Read Out of Alice for Free Online Page A

Children had always been for her no more than a faint possibility, far in the future. She had her flat, her work and Roger to rely on, and for a while it had seemed enough. But now, remembering Becky’s upturned face, and the tender worry on Beth’s as she watched Sam, she found her certainties shifting. As if some part of her suddenly yearned to hold a child in her arms.
    In the meantime she had overslept; the realisation jerked her upright. By quite a bit too, judging by the sounds she could hear beyond her room.
    By the time Sara reached the table the children had almost finished eating and Len was leaving. He had a disreputable felt hat on his head and a packet of sandwiches in one hand.
    â€˜Morning, Sara.’ His gaze sought his wife. ‘I should be back by five. The wireless’ll be on in the cab. Call if you need me.’
    â€˜Yes.’ Beth glanced at Sam and away again. ‘He’ll be fine. How did you sleep, Sara?’
    â€˜Like a log,’ she confessed. ‘Sorry I’m late. I plainly need an alarm to wake me.’ Beyond the windows the first grey hint of day was growing and lights burned in the kitchen.
    â€˜That’s okay. School doesn’t start till eight. We do keep early hours but you’ll see the wisdom of it when summer comes. I’ll find you an alarm clock. That’s a pretty blue top. Toast? Or would you rather have eggs?’
    â€˜Thank you. Toast is fine.’ Sara poured tea for herself and talked to the children while she ate. Sam had missed a year’s schooling. He looked more rested this morning but his physical strength was obviously limited. Sara decided against the walk around she had planned and asked him about the property instead.
    The taste of the tea reminded her. ‘Who milks the goats?’
    â€˜Me and Mum,’ Becky replied. ‘Sam used to help but the yard’s too germy.’
    â€˜Germy?’
    â€˜The manure.’ Beth had overheard. ‘Infection is a risk we try to minimise.’
    â€˜Of course.’ Sara stacked cup and plate and rinsed them at the sink. ‘I’ll just clean my teeth, then you can show me your work, Becky. And Sam, you might explain to me how the School of the Air works. It comes on the radio, doesn’t it? So we’ll all be having lessons today.’
    â€˜â€ŠThe school’s in the Alice,’ Sam explained. ‘The teachers call us when it’s our turn so we get to talk to her, but not to the other kids. Each class has one session a day.’ The brevity of the explanation, she thought, showed his familiarity with an obviously complex operation.
    Sara had been nervous about this part of the job but the morning went well. The children knew what was required and made no effort, as Sara had half feared, to play up. Becky was a bright child, articulate during the on-air lesson, gabbling her answers to squeeze in her own breathless snippet of news. ‘Guess what, Mrs Murray? Our new governess is called Sara. She’s got ever such pretty red curls.’
    â€˜That’s interesting, Rebecca,’ the disembodied voice answered. ‘Welcome, Sara. Let us stick to the lesson, though. Now, Billy, what number comes next?’
    â€˜Seven, Mrs Murray,’ piped a new voice.
    â€˜Beat ya!’ Becky crowed to Sam, who scowled back.
    â€˜I was gonna tell her about Sara. You shoulda let me! I’m older than you.’
    â€˜So what? It’s
my
news too!’
    Sam was behind in his work. Watching him struggle with a paragraph, Sara also suspected he had poor reading skills. She would have to do some remedial work there, teach him to break the words up and sound them. She found a passage in his reading papers and they began on it, but his concentration soon flagged and by lunchtime he had developed a headache. Beth dosed him with Panadol and sent him to lie down.
    â€˜Is he okay?’ Sara was concerned.
    Beth sighed. ‘Yes and no.