Through The Storm Read Online Free Page A

was told. Ross found himself in the kitchen with
Arthur and two of the girls, Jo and Kerry. He and Arthur were armed
with drying up cloths, the girls with floppy rubber gloves and
brushes to wash the dishes. Kerry was a right natterbox.
    “Have you been
here before?” Giving no time for an answer, she continued. “My
sister, Laura was here last year and she said it was the best
holiday ever. Mind you that could have been just ‘cos she met this
boy, Craig, and fell in love doing hill walking. I mean they were
hill walking when they met, not when they fell in love….” Ross felt
breathless just listening to her. How did she breathe and talk at
the same time? He exchanged a grin with Jo, and realised that
Arthur, too was enjoying the joke as they let Kerry natter on. “I
think they fell in love playing tennis together…”
Arthur had worked out the efficient pattern now, picking up the
rinsed dishes and adding them to the tidy pile between the sinks.
Ross was working well alongside, and if only Kerry would stop
waving things around while she made a point, they’d soon be done.
He grabbed a fork as it swooped past his nose, and Kerry moved onto
the next item. It wasn’t so very long before they were finished.
Arthur wiped the steam from his glasses as they left the
kitchen.
    “I think we’ve
got the worst job over with first. The rest of the week will be
playtime in comparison”, he said analytically. Ross looked in on
the games room, and Arthur peered around him. Six pairs of eyes
were glued to computer games and budding snooker champions were
engrossed in angles and spin.
    “Let’s try the
TV”, Arthur said. In fact they interrupted Owen sorting DVD’s.
    “Ah, good. Not
fallen down the plughole, then. Ross, go and stick your head round
a few doors and let everyone know we have a film starting in five
minutes, would you? Erm, with the girls’ dorm, just knock and
shout, to avoid embarrassments.”
    It didn’t take
much announcing to fill the room. The film was funny. They all
laughed together, even the analytical Arthur. Even Patrick snorted
a couple of times despite trying to pretend the film was much too
young for him. In the middle there was an interval with hot
chocolate and biscuits.
    “Straight to
bed at the end of the film, please”, Owen said, “And lights out by
ten o’ clock. We want you up and alert on time tomorrow”.
    As Ross cleaned
his teeth, he grinned to himself. If his mum could see him now,
she’d faint with shock. Not a word of argument about bedtime,
cleaning his teeth without being told. Funny how things he’d never
do for his parents, he was doing and enjoying here. Tired out by
all the excitement and the newness of everything, it was nice to
snuggle up in his holiday bed. He’d intended holding a whispered
conversation with the others, but he was asleep before he had the
chance. The next thing he knew, Jerry’s head was poking around the
door, the sun was shining and Jerry was yelling, “Breakfast in
ten”.
    “Ten what?”
came David’s sleepy voice.
    “Minutes, dozy”
Patrick drawled, already dressed and with his head in a magazine
about mountaineering. He’d enjoyed the peace and privacy that
beating the morning call had given him. He wondered if tomorrow
anyone else would spoil it for him. Getting washed and dressed with
the others was bedlam. Ross could see why Patrick had jumped the
gun as Dean’s soap dropped on his toe and his towel was
accidentally used as a sponge by Arthur who had left his glasses in
the dorm. Breakfast was pretty chaotic, too with everyone
experimenting with six types of cereal and then the best way to
make an egg, bacon and sausage sandwich. Then Nick called for their
attention. He wasn’t as good at it as Owen and had to resort to
banging a spoon on the table before he obtained silence.
    “Right. Time to
end the suspense.” There was an excited mutter and mumble , quickly
shushed by those who wanted to hear what Nick was saying “I’m