 
Seashells by the seashore

Kate Sophie Matthews

Published by Kate Sophie Matthews at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 Kate Sophie Matthews

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Chapter 1

Amelia floated on her back in the ocean. She had nearly cried enough tears to fill it. It was evening, and the sun slowly going down made the sea glint red. She wished that the sea was what it looked like: tomato soup. She would love some soup. She was so hungry, but it just tasted of salt. Here she was, two days after her tenth birthday, with no one to look after her, and only the ocean's soothing waves to ease the pain of this.

A pretty cinnamon skinned South American girl, she had come to the beach with Aunt Flo, an old blind woman who sold candles and matches to people who could not afford electric, who lived in an old red velvet armchair on the side of the road. She liked no one, but had agreed to Amelia's grandmother's dying wish that she would bring Amelia to West Beach. She had said that there would be plenty to eat on the beach. She said she would have fun on the beach. It would take away the sadness. Amelia had asked her where she would sleep? Who would look after her? Her grandmother who had looked after her had died leaving her with no-one. She had always said that she was her grandmother and that her parents were away, but she had heard from a neighbour that her grandmother had just found her on the street and taken her in. She had asked her grandmother if this was true, and her grandmother said she knew Amelia was hers from her eyes and the bangle she had on. She would not answer questions at all.

Before she died, her grandmother had not made much sense. Amelia had tried to ask her what would happen to her, if she could stay with this or that neighbour in the shanty town where they lived, but her grandmother had refused, saying these neighbours had bad sons and uncles in gangs that Amelia would end up getting hurt. She had said lots of things about West Beach where she had grown up, telling her about a rich man called Don Oro who used to bring her flowers. She told her to go to the beach to meet a Prince and find the luck of her ancestors. She had given Amelia the bangle she had found her with, with a carved hummingbird on saying to keep it, through it her people would know her, and that she would find her fortune.

'There is no death on the beach, no violence, you must go.' She had implored. Amelia understood as in their area children and young people often died as a result of violence and neglect.

Amelia pushed the bangle up her arm, hoping that it would not come off in the sea. She had burned in the hot South American sun all day long. Aunt Flo had not given her any money, she was too poor. She had spent the last of Amelia's grandmother's money on the bus fair to the beach. Aunt Flo said as an abandoned child, Amelia would have more luck on the beach than in the city, she would be able to eat fish and never go hungry. The people on the beach loved children not like in the city. There were also many rich tourists who would give her money and maybe take her to America! Amelia was glad to leave the city, it was dirty and the people were mean. As soon as her grandmother had died her shack was given to someone else, and there were lots of big men pushing her out, untwining her hands from clinging on to her grandmother's bedstead. Crying, she had run to Aunt Flo who had a little shack shop selling candles and matches. Thinking about how poor Aunt Flo was, Amelia was grateful that she had bought her to the beach; somehow it was hopeful; it smelt so beautiful and fresh. There were no high buildings that blocked out the sun or thundering traffic like in the city. Maybe she was not alone, and her parents were still alive. She knew her mother would want her if she was living somewhere in this world. Amelia had no idea where she was, but had a dream of picking beautiful flowers with her in a meadow.

Amelia swam back to shore and put on her dress, but someone had stolen her shoes. She got very angry and cursed about it out loud. The sun got very hot, and the sand burnt your feet. Now even more people would look down on her as a beggar. It had been bad enough today. Aunt Flo had left her, her cheap bright red dress disappearing out of sight. Amelia begged her to stay, saying she could be her mother, thinking this would make her pleased, as she was such a nice child, but she had kissed her teeth, and said the ocean was Amelia's new mother, she didn't want no child. It was the first time that Amelia had been to the ocean, and it hypnotised her so that she was beyond wanting to stay with Aunt Flo, or caring about the precariousness of her situation. She believed she would be happy and find luck more than thinking things would go wrong. She was proud to now think of herself as from West Beach, rather than the shanty town everybody was ashamed of.

She tried to make herself happy watching some children play. They asked her to join them playing ball, and she did. Then their mother came, and asked her where her family was. Amelia just shook her head and said it was just her. The boy's mother had then made tutting sounds and told her to go, smoothing her son's head and telling him not to play with the abandoned. 'Abandoned,' she heard this word over and over again. She wandered near the cafes at the side of the beach where it met the road ,and had seen a bit of Pizza left on one of the restaurant tables but when she had reached for it, the waiter said,

'Move away abandoned,' and hit her with the cloth he had tucked into his apron.

