Footprints in the Sand. Chloe Rayban
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Название: Footprints in the Sand
Автор: Chloe Rayban
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Детская проза
isbn: 9780007400621
isbn:
‘Very good,’ I agreed.
He was going to be ever so disappointed if we moved on. We’d really be letting him down. I smiled and nodded and sipped my drink and indulged in a silent prayer that Mum had found nothing but chicken-pens and and five-star rip-offs on her search.
Stavros waved an arm towards the sunset.
‘Beautiful, yes?’ he said proudly as if it was his very own sunset ‘on the house’.
‘Fantastic!’ I agreed.
‘Best sunset view in the island,’ he said, and he made his way off back to his kitchen.
It really was, too. A narrow band of cloud was hovering above the horizon, splitting the sunlight into great golden shafts like you see in old-fashioned religious pictures. It was incredible. I mean, Stavros was right. This headland must be the very best place in the whole island to watch the sunset.
As I sipped my drink I heard footsteps on the gravel. I steeled myself to confront Mum. But it wasn’t Mum. It was him… the windsurfer. He did a double-take when he saw me – almost dropped the package he was carrying.
‘Hi,’ he said.
‘Hello,’ I said, in what I hoped was a suitably cool and laid-back voice.
Then he made off down some steps behind the taverna and I heard a door slam. He was staying here. There was no question about it.
There was no way I was going to move on now. My mind raced. How was I going to persuade Mum to stay? Well, there was the sunset for a start.
I climbed down the few steps from the terrace and on to the headland to get an even better view of the last moments. It was only a few metres to a rocky outcrop that stood at the furthest tip. Standing there was like standing on top of the world. I was sandwiched between sea and sky, and the two of them were putting on a performance that was like the biggest firework display and the most dramatic laser show ever.
The clouds were tinted violet and the sun had turned into a great molten ball of fire, sliding down the sky. As the last liquid orange glob of it slipped down into the inky sea I heard Mum’s voice, calling:
‘Lucy… Lucy!’
She was back.
Making my way across to the terrace, I prepared myself for a forceful introduction to a change of plan.
She dumped her bag down on the table. She looked hot and tired. She didn’t look as if she’d had a lot of luck!
I slid on to a chair opposite her.
‘Phew, what an afternoon!’ she said. (I felt sure she hadn’t found anywhere.) But then she leaned forward with a triumphant look on her face.
‘It’s all settled. I’ve found a fabulous place. You’ll love it.’
‘I can’t understand why you’ve changed your mind like this,’ said Mum. ‘You couldn’t wait to get out of the place at lunchtime.’
‘Yes, I know but… I went down to the other bay this afternoon. The beach is much nearer and it’s quite nice really.’
‘I hope you didn’t sit in the sun.’
‘Don’t fuss. Mum. I had a closer look. It should be fine for swimming. There are plenty of channels through the weed.’
‘But the beach I’ve found hasn’t any weed at all.’
‘Really?’
‘I’ve left a deposit on the room. Said we’d arrive by lunchtime. If we get up early and pack before breakfast, we can settle up with the Old Rogue and be there by mid-morning.’
‘He’s not really an old rogue. He’s actually quite nice. His name’s Stavros. He brought me some hot crispy onion rings, free with my drink.’
‘This new place has got a proper water heater and everything. We have to share the bathroom, but at least we can have decent hot…’
I leapt on this shred of hope.
‘Oh, we don’t have to share a bathroom, do we?’
‘It’s only with one other room. And that room may not even have people staying…’
‘But I had a hot shower here this afternoon. It was fine…’
‘Is the water on again? Thank God for that. I’m feeling really anti-social.’
She got up and reached for her bag.
‘Mum, do we have to go?’
‘What do you mean – have to go?’
‘Well, it’s not really so bad here, is it?’
‘Lucy, what’s going on? I’ve been half-way across the island in a stuffy bus, searching in the broiling heat. And all because you said you absolutely loathed the pl…’
Mum paused. An arm leaned over and took my glass and empty plate away. It wasn’t the Old Rogue’s arm. It was a nice bronzed one, flecked with golden hairs.
‘Hi,’ he said. ‘Welcome to the Paradisos. My name’s Ben. Can I get you anything?’
Mum looked up and smiled at him.
‘I’d love a glass of white wine. Chilled white wine?’ she said.
‘Coming right up.’
He turned and gave me a half-grin and walked away, disappearing into the kitchen.
Mum sank back into her chair and looked at me wryly. She raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh I get it now,’ she said. ‘A lot can happen in an afternoon, can’t it?’
Half an hour or so later, Mum was sitting on her bed wrapped in a towel. She’d perked up a lot after her shower.
‘It’s not like that, honestly. I haven’t even spoken to him,’ I protested.
‘Does he work here or what?’
‘I don’t know. I wish you wouldn’t keep going on about him. Wanting to stay here has nothing to do with him.’
Mum wasn’t buying that. ‘Oh, I suppose it’s the view of the bay that’s the big attraction.’
‘Maybe it is. There was another fantastic sunset. You missed it.’
‘Lucy, you get sunsets everywhere. You said yourself, there’s absolutely nothing for you to do here.’
‘Yes there is.’ I racked my СКАЧАТЬ