The Suitcase Kid Read Online Free

chest and he kept kissing the top of my head. I felt as if I wasa juicy stretch of grass and he was a hungry sheep.
    â€˜My little girl,’ said Dad.
    I love it when he calls me that. Even though I’m not little, I’m big.
    He looked at his watch and gave me a squeeze.
    â€˜We’re quite early you know. Shall we go and have an icecream soda together, just you and me?’ He winked. ‘No need to tell Carrie.’
    Carrie is his new wife. She disapproves of anything that tastes really good, like icecream and fizzy drinks and hamburgers and chips and chocolate. She serves up the most horrible brown muck for our meals. She gives her children Zen and Crystal carrot sticks to eat instead of sweets. (They cheat though. They’re always swiping Smarties from the other kids in their Infants class).
    Icecream sodas are my all-time favourites. I can never decide whether I like strawberry or chocolate best. My Dad knows I always dither between the two.
    â€˜How about two icecream sodas today? One strawberry, one chocolate?’ he suggested.
    â€˜Wow!’ But I hesitated. Seeing he was in such a good mood . . . ‘Dad?’ I said, trying to soundall sweet and wheedly like Katie. ‘Hey Dad, as we’ve got lots of time could we maybe do something else instead?’
    â€˜Instead of icecream sodas? Gosh! OK pet, what do you want to do? Anything for my little girl.’
    I took a deep breath.
    â€˜Could we take a little drive and go and see Mulberry Cottage?’
    Dad’s arm went stiff. His face lost its smile.
    â€˜Oh Andy. Don’t start.’
    â€˜Oh Dad, please. I’m not starting anything. I just want to see Mulberry Cottage again, that’s all.’
    â€˜Why? There’s no point. We’re not ever going to be living in Mulberry Cottage again. There’s another family living there now.’
    â€˜I know. I just want to see it, that’s all. Because I like it. And the mulberries should be out soon and we could maybe pick some and we could get Mum to make one of her pies and—’
    â€˜Don’t be silly, Andrea,’ said Dad, and he started up the car and we drove off.
    I didn’t get to go to Mulberry Cottage. I didn’t get a strawberry or a chocolate icecream soda. It wasn’t fair. It never is.

FOR MOST OF my life I was an only child. I didn’t mind a bit. And then all of a sudden I get lumbered. I have five and a half stepbrothers and sisters.
    There’s Paula and Graham and horrible little Katie who are my un-Uncle Bill’s children. Then there are Zen and Crystal, Carrie’s five-year-old twins. Yes, Zen and Crystal. Did youever hear such dopey names? Mum fell about when she heard.
    And then there’s the half. Carrie is going to have another baby.
    I didn’t suss things out for a bit. Carrie is very thin but she often wears long droopy smocky things so I didn’t really notice her tummy. But then one Friday night when I was unpacking all my things I started up an argument with Zen. Crystal isn’t too bad. She’s got long fair hair and a little white face and she sucks her thumb a lot. Zen bites his nails. He’s going to chew his fingers right down to the knuckle soon. He’s got long fair hair and a little white face too. When I first saw them I thought they were twin girls. But though Zen looks a wet little wimp he’s as tough as old boots. He
wears
old boots, sort of miniature Doc Martens, and he doesn’t half kick with them too. There’s a big poster about the Peace Movement in Carrie’s kitchen but no-one gets any peace at all when Zen’s around.
    He’s got his old Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles poster on his side of their bunk-beds. Crystal’s got one of a ballet dancer and she’s startedlessons herself and keeps twirling about in her pink satin ballet slippers. Carrie tried sending her to junior karate instead but Crystal hated it. Carrie