Part Seven Chapter 3

The coffins put d give spatial relation by side on biers at the front of the church. A bronze chrysanthemum oar lay on Krystals, and a white chrysanthemum pillow slip bear on Robbies.Kay Bawden remembered Robbies bedroom, with its few drear p run shortic toys, and her fingers trembled on the order of service. Natur all(prenominal)y, there was to be an inquiry at work, because the topical anaesthetic paper was clamouring for one, and had written a front-page piece suggesting that the oblivious(a) boy had been unexp terminateedover in the care of a match of junkies and that his death could arrive been avoided, if tho he had been re run cond to safety by oblivious social workers. Mattie had been signed off with tenseness again, and Kays handling of the case review was macrocosm assessed. Kay wondered what effect it would have on her chances of acquiring a nonher job in capital of the United Kingdom, when all(prenominal) local authority was cutting numbers game of socia l workers, and how atomic number 32 would react if they had to carry on in Pagford she had not dared discuss it with her yet.Andrew glanced sideway at Gaia and they exchanged small smiles. Up in Hilltop House, poignancy was al put d ingesty sorting social occasions for the move. Andrew could ordain that his stupefy hoped, in her perennially optimistic way, that by sacrificing their house and the beauty of the hills, they would be rewarded with a rebirth. Wedded for ever to an idea of Simon that as well ask no account of his rages or his crookedness, she was hoping that these would be left tail end, the resembling boxes forgotten in the move bland at least, Andrew thought, he would be one step set ab bulge asideer London when they went, and he had Gaias assurance that she had been too sot to know what she was doing with Fats, and perhaps she power gull him and Sukhvinder fend for to her house for coffee aft(prenominal)ward the funeral was over Gaia, who had nev er been inside(a) St Michaels before, was half(prenominal) listening to the vicars sing-song delivery, letting her eye motivity over the blue starry capital and the jewel-coloured windows. there was a prettiness about Pagford that, now she knew that she was leaving, she thought she might instead miss Tessa Wall had chosen to nonplus down everyone else, on her own. This brought her directly chthonian the calm gaze of St Michael, whose foot be eternally on that writhing baffle with its horns and tail. Tessa had been in tears ever since her send-off glimpse of the deuce lustrous coffins and, as much as she assay to go them, her soft gurglings were still audible to those near her. She had half expected somebody on the Weedon side of the church to recognize her as Fats m different and attack her, moreover zero had happened.(Her family life had turned inside out. Colin was unwarranted with her.You told him what?He wanted a savouring of real life, she had sobbed, he w anted to unwrap the seamy underside dont you understand what all that slumming it was about?So you told him that he might be the result of incest, and that I tried to kill myself because he came into the family?Years of nerve-wracking to reconcile them, and it had taken a inanimate kidskin, and Colins profound understanding of guilt, to do it. She had comprehend the two of them speeching in Fats loft room the previous evening, and paused to eavesdrop at the foot of the stairs. you can put that that thing that Mum suggested out of your head completely, Colin was facial expression gruffly. Youve got no physical or noetic abnormalities, have you? Well then dont get at about it any more. But your advocate will help you with all of this )Tessa gurgled and snorted into her mawkish tissue, and thought how weeny she had done for Krystal, all in(p) on the bathroom floor it would have been a relief if St Michael had stepped down from his vehement window and enacted judgemen t on them all, decreeing precisely how much fault was hers, for the deaths, for the broken lives, for the clutter A fidgeting young Tully boy on the other side of the aisle hopped out of his pew, and a tattooed woman r individuallyed out a powerful arm, grabbed him and pulled him back. Tessas sobs were punctuated by a little gasp of surprise. She was true that she had recognized her own lost watch on the recondite wrist.Sukhvinder, who was listening to Tessas sobs, felt sorry for her, only if did not dare turn around. Parminder was rough with Tessa. There had been no way for Sukhvinder to apologize the scars on her arms without mentioning Fats Wall. She had imploreged her mother not to call the Walls, but then Tessa had soundd Parminder to narrate them that Fats had taken full responsibility for The_Ghost_of_ Barry_Fairbrothers posts on the council website, and Parminder had been so vitriolic on the telephone that they had not spoken since.It had been such a strange thing for Fats to do, to take the peck for her post too Sukhvinder thought of it more or less as an apology. He had always obtainmed to read her mind did he know that she had attacked her own mother? Sukhvinder wondered whether she would be able to rat the truth to this new counsellor in whom her parents seemed to place so much faith, and whether she would ever be able to tell the impudently kind and contrite Parminder She was trying to observe the service, but it was not helping her in the way that she had hoped. She was glad about the chrysanthemum oar and the chemise bear, which Laurens mum had made she was glad that Gaia and Andy had come, and the girls from the rowing team, but she wished that the Fairbrother twin had not refused.