Lola Rose Read online

  I knew Dad didn’t know where we were. How could he possibly track us down? But I was still so scared I had to put on my new furry denim jacket to stop myself shivering. ‘Come back, Mum!’ I whispered, over and over.

  She wasn’t back by half past ten. Maybe she’d had to walk a long way to find a pub with a cigarette machine – though she was wearing her strappy sandals with high stiletto heels so she couldn’t walk that far.

  I waited and waited, staring at the clock. I started nodding my head in time to the tick and tock until I went dizzy. I tried to read one of Mum’s magazines but the words jiggled about on the page and wouldn’t make sense.

  I got my scrapbook out and started cutting out a lovely picture of a girl rock star with long blonde hair and a jewelled navel and shiny brown legs in white leather boots. The floorboards gave a sudden creak and I cut off one of the boots by mistake. I tried to sellotape it back but it made her leg look wonky.

  My own legs felt wonky as I paced the flat. It was gone eleven now. The pubs closed then. So where was Mum?

  Something’s happened to her, said the Voice of Doom.

  Quarter past eleven.

  Half past eleven.

  I didn’t know what to do. Maybe Dad had stalked her. I imagined him laying into her and she went as limp as my paper scrap. I wanted to rush out and find her but I couldn’t leave Kendall on his own.

  I started to cry, knuckling my eyes. I pressed harder until it hurt. I told myself to stop the silly snivelling. I wasn’t a baby. I mustn’t panic. Of course Dad hadn’t found her. Maybe she’d simply got lost coming back from the pub? Mum had a hopeless sense of direction at the best of times, and now it was way after dark in a strange neighbourhood. Knowing Mum, she’d maybe even forgotten our address. She’d be stumbling round and round in her strappy sandals, cursing herself for being such a fool. She’d find us eventually, she’d be knocking at the door any minute, she’d rush in laughing . . .

  But she didn’t rush in.

  I listened for her footsteps. I opened the curtains and stared out at the street. I even left the door on the latch and rushed down to the corner just to see if there was any sign of her.

  Then I worried that someone might have slipped in and be after Kendall. I ran back and slammed the door shut and rushed into the bedroom. Kendall was still sleeping soundly in the middle of the bed, his arms and legs splayed out so he took up nearly all the space. There was no one hovering over him. I checked behind the door, the wardrobe, even under the bed. I knew I was acting crazy. I couldn’t help it.

  I went back into the kitchen and tried to make a cup of tea to calm myself. I was so jumpy I splashed cold water all down my front as I filled the kettle.

  It was midnight.

  Something must have happened to Mum.

  So what would happen to Kendall and me?

  I started crying again as the kettle boiled. I was making such a noise that I didn’t hear the door. I didn’t hear footsteps. Then Mum was in the kitchen, right in front of me.

  ‘Mum!’ I gasped, pouring water everywhere.

  ‘Watch out, you’ll scald yourself, you silly girl,’ said Mum. ‘Here, let me. I could do with a cuppa too.’

  ‘Where have you been? It’s gone midnight!’

  ‘So? Who am I, flipping Cinderella?’ said Mum, peering down at her sandals. ‘Are these glass slippers I see before me?’ She didn’t exactly slur her words but she was acting silly.

  ‘You’ve been down the pub drinking while I’ve been worrying myself sick wondering where you are!’

  Mum started laughing. ‘You sound so funny, Jayni, like you’re my mum!’

  ‘It’s not funny! I was so scared Dad had got you,’ I cried. I started trying to hit her, like Kendall in a tantrum.

  ‘Hey, hey, hey,’ said Mum. She caught hold of my wrists and pulled me close. She wrapped her arms round me. ‘I’m so sorry, babe. I didn’t realize. You always act so grown up. But there’s no need to be scared about your dad, not any more. We’re never ever going to see him again. We’re new people now, remember, Lola Rose. I’m Lady Luck – and guess what, we’re in luck, darling. I’ve got a job!’

  ‘A job?’ What kind of a job could Mum have got at midnight, for goodness’ sake? For badness’ sake?

  ‘That’s why I was such ages, darling. I thought you’d be fast asleep, cuddled up with Kendall. I don’t want my girl worried – my lovely Lola Rose.’ Mum stroked my hair and gave me a big kiss. She was a little bit drunk but it didn’t matter. She never got really scary like Dad.

  ‘Tell me about this job, Mum,’ I said.

  ‘I’m going to be a bar girl, plus help out with meals at lunch time.’

  I relaxed against her. ‘You’ve got a job in the pub?’

  ‘Yeah, it’s only five minutes away, it’ll be brilliant. I walked in to buy my fags and I got talking to one of the guys behind the bar. He told me the manager needed more staff so I thought, OK, go for it, girl, so I did. I saw the manager, Barry – he’s ever so nice. He put me through my paces after he’d closed for the night. He says I’m a natural at pulling a good pint and I can remember any number of orders and I know all the different drinks. Well, I ought to, seeing as I grew up in a pub. I told Barry I didn’t have a clue how to work the till so he showed me and of course I cocked it up at first, went all panicky, but he didn’t shout, he just went over it again and again until I got it. He’s a lovely guy, Barry, so gentle and yet manly with it.’

  I went tense again. ‘You’re not going to start a thing with this Barry, are you?’

  ‘Don’t be so daft, darling. He’s got a wife, a nice woman, Lynn – she was kind too,’ Mum said, but with less enthusiasm. ‘Anyway, isn’t it great? Job sorted, just like that, when I only nipped out for a packet of fags.’ Mum lit up a cigarette triumphantly.

  ‘Will it mean you working evenings, Mum?’

  ‘You won’t really mind, will you? You’ve babysat for Kendall heaps of times before, no bother. And it won’t be every evening; my hours will vary. I don’t have to start till midday though, which will be great. I’ll be here to give you guys breakfast and get you off to school. Well, when you get a school. That’s next on the agenda!’

  I wished we didn’t have to go to any school. I hadn’t always got on at my old school. The lessons were OK. It just took me ages to find a friend. When my dad was in prison some of the other kids kept picking on me. Then when he came out Dad got into fights with their dads and then they started fighting me.

  If it was hard for me it would be hopeless for Kendall. He got trampled on in his reception class.

  ‘I’ve been to school, Mum,’ he said. ‘I don’t need to go again.’

  ‘Yeah, right, I’ve been to school too, Mum,’ I said. ‘Do we really have to go?’

  ‘Oh come on, Lola Rose, don’t be so daft. You’ve got to go to school, it’s the law. Now, there’s a nice primary down by the church. The kids wear a very smart uniform. We’ll nip down there tomorrow morning and get you both registered,’ said Mum.

  It wasn’t that simple. We didn’t even get to see the headteacher because we didn’t have a proper appointment. They told us we didn’t have a hope of getting into the school as all the classes were full. They had a long waiting list of children desperate to go there. You had to have a sibling already registered and live in the right catchment area and be a regular worshipper at the church.

  ‘Well, that’s that then,’ said Mum, as we walked out.

  ‘Hurray!’ said Kendall, skipping. ‘No school!’

  ‘Not that school, sweetheart. I wouldn’t want to send you there anyway, all those poncy rules and regulations. We’ll find you another better school, no bother.’

  It was a lot of bother. Mum got a list of the local schools from the public library and started phoning round. They were nearly all full up. One said they could take Kendall but not me. Another said their reception class was too big already but they had room for me. The schools were miles apart so that was