Read Online The Reluctant Time Traveller by Janis Mackay - Free Book Online
Authors: Janis Mackay
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noticed, was humming along to Agnes’s tune. I couldn’t help staring at her. She had long thick grey hair with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders and a flowing dark green skirt on. Her eyes seemed to match the green of her skirt. She kept smiling. There was a white flower in her hair.
I actually knew the next bit so I joined in.
“For me and my true love will never meet again, on the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.”
I had heard Runrig singing this song. My dad loved Runrig. He had all these old CDs. I felt a pang of homesickness, thinking about my dad. Was time passing there without me? Were they missing me? What if Will was wrong? Would the police be out looking for us? Would the den be bulldozed already?
I was so caught up thinking about home I didn’t see the commotion in the crowd. Agnes obviously didn’t either. She had already plunged into the next song –
“Robin was a rovin’ boy, rantin’ rovin’ Robin…”
– quite a few people were now singing along, and we had a handful of coins jingling in the cap. Then the crowd was pushed aside. I saw that the smiling woman with the white flower in her hair was almost knocked over. I thought a fight had broken out. A big man stomped through the crowd and glared at me. And there, by his side, was little Elsie. She was pointing straight at me.
“That’s him!” she shouted. “I swear on my poor dead mother’s grave. That’s him! And that’s Frank’s cap!”
“And that,” the big man roared, “is my best rain cape! Dirty little thief. Grab him!”
13
I dropped the cap and the coins rattled on the ground. Agnes screamed. The big man lurched towards me. I felt his strong grip around my wrist. Elsie was wagging her finger at me and yelling, “Told you, eh? Nobody gets to make a fool of poor Elsie. Nobody gets to kick my bucket and get away with it.” She snatched the cap from the ground. I think she snatched the coins too. “I told you, didn’t I? You’d pay for it. Didn’t I tell yer? Eh?”
The big man yanked the cape off me and I stood there in my jeans and skateboarding T-shirt. The crowd gasped. Some people stepped back. I looked around frantically for Agnes. You’d think I was stark naked the way they gaped at me, pop-eyed. And little Elsie was seriously annoying me. She kept on with her, “Eh? Eh? Eh?” I wanted to tell her to shut up. I wanted to tell them I wasn’t a real thief. I didn’t even want the cap or the cape. But I couldn’t get any words to come out.
“Boys have had a finger chopped off for less,” roared the driver of the yellow car. I heard this whimper come out of my throat.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” someone shouted. It was the woman with the white flower.
“If anyone talks nonsense around here,” bellowed the man who had me by the wrist, “it’s you, Jean.” He glared at the woman who glared right back at him. Then he turned to the crowd, still grabbing hold of me. “House breaking is a rightserious offence, is it not? And stealing my cape to boot. I’ll have yea, laddie.”
“He was in the broom cupboard,” Elsie told the crowd, her thin arms thrust on her hips. “Kicked my bucket. I got the fright o’ my little life. I thought he was the enemy.” I got a mighty boo out of the crowd for that. I didn’t know where to look. “Aye, or a ghost,” she went on, and the crowd laughed. “Just cause I’m half-pint size doesnae mean he can make a fool out of me.” The crowd were booing and shaking their fists at me.
“Throw him in jail,” somebody yelled.
“Actually,” the big man was eyeing me up and down, “you’re a strapping laddie.”
His bushy eyebrows lifted, like he’d just had a great idea. “Lugging coal up and down the flights of stairs is too much for little Elsie here and her brother has got the horses to see to. I could do with more staff. Especially at the moment.”
“Aye! Quite right,” Elsie piped up. “Give him hard labour!”
“Splendid idea,” the big
I actually knew the next bit so I joined in.
“For me and my true love will never meet again, on the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.”
I had heard Runrig singing this song. My dad loved Runrig. He had all these old CDs. I felt a pang of homesickness, thinking about my dad. Was time passing there without me? Were they missing me? What if Will was wrong? Would the police be out looking for us? Would the den be bulldozed already?
I was so caught up thinking about home I didn’t see the commotion in the crowd. Agnes obviously didn’t either. She had already plunged into the next song –
“Robin was a rovin’ boy, rantin’ rovin’ Robin…”
– quite a few people were now singing along, and we had a handful of coins jingling in the cap. Then the crowd was pushed aside. I saw that the smiling woman with the white flower in her hair was almost knocked over. I thought a fight had broken out. A big man stomped through the crowd and glared at me. And there, by his side, was little Elsie. She was pointing straight at me.
“That’s him!” she shouted. “I swear on my poor dead mother’s grave. That’s him! And that’s Frank’s cap!”
“And that,” the big man roared, “is my best rain cape! Dirty little thief. Grab him!”
13
I dropped the cap and the coins rattled on the ground. Agnes screamed. The big man lurched towards me. I felt his strong grip around my wrist. Elsie was wagging her finger at me and yelling, “Told you, eh? Nobody gets to make a fool of poor Elsie. Nobody gets to kick my bucket and get away with it.” She snatched the cap from the ground. I think she snatched the coins too. “I told you, didn’t I? You’d pay for it. Didn’t I tell yer? Eh?”
The big man yanked the cape off me and I stood there in my jeans and skateboarding T-shirt. The crowd gasped. Some people stepped back. I looked around frantically for Agnes. You’d think I was stark naked the way they gaped at me, pop-eyed. And little Elsie was seriously annoying me. She kept on with her, “Eh? Eh? Eh?” I wanted to tell her to shut up. I wanted to tell them I wasn’t a real thief. I didn’t even want the cap or the cape. But I couldn’t get any words to come out.
“Boys have had a finger chopped off for less,” roared the driver of the yellow car. I heard this whimper come out of my throat.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” someone shouted. It was the woman with the white flower.
“If anyone talks nonsense around here,” bellowed the man who had me by the wrist, “it’s you, Jean.” He glared at the woman who glared right back at him. Then he turned to the crowd, still grabbing hold of me. “House breaking is a rightserious offence, is it not? And stealing my cape to boot. I’ll have yea, laddie.”
“He was in the broom cupboard,” Elsie told the crowd, her thin arms thrust on her hips. “Kicked my bucket. I got the fright o’ my little life. I thought he was the enemy.” I got a mighty boo out of the crowd for that. I didn’t know where to look. “Aye, or a ghost,” she went on, and the crowd laughed. “Just cause I’m half-pint size doesnae mean he can make a fool out of me.” The crowd were booing and shaking their fists at me.
“Throw him in jail,” somebody yelled.
“Actually,” the big man was eyeing me up and down, “you’re a strapping laddie.”
His bushy eyebrows lifted, like he’d just had a great idea. “Lugging coal up and down the flights of stairs is too much for little Elsie here and her brother has got the horses to see to. I could do with more staff. Especially at the moment.”
“Aye! Quite right,” Elsie piped up. “Give him hard labour!”
“Splendid idea,” the big
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