See You When I See You Read online

  Dani tried to hide her disappointment.

  “Could I have a hug?” asked her father.

  Dani saw that the table was set as if they

  were having a party, with tall glasses and

  bright napkins. A wonderful smell wafted from

  the kitchen.

  “Are you hungry?” Sadie asked hopefully.

  Without waiting for an answer she got up and

  went out to the kitchen to fetch the dinner.

  Dani watched her go.

  “What are we having?” she asked suspiciously.

  “You’ll see.” Her father was beaming.

  And there stood Sadie in the doorway with a

  big roast chicken on a plate.

  Dani’s face turned thunderous.

  “What’s the matter now?” asked her father.

  “I don’t eat babies,” said Dani.

  “Babies?”

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  “Chickens are hen’s babies! Don’t you know that?”

  “Since when do you not eat chicken?”

  “Since summer.”

  It was true. In the summer holidays Dani and Ella had sworn a holy oath never to eat meat from

  animals that hadn’t had a chance to grow up and

  be big.

  That was fine on the island with Ella’s mother

  and stepfather Paddy, but it clearly wasn’t the case back home.

  “With us, you eat the food that’s served,” declared her father.

  “But Ella and I…” Dani tried.

  Her father flared up. “Basta!”

  Italian again! That means:

  That’s enough!

  Dani felt her bottom lip begin to tremble.

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  She had stopped crying a long time ago, but of

  course now and then tears still rose inside her. It could happen once or twice a day. She swallowed

  to keep them down.

  She was about to sit down when her father

  noticed her dirty hands. Dani had to go and wash

  them.

  She scrubbed her fingers long and hard, but

  when she came back her father still didn’t seem

  satisfied.

  “Did you ever thank Sadie for the trip you went

  on?” he asked.

  66

  Some weeks earlier, when her father was still in

  hospital, Sadie had taken Dani and Ella to visit her sister who had Iceland ponies.

  “Thanks after it happened,” muttered Dani.

  “You haven’t told me a thing about it,” her

  father continued. “Did you have fun?”

  “Not much,” answered Dani.

  Her father wrinkled his forehead.

  “Why not?”

  Dani didn’t answer.

  The excursion to the Iceland ponies had been a

  catastrophe, but he didn’t know that.

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  Chapter 14

  This is how it had gone.

  Lisette, Sadie’s sister, wasn’t at home when they arrived, but it didn’t matter.

  Sadie was used to looking after the ponies and

  there were two ponies in the stable that Lisette

  had brought in from the field.

  “This is Vilda.” Sadie pointed to a brown mare.

  Then she pointed to a little, fat pony with a long mane. “And that’s Shaggy.”

  Ella went straight up and patted the ponies but

  Dani stayed at a respectful distance.

  “Which one would you like to ride on?” Sadie

  asked her.

  “I don’t know,” said Dani. “Maybe that one.”

  She pointed to the fat pony.

  “Shaggy.” said Sadie. “Would you like Shaggy?”

  “Yes, because isn’t Vilda wild?” said Dani.

  “Both are quiet and calm…” said Sadie.

  “I’ll take the fat one anyway,” Dani decided.

  “He probably can’t run very fast.”

  “Don’t be so sure of that!” Sadie laughed.

  “Shaggy can be quick when he wants to.”

  What did she mean? You could hear in the name

  that Vilda was the wild one.

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  Sadie saddled up the ponies and led them out of the stable yard. There she helped Dani mount and

  made sure that everything was as it should be

  before she went to Ella.

  Dani looked nervously around. The day was

  grey and windy. Big dark clouds loomed over the

  trees.

  Ella didn’t need any help. She goes to riding

  school and is almost as used to ponies as she is to guinea pigs.

  She sprang up into the saddle, shortened her

  stirrups, gathered up the reins and waited

  impatiently to head for the riding track.

  “Bravo, Ella,” said Sadie. “We’ll follow you with Shaggy.”

  She took hold of the reins.

  “I’ll lead him to start with. Sit up straight,

  Dani!”

  Dani sat up straight.

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  As long as Sadie led Shaggy around the big riding track, everything went well.

  But when they had been walking for a bit, Sadie

  said: “I’ll let you go now and stand in the middle.

  Is that all right?”

  “Yes,” said Dani. “Yes, I think so.”

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  But Sadie had hardly stepped away before Shaggy

  stopped to eat a tuft of grass. He was obviously

  hungry.

  “Come on,” called Sadie. “Use your heels,

  Dani!”

  Dani knew what using your heels meant

  because Ella had taught her. You dig your heels

  into the pony’s sides. Then the pony knows it’s

  time to go.

  Dani kicked gently, but Shaggy didn’t budge.

  “Give him a good kick,” Sadie yelled.

  Dani kicked harder.