She sat down on the sea's edge wondering when her people were coming. A little girl came and talked to her as they bathed their toes. She had on a swimsuit with a big pink flower on and a matching beach robe. She must have been from a rich family, but she was too young to have that hard look that rich children have towards the poor in their country. She was very smiley with patchy skin that looked like a cake with cinnamon scattered on top. She asked Amelia what was on the other side of the big ocean, and if there were mermaids in the ocean. She then lunged into the sea in all her clothes shouting she was going to find the mermaids. When it became clear that she couldn't swim, Amelia dragged her out. The girl's mother ran over. Amelia hoped that she would be pleased with her for rescuing the girl, and buy her an ice-cream, instead the mother shouted at her,

'Get away from my child abandoned girl. Don't come anywhere near her! You see you nearly drowned her in the sea!'

Amelia protested and told her what had happened hoping the girl would back her up, but the girl just cried and the mother just shouted. Amelia turned and walked away. The sea was like a turquoise silk curtain; the sky like a lake from your dreams; the sand was like a soft inviting bed, but the people all seemed to be twisted and full of hate. She wondered why they called her' abandoned,' and sat down and dug for stones. Two bays away was an old castle; its ancient turrets and towers stuck out of the sea's mist. Maybe that was where the prince her grandmother spoke of lived and he would come for her. She wondered how you got there, and if it took long to walk. While she was digging she found a beautiful shell with a pearly blue inside. She held it up to the light wishing she could remember where her parents were, and what she was doing here. She was oddly happy as the shell was the most beautiful object she could ever want. It could be on a mermaid's crown in the depth of the ocean. It would look amazing on a mantelpiece. She had never owned anything so fine. She put it in the pocket of her dress and continued digging. With the stones, she made a picture of a mermaid giving it a kind smile. It was a symbol she made from deep within her heart to tell people they should be kinder. She found an old tin cup and put it down near the picture. She would go and collect sea water in it and pour them on the stones to make them shine. She got so absorbed in the mermaid that she didn't notice an old woman walk up to her.

'Nice picture abandoned girl, here,' said the old woman and threw a handful of coins into the tin. Amelia winced at being called abandoned, but was glad that the lady liked her picture. She thought she had dropped the coins and offered them back. The Lady, walking off, told her that the coins were for Amelia for making a nice picture. Amelia smiled. Now she could buy herself something. The Lady must have thought she was trying to collect money. She looked around and realised there were a lot of children with cups out selling different things. Nearest to her was a little boy selling water. It wasn't the water the rich families drank; it was from the tap in old bottles. The tap was far away at the start of the beach and many people couldn't be bothered to walk to it. The boy would gather old bottles and then carry them to fill them up and bring them back in a sack. She saw him hunting for the caps of the bottles near to where they had been dropped. He needed the caps to carry them. She saw some rich children wind him up by following him and finding the caps, and running off with them, or biting them out of shape. Amelia watched him sell the water. She had gone to the tap herself but as she was feeling weak going without food, except for some half eaten bread rolls she had found near a bin, she went up to him. He was about twelve and was wearing some shorts made of old jeans tied up with plaited rope. His shoes were plimsolls which had holes in the fronts where his toes stuck out. The once white soles were grey and greasy looking. He had on a necklace like a friendship bracelet of red and green string twine.

'How much is the water?' asked Amelia

'It's a five coin. Are you abandoned?'

'I don't know. Why do people call me that?'

'You are all alone and your hair is messy'

Amelia didn't know why but she started to cry.

'Somebody took my shoes. I was swimming and somebody took my shoes. I don't have a comb. My Aunt Flo didn't leave me one,' she whimpered in between sobs.

'You have to be careful. That Aunt Flo, was she your real Aunt? Where is your mother?'

'I don't remember my mother. All I remember is Aunt Flo bringing me on the bus.'

'What village are you from?'

'I am from the city but my grandmother died.'

'Probably your Aunt Flo is a witch.'

'What do you mean?'

'There are many witch women that steal children and leave them on the beach.'

'I like the beach it is beautiful. Look at the shell I found.' She removed the blue shell from her pocket and showed him.

'That is incredible. You could sell that to a rich tourist for lots of dollar.'

'It's not for sale. It's mine.'

'Suit yourself. You want me to comb your hair? I have a little sister she got taken by the Nuns but they didn't come back for me. I can comb hair good. Then you wouldn't look abandoned.'

Amelia really wanted him to give her a hug, but she nodded as it would be the first kind thing anyone had done. He took out the comb and she told him she wanted a plait like a mermaid. She told him about the Lady that had given her the coins for the picture. He tutted about her tangled hair, saying it was like seaweed. He had to stop when people came up for water. When he had sold out some men angrily told him to get more, but he said he was busy. They called him, 'a stupid abandoned' and he shouted back that he had a bad foot and couldn't walk, winking at Amelia. He seemed very proud when he had finished combing her hair,

'You really look good now. You will have to get your own comb though it's a ten coin to use mine so hand over.'