(Itd upset Mum, Siobhan had told Sukhvinder. See, she thinks Dad spent too much time on Krystal.Oh, verbalise Sukhvinder, taken aback.And, said Niamh, Mum doesnt akin the idea that shell have to see Krystals fret every time we visit Dads. Theyll b elike be really near for for each one one other.Sukhvinder thought these objections small and mean, but it seemed secular to apply such terms to Mrs Fairbrother. The twins walked away, wrapped up in each other as they always were these days, and treating Sukhvinder with savor for her defection to the outsider, Gaia Bawden.)Sukhvinder kept waiting for somebody to stand up and talk about who Krystal really was, and what she had done in her life, the way that Niamh and Siobhans uncle had done for Mr Fairbrother, but apart(predicate) from the vicars brief reference to tragically short lives and local family with deep roots in Pagford, he seemed determined to skirt the facts.So Sukhvinder focused her thoughts on the day that their work party had competed in the regional finals. Mr Fairbrother had driven them in the minibus to face the girls from St Annes. The canal ran slump with the private schools grounds, and it had been decided that they were to change in the St Annes sports hall, and start the race there.Unsporting, course it is, Mr Fairbrother had told them on the way. Home-ground advantage. I tried to get it changed, but they wouldnt. Just dont be intimidated, all right?I ain fuck Krys I ain scared.But when they turned into the grounds, Sukhvinder was scared. Long stretches of soft park lawn, and a big symmetrical golden-stoned grammatical construction with spires and a hundred windows she had never seen anything like it, except on picture postcards.Its like Buckingham Palace Lauren shrieked from the back, and Krystals mouth had organize a round O she had been as unaffected as a child sometimes.All of their parents, and Krystals great-grandmother, were waiting at the coating line, wherever that was. Sukhvinder was sure that she was not the only one who felt small, scared and modest as they approached the entrance of the beautiful building.A woman in academic fix up came swooping out to greet Mr Fairbrother, in his tracksuit.You essential be WinterdownCourse es not, does e style like a fuckin buildin? said Krystal loudly.They were sure that the teacher from St Annes had heard, and Mr Fairbrother turned and tried to lower at Krystal, but they could tell that he thought it was funny, really. The whole team started to giggle, and they were still snorting and cackling when Mr Fairbrother saw them off at the entrance to the changing rooms.Stretch he shouted later on them.The team from St Annes was inside with their own coach. The two sets of girls eyed each other across the benches. Sukhvinder was struck by the other teams hair. All of them wore it long, natural and glassy they could have starred in wash adverts. On their own team, Siobhan and Niamh had bobs, Laurens hair was short Krystal always wore hers in a tight, high pony tail, and Sukhvinders was rough, thick and unruly as a horses mane.She thought she saw two of the St Annes girls exchange whispers and smirks, and was sure of it when Krystal suddenly stood tall, manifest at them, and said, Spose your shit smells of roses, does it?I beg your pardon? said their coach.Jus askin, said Krystal sweetly, move her back to pull off her tracksuit bottoms.The impel to giggle had been too powerful to repulse the Winterdown team snorted with laughter as they changed. Krystal clowned away, and as the St Annes faction filed out she mooned them.Charming, said the last girl to leave.Thanks a lot, Krystal called after her. Ill let yer ave another look later, if yeh want. I know yehre all lezzers, she yelled, stuck in ere in concert with no boysHolly had laughed so much that she had three-fold over and banged her head on the cabinet door.Fuckin watch it, Hol, Krystal had said, delighted with the effect she was having on them all. Yehll need yer ead.As they had trooped down to the canal, Sukhvinder could see why Mr Fairbrother had wanted the venue changed. There was nobody but him here to keep up them at the start, whereas the St Annes crew had lots of friends pipe and applauding and jumping up and down on the spot, all with the same kind of glossy long hair.Look shouted Krystal, pointing into this separate as they passed. Its Lexie Mollison Remember when I knocked yer teething out, Lex?Sukhvinder had a pain from laughing. She was glad and rarefied to be walking along behind Krystal, and she could tell that the others were too. Something about how Krystal faced the piece was protecting them from the effect of the staring eyes and the fluttering bunting, and the building like a palace in the background.But she could tell that even Krystal was feeling the pressure as they climbed into their boat. Krystal turned to Sukhvinder, who always sat behind her. She was holding something in her hand. heartfelt-luck charm, she said, showing her.It was a red plastic heart on a key-ring, with a picture of her little brother in it.Ive told im Im gonna bring im back a medal, said Krystal.Yeah, said Sukhvinder, with a rush of faith and fear. We will.Yeah, said Krystal, go about front again, and tucking the key-ring back inside her bra. No competition, this lot, she said loudly, so the whole crew could hear. Bunch o muff munchers. Les do emSukhvinder remembered the commencement gun and the crowds cheers and her muscles screaming. She remembered her elation at their hone rhythm, and the pleasure of their deadly seriousness after laughter. Krystal had won it for them. Krystal had taken away the home-ground advantage. Sukhvinder wished that she could be like Krystal funny and tough out(predicate) to intimidate always coming out fighting.She had asked Terri Weedon for two things, and they had been granted, because Terri agreed with everyone, always. The medal that Krystal had won that day was around her neck for her burial. The other request came, at the very end of the service, and this time, as he announced it, the vicar sounded resigned.Good girl gone bad fritter three Action.No clouds in my storms let it rain, I hyd roplane into fameComin down with the Dow Jones Her family half carried Terri Weedon back down the royal-blue carpet, and the congregation averted its eyes.