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Back The Orchardist's Daughter Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. PRAISE
  3. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  4. DEDICATION
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. PART I SEEDS
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. PART II GERMINATION
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. PART III GROWTH
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. PART IV UNDERSTOREY
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. EPILOGUE
  57. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

‘The old man beats the fish in the end,’ Miki said, gaining momentum now she was on safer ground.

‘But is he proud of that?’

‘He is, until the sharks ruin it.’

‘And how does the old man feel about the fish?’

‘He loves and respects it. And he admires the fish’s will to fight and live. He loves its strength and beauty.’

Geraldine sat back in her chair, the corners of her eyes creasing into half-moons. ‘So perhaps Hemingway is saying that you can love something, and respect it, but still wish to be free. Maybe he’s saying you can love someone, and not agree with them. That it’s okay to be yourself.’

Miki’s breath locked in her throat.

‘Kurt keeps you under a tight rein, doesn’t he?’ Geraldine said. ‘I know he cares about you because you’re his sister. But you need more freedom.’

Miki felt she might break. Geraldine wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know. She began to retreat, stepping towards the door.

Geraldine reached under the counter and called after her. ‘I have another book for you.’

But Miki felt the walls collapsing around her. She had to get out. She couldn’t breathe. ‘Thank you, but I can’t take it today.’

As she fled through the door, the last thing she saw was Geraldine’s soft face, wrought with sympathy.

38

38

When Max came home, everyone in the street was asking about his three days in hospital. ‘How was it?’ ‘Were the nurses nice to you?’ ‘Did you eat lots of ice-cream?’

He’d had a pretty good time and would have stayed longer if he could. The food was the best! Three courses for every meal in so many little containers. Rice Bubbles in a box for breakfast. Meat and mashed potatoes for lunch. Ice-cream and jelly. He’d been too sick to enjoy it at first. He’d had a drip in his arm, an oxygen monitor on his finger, and a nurse to help him go to the loo. But once he began to feel better, he ate everything and watched TV all the time and nobody stopped him. It was better than home. The nurses were kind, and they gave him snacks and unlimited milk.

Back at home everyone was acting strange. Suzie and Rosie were the only normal ones. Max had expected Mum and Dad to be furious about all the stealing, but Dad hadn’t said anything, and Mum was being too friendly. ‘Are you all right, Max?’ she kept saying. ‘Do you need anything?’ ‘Are you hungry?’ ‘It’s so good to have you back.’ She was always giving him chocolate and hugs. He wished she would either leave him alone or tell him everything was okay.

He was terrified about going back to school, but it worked out all right. The teachers made a fuss of him, saying it was a miracle he was alive.