It’s nothing really. She probably just misses her mother.”
Then there was a sudden rushing sound and the door flew open. I nearly fell into the room — but Dad just rushed past me as if I wasn’t there. “SALLY!” he yelled. “GET DOWN HERE AT ONCE!”
At first Sally denied everything. She cried and wailed and said that it was all a big mistake and she even accused Mrs. Lemon of making it all up.
“So now you’re lying on top of stealing,” said Dad in a hard voice.
“Don’t you trust me
at all
?” she shouted at Dad, who was standing there with his arms folded and his face like thunder.
Nobody seemed to notice me now, so I just sat quietly and watched. Even Conor had appeared. He was standing in the doorway. He said nothing but he was listening very intently.
Then Dad pressed PLAY on the remote, and the image of Sally came up on the screen. She looked all around, checking whether anyone else was there. There was nobody else near her, and in the background you could see Mrs. Lemon with her back turned. Then Sally grabbed a packet of markers and slipped them into her schoolbag. She was very quick, just like a real thief. It was a clear image and there was no mistaking her. Then she walked up to the counter and said, “Hello, Mrs. Lemon,” as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. And then the picture showed Mrs. Lemon smiling at Sally and pressing some free sweets into her hand. That made me feel quite mad at Sally — but I felt sorry for her at the same time, because she was just standing there saying nothing now, tears running down her face, and she kept wringing her hands.
“I’m sorry, Sally,” said Mrs. Lemon quietly. She was sitting in the middle of the sofa looking like a little mouse.
“It’s not you who should be sorry, Mrs. Lemon,” said Dad. “Sally, what got into you? Bringing shame on yourself and on this family. If your mother were alive today, she —”
But he didn’t get to finish. Suddenly Sally looked up straight into Dad’s eyes and screamed, “But she isn’t, is she?” Then she ran out of the room and up the stairs and slammed the door of her room so hard that the house shook. Then she must have thrown herself onto her bed, because the light in the ceiling moved.
Everyone was quiet then, except for Mrs. Lemon, who was whimpering and sniffing into her handkerchief. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I shouldn’t have come.”
Dad helped her to her feet and led her gently to the door. “Mrs. Lemon, I’m deeply sorry that this has happened, and I assure you that every item stolen from your shop will be paid for,” he said in a very serious voice. “I do appreciate your not informing the police. I will be having a very serious word with Sally, and she will be appropriately reprimanded. I am deeply embarrassed and ashamed that my daughter should have caused you such upset.”
Dad didn’t come back into the sitting room when Mrs. Lemon left. He headed straight upstairs to Sally’s room.
“Do you think Dad is going to kill her?” I asked Conor.
“Well she deserves it,” said Conor. “But I think she’s locked her door.”
Sure enough, Dad was yelling through Sally’s door, ordering her to open it, but she wouldn’t. Which I thought was a good idea under the circumstances.
Then my phone beeped. It was a text from Orla. Who steals soap from the bath? Robber ducks! Lol Orla X X.
I read it to Conor and we both started giggling, which was a bit strange when you think that our whole family was falling apart.
We both stopped pretty quick when we heard Dad coming back down the stairs. He was still shouting. “All right, have it your own way, Sally, but this isn’t just going to go away, you know. There has never been a thief in this family before and, by God, there won’t be one now. Lie on your bed and feel as sorry for yourself as you like, but you and I will talk about this tomorrow!”
Can you believe it? I’ve lost count of the number of days it
Then there was a sudden rushing sound and the door flew open. I nearly fell into the room — but Dad just rushed past me as if I wasn’t there. “SALLY!” he yelled. “GET DOWN HERE AT ONCE!”
At first Sally denied everything. She cried and wailed and said that it was all a big mistake and she even accused Mrs. Lemon of making it all up.
“So now you’re lying on top of stealing,” said Dad in a hard voice.
“Don’t you trust me
at all
?” she shouted at Dad, who was standing there with his arms folded and his face like thunder.
Nobody seemed to notice me now, so I just sat quietly and watched. Even Conor had appeared. He was standing in the doorway. He said nothing but he was listening very intently.
Then Dad pressed PLAY on the remote, and the image of Sally came up on the screen. She looked all around, checking whether anyone else was there. There was nobody else near her, and in the background you could see Mrs. Lemon with her back turned. Then Sally grabbed a packet of markers and slipped them into her schoolbag. She was very quick, just like a real thief. It was a clear image and there was no mistaking her. Then she walked up to the counter and said, “Hello, Mrs. Lemon,” as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. And then the picture showed Mrs. Lemon smiling at Sally and pressing some free sweets into her hand. That made me feel quite mad at Sally — but I felt sorry for her at the same time, because she was just standing there saying nothing now, tears running down her face, and she kept wringing her hands.
“I’m sorry, Sally,” said Mrs. Lemon quietly. She was sitting in the middle of the sofa looking like a little mouse.
“It’s not you who should be sorry, Mrs. Lemon,” said Dad. “Sally, what got into you? Bringing shame on yourself and on this family. If your mother were alive today, she —”
But he didn’t get to finish. Suddenly Sally looked up straight into Dad’s eyes and screamed, “But she isn’t, is she?” Then she ran out of the room and up the stairs and slammed the door of her room so hard that the house shook. Then she must have thrown herself onto her bed, because the light in the ceiling moved.
Everyone was quiet then, except for Mrs. Lemon, who was whimpering and sniffing into her handkerchief. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I shouldn’t have come.”
Dad helped her to her feet and led her gently to the door. “Mrs. Lemon, I’m deeply sorry that this has happened, and I assure you that every item stolen from your shop will be paid for,” he said in a very serious voice. “I do appreciate your not informing the police. I will be having a very serious word with Sally, and she will be appropriately reprimanded. I am deeply embarrassed and ashamed that my daughter should have caused you such upset.”
Dad didn’t come back into the sitting room when Mrs. Lemon left. He headed straight upstairs to Sally’s room.
“Do you think Dad is going to kill her?” I asked Conor.
“Well she deserves it,” said Conor. “But I think she’s locked her door.”
Sure enough, Dad was yelling through Sally’s door, ordering her to open it, but she wouldn’t. Which I thought was a good idea under the circumstances.
Then my phone beeped. It was a text from Orla. Who steals soap from the bath? Robber ducks! Lol Orla X X.
I read it to Conor and we both started giggling, which was a bit strange when you think that our whole family was falling apart.
We both stopped pretty quick when we heard Dad coming back down the stairs. He was still shouting. “All right, have it your own way, Sally, but this isn’t just going to go away, you know. There has never been a thief in this family before and, by God, there won’t be one now. Lie on your bed and feel as sorry for yourself as you like, but you and I will talk about this tomorrow!”
Can you believe it? I’ve lost count of the number of days it
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