preview

The Story Of ' Moon Valley '

Better Essays

Dust billowed behind the car as it moved along the gravel driveway. It turned the corner and Mrs Galloway’s tan-gloved hand gave a final wave from the rear window before the car disappeared through the gate. I closed my eyes for a moment with relief she’d gone. By a miracle of timing I was free. It was over, but could I forget, or would the memories haunt me for years? Mr Frobisher clapped a large hand on my shoulder. It felt warm and firm. Safe. I glanced up. The man wore an easy-going smile on his weathered face and the lines around his eyes crinkled under his bushy grey eyebrows. “Come on, Lad,” he said. “Let me show you where you’ll sleep.” Warming to him, I half returned the smile, picked up my scarred suitcase and followed his lead. …show more content…

Sam and Bert sleep in the next rooms. You’ll meet them at dinner.” The room looked bare; a bed, a chair and a dresser, chipped sickly yellow painted walls and a small window, its curtain wafting in the breeze. At least I didn’t have to share the room with eleven other boys as I had at the orphanage. Of greater importance, I need no longer fear Doctor Mangle. I shivered; not from cold, but memories. “I’ll leave you to unpack,” said Mr Frobisher. “Have a look around the place. When you hear the dinner gong, you’ve got five minutes to be at the house. Use the back door.” He wasn’t a man to waste words, but his manner was amiable. He raised his palm in a parting salute and walked out leaving the barn door open. I stood for a few seconds, taking in my new home. The silence yelled in the emptiness of the room. I’d forgotten how silence felt. It didn’t exist at the orphanage. During the day, shrieks of children’s laughter, chattering, clangs from the kitchen and the hum of the vacuum cleaner packed the air. At night, rhythmic breathing, coughs and creaking bedsprings gave constant background ambiance. Here, birds outside twittered in the trees and leaves rustled softly in the breeze. A horse snorted in a nearby paddock. Sounds floated past, without sharp intrusion into the room. The breeze refreshed and calmed me. I hoisted my suitcase onto the bed. With a click, I released the catches and lifted

Get Access