Read Online Sammi and Dusty by Jessie Williams - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jessie Williams
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couldn’t bear to move all the things that made your life so special. You didn’t do it unless you thought you really, really had to.
‘Let’s wait and see, Asha,’ said Kerry. ‘It’s good to know that we have all this support. That feels nice, even if...’ Her voice trailed off, and she sighed.
‘But I know so many people are coming tomorrow!’ said Asha. ‘They’re all going to tell the council what they think! There’ll be hundreds of people here...’
‘That’s great, Asha,’ said Kerry. Her voice was oddly flat. ‘But the truth is, we have to be ready to close down. That means packing things away, and saying goodbye to the animals. You know we’ve had to make arrangements for them all to go somewhere else.’
Asha’s face fell, and there was a brief silence. Sammi knew that Kerry had worked incredibly hard over the last week. She’d spent hours on the phone, ringing rescue homes and farms and even pet shops, trying to find good homes for all the animals.
‘Aye,’ said Rory. ‘I wish I believed this petition would work. But I’ve known Derrick Jarvis for a good few years. He likes to get his papers in order. If he says we’re closing, then... we probably are.’ He looked as though he was carrying a big heavy sack of sorrow on his shoulders.
‘Rory,’ asked Sammi. ‘Where will you go? City Farm your home. You have somewhere to sleep?’
‘Bless you, lad,’ said Rory. ‘Don’t you worry about me. I have a brother up north, with a farm. I’ll be going to stay with him.’
Sammi was glad. He couldn’t bear the thought of Rory being homeless. But he felt terribly sad too, because he might not be seeing him any more. Or Kerry, or any of the friendly staff in the City Farm cafe. Worst of all, he wouldn’t be able to see Dusty...
* * *
Sammi joined Rory and Jack in the farmhouse, helping them to pack Rory’s belongings, then shift boxes to the barn. They worked at it all morning, only stopping for a quick sandwich. Then Kerry asked Sammi and Asha to take down all the lovely children’s pictures that lined the walls of the barn. Asha made sure they packed them really neatly, so that they wouldn’t be damaged.
‘You never know – we might be able to put them back up again, if the petition works!’ she said.
‘I hope you right,’ agreed Sammi.
When at last they’d finished, Sammi went out back out to the paddock. He approached slowly this time, looking at Stanley, Swift and Dusty as they munched their way across the grass. Dusty had calmed down from his early-morning adventure, and was grazing alongside Stanley and Swift. They had no idea what was about to happen to them, he thought sadly.
‘Dusty!’ he called, stepping up to the fence.
The donkey looked pleased to see Sammi again. ‘Eeee-yore, eeee-yore!’ he squealed, then trotted over to the gate.
Sammi stroked his long, furry face. ‘I’m going to miss you,’ he told him. ‘You’re the first friend I made here at City Farm. You’ve helped me a lot, did you know that?’
Dusty butted Sammi’s arm, then started to nibble at his sleeve.
‘Hey!’ laughed Sammi. ‘I know we’re friends, but you’re not supposed to eat me.’ He fished in his pocket and found half a carrot – the last one. ‘Here you are.’
Dusty crunched it up, then stood quietly, resting his head on Sammi’s arm.
‘I haven’t known you very long, but I think we understand each other pretty well, don’t we?’ Sammi carried on. He felt a bit silly, talking to a donkey. But then Dusty snorted through his nostrils and butted him gently again, as though he’d understood every word.
‘Sammi!’ called Asha’s voice. She ran around the side of the feed rooms and along to the field gate. ‘I’ve come to say goodbye to Stanley and Swift and Dusty. Then I want to go and see Curly and Lizzie, then all the goats – and then I have to spend lots of time with Bubble and Squeak because they’re my favourites...’ She leaned over the
‘Let’s wait and see, Asha,’ said Kerry. ‘It’s good to know that we have all this support. That feels nice, even if...’ Her voice trailed off, and she sighed.
‘But I know so many people are coming tomorrow!’ said Asha. ‘They’re all going to tell the council what they think! There’ll be hundreds of people here...’
‘That’s great, Asha,’ said Kerry. Her voice was oddly flat. ‘But the truth is, we have to be ready to close down. That means packing things away, and saying goodbye to the animals. You know we’ve had to make arrangements for them all to go somewhere else.’
Asha’s face fell, and there was a brief silence. Sammi knew that Kerry had worked incredibly hard over the last week. She’d spent hours on the phone, ringing rescue homes and farms and even pet shops, trying to find good homes for all the animals.
‘Aye,’ said Rory. ‘I wish I believed this petition would work. But I’ve known Derrick Jarvis for a good few years. He likes to get his papers in order. If he says we’re closing, then... we probably are.’ He looked as though he was carrying a big heavy sack of sorrow on his shoulders.
‘Rory,’ asked Sammi. ‘Where will you go? City Farm your home. You have somewhere to sleep?’
‘Bless you, lad,’ said Rory. ‘Don’t you worry about me. I have a brother up north, with a farm. I’ll be going to stay with him.’
Sammi was glad. He couldn’t bear the thought of Rory being homeless. But he felt terribly sad too, because he might not be seeing him any more. Or Kerry, or any of the friendly staff in the City Farm cafe. Worst of all, he wouldn’t be able to see Dusty...
* * *
Sammi joined Rory and Jack in the farmhouse, helping them to pack Rory’s belongings, then shift boxes to the barn. They worked at it all morning, only stopping for a quick sandwich. Then Kerry asked Sammi and Asha to take down all the lovely children’s pictures that lined the walls of the barn. Asha made sure they packed them really neatly, so that they wouldn’t be damaged.
‘You never know – we might be able to put them back up again, if the petition works!’ she said.
‘I hope you right,’ agreed Sammi.
When at last they’d finished, Sammi went out back out to the paddock. He approached slowly this time, looking at Stanley, Swift and Dusty as they munched their way across the grass. Dusty had calmed down from his early-morning adventure, and was grazing alongside Stanley and Swift. They had no idea what was about to happen to them, he thought sadly.
‘Dusty!’ he called, stepping up to the fence.
The donkey looked pleased to see Sammi again. ‘Eeee-yore, eeee-yore!’ he squealed, then trotted over to the gate.
Sammi stroked his long, furry face. ‘I’m going to miss you,’ he told him. ‘You’re the first friend I made here at City Farm. You’ve helped me a lot, did you know that?’
Dusty butted Sammi’s arm, then started to nibble at his sleeve.
‘Hey!’ laughed Sammi. ‘I know we’re friends, but you’re not supposed to eat me.’ He fished in his pocket and found half a carrot – the last one. ‘Here you are.’
Dusty crunched it up, then stood quietly, resting his head on Sammi’s arm.
‘I haven’t known you very long, but I think we understand each other pretty well, don’t we?’ Sammi carried on. He felt a bit silly, talking to a donkey. But then Dusty snorted through his nostrils and butted him gently again, as though he’d understood every word.
‘Sammi!’ called Asha’s voice. She ran around the side of the feed rooms and along to the field gate. ‘I’ve come to say goodbye to Stanley and Swift and Dusty. Then I want to go and see Curly and Lizzie, then all the goats – and then I have to spend lots of time with Bubble and Squeak because they’re my favourites...’ She leaned over the
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