Catherine Jinks TheRoad (71 page)

‘Should we keep driving?’ he asked. ‘Should we head north, or south? Should we wait here by the road, in case the police are alerted and come down this way? What’s the consensus on this?’

A long silence followed. Peter was eager to hear what the others had to say in response to his father’s query, but at that moment Rosie claimed his attention. She wanted him to put a cross in one of the boxes she’d drawn, then began to wail when he did. Not
that
box, she objected. That was
her
box!

‘But there’s nothing in it,’ Peter contended.

‘I wanna use it
next
! For my
circle
!’

‘Well don’t wet yourself,’ Peter said crossly. ‘I’ll rub it out. There.’ He expunged the offending cross with the sole of his shoe, while Rosie watched, sniffing. When he had finished, she pointed.

‘You can put yours there.’

‘Why?’

‘Because.’

‘It’s not making a line, though. We both have to make lines.’

‘But I
want
you to!’

‘Oh, all right.’ Peter heaved a great sigh and surrendered. He wasn’t going to argue. He didn’t have the energy. ‘There. Okay? Happy?’

‘And there. And there.’

‘Rosie, it’s your turn. Not mine.’

‘Oh.’

She started to trace a circle in the dust, while Peter strained to hear the adults. It was difficult, because they had lowered their voices again. He only caught the odd word: ‘help’, ‘road’, ‘position’. The minutes ticked by. The murmur of conversation rose and fell, like the sound of waves on a beach.

Peter flapped a persistent fly away from his lip and let Rosie win three games of noughts-and-crosses. When he finally glanced at his watch, he saw that it was eleven fifteen; Louise had been in possession of the walkman for half an hour.

Damn, he thought, knowing that the batteries were bound to go flat soon.