Amelia felt sad; she thought he was helping her.

'I'm just joking. Free first time.' He whistled with his fingers in his mouth at a boy selling rolls in a basket. 'Buy a cheese roll though. We can share, like friends. My name is Peto. What yours?

'Amelia. How much is the roll?

'A ten coin.'

Amelia looked at the change in her hand. She had two ten coins and two five coins.

'Here buy two, one each. You are my first friend. Maybe through you I will find my people.'

Peto smiled all across his face and bough two rolls from the boy. They sat down and devoured them hungrily. Amelia told him about all the people who had told her to go away, and he said not to worry about them, they were stupid people. She told him about a girl she had seen in a pair of shorts with butterflies on that no one could call abandoned, where could she get some from? He answered her that what she needed to do was get a job, sell something like him. Two boys came over with plastic bottles. They had cotton ponchos on and denim shorts and plimsolls that looked old but had no holes.

'Hey Peto we bring some bottles for you,' said one throwing down the empty plastic bottles.

'Thanks Guys. This is my new friend Amelia. Amelia this is George and Beno. They are fishermen's boys. If you're hungry and you find them, they can get you a piece of fish. You can get bored of fish though.'

'Hello!' said Amelia, feeling better that she had got to know some more people that didn't think she had some kind of invisible curse that made her not good enough.

'We have to go back. Our Papa is coming. Hey, Amelia, you helping Peto sell water? You have to be strong. Your arms look like sticks.'

'No I have my own shop'

'You have your own shop?' Beno laughed. 'What do you sell?

'I sell sea shells. I sell sea shells by the sea shore.' She looked at Peto and smiled. That was what she was going to do, and she was going to eat a cheese roll every day. Peto told her to take a wash in the sea and then join him and his friends to sleep under the trees; there was safety in numbers.

Feeling cool from the sea Amelia walked to join Peto trying to focus on his friendly smile instead of missing her grandmother's bed. She felt exited as her grandmother was so frightened of gangs she had not allowed Amelia any friends. She would have fun telling stories and listening to jokes.

'You will be kind to me. You will love me and look after Me.' she whispered to the sand in a tired prayer.

Chapter 2

Peto took Amelia to sleep with some other children under the coconut trees. All the children were ragged and looked like little dishevelled mice. They made boasts that were disturbing to Amelia: one had found s big lump of bubble gum only just spat out by a tourist, bright pink, did she want to share it? Another had found a smelly fish bone that would scare off spiders; another had found a dead rat he could give to a dog to stop it biting him. Amelia felt sad. Was this going to happen to her too? She started to cry and Peto told her to come to him and he gave her a cuddle on his rough grey blanket and told her not to worry, one day they would all be rich and buy ice-cream. The other children gave her little gifts of water or sea-polished stones and at first that made her cry more; they were so sweet, how could the world abandon them? One boy, Jasper, had a bucket of seaweed and some raw shell fish that they ate to keep off the hunger. Amelia tried a piece of seaweed, but it made her gag, and there was no way she was eating a live snail. She saw the toughness in some of the girls that were smaller than her but had stronger more determined spirits. She didn't want Peto to think she was fearful as all his friends put on a strong front. She gave one of the little girls her last two coins to buy real bubble gum from the kiosk. She thought maybe if she was kind to them, some kindness would happen to her. Peto was still cuddling her and a boy walked over and said,

'Hey, abandoned brother! Remember the code. No friends. You don't want people to find you have a weak spot.'

'You are right my friend. I thought nobody was watching.'

'They are always watching like gulls to peck what you have,' said the boy and walked off.

Peto got up and walked away.

'What did he mean?' asked Amelia. 'Why can't we be friends?'

'You can't have friends because of what the ragged men are like. Say I make money and a ragged man sees he can come up to you and say,

'Give me all your money or my friend will throw your friend in the sea. That's him watching her.' Or 'give me all your money, or I will tell the policeman your friend is begging, and he will hit them with his stick.' It used to happen all the time with my sister. I'm so glad the nuns took her. Maybe she will learn to sew, and when she is older she will have a shop and come and look for me, Peto. We have a sign, all of us it's like this.' He touched his two index fingers together in the shape of a triangle. 'It means it's time to camp down, no more talking; no friends.'

Amelia felt sad sitting by herself. The boys made the camp sign to each other. The little girl came back carrying some bread in a bag.

'I didn't get gum. I'm hungry. I got bread. Nobody bought me any bread today.'

'Nor me,' said another

'Nor me. Give me bread sister, 'chanted the other small ones. She broke them pieces of her bread and started crying.

