《首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)》第148章

k　and　steered　him　away；　towards　the　sunlit　kitchen。）
Outside　St　Michael　and　All　Saints；　the　pall…bearers　were　readying　themselves　to　take　the　coffins　up　the　church　path。　Dane　Tully　was　among　them；　with　his　earring　and　a　self…inked　tattoo　of　a　spider’s　web　on　his　neck；　in　a　heavy　black　overcoat。
The　Jawandas　waited　with　the　Bawdens　in　the　shade　of　the　yew　tree。　Andrew　Price　hovered　near　them；　and　Tessa　Wall　stood　at　some　distance；　pale　and　stony…faced。　The　other　mourners　formed　a　separate　phalanx　around　the　church　doors。　Some　had　a　pinched　and　defiant　air；　others　looked　resigned　and　defeated；　a　few　wore　cheap　black　clothes；　but　most　were　in　jeans　or　tracksuits；　and　one　girl　was　sporting　a　cut…off　T…shirt　and　a　belly…ring　that　caught　the　sun　when　she　moved。　The　coffins　moved　up　the　path；　gleaming　in　the　bright　light。
It　was　Sukhvinder　Jawanda　who　had　chosen　the　bright　pink　coffin　for　Krystal；　as　she　was　sure　she　would　have　wanted。　It　was　Sukhvinder　who　had　done　nearly　everything；　organizing；　choosing　and　persuading。　Parminder　kept　looking　sideways　at　her　daughter；　and　finding　excuses　to　touch　her：　brushing　her　hair　out　of　her　eyes；　smoothing　her　collar。
Just　as　Robbie　had　e　out　of　the　river　purified　and　regretted　by　Pagford；　so　Sukhvinder　Jawanda；　who　had　risked　her　life　to　try　and　save　the　boy；　had　emerged　a　heroine。　From　the　article　about　her　in　the　Yarvil　and　District　Gazette　to　Maureen　Lowe’s　loud　proclamations　that　she　was　remending　the　girl　for　a　special　police　award　to　the　speech　her　headmistress　made　about　her　from　the　lectern　in　assembly；　Sukhvinder　knew；　for　the　first　time；　what　it　was　to　eclipse　her　brother　and　sister。
She　had　hated　every　minute　of　it。　At　night；　she　felt　again　the　dead　boy’s　weight　in　her　arms；　dragging　her　towards　the　deep；　she　remembered　the　temptation　to　let　go　and　save　herself；　and　asked　herself　how　long　she　would　have　resisted　it。　The　deep　scar　on　her　leg　itched　and　ached；　whether　moving　or　stationary。　The　news　of　Krystal　Weedon’s　death　had　had　such　an　alarming　effect　on　her　that　her　parents　had　arranged　a　counsellor；　but　she　had　not　cut　herself　once　since　being　pulled　from　the　river；　her　near　drowning　seemed　to　have　purged　her　of　the　need。
Then；　on　her　first　day　back　at　school；　with　Fats　Wall　still　absent；　and　admiring　stares　following　her　down　the　corridors；　she　had　heard　the　rumour　that　Terri　Weedon　had　no　money　to　bury　her　children；　that　there　would　be　no　stone　marker；　and　the　cheapest　coffins。
‘That’s　very　sad；　Jolly；’　her　mother　had　said　that　evening；　as　the　family　sat　eating　dinner　together　under　the　wall　of　family　photographs。　Her　tone　was　as　gentle　as　the　policewoman’s　had　been；　there　was　no　snap　in　Parminder’s　voice　any　more　when　she　spoke　to　her　daughter。
‘I　want　to　try　and　get　people　to　give　money；’　said　Sukhvinder。
Parminder　and　Vikram　glanced　at　each　other　across　the　kitchen　table。　Both　were　instinctively　opposed　to　the　idea　of　asking　people　in　Pagford　to　donate　to　such　a　cause；　but　neither　of　them　said　so。　They　were　a　little　afraid；　now　that　they　had　seen　her　forearms；　of　upsetting　Sukhvinder；　and　the　shadow　of　the　as…yet…unknown　counsellor　seemed　to　be　hovering　over　all　their　interactions。
