Stargirl of the Edge

Ch 31 - Goodbye Ben

In the previous chapters we learn how Olivia had carelessly allowed the precious malachite pendant to be stolen by taking it into school. And her parents discovered that she had visited Alderley Edge at night and had found her in an upset state under the rocky ledge. Now life starts to move on, but not as she expects.

The next morning Olivia woke up at around 10.45. The first thing she did was climb out of bed and look through her window towards the Edge. It was cloudy and drizzly. There were raindrops on the window pane. 

As she got dressed she wondered what her mum was going to ask her.  No doubt it would be a ‘grilling’, a two hour interrogation, like a police interview, with probing stares and repeated questioning: ‘Why were you there? Who were you with? Were you seeing someone? Why did you take the pendant into school? How could you be so careless? What were you thinking?’

She opened her door, slowly descended the spiral staircase and walked to the kitchen.  Her mum was standing with her back to her, preparing something to eat. She said nothing. Olivia waited for the questioning to begin.

After a long silence, Liz placed the food on the table.

“I’m just popping round to see Gilly in Mobberley,” she said, without looking at Olivia, “she’s having a few problems with her chickens.”

“Mum,” said Olivia, almost in tears, “I’m sorry.  About the pendant.”

Liz stared into her eyes.

“It’s okay. We’ll need to have a word with the headmistress.”

“And about last night, I won’t do it again. Ever. I won’t go onto the Edge late at night, I promise.”

Liz nodded and smiled.

“And I wasn’t seeing anyone.”

“I know,” said Liz, putting her arm around her and kissing her on the forehead. 

“This afternoon, why don’t we all go for a walk down by the River Bollin? Jessie will enjoy that.”

“Yes,” said Olivia.

Jessie stood up in her basket, but lay down again when she realised Liz wasn’t going to take her.

“Ok see you later,” she said, disappearing out the front door.

Olivia felt relieved. That was the way her mum could be sometimes: unpredictable. Her behaviour wasn’t always as you would expect. 

Olivia went upstairs and got out the A4 copy of the Chinese book. She was intrigued by Esther’s words. Did it really contain secrets? She began to browse. It wasn’t very long, only 42 pages. But there were many Chinese characters. And strange diagrams. They were attractive, she thought. Maybe she could use them in some of her artworks.

The time flew, and her mum returned from her friend’s house. She had bought three fresh roses from the flower shop in the village. She threw away the old ones, which were starting to look withered. She put the fresh ones in the vase, topped it up with water and placed it on the window ledge.

About an hour later her dad came back from playing golf.

The all put on Wellington boots and climbed into the jeep with Jessie in the back. Liz drove into Wilmslow and parked in the car park next to the old parish church. There was a play area where they had often taken Olivia as a child. She still had happy memories of going on the swings, the roundabout and the zip wire.

They walked past the play area and up along by the river Bollin, until they got to the wooden footbridge. They continued, following its twisting and turning path, along by fields and trees. In some places the footpath was muddy. Olivia took off Jessie’s leash and she walked on ahead of them, sniffing the bushes, occasionally jumping down onto a bank of tiny stones next to the river, and then back up again when Olivia called her. The sound of the water splashing over the pebbles was soothing. They walked on for about fifteen or twenty minutes, and the valley on either side became steeper.