Candyfloss Read online

  ‘Not really rolling in it, Floss,’ said Dad – but we certainly had enough to buy our mobile phone.

  Then we went to the station to have a look at the chip van. It had been towed back into the shed where Billy always kept it. We peered in at it in silence. It was black all over, with half the roof actually burned off. Dad wound his arms round me tightly. We stood for a few seconds and then crept away again.

  ‘I feel like I’ve let Billy down,’ said Dad mournfully.

  ‘But he doesn’t want his chip van any more, Dad, he said so.’

  ‘He might change his mind. Still, I suppose he can always buy a brand-new van with his insurance money.’

  We trudged on past the station. I knew where we were going now. Dad looked at me quizzically. I nodded. It wasn’t worth walking all round the moon when the direct way to school went straight past our café.

  Harlie’s Café didn’t exist any more. It was now a Starbucks. Dad stood staring at the smart green paintwork. He stepped up to the window and looked in, past the orange lamps and all the people standing at the counter and sitting at every single table and chair and sofa. He stood still and sighed softly. Then he suddenly waved.

  ‘Look who’s in there!’ he said. ‘It’s Old Ron and Miss Davis! Look, they’re sitting at the same table! And getting on like a house on fire as far as I can see. Let’s embarrass them terribly and go and say hello.’

  We went into the café. It was just like stepping into any coffee bar anywhere. I looked up at the ceiling, wondering what was up there now. The girl cleaning the table looked up too, as if worried I’d spotted a leak.

  ‘Yes?’ she said uncertainly.

  ‘Who lives up there?’ I asked.

  ‘No one. It’s just the office and the storeroom,’ she said.

  ‘It isn’t a flat any more?’

  ‘I think it was once,’ she said – like it was a hundred years ago. ‘But it was in a terrible state. Goodness knows who lived there.’

  I glanced nervously at Dad, who was thankfully deep in conversation with Old Ron and Miss Davis, gesturing theatrically with his bandaged hands. They were gasping appreciatively.

  ‘Excuse me,’ I said to the girl, and ran over to join my dad.

  Old Ron and Miss Davis were an extremely satisfying audience. They also said how much they missed Charlie’s Café.

  ‘I’m on my beam ends, drinking Starbucks coffee,’ said Old Ron. ‘Talk about pricey!’

  I didn’t know what his beam was and where it ended, but I got the gist of what he was saying.

  ‘And Mr Starbucks doesn’t have a clue when it comes to making a good plain cup of tea from a nicely warmed pot,’ said Miss Davis, sighing.

  ‘Well, as soon as my bandages are off I’ll make you as many cups of tea and coffee as you can manage at my place,’ said Dad, but then he bit his lip. ‘Well . . . Billy’s place. Whatever.’

  ‘Is he really going to sell up?’ said Old Ron.

  ‘So he says. Hey, Ron, if push came to shove, you wouldn’t take on his old cats, would you? Whisky and Soda, two very nice old ladyfriends.’

  ‘Well . . .’ said Old Ron. ‘In the general run of things I might say yes, but now I’ve got this very nice old ladyfriend who isn’t at all keen on cats.’ He nudged Miss Davis in the ribs.

  She glared at him. ‘Utter nonsense! And watch what you’re doing, I bruise easily,’ she said, but she wasn’t really cross. She leaned across the table at me. ‘Do they catch birds?’

  ‘Oh no, Miss Davis, never in a million years. They can’t catch anything, they’re far too lazy and plump. They don’t even crunch up their cat food properly; they just suck all the juice off the fishy chunks. But they’re really lovely kind cats. They’ve tried to be very motherly to my cat Lucky. I’m sure you’d like them if you met them.’

  ‘Well, if there’s really no other alternative I won’t object if Ronald wants to give the creatures a proper home for their twilight years,’ said Miss Davis.

