Nine – And Then There WasFour
The house is half empty. A feeling of deathpermeates. Like chickens responding to a cull, Mum, Fiona andmyself find it tough adjusting to the departure of Phillip, Grace’sexit and the temporary absence of my father in the hop kiln. Orkil’ as it is referred to by the locals. Three of us have beenselected to survive this hen house called home but there is cautionin the air. What if someone else is interrogated, whispered aboutand rushed away from the family flock?
The surviving chickens sense the axe.
A new tension takes hold. I have anopportunity to ask Mum what is going on. However, she is not copingwell and tries her hardest to put on a brave front. Fiona observesmy mother carefully and like me decides on pretending thateverything is hunky-dory.
The loung