'There is not enough for me. I am hungry, 'she said. She cried herself to sleep after half an hour of crying. One of the older boys spoke harshly to her to shut up: she would bring the dogs over, or the ragged men. One day you were hungry, the next day a tourist will buy you a burger; life was not so bad, look at the stars it would make your eyes beautiful, he reasoned in a whisper. He made the camp down sign to her.

Amelia felt a little afraid. People on the beach made strange wailing sounds and angry shouts. The moonlight made everything look dark, and haunted; and the lapping of the sea seemed unreal, and ghostly. Maybe things would get better. Maybe her people were coming for all of these children not just her, and they would all skip and sing together.

In the morning Peto woke her up with a kiss on her cheek.

'Bye bye Amelia. Today I have to go. There is a ragged man after me. Do you remember yesterday when we were talking and some men asked me for water? I told them I had a bad leg. They saw me later playing football with George and Beno, and they started to get angry, and said I was rude and they were going to hit me? I had to run. They said if they saw me tomorrow they would get me. So I am going on the fishing boat with George and Beno.'

'But what will I do? Can I come?'

'Sorry no girls.'

'But what will I do?'

'Don't worry I will bring you back some shells from the bottom of the ocean. For your shop. You will meet someone else. Don't talk to ragged men or tourists if they can't walk in a straight line. You sell your shells and tomorrow I will find you.'

'Tomorrow? But what about tonight?'

'Amelia don't be like a nagging old woman. I am a free boy. I don't answer to any friend. You shush and be happy.'

He walked off quickly. She was jealous of the straightness of his spine and the glow of his face. He looked as proud as one of the tourist children in brilliant white clothes and expensive sneakers, but all he had were his stained old shorts and holey shoes. Maybe, she thought, he was a prince in disguise, and they would just be lucky friends. She was glad because he had a lovely face, but all his front teeth were rotted down, and she had wanted her prince to have perfect white teeth.

Feeling thirsty, she went for the long walk to the tap. All the other children were still asleep. On one end of the beach the fishermen gathered. There were sleeping ragged people dotted across the beach. Flies swarmed round them, they all had un-combed hair and those that were sleeping with their mouths open, displayed yellow rotting teeth.

'Are you going to the tap?' asked an old woman in a husky voice. Her head was covered by a flowery ragged cloth. Amelia walked on ignoring her remembering what Peto had said, not to talk to ragged people.

'Get me some water queen,' said the old lady.

Amelia looked at her and then saw that she had a lovely twinkly face. Her skin was red brown like the rocks and she had on large gold coloured hooped earrings. Amelia remembered that she liked helping people and slowed down.

'Do you have a bottle?'

'Here queen here.' She gave her a bottle. Amelia noticed another one lying nearby and picked it up for herself. She walked on. When she got to the tap she stood underneath it with all her clothes on. It had been dusty under the trees and the rat had made her feel unclean. Her clothes would dry, she thought. She filled up the bottles and walked back to the old lady. It took about twenty minutes and she felt tired walking across the sand. Peto really worked hard, she thought. She found the old lady and gave her the water.

'Queen I thought you weren't coming back. Thank you Queen.' Amelia laughed and gave her the water that she drank thirstily.

'Here. I will help you too' she said and then shouted, 'Melons! Melons!' A man answered from across the beach and approached.

'This is my son, Melons. When you need to he will give you melon. Melons, this is my friend Queen.'

'Is that your real name?' asked Melons, a fat cheerful bare backed man

'No my name is Amelia. I got your mother some water. Why don't you bring her water?'

'I never know where she is. She like to party and dance on the beach late at night. She is supposed to stay with me at my tent. I have a can of water. She likes to meet new friends. You are good. You didn't ignore her.'

Amelia sat down and ate a piece of melon she thought maybe she could stay with the old lady, and get melon for all her friends every day. The old lady started to shout and stand up and dance and wake up other ragged people and they were all shouting at each other so raucously that Amelia didn't feel she belonged with them and walked off. The old lady didn't even acknowledge her saying goodbye; she had her skirt hoiked up to her thighs and was dancing with a man with long beard. Amelia walked down to the sea. It calmed her dipping in her feet. She didn't feel like meeting anyone else but she heard another old lady moaning. Amelia felt sorry for her and asked her if she wanted any of her water.

'I can't take from a child,' said the lady who was dressed in a long cotton woven dress with an embroidered symbol on the front. Amelia was shocked that her eyes were piercingly beautiful as though she had looked at the stars every night.

'Please take it. I am strong.' The woman took the water, her arm shaking.

'I have no coins. I have nothing to give you. How can I help you do you have a mother?

