THE SCHOOL BREAK

“How did you do that, Mum?”
She stopped. And looked at me. Serious face.
“It's a long story, love, and you may not understand it all. I always mean! to tell you about it.
Some day I will. Promise.”
I stopped on the tow path. I bent my knees. I put my arms together out in front of me around
my head, like Mum taught me.
“All right,” she said. “Don't dive in the river. I'll tell you.”
And she did. And I did understand. I think I did. But I won't tell you right now. Dive in the
river if you want. Up to you. But I'll tell you this much.

It all began a month ago. Just before the Easter break.
“Can you please say that again slowly, Leah? You said, Some men are trying to… What?”
“No, Mum. Listen. They're going to shut my school down. Then pull it down. Then build
very tall blocks of flats on the site. Then they'll be rich. They sounded very sure about that. So what
will happen to my Caterpillars? And where will I go to school because there isn't another one for
miles?”
Mum didn't laugh. She said, “So where were these men? And where were you?”
“I was in the playground and they were in a car on the other side of the wall. I heard them.”
“Was the engine running?”
“Yes. All coughy and fumy, like a bullying sports car. But, I still heard them. They were
serious. So what will happen to my Caterpillars?”
“Leah…”
“No, Mum. It is true. It's not like at the fair when I said I threw three hoops over a Unicorn's
horn so she gave me a ride around the moon and back.”
“Hmm… I still don't understand how you could hear all this.”
“WELL I DID, MUM. I DID. Please sort it out. You always sort things out. Do it for the
Caterpillars.”

So Mum asked another Mum to see if it could be true. But she hadn't heard anything. So
Mum said she'd ask around. And two days later Miss Walken, the Head, sent a message to my
teacher saying I was suspended for telling lies, being rude, and stealing. So Mum agreed I must be
right after all. So I smuggled the Caterpillars home that afternoon in Lisa's tupperware lunchbox.
“Does this mean War, Mum?”
“I don't know what you mean,” she said.
I gave her a look and we laughed and we hugged, and we sang War On! War On!

“But this could get tricky,” said Mum. “It's not a game. You must keep strong.”
She was right. I thought of the Unicorn while I stayed at home under Suspension. And kept
strong when People came to our door and rang the bell. But I ignored them and they went away
shaking their heads. Or is it head? I know we only have one head. But suppose it was only one
person. I spent time figuring this out. And going through Mum's papers in a file box. I soon realised
it had to be a decoy file box. There were no pictures or anything about my Dad in it. And I know
even a girl has to have a Dad. And probably other Family.
But the doorbell kept me busy by ringing and me ignoring it by creeping round the house
like a Caterpillar.

Our old wooden house was at the bottom of Cows Tongue.
A U-shaped bit of the River. Or the Land. Or both. Whatever
There had been other old houses on either side of us but they'd disappeared. Along with the
little town. And the buses. Didn't bother us. We got where we needed on bikes or on foot. But if the
school closed…
Mum rang me with a code. But I knew it was Them.
“Sorry, Love, you'll have to come here. Don't fret.” She described the car and its number.

“Your Mother's been making trouble,” said the Man. There were 5 of them behind a big
table. 4 Men and Miss Walken. The Men let her think she was in charge.
“We have an important Project that will bring prosperity to this whole area,” he went on.
Mum gave me a look which said Prosperity for Them.
“We need to know 2 things. How you found out. Who else knows. And if you will stop.”
“That's 3 things,” said Mum. “The first says we are right. You will demolish the school and
build ugly towers of flats.”
“Beautiful towers of luxury apartments.”
“You will devastate Cows Tongue with roads, drives, car parks and concrete. You will
pollute the river Cow since you haven't made provision for all the extra sewerage you will bring.”
“So you'll be harming the fish, birds, salamanders, frogs, toads, eels and elvers,” I said.
“That was last year's school project,” said Miss Walken. “You shut up about it now.”
“As for who told us,” said Mum. “It was Him and Him.” She pointed at two of the Men.
The Men and Miss Walken rocked a bit but soon recovered and carried on.
“Will you promise to stop making our secret plans public? And sign this document?” said
the Man in Charge. “You have one minute to think about it.”
Mum shook her head and said right away, “Do your worst.”
“You won't like our worst,” said the Man in Charge. “And neither will your daughter.”
“And you won't like my Could-Be-Much-Worse,” said Mum.
They all laughed at.
Mum gave me her Shut your eyes Look. Of course I didn't.
So I saw exactly what she did…

The next day we walked along the Cow River tow path with Dennis our Dog. A line of
ducks came paddling past so we threw crusts of bread to them.
“One for the Chief Executive,” said Mum. “One for the Councillor, one for the Solicitor, one
for the Environment Officer…”
“And one for Miss Walken,” I said, hitting her smack on the beak.
“Will they stay like that?” I asked Mum.
“For 6 months or so. Enough time to stop their scheme. And they'll face some awkward
questions when they get back.”
Two police officers strolled past us, looking at the river. One said, “Nice day, Ms Della.”

And I'd swear they winked at each other. But I can't believe that really happened…