Winter's End Read Online Free

clearly busy as there was silence reigning in the
car, other than her occasional burst of excitements in between the beeps of her
Nintendo DS device.
    Ten minutes later,   the row of shops and busyness of the small town
began to emerge in the distance. As Emma neared the co-op, she couldn’t help
but admire the blue of the sea that bordered the bay.
    “How long are we
going to be?” asked Jai, looking at a white van pulling out of a parking bay.
    “Hopefully not that
long,” she answered. “We’re short of groceries and general cleaning stuff.”
    “Would it be okay if
you dropped me at the library while you’re doing the shopping,” he asked.
    “Jai…,” she started.
    “Please Mum,” he
said. “I really can’t be bothered following you and a trolley today.”
    “Fine,” she sighed.
It might be for the best, she thought to herself. “How about you, Hannah?
Coming with Mum or staying with Jai?”
    “Jai,” she replied
without looking away from her game.
    Emma swung at the
turn and pulled in front of the library. “Jai, I need you to stay here until I
get back” she reminded. “Okay?”
    “Yes,” he said
hopping out the door quickly in case his mother changed her mind.
    “Jai?” she called out
through the window. “Stay here. And take care of your sister.”
    “Mum, chill!” he shouted
back as he ran after Hannah, who was already racing through the doors of the
library. “I heard you!”
    Emma watched them
disappear between the automatic doors before heading back into the main street
and towards the co-operative store. She parked at the closest parking bay she
could find. She glided out of her car and walked briskly towards the
supermarket. An elderly couple walked   by
her giving her a curious second glance.
    She didn’t think much
of it and began her routine of hunting for items on her shopping list. A few
others smiled at her as she walked by them with her trolley. She smiled back
aware that she was now living in a much smaller part of the world than she was
used to. She was bound to get recognised sooner or later as the woman who moved
from London to Breakish with two kids.
    “You’re the woman who
moved to Breakish with two kids, right?” asked the
middle aged blonde cashier. She looked Emma over with a smile as she swiped the
shopping items.
    Emma returned a
small, nervous smile.
    “I’m Lisa,” the
cashier said.
    Emma glanced down at
her name tag. “Lisa” she read silently.
    “I’m Emma,” she said
aloud.
    “I live two houses
down from yours,” Lisa said. “Where did you come from?”
    “London,” Emma
answered.
    “London?” a weaker,
older voice answered from behind her. “I’ve been to London once. A long time
ago.”
    She looked behind her
to find an old man approximately in his eighties holding a gallon of milk and a
box of cereals. His old wrinkled face held up a frown high on his forehead, a
set of spectacles sat at the end of his nose and his thinning grey hair was
slicked back. He looked back at her with steel greying eyes.
    “Matthew,” Lisa
growled. “Don’t mind him,” she told Emma. “He is actually quite a sweet old man
once you get to know him. Isn’t that right, Matthew?” She gave him a side grin
as she swiped another item across her scanner.
    Matthew Allaway harrumphed in indignation looking away. “You should
stop with the chit-chat, so I can get on my way,” he grumbled.
    Lisa smiled again and
turned to Emma. “I’m at number 17. If you need anything don’t be afraid to
knock.”
    “You live next to Mrs.
Kinnaird’s property then,” said the old man, his eyes giving Emma a harsh
appraisal.
    “Yeah,” chirped in
Lisa quickly before Emma could answer. “I know, ” she said as she rolled up her
eyes.
    Lisa put the items
into a shopping bag. “That would be a hundred and fifty three pounds and
forty-four p’s .”
    “Do you mind if I use
a credit card?” asked Emma.
    “Certainly not,” said
Lisa, pulling forward the mobile