'No. I have no one. I am waiting for my people.'

'Oh you poor child. Are you abandoned?'

'No. I am fine, and today I will start my shop selling sea shells. If you like you can find some shells for me and I will sell them.'

'That is a good idea. All I am doing is watching the sea and feeling sad. I will help you.'

'I will come back in a while and find you. I have to go and see my friends.'

Amelia wanted to go back to the camp. They must all be looking for her.

'Come back soon Amelia. I am a good woman and I will help you, 'called the woman.

Amelia walked on back to the camp under the trees. Maybe the woman would be lucky. She didn't seem like a ragged woman, she was calm and well mannered. Amelia felt excited about seeing the little girls and playing with them. She would make them feel happy. She hadn't told the boys all about her shop. Maybe they would help her.

When she got to the camp, there was no one there and cars parked across where they had slept. She looked all about for the children feeling sad. She walked back to the beach and walked up and down searching, there was no trace of any of the children. Maybe the nuns had taken them, she thought. Then, as she was about to give up, she saw the boy who had warned Peto to have no friends.

'Have you seen the other children?' she asked

'No.' he answered

'Oh. I want to find them.'

'Why?'

'I need friends.'

'You are stupid. You can't have no friends here on the beach. It is everyone for themselves. Go away from me you are too weak. You are not a rich girl to have friends. You are just an abandoned.'

Amelia walked off trying not to cry. She wasn't an abandoned she was, she was... she suddenly felt petrified that she was an abandoned and her destiny was to become a ragged person on the beach. It might have been shock, it might have been hunger but she fell down flat in a faint onto the sand and everything went black.

Chapter 3

Light came back to Amelia's world as she spat sand out of her mouth. She wondered if she had died and woken up again. Was it the prince waking her up so that he could meet her? The sky was bright blue above her head and a large ugly seagull squawked loudly and seemed to dive for her head. She covered her head for protection, but it was alright, the bird flew away. No one had come to see if she was alright, she thought miserably. This was really a miserable place. She scratched a drift wood stick angrily across the sand. A huge wave crashed onto the shore and she felt bad for having that thought; it was a beautiful place and today she was going to start selling in her shop with her beautiful woman friend. She couldn't find the other children and she had to hold on to the friend she had for the day. She didn't know her name. She wiped her mouth of some dribble that had a habit of coming out whenever she felt sorry for herself thoughts. She stood up. Nearby a ragged man with only one leg clapped and said to his friend,

'Look she's standing up. Praise be. God is not unkind. Well done little one you get up and fight another day. You be lucky little abandoned Queen.'

Amelia smiled at him. She still hated being called 'abandoned' and walked off. She felt bad as he only had one leg. She should have asked him if he wanted water. She walked to the part of the beach where she had left the woman near to a broken upturned boat. She wasn't there but her hat was there and a pile of folded newspapers next to her shawl. Amelia waited; the sun was getting hotter. She noticed that many of the children gathered early at the edge of the beach where there was shade from palms. She thought this was a good idea but she would miss her customers. The heat didn't bother Peto who did his water job all day, and she intended to make herself as strong willed as him. If you looked around at the tourists you saw they had money to give away. Why not to her? When she got the money she would buy some clothes and a hat and shoes so that when the royal people came to look for her, they would recognise her. Perhaps, she thought, they had been already and mistook her for an abandoned. She sat on the boat dreaming for a while then started to wonder where the lady was and if she should forget her, be hard, and make out on her own. Then she saw a hand waving at her from the sea. It was the lady and she slowly swam ashore. Amelia was glad. She really needed helpful, kind faces in this confusing time. The lady walked out of the sea her body glistening looking much younger than she did in her tunic. She was holding a plastic bag with something inside it. She rushed over to Amelia

'Look! I've been diving for shells. You will make a fortune out of these,' she said and handed Amelia the bag. Amelia looked in it and inside were the most beautiful shells she had ever seen, large pearly ones, purple ones, fan ones, they were incredible.

'These are great thank you. What is your name?'

'Rain drop'

' Really? That is your name?'

'It's what my name means in my language. Most people call me Jean. You are the only person who knows my name apart from my husband.'

'Where is he, is he here?'

'No he told me to leave the house.'

'Why?'

'I was always crying. We owed so much money, we had no money. He said "go away Rain Drop, I'm tired of the rain."'

'He will change his mind.'

'No he hates me. I thought I could come to the beach and sell fish but they only like the young girls for that not old me in a headscarf. I've been selling papers. I collect them from tourists and rich men and sell them for a few coins.'

'You can help me sell the shells.'

