He'll come through

Chapter 13 - Going back home

Chapter 13

Lilah skipped across the City, she always felt so much lighter after unloading to Janis. She wasn’t sure the book was what she wanted to do with her life, but in reality she needed money, and frankly beggars couldn’t be choosers.  The money was a bonus, and it meant she had time to decide what she wanted to do with her life.

Right now, that was get to Lady Mary Immaculate School and collect Maria. She loved having her home, it was a breath of fresh air, and Maria she knew looked forward to it equally as much. Lilah was happy, after so much heartache, she finally felt that her life was back on track.

The school was nestled at the end of a quaint mews; you had to know it was there to find it, which was a great benefit when it came to leaving a small child there alone. Maria was peering out of a window high above the streets as she always did and by the time Lilah had waited for the door to open the little minx was running down the stairs to the reception and about to launch herself from five steps up into Lilah’s arms, when a voice bellowed, “Maria Smith! That is not the way that a young lady behaves, STOP now!”

Poor Maria, she did try to behave, but Lilah grabbed her bag and bundled her out into the sunshine away from the restraints of the oppressive school. Holding Lilah’s hand Maria skipped happily along the pavement chatting randomly and furiously about the week she’d had. The main station that took them to the south west was a twenty minute walk, so enjoying the sunshine, they strolled leisurely.

                “So one more week in school!” Lilah announced with excitement, “and then seven whole weeks off! How does that sound?”

Maria giggled, “Great! I can’t wait to spend EVERY day on the beach. And Gramps told me I can ride Hotdog EVEY day too!”

Hotdog was Lilah’s old pony now a thirty plus year old mare who was ridden very occasionally. Tonight she’d be in demand in the village offering trips in her father’s little cart around the village green, the children loved her, and Hotdog loved the numerous apples and carrot shaped treats that she got as a thank you!

“That sounds like fun, and then there’s the trip to see your grandparents! That’ll be SO much fun.” When she saw Maria’s face break into a scowl, she put her arm around her and hugged her to her side. “Look I know it may be a bit boring going to stay with them, but they miss you and they miss you Daddy, so it’s really important. And we agreed if you stayed in London that’d you would go and see them. If you don’t go and see them they might try and make you move out to Boston permanently. I don’t want that, you don’t want that. But we have to do this chicky, you can see that? Sometimes you have to compromise, and when you go out to see them then I guarantee they’ll spoil you! You’ll do nice things, eat nice food, you always have lots of gifts...”

The last comment made her smile and Lilah smiled too, at almost eight years old the thought of untold gifts seemed to be a great plaster for many a sore. The rest of the walk to the station passed in a much less stressed manner, and soon the station was in view.

The train was sat at the platform when they arrived, and as was now a usual Friday afternoon ritual Maria dived on and spent an age searching for their reserved window seats. Also as was usual, ten minutes into the journey Lilah retrieved the picnic that had been loving created and packed into a basket by her mother.

                “Today we’ve got....” she pulled out the first foil wrapped package and unravelled some of the aluminium, “ah...sandwiches, and me thinks these may be your favourite....Guess what they are!”

Maria thought for a moment, “jam?” This was an optimistic guess, but the reality of cheese, ham and homemade chutney wasn’t a disappointment to the little girl. Within moments the sandwiches were joined by boiled eggs, sausage rolls and packets of crisps. The container of strawberries were home grown, and Maria loved them the most, she told Lilah repeatedly that the taste of them instantly reminded her of being home.