| Look For The Silver Lining |  |
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Hardback: Allison & Busby 1st May 2006
ISBN: 0749082224
Audio: ?
Large Print: ?
C) June Francis 2005
Look for the Silver Lining Prologue
‘Up, children! On your feet!’ Out of the corner of her eye, twenty-one year old Nellie Lachlan could see the giant crack in the wall widening. ‘We’re going to march out of the classroom, along the corridor, then outside. Dennis, you can lead the way.’
‘But it’s raining, Miss,’ Dennis moaned.
‘A bit of rain won’t hurt us.’
‘Is this a game, Miss?’ asked one of the four year olds.
‘Sort of.’ She began to sing “The Grand old Duke of York” and hustled the children, whose attention had obviously been elsewhere when she had ordered them up, outside to where their classmates were already lining up. ‘Come on, Dennis,’ she urged, ‘or someone else can be leader.’
‘No. You said I could be leader but do we have to go outside?’ he asked.
‘Just get going!’ ordered Nellie, glancing at the wall. Bits of masonry were starting to fall. She knew that she mustn’t panic the little ones but they had to move fast. Who would have believed the bomb that had exploded in the next street last night could have had such an effect on the old school? She remembered Teddy, her husband, saying the effects of a bomb blast should never be underestimated. He had wanted her to get away from the bombing but so far she had stuck it out, not wishing to leave the job she adored and also hoping to heal the rift between herself and her family.
‘When they were up they were up,’ she sang, gently pushing children through the doorway and counting heads at the same time. Was it her imagination or was the floor really quivering? Is this what it felt like to be involved in an earthquake? She shoved five year old Johnny out of the door, thinking, Thank God, the last one! When she remembered there was a new girl, Audrey.
She turned back and her gaze swept the room. Where was she? Could she have sneaked out to the lavatory? No! She spotted a foot sticking out from behind the sand tray. The child must be hiding, thinking the marching was just a game and one she didn’t want to join in.
Nellie wasted no time and raced over to the sand tray with the sound of shifting masonry and the singing of the marching children in her ears. She dragged the startled girl to her feet and ran with her towards the doorway. They were almost there when Nellie heard a rumbling and the floor shook violently. Audrey screamed. The urge to look behind them was overwhelming but Nellie resisted and swung the girl in an arc and then let her go. Momentum took her out into the corridor and Nellie flung herself after her as the wall caved in.