'Maybe tomorrow. I sell my papers and fetch water and sometimes look after the tourist children while their parents go in the sea. I have a family I am helping this week, the Jones family. They gave me five paper money yesterday. I am trying to find a family who will take me to their house to be a servant. My last boss told me to go. "You cry too much Jean," she said.'

Amelia was disappointed but the shells were beautiful.

'How do I get more shells like these?'

'Can you swim?'

'yes'

'Just dive near the rocks, there are many. The tourists don't swim there as it smells of fish so they don't know. Come and find me tonight and we will drink water and watch the sunset. I will comb your hair. It's best you sell near the café. What you need to do is keep them in the bag and shout, I don't know, something like, buy my beautiful shells, collected from the bottom of the ocean! A great gift for your house!'

'How much should I ask for them?'

'You have to be clever. Try different prices. Tourists try to be clever and get your price down anyway. Choose whatever you want. Bye Bye dear. What is your name?'

'Amelia.'

'Bye bye Amelia. I cannot be with you as then people will think you are mine and won't give me work, but come and see me here tonight.'

Amelia thought it was a shame the lady wouldn't help her, but was excited about shouting about her shop. She walked up to the area near the café. She remembered the waiter hitting her for taking the left-over Pizza and felt a little wary, but there were other children there selling things. One had a stall of hats and sunglasses, they weren't new, they were ones people had left on the beach. Another was quite smart and selling woven friendship bracelets. She thought for a while. She saw an apple that somebody had discarded on the floor because it had a bruise and picked it up and ate it, thinking. She would need to make it look like a proper shop. The bag with the shells in was an old supermarket bag that looked old and scruffy. She decided to lay them out on the sand that was wispy, white and powdery here. She put the shells down carefully. They had got dry and didn't look so shiny and sparkling so she worried about what she should ask for them. She didn't know anything about money. She knew it was a ten coin for a cheese roll and that was all she wanted. She tucked her hair behind her ears and shouted,

'Buy my shells! Treasure of the ocean! Buy for your house! Buy something beautiful from me right here!'

A few tourists look round which made her feel important. She held up a shell and beckoned them,

'Come, come closer, see the beautiful shells.'

The tourists didn't come, but she kept on shouting. The boy selling the friendship bracelet pointed at her and laughed. The boy selling the hats came over.

'What are you selling? 'He asked.

'I am selling beautiful shells from the ocean.'

'Let's make a deal. When the tourists come to you, you tell them the sun is hot, they need a hat, buy one from me' and I will tell them to buy your shells.'

'Deal,' said Amelia but she was more interested in selling than making friends. This had to work for her, at least until the royal people came for her, and there was no knowing when that would be. She shook his hand and smiled and went back to her shouting that sounded a little like pleading. After a while some people that had been looking at the hats came over to look at the shells.

'So what is special about these shells? How much are they?' asked a Lady.

Amelia thought only of her stomach.

'They are a ten coin.'

'So why shouldn't I just find them myself on the beach. Why do you children always want money?' The woman had on mirror glasses and Amelia, looking at her face in them, tried to think up a good answer.

'Because these are special shells from the islands. People have to go diving for them.'

'Look at this purple one. It looks so pretty, it would look fine in the bathroom,' said another woman to the first. 'Besides, she's just a little thing with no shoes.'

'Some of them trick you though.' She turned to Amelia and said, 'I'll give you a five coin for this one.'

Amelia remembered what Rain drop had said about tourists always knocking down the price and pursed her lips.

'I am sorry but it is a ten coin.' The woman had on a gold bracelet and gold rings. What was a ten coin to her? thought Amelia

'Sorry then. I'll leave it,' said the woman with the mirror shades. She walked off, but the second one lingered and smiled at Amelia. She reached in her pocket and took out a fifty coin

'Here, do you have change? I will buy it, it's so pretty.' Amelia smiled all over her face.

'Thank you, but sorry, I don't have any change.'

'Here take it then. It's your lucky day.'

'Here is your shell Madam.' Amelia couldn't believe her luck. She remembered the hat boy and said,

'Why not buy a hat? My friend has some very good hats.'

'They're second hand. That's too gross!' said the woman and walked off. The fifty coin burned hot in Amelia's hand. She wanted to run and buy a cheese roll but she could not think like a child, she had to think like a woman and carry on working. She started to shout again. Some more people came over and looked at the shells. The first set just made grunting sounds and didn't buy anything, but an old lady with white hair bought five for another fifty coin. Amelia was thirsty and wanted to run and get water but the woman spoke to her for half an hour about how she had come on a plane and all about the size of her house back home. She annoyed Amelia by saying things like her fridge was the size of a room; she bet Amelia had never seen a fridge before. That she drove a big car, it was unlikely Amelia would ever have a car, this country was too poor. She said it was because the people were lazy. Amelia wanted her to go away. When she made no replies the woman eventually gave up and went.

