✤ A U G U S T ✤
Born and raised in Rainford, Lola Quill knows everyone in this tiny place and everyone knows her. It's both a blessing and a curse.
The blessing: everyone knows everyone, everyone has known everyone for generations and because of it, Rainford is probably the safest place this side of Europe.
The curse: everyone knows everyone, everyone has known everyone for generations and because of it, Rainford is the most boring place this side of Europe.
Not to mention, people are nosey. Mummy always complains about it. Especially, Mrs. Tailor on Bridget Lane.
Nosiest woman in the world that one, Mummy will say as she kneads the dough or chops the wood, doesn't know how to keep her beak out of people's business, I mean, if Catherine Crabtree wants to run off and wed that odd little man, it's — it's...a choice alright but it's hers!
Emmett will roll his eyes and whisper to Lola, Mummy's the second nosiest gossip in the world then.
Lola will try to stifle her laugh as they mouth along to Mummy's annoyed rant about Mrs. Tailor. They must have heard it a thousand times.
On a warm day in late August, Lola tries to stifle her laughter once again as they carry wicker baskets packed with freshly washed clothes to the back garden for drying. Pearl, the family Dalmatian, lies on the patio and watches them.
"Last Sunday she came up to us after mass and said she heard your granddad might have TB," Mummy says as they start hanging everything up on the clothing lines, "the bloody cheek of it! I told her your granddad is strong as an ox and that she should worry about her wonky hip."
Emmett finishes up pegging the bedding sheets and with Mummy on the other side, he imitates the way she flings her hands in the air when she's annoyed and mouths along to her rant. Lola just about covers her mouth to hide her laughter but she drops a pair of wet trousers on the grass. A small muddy stain sits on it but she quickly scrubs it off and throws it on the line.
"Lola," Mummy says, pushing the clothes aside to look at her daughter, "are your clothes washed ready for school?"
Lola groans at the mention of school. The glorious summer holidays are ending and she returns to Rainford Hill in three days. It's even more disheartening to think other children in the country are not forced to go but the diocese (another word she learnt from Granddad's many books) taught otherwise. It's less school and more torture considering she has to sit in a cold room for hours and listen to the nuns' endless speeches.
"No," she says to which Mummy throws her a displeased look, "I'll wash 'em in the next load."
"Do you think we live in Buckingham Palace?" Mummy asks as she picks up a large coat from the basket, "I'm not doing another load until next week and school starts on Monday. No," she shakes her head, "after you're done with this, you're grabbing your uniform, washing it yourself and you're drying it yourself. You need to learn to take care of your things, pet."
"What?" Lola's eyebrows rise. "But I can't, I'm meant to be meeting Henri in the Square soon."
She doesn't add that she's also meeting Winters Winters — her friend since nursery and someone Mummy has labelled the 'Town Nuisance.' A label Lola doesn't argue against but that Mummy doesn't understand is that Rainford is dull and Winters is the only one who knows how to have fun. If it wasn't for Winters she would be pulling her hair out.
She also doesn't add how she's seen the hours her mother spends scrubbing the clothes clean in the kitchen and it looks like a lot of work she doesn't fancy doing. The last three days of the holidays are crucial. It's true freedom until she's back at school and shackled to a desk for the next nine months.
ČTEŠ
We Return To Each Other
Historická literatura"You've gone silent again," Henri cuts through her reverie, "you only do that when you are thinking of the war or-" A pause. Under the afternoon sun the sea sparkles in the distance. "Him. Are you?" Is there a difference? She wants to say. Instead...
