Читать книгу Thursday's Child - Tracey Friday - Страница 12

Chapter Seven

As the working day ended the following day, Iris gathered up their things in Foxden Orchard. She packed away their lunchboxes, beakers, blanket and a couple of Maggie’s toys into the basket on the front of the bicycle. “We’ve got to go to the Post Office first to buy a stamp before we go home, hold on, here we go.”

The ride out of the orchard was as bumpy as the ride in as Iris snaked her way around potholes with Betty following behind. The twins quickly caught up gathering pace and sped past the ladies to rush on home.

“Pete, put the kettle on love,” shouted Betty, as the boys flew past.

“Righto Mum,” he said, waving in the air then disappearing around the corner, closely pursued by Billy.

“See you tomorrow, Bet,” said Iris, as the two women peddled out of the orchard in opposite directions.

After a couple of minutes Iris and Maggie pulled up outside the village Post Office and Store. Iris lifted Maggie out of the seat and propped the bicycle against the wall. The familiar ‘ding’ of the brass bell over the door chimed as they entered.

“Good afternoon ladies,” said Bill Dwyer, the Postmaster.

“Good afternoon, Mr Dwyer,” said Iris.

“Hello, Mr Dwyer,” said Maggie.

“What can I do for you today, Mrs Harris?”

“Just a penny stamp please.” Iris placed a penny on the counter. “I’m writing to my aunt who lives up north, she hasn’t been too well lately I’m afraid.”

“I’m mighty sorry to hear that Mrs Harris, I hope she recovers soon. Now young Maggie, what have you been up to lately?”

“I’ve been playing hide and seek in the orchard.”

“That sounds like fun,” said Mr Dwyer, as he continued to serve Iris.

Maggie wandered over to the counter top. It was at eye-level to her and she had to stand on tiptoe to see more. Maggie liked Mr Dwyer. He was much older than her father and had a kindly face; he wore small round spectacles and was always dressed in a smart suit. She was fascinated by his baldhead. It was very shiny and she often wondered if he polished it with beeswax like her mother polished the sideboard and cabinet. Just then, she spotted something.

“What’s that?” she asked, pointing to an envelope on the counter top, her eyes dazzled with interest.

“Maggie, that’s rude, you mustn’t do that,” said Iris. “So sorry, Mr Dwyer.”

“Not at all, Mrs Harris, not at all.” He turned the envelope around and pushed it towards Maggie.

“Maggie, please be careful,” whispered Iris, wondering what had captured her so.

Bill Dwyer walked around to the other side of the counter and slowly crouched down to Maggie’s level. One of his knees cracked as he did so.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“It’s a koala stamp Maggie,” said Mr Dwyer

“Koala,” repeated Maggie slowly, “what’s that?”

“A koala is an animal that mostly lives in trees and carries its babies on its back. It lives in a country called Australia. That’s where this stamp came from.”

“Where’s Australia?” asked Maggie, excitedly.

“It is far far away. Thousands and thousands of miles away and it is very hot there too. This letter has travelled a long way to get here. I have a cousin who lives in Australia and from time to time he sends me letters and I write back. But this letter is from Jack, my cousin’s son who is about five years older than you are.”

“Is that near Maidstone?” asked Maggie, relating to the only far-away place that she knew.

“Goodness gracious no, Maggie,” he said smiling gently. “It’s much further than that. You see, Maidstone is about eight miles away from here and Australia is thousands of Maidstone’s away.” Bill Dwyer could see that Maggie was truly captivated by the stamp. When she finally handed the envelope back to him, he reached for a pair of scissors and cut around the koala stamp. He popped it with Iris’s stamp into a small bag and handed it to Maggie.

Both Maggie and Iris were taken aback when he did this.

“Mr Dwyer, that’s very kind of you, but not necessary,” said Iris.

“Mrs Harris, it is my absolute pleasure. I have many stamps from Australia and I would be delighted if Maggie would take care of this one for me,” he said smiling. “Would you do that Maggie?”

“Thank you, Mr Dwyer,” she said breathlessly, “I will look after it, I promise.”

“I know you will,” he smiled. He opened the door and waved them goodbye.

Maggie was unusually quiet as they cycled home. Iris was enjoying the peace and the afternoon breeze when suddenly, Maggie spoke.

“I like Australia and I will go there one day to see a koala.”

“Will you now, Maggie?” Iris laughed. “That’s just grand and you can send us a letter with a koala on it too,” she said sarcastically.

As soon as they arrived home, Maggie raced off in search of her father who was working on the tractor in his workshop to get it ready for the next day.

“Daddy, look what I got from Mr Dwyer,” she said. “It is a stamp from Australia, which is longer away than Maidstone.”

“I should say it is, Maggie,” said William, as he stopped what he was doing and wiped his oily hands on his overalls and examined the stamp she was holding. “Yes, very nice it is.”

“It’s a koala. Have you been to Australia, Daddy?”

“Goodness no Maggie, it’s a long way from here.”

“I am going there one day to see koalas,” she said matter-of-factly as she walked back towards the house.