The café sold burgers, they looked delicious. The sign said they were a seventy coin. Amelia had wanted to keep her money for her friends but hunger got the better of her and she went to the café and stood in line for one. It looked amazing with lettuce and Mayo. She saw the waiter watching her as she held out her hand to pay, buying water with the change. She still had twenty shells left; she could use that money to buy bread for the little girls she had stayed with last night. The hat boy watched her eating her burger.

'You doing alright?' he asked

'Doing big time!' she said. She didn't need anyone .She had taken the shells in the bag to the café with her in case they were stolen. She laid them back down and started shouting again. This time the boy selling the friendship bracelets gave her a look of respect. More tourists drifted past. One of them, a man with a hat on sat down and talked to her about if she went to school and if she could read and write. She told him she could read the name on his hat that said 'Blue State Captains' and she could add up. She told him she had twenty shells all a ten coin. That would make two hundred coins.

'What will you do with all those riches?' he asked, making fun of her.

'I'll buy food for all my friends.'

'Don't they eat at the moment?' he asked concerned.

'No' said Amelia, sure that he was going to give her the money.

'That's too sad for me to hear.' He said and walked off

'Did that man buy anything off you? 'asked the hat boy

'No he just chat and chat and go.'

'Same here' said the hat boy.

Amelia had to sell for her friends' food. She started shouting again. A little tourist boy came up to her.

'What are you doing?' he asked

'Selling shells. Buy one for your cousin. Buy three for your grandmother.'

'How much is that? Do you want to play with my Frisbee?'

'That's a four ten coins.'

'Like this?' said the boy and held out four fives.

'No for that you can have two. One for your grandma, one for your cousin, deal?'

'Deal' said the boy. 'What about playing Frisbee? I've got no one to play with.

'Sorry I have to run my shop.'

The boy's mother called him over at the café. He showed her the shells. Amelia was a bit worried that she might be angry but she just looked at Amelia and smiled. The sun was very hot but there was some shade by the café from palm trees. She sat down and relaxed and drank some water. She held up some shells and shouted, 'ten coins' and managed to sell three more.

'What are you going to do when your shells finish?' asked the hat boy.

'I will go and dive for more,' she answered.

'It's best you stop now as the café owner comes at three and he hates abandoned. You can't sell when he's here.

'What is the time now?

'It's quarter to three. I am going now. See you tomorrow?'

'Okay. Is it true about the owner?'

'It's true he calls the police and everything.'

'Okay then see you tomorrow.'

Amelia packed the shells into the bag and walked off to see who she could find on the beach. Near the road she saw Jasper. There were seagulls diving at his head, and a mean looking ragged man was diving for them. She didn't understand what was happening. She called out to him, and was sure that he saw her, but he made no reply. She went closer, and saw that he had bread tied to his head, and that was why the birds were diving at him.

'What are you doing?' she asked him.

'Go it's not safe. Torro caught me. He is a bad man. He likes to cook seagulls to eat. He says they taste like chicken. '

'Why don't you run away?'

'He told me that if I did he would do to me what he did to Aldo.He tried to run away but Torro caught him, and as a punishment he tied bread to his eyes and put him in the middle of the sea gulls. He kicked and ran away into the sea. They were trying to peck his eyes out. He said it was the worst thing that ever happened to him. You better run away.'

Amelia was petrified. She couldn't think of anything worse than a bird pecking at your eyes. How could people be so cruel?

'I will try to get help' she said.

'Don't worry, after you catch ten sea gulls you can escape as he is busy eating them.'

Amelia looked worried, but saw the men who was diving for the seagulls finish his cigarette, and come closer. She ran off quickly not wanting to share Jasper's fate.

Chapter 4

Amelia took the long walk to the tap. It was better not to waste money buying water. It was hard, walking in the hot sun she didn't remember feeling this thirsty before. She was sure that her grandmother would not have sent her here to the beach to fend for herself. It must be that the people she had sent her to were looking for her. She got to the tap and waited in line, the line was long; nearby she saw a policeman. Maybe she should ask him if people were trying to find her.

'Excuse me, my name is Amelia. I am just asking if anyone has been looking for me.'

The policeman looked at her and laughed and turned away

'Please, maybe someone has come here asking for me,' continued Amelia

'Abandoned, don't bother me,' said the Policeman

'Amelia Amelia, my name's Amelia. If they are looking for me, I sell seashells near the café.' Amelia suddenly worried remembering that the hat boy had said that the café owner called the police for selling so it must be wrong, but she wanted to boast about herself, he had made her feel unimportant. The policeman laughed and said,

'Oh that Amelia!' he said sarcastically.

