Chapter 1
Roux looked up and smiled as she ran down the beach and along the
pier, but she didn't stop or return the smile. "Maddie?" he called after her.
She slammed the cabin door in his face in response. Roux sighed and put
down the half finished model and the knife he was holding. It had been three
months since Maddie had joined the River Rats and she was not fitting in
well. Not that she had made any effort to fit in, but still, the caring nature in
Roux was worried about her.
The eight year old was lying on top of her bed; her head buried in her
arms; her shoulders shaking. Roux sat down on the edge of her bed and
gently reached out to pat her arm. She shook him off and began to sob
louder.
"Maddie?"
"Go 'way."
"What's the matter?"
"Leave me 'lone!" she snapped.
"Not till you tell me what's wrong." There was a silence, only broken
by Madeline's sniffs as she contemplated this.
"They're so horrible. All of them. They're so nasty. I hate them."
"You don't hate them, love."
"Yes I do. I hate them." She sniffed, rubbed her eyes and sat up
slightly. "I hate them, I hat the river, I hate the boats, I hate the rats." She
paused for breath and turned to look at him. "And I hate you too" she added.
She turned round, buried her head in the pillow and started crying afresh.
Roux was not shaken by this outburst; he was used to her tempers. He stayed
where he was and stroked her hair, waiting for her to calm down. From the
beach, the noise of the other children laughing and singing could be heard.
Roux listened quietly until he could hear their chant.
"Moody moody Madeline
Washed her hair in turpentine
Turpentine to make it shine
Moody moody Madeline."
That's what the crying had been for. Maddie must have heard it too,
as the tears that had been subdued began again. She cried for a moment and
mumbled something unintelligible.
"What was that?" Roux asked.
"Ou est ma mere?" she whispered, between sobs.
"In English please" he reproached her. He understood her well enough
but few of the other River Rats did. Roux himself was from Ireland, the
others came from all over but English was the one language most could
speak so that was the one used.
"I want mummy."
"I know you do love" he said comfortingly, trying to shush her.
"Why did I have to leave? Why did you take me away?" She sat up
suddenly, as though her anger had given her a new energy. "I hate you
Roux!" She was now yelling at him, hitting and kicking him too. "You stole
me from her! You made me leave mummy and you didn't even let me say
goodbye. I hate you Roux! I hate you I hate you I hate you!"
Roux gathered her small, flailing fists into his hand and used his free
arm to pull her gently onto his lap. She struggled for a minute but calmed
down eventually and collapsed against his strong body. He cradled her like a
baby and sang to her until the tears subsided and her breathing slowed.
"You know why you came with us. Your mother was very sick and
couldn't look after you any more. She made me promise to take care of
you." Maddie said nothing. The truth was that Emelie knew she was dying
and didn't want her only child to see her so ill. She only had a short time left
and it would not be pleasant for her or anyone with her. Even if Madeline
had not left, what would there be for her in Marseille? Emelie's husband
Michel-an old friend of Roux's-had been dead for six years nearly. There
was nobody else Emelie trusted to love and care for her child the way she
would have.
"She wanted you to come with me and start a new life here, with a
new family."
"I don't want a new life or a new family! Je voudrais maman."
Maddie bit her lip and Roux watched as the innocent brown eyes filled up
with tears. He knew the sorrow she felt-he had lost a friend-almost close
enough to be a sister-the day Emelie died. He loved Madeline like his own
child and wanted to protect her-he at least owed that to Emelie and Michel
after all the couple had done for him. Not having the heart to check her for
slipping back to her native language, he sat quietly and hugged her.
They could still hear the children's chant from outside. Fearing the
crying would start again, Roux let her slide off his knee and promised to go
and 'have a word' with the bullies. It wasn't often that Roux got angry with
the children. In fact, it wasn't often that Roux got angry with anyone. He
was a good friend and an unofficial uncle to the River Rat children- he
would play games and teach them songs; he would listen to their stories and
in return tell them his; he always had time for them. He was a much loved
and well respected man amongst both the children and the adults in the
wandering tribe.
Roux was fairly laid back and gentle and it was rare for him to get
mad, but when he decided it was time to 'have a word' with someone, he
was strong and powerful and respected enough for the kids to be scared.
He'd had enough of the name calling and nasty rhymes- it was time to put a
stop to the bullying.