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  Nothing happened except that Shaggy snatched at another tuft of grass.

  Sadie came running back.

  “Has he had anything to eat today?” Dani

  wondered.

  “Yes, he has,” said Sadie. “Off you go now,

  Shaggy!”

  Shaggy lifted his head and glared at her, but he

  began to plod.

  And they went around the riding track again.

  Round and round.

  Far up ahead, Vilda was walking with sprightly

  steps.

  Now and then Ella turned around and waved

  happily to Dani.

  Still, Dani felt worry growing inside her.

  Suddenly Shaggy stopped again.

  This time Sadie didn’t notice. She was standing in the middle again, facing Ella who was tired of

  walking and had begun to trot instead.

  Dani thought it was nice to sit still for a change.

  She looked around in the wind.

  That’s when it happened.

  Something rustled up behind them and a black

  plastic bag swept by.

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  Shaggy threw up his head and his ears went back.

  Then everything happened lightning fast!

  Shaggy wheeled around and took off at a gallop.

  Ponies can get very frightened if something

  unexpected turns up, even if it’s only an empty

  bag.

  Terrified, Dani clung to the saddle.

  “Pull on the reins, Dani!” Ella yelled.

  But Dani had already lost the reins. And the

  stirrups, for that matter.

  She managed to clutch onto Shaggy’s mane,

  until he stopped short and bucked.

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  Then she flew off…

  … and landed with a hard thump on the ground.

  She l
ay there absolutely still, with her eyes

  closed.

  Sadie was beside her at once.

  “Dani,” Sadie cried, sinking to her knees. “Can

  you hear me?”

  Dani didn’t answer.

  Ella reined in her pony, dropped to the ground

  and rushed over.

  “What if Dani’s broken her neck?” she panted.

  “No, she hasn’t,” said Sadie. “But I think she’s

  fainted.”

  “Help!” said Ella. “Wake up, Dani!”

  Dani opened one eye and tried to sit up, but

  Sadie stopped her.

  74

  “Keep still!”

  “You did a somersault in the air,” Ella

  explained.

  Dani looked at Ella and smiled weakly.

  “Did I?”

  “Yes, you sure did!” said Ella.

  “Do you feel sick?” Sadie asked.

  “A little,” admitted Dani, looking at Shaggy,

  who was wandering around eating grass as if

  nothing had happened.

  She tried to get up again, but Sadie held her

  back.

  “You must lie absolutely still. You might have a

  concussion,” said Sadie, making a sort of cushion for Dani out of her jacket.

  Dani sank back with her head on it.

  75

  For the rest of the time she just lay and watched Ella, who got Vilda to trot around the track, round and round.

  Ella rode so beautifully on Vilda that it was a

  pleasure to watch her.

  Dani relaxed and enjoyed it.

  But they hadn’t told Dani’s father any of this.

  Even Dani hadn’t said a single word.

  Nor had Sadie. She hardly dared to think what

  could have happened to Dani.

  How could she explain it to Gianni?

  Only now, when he was home and sitting with

  them at the dinner table, did she decide to say

  exactly what had happened.

  But there was no chance because suddenly the

  doorbell rang.

  Who could it be?

  “Dani, go and open the door,” said her father.

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  Chapter 15

  On the doorstep stood Grandma and Grandpa and

  Dani’s cousin Sven.

  “We just wanted to pop in and see how your

  father is,” her grandfather explained.

  “He’s in there.” Dani nodded towards the living

  room where her father was talking in a low voice

  to Sadie.

  “Is someone else here?” asked Grandma.

  “Yes…”

  Grandma and Grandpa stepped into the hall

  and peeked into the living room.

  Grandma’s face fell.

  77

  But Grandpa

  brightened up.

  And Sven asked

  what smelled so

  good.

  “It’s Sadie’s

  roast chicken,”

  said Dad. “Come

  and try some!”

  Grandpa collected

  more chairs and

  Sadie quickly set

  three more

  places.

  Then Dad carved

  the chicken and

  everyone had to

  hold out their

  plates.

  But just as he

  went to put a

  chicken wing on

  Dani’s, she pulled

  it away…

  78

  …and the wing landed on the tablecloth.

  Dani’s father went red in the face.

  “That is not okay, Dani!” he thundered.

  And Dani burst into tears.

  “It’s not so bad!” said Sadie, taking away the

  wing. “I’ll go and heat up a corncob for Dani.”

  As soon as Sadie had disappeared into the kitchen, Grandma started:

  “Why is she here, Gianni?” she asked. “Don’t

  you understand that Dani wants her father to

  herself for once?”

  “Not necessarily,” said Dad. “And anyway, we

  talked about it this morning. Didn’t we, Dani?

  You’re pleased that Sadie’s here, aren’t you?”

  Dani stared at the tablecloth where a stain was

  spreading.

