Read Online The Cobbler's Kids by Rosie Harris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rosie Harris
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own plate. Carving off a thick slice of creamy breast meat he laid that on top. Reaching out, he picked up the gravy jug and lavishly covered the food on his plate.
‘Any of the rest of you want any?’ he asked staring at each of them in turn.
The silence seemed to amuse him.
‘How about you, Edmund, since you did all the hard work fattening this bird up?’
Eddy looked away, covering his mouth with his hand as his stomach churned.
His father shrugged ‘Please yourself.’
He sliced off another thick piece of breast and put it straight into his mouth. Chewing noisily, he replaced the carving knife and fork onto the platter and pushed it towards Annie.
‘Yer mam’ll cut you some if you want it, after she’s helped herself and put some out for our Vera and young Benny, of course.’
No one moved or spoke as he tucked into his own huge serving with enthusiasm.
‘Get on with it, woman, before it bloody well gets cold and is ruined,’ he instructed. ‘Dish some out to all of them, Eddy as well.’
He continued to devour his own meal, but watched closely to see that his wife did as he’d ordered.
As she was about to pass a plateful to Eddy, he held her arm and scrutinised what was on the plate.
‘That won’t do at all!’ He shook his head firmly. ‘That’s not a decent meal for a lad! No wonder he looks more like a scrawny eleven-year-old than fifteen. Anyway, since he was the one who spent so much of his spare time with the bird he deserves a king-size share of it. Give it here, woman!’
He snatched the plate out of Annie’s hands, spilling some of the vegetables and gravy as he did so. Picking up the carving knife again he hacked off one of the wings and piled that on top of the other food on Eddy’s plate.
‘Now eat! I only want to see a pile of bones left! Understand?’ He looked round the table with an amused smirk on his face. ‘That goes for the lot of you. No one gets down until their plate’s clean.’ They ate in utter silence, pushing the meat around, trying to hide it. It was as if each mouthful was choking them. What should have been a happy, joyous occasion was an unbearably tense experience that seemed to go on for ever. All of them kept glancing sideways at each other, peeping to see how much was left on everyone else’s plates.
For once, both Vera and Eddy wished that their father would do his usual trick of reaching out and spearing the meat from their plates, telling them that they didn’t need it.
Only Benny seemed to enjoy his meal. Annie had mashed up vegetables, cut a slice of breast into tiny slivers and moistened them with gravy, so he was tucking in with great gusto.
The rest of them managed to eat their vegetables, but none of them could bring themselves to touch the chicken. They’d all tried to hide it under the gravy that was now cold and congealing on their plates.
Their father watched with growing anger and they knew he was not prepared to leave it at that.
‘I said clean plates and that was what I meant. We’re not wasting one scrap of that bird!’
‘It’s all right I’ll make it into a really nice soup for tomorrow,’ Annie said quickly.
‘You’ll do no such thing! I’m not agreeing to that,’ Michael sneered. ‘Get eating, the lot of you, and that goes for you in particular,’ he snarled, prodding Eddy’s arm sharply with the prongs of his fork.
Belching loudly, he pushed back his chair and slouched over to the armchair that he regarded as his own. ‘Get on with it, the pubs won’t be opening tonight so I’m in no hurry. You can bloody well sit there until tomorrow morning for all I care.’
They waited until the surfeit of food lulled Michael Quinn into a sleep that was punctuated by grotesque snores. Annie and Vera swiftly took each plate and scraped the meat from the bones. They then dropped it inside the jug that still held enough gravy to cover it.
‘Stay where you are for a minute,’ their mother told them as she put the
‘Any of the rest of you want any?’ he asked staring at each of them in turn.
The silence seemed to amuse him.
‘How about you, Edmund, since you did all the hard work fattening this bird up?’
Eddy looked away, covering his mouth with his hand as his stomach churned.
His father shrugged ‘Please yourself.’
He sliced off another thick piece of breast and put it straight into his mouth. Chewing noisily, he replaced the carving knife and fork onto the platter and pushed it towards Annie.
‘Yer mam’ll cut you some if you want it, after she’s helped herself and put some out for our Vera and young Benny, of course.’
No one moved or spoke as he tucked into his own huge serving with enthusiasm.
‘Get on with it, woman, before it bloody well gets cold and is ruined,’ he instructed. ‘Dish some out to all of them, Eddy as well.’
He continued to devour his own meal, but watched closely to see that his wife did as he’d ordered.
As she was about to pass a plateful to Eddy, he held her arm and scrutinised what was on the plate.
‘That won’t do at all!’ He shook his head firmly. ‘That’s not a decent meal for a lad! No wonder he looks more like a scrawny eleven-year-old than fifteen. Anyway, since he was the one who spent so much of his spare time with the bird he deserves a king-size share of it. Give it here, woman!’
He snatched the plate out of Annie’s hands, spilling some of the vegetables and gravy as he did so. Picking up the carving knife again he hacked off one of the wings and piled that on top of the other food on Eddy’s plate.
‘Now eat! I only want to see a pile of bones left! Understand?’ He looked round the table with an amused smirk on his face. ‘That goes for the lot of you. No one gets down until their plate’s clean.’ They ate in utter silence, pushing the meat around, trying to hide it. It was as if each mouthful was choking them. What should have been a happy, joyous occasion was an unbearably tense experience that seemed to go on for ever. All of them kept glancing sideways at each other, peeping to see how much was left on everyone else’s plates.
For once, both Vera and Eddy wished that their father would do his usual trick of reaching out and spearing the meat from their plates, telling them that they didn’t need it.
Only Benny seemed to enjoy his meal. Annie had mashed up vegetables, cut a slice of breast into tiny slivers and moistened them with gravy, so he was tucking in with great gusto.
The rest of them managed to eat their vegetables, but none of them could bring themselves to touch the chicken. They’d all tried to hide it under the gravy that was now cold and congealing on their plates.
Their father watched with growing anger and they knew he was not prepared to leave it at that.
‘I said clean plates and that was what I meant. We’re not wasting one scrap of that bird!’
‘It’s all right I’ll make it into a really nice soup for tomorrow,’ Annie said quickly.
‘You’ll do no such thing! I’m not agreeing to that,’ Michael sneered. ‘Get eating, the lot of you, and that goes for you in particular,’ he snarled, prodding Eddy’s arm sharply with the prongs of his fork.
Belching loudly, he pushed back his chair and slouched over to the armchair that he regarded as his own. ‘Get on with it, the pubs won’t be opening tonight so I’m in no hurry. You can bloody well sit there until tomorrow morning for all I care.’
They waited until the surfeit of food lulled Michael Quinn into a sleep that was punctuated by grotesque snores. Annie and Vera swiftly took each plate and scraped the meat from the bones. They then dropped it inside the jug that still held enough gravy to cover it.
‘Stay where you are for a minute,’ their mother told them as she put the
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