  ‘Old Ron and Miss Davis seem to be taking care of their twilight years,’ said Dad, as we continued our long rambling walk to school. ‘Fancy, all those years of coming into my café and they barely spoke to each other. And then there’s Billy the Chip, so stuck in his ways he did the same thing every single day of his life, and yet now he’s upped sticks and swanning around Australia. Your mum too, of course.’ Dad sighed. ‘They’ve all moved on. I’ve stayed stuck. No, I haven’t even done that, I’ve started going backwards. One moment I’ve got a wife, a child, my own business, and then the next – poof!’ But Dad was smiling at me. ‘I’ve still got the most important little person in my life, that’s all that matters. Come on then, Floss. Let’s get you to school. You’re astronomically late. I hope you won’t get a telling-off. Do you want me to come in with you and explain?’

  I didn’t think this was a good idea at all. ‘I’ll be fine, Dad, really,’ I said.

  ‘Well, if you’re sure, sweetheart. Schools do give me the heebie-jeebies. I always feel like I’m going to be told to stand in the corner with my hands on my head. What’s your Mrs Horsefield like, Floss? Bit of an old bag?’

  ‘She’s lovely, Dad!’

  When we approached the school I saw a class was out in the playground doing PE. My class, with Mrs Horsefield in her prettiest white top and shorts showing all the class how to jog on the spot.

  ‘My goodness, is she a teacher?’ Dad whispered.

  ‘She’s Mrs Horsefield, Dad. My teacher. See, I told you she was lovely,’ I said.

  ‘I’ll say. You’re a lucky girl, Floss,’ said Dad. ‘OK then, pet, you run and join all your friends. I’ll come and collect you at going-home time.’

  I gave Dad a quick kiss and started racing towards the gate into school. Dad waved with his big bandaged hand. Mrs Horsefield slowed to a standstill, panting a little.

  ‘Floss? Is that your father? Mr Barnes!’

  ‘Uh-oh!’ said Dad. ‘Looks as if I’m in trouble after all.’

  He walked along by my side, his arms dangling. Everyone stopped jogging and stood still, staring. Everyone except Susan. She came flying across the playground and met me at the school gate. She flung her arms round me and gave me a great big hug.

  ‘Hello, Susan,’ said Dad. ‘I know you two girls are best friends but do you always greet each other with such gusto?’

  ‘No, no, Mr Barnes! I’m just so relieved to see Floss. I thought something awful had happened to her. One of the girls in our class said there’d been a fire in the chip van and I was so scared you’d both been burned. Oh, but you have been burned, Mr Barnes. Look at your poor hands!’

  ‘They’re fine, dear. I’ve just got the bandages on to keep them nice and clean. The nurse says they’ll clear up completely in a week or so.’

  ‘Oh, so you’ve just got first-degree burns. Thank goodness!’ said Susan, knowledgeable as always.

  Mrs Horsefield came right over to us. ‘OK, Susan, you get back in line, dear,’ she said. ‘Are you sure you’re all right, Floss? There have been all sorts of terrible rumours running round the school. I tried phoning, but your telephone number seems to be out of order, Mr Barnes.’

  ‘Oh dear, that would be the old number, yes. Silly of me not to have let you know. I’ll give the school my mobile number. We’re temporarily staying at a friend’s house but I expect we’re moving on soon, during the school holidays.’

  ‘Flora’s had to cope with quite a few changes recently,’ Mrs Horsefield said quietly, careful that the others shouldn’t hear.

  ‘Yes, yes, I’m afraid she has, but she’s been a little star,’ said Dad. ‘She’s such a good girl, my Floss. She might not always be up to speed with her lessons. I think she’s a bit of a dreamer, like her old dad, but I know she tries really hard, Mrs Horsefield.’

  ‘I know she does,’ said Mrs Horsefield. ‘Mr Barnes, you do know you can come in to see me any day after school? I always stay on in the classroom for a good half-hour or so. If there’s anything you