The Blue Horse by Marita Conlon-Mckenna Read Free Book Online Page B

167 Ashfield Drive will be ours.’
    He just ignored her.
    ‘You’ve got to come and see it, Ned. I can’t do it all on my own.’
    ‘I’m busy today. You do what you want.’ He got up and waving the car keys in his hand jumped into the old Ford and took off, sending scuds of dust into the early morning air.
    ‘Well, that’s it!’ said Mam, a strange emptiness in her voice, as she watched him drive off. ‘You lot get up and get tidied, there’s plenty of work to be done. Fold up that tent and pack up!’
    Katie felt as if she was in a dream.
    Mam seemed like a stranger, her face set like a mask. She put Katie in charge of Davey. He was very fractious, knowing something was up, and he was fretting and upset. Katie tried to play withhim but her mind wasn’t on it at all. Miss O’Gorman arrived at about half-past eleven.
    ‘Mrs Connors, there’s been a bit of a change of plan. We have to delay moving you into the house until later on today.’
    ‘Is there a problem about it?’ Mam queried.
    ‘No … well …’
    ‘What is it?’
    ‘Well … actually, the house is fine, the men went out to check that everything was in order this morning. But we have a little bit of a problem all right.’
    ‘What sort of problem?’
    ‘Well … well … actually one or two of the neighbours are objecting to you moving in.’
    ‘What do you mean, objecting?’
    ‘They’re walking up and down outside on the road.’
    ‘You mean it’s a protest, or a march? Is that it? I’ve heard about that from other travellers. People shouting and screaming at you, telling you you’re not wanted. My God, are they the kind of neighbours we’re going to have?’
    Katie felt scared. ‘We won’t go, Mam, we’ll stay here. Da’ll sort something out. Tell them to keep their stinking, rotten house. We don’t want it.’
    ‘Maybe Katie’s right. Maybe we shouldn’t go if we’re not wanted there.’ Mam was on the verge of tears.
    ‘No! No! Mrs Connors, it’s not that, it’s not youpersonally they’re objecting to, it’s just travellers in general, settling, being given a house. They think it might bring trouble to their area.’
    ‘We’ll bring no trouble nor give no trouble, did you tell them that?’
    ‘I did. I talked to some of them myself. Some of it is that they have children and relations waiting a long time for a house and they feel you’ve jumped the queue, so to speak.’
    ‘But we were never in a queue.’
    ‘Yes, yes, I know that. And we have to make provision for emergency housing, all state agencies have to. Try not to let it bother you.’
    ‘What do we do now?’
    ‘I think it’s wise to wait until after seven o’clock. Hopefully they’ll have got fed up and gone home by then.’
    Mam seemed deflated. A worried frown creased her face. Katie had sense enough not to try and talk about what was going on.
    Auntie Brigid had made a huge meal for them all – you’d nearly think it was going to be their last meal ever! And there was a big sponge cake with mandarin oranges on the top for dessert, a real treat.
    Six o’clock came, then seven, and there was still no sign of Da.
    * * *
    ‘Brigid, how can I ever thank you for being so good to us?’ Mam and Auntie Brigid hugged eachother as if they were going to be separated for ever.
    ‘When I get a chance in a week or so I’ll come over to see the place and we’ll have a chat.’
    Mam nodded dumbly.
    Hannah and Bridey were running around the field for the last time. Katie picked up Davey and stood in the centre of it all, the only world she’d ever known. The trailers and vans and the blackened site where their home had been. She glanced at the spot where Francis’s caravan had been, and the goats. Nan Maguire had been right. This wasn’t a lucky place. Katie knew in her heart that once they left, it would be only a matter of a few days and the rest of them would be gone too. In a few weeks’ time the grass would be high again. When they left this