‘And；’　Sukhvinder　went　on；　with　a　feverish　energy　like　Parminder’s　own；　‘I　think　the　funeral　service　should　be　here；　at　St　Michael’s。　Like　Mr　Fairbrother’s。　Krys　used　to　go　to　all　the　services　here　when　we　were　at　St　Thomas’s。　I　bet　she　was　never　in　another　church　in　her　life。’
The　light　of　God　shines　from　every　soul；　thought　Parminder；　and　to　Vikram’s　surprise　she　said　abruptly；　‘Yes；　all　right。　We’ll　have　to　see　what　we　can　do。’
The　bulk　of　the　expense　had　been　met　by　the　Jawandas　and　the　Walls；　but　Kay　Bawden；　Samantha　Mollison　and　a　couple　of　the　mothers　of　girls　on　the　rowing　team　had　donated　money　too。　Sukhvinder　then　insisted　on　going　into　the　Fields　in　person；　to　explain　to　Terri　what　they　had　done；　and　why；　all　about　the　rowing　team；　and　why　Krystal　and　Robbie　should　have　a　service　at　St　Michael’s。
Parminder　had　been　exceptionally　worried　about　Sukhvinder　going　into　the　Fields；　let　alone　that　filthy　house；　by　herself；　but　Sukhvinder　had　known　that　it　would　be　all　right。　The　Weedons　and　the　Tullys　knew　that　she　had　tried　to　save　Robbie’s　life。　Dane　Tully　had　stopped　grunting　at　her　in　English；　and　had　stopped　his　mates　from　doing　it　too。
Terri　agreed　to　everything　that　Sukhvinder　suggested。　She　was　emaciated；　dirty；　monosyllabic　and　entirely　passive。　Sukhvinder　had　been　frightened　of　her；　with　her　pockmarked　arms　and　her　missing　teeth；　it　was　like　talking　to　a　corpse。
Inside　the　church；　the　mourners　divided　cleanly；　with　the　people　from　the　Fields　taking　the　left…hand　pews；　and　those　from　Pagford；　the　right。　Shane　and　Cheryl　Tully　marched　Terri　along　between　them　to　the　front　row；　Terri；　in　a　coat　two　sizes　too　large；　seemed　scarcely　aware　of　where　she　was。
The　coffins　lay　side　by　side　on　biers　at　the　front　of　the　church。　A　bronze　chrysanthemum　oar　lay　on　Krystal’s；　and　a　white　chrysanthemum　teddy　bear　on　Robbie’s。
Kay　Bawden　remembered　Robbie’s　bedroom；　with　its　few　grimy　plastic　toys；　and　her　fingers　trembled　on　the　order　of　service。　Naturally；　there　was　to　be　an　inquiry　at　work；　because　the　local　paper　was　clamouring　for　one；　and　had　written　a　front…page　piece　suggesting　that　the　small　boy　had　been　left　in　the　care　of　a　pair　of　junkies　and　that　his　death　could　have　been　avoided；　if　only　he　had　been　removed　to　safety　by　negligent　social　workers。　Mattie　had　been　signed　off　with　stress　again；　and　Kay’s　handling　of　the　case　review　was　being　assessed。　Kay　wondered　what　effect　it　would　have　on　her　chances　of　getting　another　job　in　London；　when　every　local　authority　was　cutting　numbers　of　social　workers；　and　how　Gaia　would　react　if　they　had　to　stay　in　Pagford　…　she　had　not　dared　discuss　it　with　her　yet。
Andrew　glanced　sideways　at　Gaia　and　they　exchanged　small　smiles。　Up　in　Hilltop　House；　Ruth　was　already　sorting　things　for　the　move。　Andrew　could　tell　that　his　mother　hoped；　in　her　perennially　optimistic　way；　that　by　sacrificing　their　house　and　the　beauty　of　the　hills；　they　would　be　rewarded　with　a　rebirth。　Wed