Chapter 47
Chapter 47
T he children were not at all the happy, bustling crowd Morag had taken out only the previous day. They were teary, tired, and every last one of them desperately wanted their mums. She turned the heat up in the plane as far as it would go without burning through the last of their fuel. Poor old Denise had no choice but to get some new rope, change in the hut, and head out again, heroically.
Unfortunately before they could get to their families, who were quivering and on trigger edge back in the tin shed, there was the small matter of the media who were absolutely slavering at the fact that children had been caught in the storm. It was disgusting but unfortunately there was nothing they could do about it. Nalitha, who had hoofed her way to the airport even though she couldn’t fit her uniform, not even nearly, was furious with them and doing her best to look official and clear them out. They were so disappointed when they found out everyone was safe and well, that if Nalitha wasn’t trying to protect the integrity of her unborn child, she’d have kicked someone. She found Big Shugs and told him he was the official family bouncer so every time someone sidled up from the paper to try and get a quote from the “distraught Mermaid’s Spyglass parents” he could get in between them and bark “no comment” in a menacing tone. Something, it turned out, he rather enjoyed doing.
By 2 p.m., with the snowstorm finally starting to die away a little, although many of the smaller roads were still impassable and people’s cars iced in, the tiny tin shed was full of pretty much everyone in the village. Pete’s wife, Linda, was making a killing on the revolting coffee and they’d completely run out of shortbread. People were passing around Toblerone. I mean, they were barely an airport but they were still a little bit of an airport. You couldn’t call yourself an airport, Nalitha always argued, if you didn’t sell Toblerone. It was in the International Laws of Aviation. Morag had said, Well, it wasn’t, but as usual Nalitha wasn’t listening. Also, she had always argued, you could use them as weapons in case of a hijack.
M ORAG RADIOED P ETE in the control tower, who let Nalitha know. She had been going to keep it quiet, but unfortunately the entire population of the town had their eyes trained on her face when she put the radio down, and they knew immediately. The children had been found.
They rushed out to line the runway. The local plod was there, along with all the volunteer firefighters in the town, who’d had a very busy night of it digging lambs out of snow holes. Nonetheless they were ready and waiting in case any emergency aid was required.
Very slowly and quietly, at first impossible to hear, or something you might disregard, there came the very lowest of drones. Almost nothing... but then, a little louder. And through the clouds, just the tiniest glint of metal against the wide, wide sky. An intake of breath, held, amongst the people watching; the clasp of an arm, the plucking of a sleeve, the squeeze of a hand... as Dolly 2, the little prop plane, gradually gained outline and shape and form through the endless clouds, bumping through the stormy air, first this way, then that, descending all the way. People instinctively stood back, but without having to worry, as the little plane buzzed down and down, and settled easily on her two wheels at the end of the runway with a tiny roar, whooshing on forward, but easing up, easing up, until she came to a perfect stop 50 meters from the crowd.
A T FIRST, NOBODY made a sound. Then, pandemonium. The crowd surged forward, and Nalitha and Pete were very glad of the firefighters and Big Shugs hollering at people to keep back. They did settle, eventually, and everyone waited, many with cameras up as slowly the propellers stopped turning, and the plane was completely still. Then, inside the plane Morag stood up and came out. She had whacked the heat up as far as she could and even though it was a short, noisy, rattly flight through the snow, half the kids had already fallen asleep. Mrs. McGinty was propped in a corner, staring out, not looking at anyone.
“Okay,” said Morag, as the kids stirred and, when they realized they were about to see their parents, perked up considerably. Ranald was already standing by the door.
“I just wanted to say, you have all done extremely well and been very very brave. You were all heroes. You’re all amazing. And you will have a great story to tell the Primary 7s!”
The children, remarkably perky now they were home again, cheered weakly.
“Now I want you to follow Captain MacIntyre in an orderly fashion down the steps, okay? Even if you see your mum or dad, even if you want to run, you absolutely can’t cross a runway, do you understand?”
They all nodded seriously, not needing to be told twice.
“You’ll probably need to be checked out, although you all look pretty strong to me. And I think whatever your favorite tea is, you’ll probably get it tonight.”
“Pizza!” shouted Khalid.
“Chips!” shouted another.
“NO, ice cream!” shouted Wee Shugs, to widespread laughter.
“Right enough,” said Morag. “Seatbelts off. You have all been quite wonderful.”
And she stood by the door, and formally shook every one of their hands as they left.
O KSANA’S MOTHER STOOD amongst the crowd, separate and alone, refusing to accept the random cruelties of fate. Her face barely changed as Oksana descended, even as she couldn’t avoid noticing that her daughter appeared to be in the center of a group of close-knit girls, all whispering and holding hands.
Likewise, as they reunited, there were no imprecations or tears, as in the other families. They hugged each other formally. Except suddenly, Oksana pulled away, her face distraught.
“Bodhan!” she said, devastated. “I don’t have my bear! I didn’t notice.”
“Perhaps, Kokhana . Perhaps you don’t need him anymore,” said her mother.