At least we could call out one true thing when we sang back, ‘No.’

CHAPTER 15

The next day was a Friday, and it should have been an excellent day because Dad said he was taking the morning off work and that we were going on an outing. We thought this might help Caleb to let go of this sacrifice theory because Ruthy and I were plumb out of ideas about how to help him get past it. Ruthy and Caleb were very excited because I think they saw this as the end of what Ruthy called ‘the Cold War’ between Mum and Dad, but I had a feeling in my guts that said it wasn’t going to be so easy to get Mum back to a good place. As it turned out, it was a terrible day. It was even worse than the day I found Sixpence dead in the box, and that’s saying a lot because I didn’t think any day could ever be that bad again.

We got ready to go. Dad said we were going to Cleland conservation park to see the animals, and that sounded like the best idea ever. We got dressed and put things in the back of the station wagon we thought we might need, like Ruthy’s notebook and Caleb’s Ventolin and Milly Molly Mandy and a yellow truck and three jars with holes punched in the lid Mr Driver had made for me in case we found interesting insects, and Ruthy’s torch and a pair of scissors in case we needed to cut something interesting.

I ran into Mr Driver’s place to tell him about the outing, but he seemed rather sad and just mussed up my hair and told me to try to have the best day I could have. Something in my insides did a little somersault when he said this, but I pushed that thought away, ran down to Sixpence’s grave to tell her where we were going, and raced back to the car. Mum and Dad weren’t ready, but I was full of light, air and energy and ran down to the end of the street and back just for something to do while I waited. I was out of breath and a bit sweaty when I got back, and my parents still weren’t in the car so I ran back to Sixpence to tell her what kind of animals I hoped I would see.

The first sign that it was going to be a bad day was that Dad told us to get in the car and then he got in too and started the motor. Caleb started laughing and said Dad was a duffer because he had forgotten Mum, but Dad said Mum wasn’t coming with us to Cleland, which made us all go very quiet and perfectly still in the back seat. Caleb asked how come Mum wasn’t coming, and Dad said she had a busy day and needed some time to sort things out for herself. He seemed cross more than sad about it, but he said it in a voice that invited no comment.