Free Eva's Holiday by Judi Curtin Page A

Seconds later she was back and she shoved a black canvas bag out the window and onto the ground. I picked up the bag and rantowards the gate. I could hear the sound of the window slamming behind me.

Chapter Nineteen
    I t took me ages to get back to the field. When I got there, Kate was sitting cross-legged on the faded old rug, like some kind of ancient hippy.
    I dropped the tent to the ground and threw myself on to the rug.
    ‘That must be the heaviest tent in the world,’ I said. ‘My arms are killing me.’
    ‘What did Martha say?’ asked Kate.
    ‘Not much,’ I said.
    Kate looked relieved when I said that, and I wondered why. What dark secret about her grandmother was she trying to keep from me?
    ‘Thanks for getting the tent, Eva,’ she said then.
    ‘You’re welcome,’ I said, and then we sat in silence for a long time.
    ‘Will I help you to put the tent up?’ I asked after a while.
    Kate jumped to her feet.
    ‘Thanks, Eva. I don’t really know how to do it. That was always Dad’s job. He used to put up the tent, and I’d search for flowers to decorate it, and arrange our beds inside it and everything.’
    I had a sudden picture of a much younger Kate, with long hair, and a smiling face, running around the field and playing with her dad.
    But that was too sad, so I pushed it out of my mind, and helped Kate to empty everything out of the canvas bag.
    It wasn’t one of those modern tents that just pop up all on their own. There were ropes and poles and pegs, and none of it seemed to make much sense at first. In the end, after lots of disasters, and lots of very, very rude words from Kate, the tent was up – sort of. It leaned verymuch one way, and it looked like the first gust of wind would blow it away. Luckily though, it was a still, calm evening, and there was a small chance that the tent might stay upright until the morning.
    Kate and I sat on the rug admiring our work. Now that we weren’t busy any more, I realised that my stomach was rumbling. I hadn’t had anything to eat for ages and ages. But how could I go home and eat my dinner knowing that Kate was up here, alone and hungry?
    Just then I heard the unmistakable sound of Joey’s poor attempt at whistling.
    Seconds later I could smell the unmistakable smell of meat and onions.
    Seconds later again, Joey was ducking away from one of Kate’s hugs.
    As soon as he felt safe, Joey put a huge basket down on the grass next to the tent.
    ‘Paula sent food for both of you,’ he said. ‘And Eva, she says you’re to be home by nine-thirty.’
    Then he skipped away, still whistling tunelessly.
    Kate and I didn’t speak for ten minutes as we devoured the huge bowls of Mum’s special spaghetti bolognaise. Then we packed the empty bowls and cutlery back into the basket. After that we lay on the rug and looked up at the sky.
    ‘Your mum’s great at cooking,’ said Kate.
    I was feeling guilty again when she continued, ‘Martha says my mum was a disaster in the kitchen. She couldn’t boil an egg without burning it.’
    ‘Even so, you must wish she was still here,’ I said, feeling suddenly brave.
    Kate shook her head.
    ‘It’s hard to miss what you never knew you had.’
    I didn’t agree, but didn’t feel like arguing, so instead I changed the subject.
    ‘I’d love to spend the night here with you,’ I said, ‘but I know there’s no point in even askingMum and Dad. I know they won’t let me.’
    ‘It’s OK,’ said Kate. ‘I don’t mind.’
    ‘But what if Chainsaw Man comes back?’
    She sighed.
    ‘I don’t know what I’ll do if that happens, but I’ll think of something.’
    ‘But won’t you be afraid up here all on your own?’
    ‘No. I’ve got Jeremy to take care of me.’
    I turned to look at her to see if she was joking, but it didn’t look like she was. Her face was perfectly serious. It seemed like she really did feel safe in this place, near this tree.
    And that meant I had to make sure nothing changed – ever.
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