him like she might devour him. However, his dad was nearby and seemed to think she was harmless, and the ducks were about the coolest thing he’d seen in a while, so he accepted the bread and followed her to the back door. Anna had to nudge it open slowly with a foot to stop it from crashing into the ducks who were gathered in an angry mob on the far side.
    ‘QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK’
    “Now now, calm down. You lot need to remember your ancestors weren’t spoon fed like this. Neither are your friends in the park, no, they have to forage for their food. Imagine what they’d think if they saw you carrying on like this just because your dinner’s a little late. They’d think you’re a bunch of drama queens.”
    But the ducks weren’t listening. They’d spied the bread in Oscars hand and waddled towards him. He backed away. Their beaks looked like they could do some damage.
    “It’s ok,” Anna told him. “They won’t bite unless you try and pet them. Throw the bread out over their heads. That’s what they’re after.”
    He did as she said and was relieved when the ducks turned and rushed towards the bread. He watched as they gulped it down eagerly, scooping up a bit and shaking their long throats to swallow it down.
    “Hungry aren’t they?” he said.
    “Always,” Anna sighed. “I don’t know why, it’s not like they’re running marathons or anything particularly strenuous.”
    Oscar chuckled at the mental picture this conjured up.
    The sound made Anna sag against the doorframe and clutch a hand to her chest.
    “Are you ok?” Oscar asked her.
    Anna straightened. Now who was being the drama queen? She had to stop scaring the poor boy.
    “Yes I’m fine,” she said brightly, ‘just twisted my ankle a little on the step.” She held her left foot off the ground and rolled it in a circle a few times to back up her story. “Seems ok again now though.”
    “I think dad and I better get going,” Oscar said. “Thanks for the offer of food but I’m kind of past the hungry stage now. I’ll just grab something at home.”
    “Nonsense. It’s my fault your dad dragged you here so the least I can do is feed you. There’s one more duck we have to feed first though. Follow me.”
    Oscar watched her head off down the garden and swallowed. The night sky had darkened even further and the first stars were making themselves known. He looked nervously over his shoulder to where he could just see his father on the opposite side of the lounge studying book spines on a shelf. Looking back to where Anna was disappearing into the shadows, he tried not to think about garden sheds and shovels. Surely if this woman intended him harm she wouldn’t do it with his father nearby? He knew he was being silly. It was his mothers fault for the dangers she was constantly filing his head with. As well as the usual, don’t get into cars with strangers and don’t accept sweets/gifts from strangers, she had also warned him:
    -           Not to walk down side streets on