  79

  “It doesn’t seem so.” Grandpa sounded worried.

  “How could I be happy…” she sniffed.

  “Yes, how could she be?” Grandma agreed.

  “…when Ella’s unhappy?”

  “Ella?” said Grandpa in surprise.

  “What has she got to do with this?” Dani’s

  father was just as surprised.

  But they weren’t going to find out.

  Dani left the table and rushed to her room and

  slammed the door.

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  Chapter 16

  Snow and Flake the guinea pigs jumped when the

  door slammed and started chittering. Now

  something was really wrong!

  “Don’t be frightened.” Dani tried to calm them

  and she took them out of their cage.

  She dug in her pockets for something nice for

  them to eat, but there were none of the usual

  sunflower seeds, only a handful of sweet

  wrappers.

  And the necklaces!

  81

  “Maybe you want to hear what happened at Skansen today?” she said. “You’re probably the

  only ones interested in my life!”

  The guinea pigs pricked their ears.

  But they weren’t going to hear the story either.

  Dani fell silent, listening to the talk in the living room.

  It sounded as if Grandma and Grandpa had

  teamed up.

  She tiptoed to the door and opened it a little

  bit.

  “Ella this and Ella that! I never hear anything

  but Ella!” her father yelled.

  “That’s not so strange,” Grandma said coldly,

  “who else has she got? Only her grandfather and

  me! And a father who behaves like a complete

  idiot!”

  “Gianni doesn’t mean any harm!” Grandpa tried

  to calm her. “He’s just in love and a bit

  distracted.”

  “She’s got me too,” said Sven.

  “And her friends at school!” Grandpa

  suggested.

  “What friends? You don’t mean those two

  ratbags who are constantly trying to pinch her?”

  82

  Dani closed the door again, but it wasn’t long

  before Sven opened it.

  “Can I come in? I just want to know why Ella’s

  unhappy.”

  83

  “Because she has such horrible classmates!”

  said Dani. “And a teacher who says she’s crazy…”

  “You don’t think she is?” Sven wondered.

  “Of course she’s not! But she might be, if no

  one does anything.”

  Sven didn’t understand, and he wasn’t all that

  interested either. He just wanted Dani to come out to the others in the living room.

  “Let’s call Ella’s extra father,” he suggested,

  and pulled his phone from his pocket.

  “Paddy will sort it out. I have his number.”

  Dani’s mouth fell open.

  “Do you usually call him?”

  “Can happen,” said Sven.

  “How often?”

  “Two or three times a day. We’re friends.”

  “Are you?”

  After the visit to the island in the summer Sven

  counted Paddy as his extra father too, but Danir />
  didn’t know that.

  84

  It had begun when he was allowed to drive

  Paddy’s motorboat and continued when they had

  put the nets out together. And then Paddy gave

  Sven his telephone number.

  He tapped in the number and turned on the

  speaker.

  “Hi Sven!” came Paddy’s voice. “It’s been a

  while! You haven’t called for several hours!”

  “I know, I haven’t had time.”

  “Has something happened?”

  “Yeah, it seems so. Dani met Ella at Skansen, and she says she’s going crazy.”

  “I know…” Paddy sighed. “She’s in a bad class.”

  “Can’t you do something about it?” Sven asked.

  “I’ve tried,” said Paddy.

  “Have you talked to her teacher?”

  “Absolutely. Ella’s mother and I have both

  talked to her. Many times. But it doesn’t help.”

  “Then she needs to change class. Or school,”

  said Sven. “I did that. Then it was better.”

  “Is that right? That’s probably the best idea.”

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  Dani nodded in agreement.

  But all that would take time. Was there nothing

  they could do for Ella right now?

  Suddenly she had an idea. She left Sven to finish his conversation with Paddy and she hurried back

  to the living room.

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  Chapter 17

  The atmosphere at the table was tense and Sadie

  was nowhere to be seen.

  Where was she?

  Dad reached out to Dani.

  “Sit here with me!” he pleaded. “It’s so long

  since I had my little girl on my knee!”

  Dani wriggled, but he held on.

  “Grandma says it’s my fault that you’re

  unhappy.”

  “Let go!” said Dani and she managed to free

  herself.

  She went to the kitchen where she found Sadie

  washing the dishes.

  Dani got straight to the point.

  “Will you do something for me, Sadie?”

  “What is it?” asked Sadie, lifting a plate to be

  rinsed.

  “Can you take me and Ella to the Iceland ponies

  again?”

  87

  Sadie almost dropped the plate, but she caught

  and held it under running water.

  “Do you really want to go riding again?” she

  asked.

  “No, not me,” Dani explained, “but Ella. I’ll just watch.”

  Sadie turned off the tap and put the plate to

  one side.

  “Aha,” she said. “I see. You want to make Ella