Roux looked up and smiled as she ran down the beach and along the
pier, but she didn't stop or return the smile. "Maddie?" he called after her.
She slammed the cabin door in his face in response. Roux sighed and put
down the half finished model and the knife he was holding. It had been three
months since Maddie had joined the River Rats and she was not fitting in
well. Not that she had made any effort to fit in, but still, the caring nature in
Roux was worried about her.
The eight year old was lying on top of her bed; her head buried in her
arms; her shoulders shaking. Roux sat down on the edge of her bed and
gently reached out to pat her arm. She shook him off and began to sob
louder.
"Maddie?"
"Go 'way."
"What's the matter?"
"Leave me 'lone!" she snapped.
"Not till you tell me what's wrong." There was a silence, only broken
by Madeline's sniffs as she contemplated this.
"They're so horrible. All of them. They're so nasty. I hate them."
"You don't hate them, love."
"Yes I do. I hate them." She sniffed, rubbed her eyes and sat up
slightly. "I hate them, I hat the river, I hate the boats, I hate the rats." She
paused for breath and turned to look at him. "And I hate you too" she added.
She turned round, buried her head in the pillow and started crying afresh.
Roux was not shaken by this outburst; he was used to her tempers. He stayed
where he was and stroked her hair, waiting for her to calm down. From the
beach, the noise of the other children laughing and singing could be heard.
Roux listened quietly until he could hear their chant.
"Moody moody Madeline
Washed her hair in turpentine
Turpentine to make it shine
Moody moody Madeline."
That's what the crying had been for. Maddie must have heard it too,
as the tears that had been subdued began again. She cried for a moment and
mumbled something unintelligible.
"What was that?" Roux asked.
"Ou est ma mere?" she whispered, between sobs.
"In English please" he reproached her. He understood her well enough
but few of the other River Rats did. Roux himself was from Ireland, the
others came from all over but English was the one language most could
speak so that was the one used.
"I want mummy."
"I know you do love" he said comfortingly, trying to shush her.
"Why did I have to leave? Why did you take me away?" She sat up
suddenly, as though her anger had given her a new energy. "I hate you
Roux!" She was now yelling at him, hitting and kicking him too. "You stole
me from her! You made me leave mummy and you didn't even let me say
goodbye. I hate you Roux! I hate you I hate you I hate you!"
Roux gathered her small, flailing fists into his hand and used his free
arm to pull her gently onto his lap. She struggled for a minute but calmed
down eventually and collapsed against his strong body. He cradled her like a
baby and sang to her until the tears subsided and her breathing slowed.
"You know why you came with us. Your mother was very sick and
couldn't look after you any more. She made me promise to take care of
you." Maddie said nothing. The truth was that Emelie knew she was dying
and didn't want her only child to see her so ill. She only had a short time left
and it would not be pleasant for her or anyone with her. Even if Madeline
had not left, what would there be for her in Marseille? Emelie's husband
Michel-an old friend of Roux's-had been dead for six years nearly. There
was nobody else Emelie trusted to love and care for her child the way she
would have.
"She wanted you to come with me and start a new life here, with a
new family."
"I don't want a new life or a new family! Je voudrais maman."
Maddie bit her lip and Roux watched as the innocent brown eyes filled up
with tears. He knew the sorrow she felt-he had lost a friend-almost close
enough to be a sister-the day Emelie died. He loved Madeline like his own
child and wanted to protect her-he at least owed that to Emelie and Michel
after all the couple had done for him. Not having the heart to check her for
slipping back to her native language, he sat quietly and hugged her.
They could still hear the children's chant from outside. Fearing the
crying would start again, Roux let her slide off his knee and promised to go
and 'have a word' with the bullies. It wasn't often that Roux got angry with
the children. In fact, it wasn't often that Roux got angry with anyone. He
was a good friend and an unofficial uncle to the River Rat children- he
would play games and teach them songs; he would listen to their stories and
in return tell them his; he always had time for them. He was a much loved
and well respected man amongst both the children and the adults in the
wandering tribe.
Roux was fairly laid back and gentle and it was rare for him to get
mad, but when he decided it was time to 'have a word' with someone, he
was strong and powerful and respected enough for the kids to be scared.
He'd had enough of the name calling and nasty rhymes- it was time to put a
stop to the bullying.