Daisy Madigan's Paradise Read Online Free PDF Page A

help out downstairs every Sunday... in return for some
food.'
    Balvinder's
eyebrows knitted together and she shrugged, turning back to Daisy.
'Okay,' she smiled, then she sniffed and grimaced, moving closer to
her.
    'You need to
bathe?' she asked.
    Daisy blushed
from head to toe and nodded sheepishly.
    'Okay, you
bathe here every week before you go to work. Otherwise... no work!'
said Balvinder as she helped the teenager out of her coat. 'Follow
me,' she said, leaving her husband to return downstairs.
    Daisy did as
she was told, giving her clothes to the old lady. 'I'll wash
these,' she said as she held them at arms length.
    Later that day
Daisy felt better than she had done in ages. Those wonderful people
had befriended her and offered her everything that she needed.
Food, bathing facilities once a week and a little work. At the end
of the day, Balvinder had even given her a home cooked meal to take
with her. Her husband, Shariq had handed her a plastic bag full of
food that would last her until next Sunday. Daisy hugged them both
and waved goodbye as she ran back to Abney Park. She couldn't wait
to tell Jack what had happened but it would probably have to wait
until tomorrow.
    That night as
Daisy slept in the old chapel, she awoke with a start. A terrible
feeling engulfed her and she hugged her knees to her chest tightly.
She didn't know why but tears began to slowly fall down her cheeks.
Something had happened, something really bad.
    'Jack,' she
whispered. She could feel his presence again. 'What are you doing
here? Its the middle of the night,' she asked as she sat upright
and searched for him in the darkness.
    'Where are
you?' she asked. 'Jack? I know you're here.'
    But Jack
didn't show himself. Confusion filled her head as she climbed out
of the sleeping bag. It was Jack, something had happened to Jack.
She just knew it. She quickly fumbled with her bag and threw it on
to her back before rushing out of the chapel and running as fast as
she could out of the park towards his house. She remembered the way
from two weeks ago.
    As she got
closer and closer, the smell of smoke filled her nostrils and
Daisy's sense of foreboding became stronger and stronger.
    'Jack!' she
yelped as she turned the street corner to find a scene of utter
devastation. Several fire engines stood parked right outside Jack's
house, now a burning building. She could hear cries and shrieks as
neighbours gathered on the pavement on the opposite side of the
road. People sobbed as an ambulance screeched away from the curb
and down the road.
    'Jack?' Daisy
sobbed. She knew he was in that ambulance so she raced down the
road and followed it all the way to the hospital, running as fast
as she could, without even losing her breath.
    When she
arrived, she watched as the ambulance door was flung open and the
stretcher pulled out. She rushed forward as the team from the
hospital took over, taking him inside, into the A&E.
    As Daisy
stepped forward into the emergency room, she suddenly couldn't
breathe. A memory she'd pushed so back into her mind had
re-surfaced and she suddenly remembered that day she'd arrived at
the same hospital to find her mother at death's door.
    Intense pain
like it was yesterday clutched at her chest, but she broke through,
made herself breathe again. For Jack. She needed to see Jack.
    'No, sorry.
You can't go in there,' said a friendly face.
    'But... but
he's my best friend. I need to make sure he's okay. I need to see
him. Please... please let me see him.'
    The nurse
smiled sadly and shook her head, 'I'm sorry, you need to let the
doctors help him right now. Why don't you sit down over there and
I'll keep you updated on his condition. Perhaps later, okay?' she
smiled.
    Daisy clutched
at her chest, the pain was intolerable, but she did as she was
told.
    Nodding, she
turned away from the nurse and walked towards the waiting room, the
same waiting room where her mother had said goodbye. She couldn't
say goodbye to Jack too. She just