'What happened has someone asked for me?'

'Go away you stupid abandoned girl. '

'Asking me if anyone has been looking for her, as if anyone cares what happens to a rat,' the policeman said to another man at the tap and he laughed. Amelia went and stood back in the line angrily. When she got to the front of the line she drank and drank. She felt stupid not picking up a bottle to fill, she would have to find one and come back again. She walked back towards the area where the woman had swum, she needed to fill up her stock for tomorrow and dive for some more shells. She was still trying to remember things and in a flash she saw her mother's hands making her a garland of flowers and putting it on her head in a garden. She didn't see her mother's face it seemed blurred out in her memory. She sat down on the beach and tried to draw the picture of her mother in the sand. She could see her clothes, a white flowing dress with a scarf of blue flowers tied around her waist. She closed her eyes, focusing on trying to see her mother's face; she needed to see it so that she would know her mother when she came to look for her. She got distracted by someone calling her. She looked up and saw the boy selling friendship bracelets.

'Why are you all alone?' he asked, 'don't you have anyone?

'I just had my grandmother, and she is dead,' said Amelia. Probably it wasn't even her mother in the memory. Probably she had no mother. If she had a mother, she would not be here by herself.

'I can help you find nice people. I know all about people from my bracelets. See Blue and yellow that is for people that live on this beach, West Beach. See blue and purple that is what the fishermen wear, so people know they can help on the boats. See all those boys with orange? They work on the land picking Mangos. Let me see your bracelet'

Amelia showed him her wooden bracelet.

'The Hummingbird that is the sign of people who ship coffee. I know because I made a bracelet for the son of a man to know that he is one of them, brown, black and white. His Father had on a silver hummingbird bracelet. He told me it was their sign. I know one of their kind, maybe he can help you, come with me.'

Amelia followed him. He was black skinned and had uptilted eyes. He was one of those people who just liked to talk when he wanted, not make conversation. He was kind of proud. He pointed to a boy sitting down.

'Go and talk to him, he is like you. I must go to my mother. Bye Bye.'

Amelia saw another black boy in a clean blue shirt and shorts with his head in his hands.

'What's the matter?' Amelia asked him, sitting down in front of him on the sand.

'I lost all my money.'

'How?'

'I went in the tourist arcade. There's a machine where you push in a ten coin and it can make all the coins fall so that you can win a thousand in coins.'

'So what was wrong with that?'

'I didn't win, nothing fell and I spent all my ten, ten coins.'

'Ten, ten coins, that is bad.'

'I worked all yesterday for them.'

'You work? You don't have a mother?'

'No I came here to find my grandfather.'

'What is your name? I am Amelia,' said Amelia. She was friendly towards the boy because he was very good looking. She noticed the brown white and black bracelet he had on.

'Prince,' said the boy and smiled a dazzling smile. Amelia laughed, maybe she had met royalty after all, but she noticed Prince's plimsolls were ragged but he had great teeth.

'What job do you do?' asked Amelia

'I collect rubbish and I get tips for it.'

'What do you mean?'

'If the police see you drop rubbish on the beach they fine you, even the tourists. It's because of the Mayor. Once there was so much rubbish on the beach that the tourists stopped coming so he stopped the people coming to the beach, but they all went crazy, saying it was their country and they could come to their own beach, but he didn't want so much rubbish so he made the police go round checking. So I collect rubbish for the people and the tourists. It is better for them because flies come around their picnic when they have finished eating it but they can't be bothered to go the bins because it is far.'

'So you have a good business. I have a business too. I sell seashells.'

'Does that make money?'

'Yes good money. Today I bought a burger. Here have a ten coin. Buy yourself a cheese roll.'

'Sister you are good to me. A man can't work on an empty stomach. So where are you from?'

'I lived with my grandmother in the city but she died. Before that I lived with my parents but I don't remember where.'

'That bad?'

'What do you mean?'

'Something bad must have happened to you for you to forget. Probably it was because of an Indigo man.'

'What's an Indigo man?'

'He's a man, he pretends to be nice but he is a kind of devil. My mother had a farm but their crops died and they couldn't pay the rent. She owed everybody money and could have gone to prison but she dealt with an Indigo man, he pays your debts but you have to promise to work for him for the rest of your life, or at least twenty years. My mother went to a sewing factory; I wasn't allowed to go with her. The Indigo man tied me up and put me in a truck that took me two hundred miles away to a farm where I was supposed to work. The man who owned the farm was mean and didn't give me anything to eat and put me to sleep in a barn full of rats so I ran away, hid on the back of a truck, then I sneaked on the train to come here to tell my great grandfather. My father sometimes works here on the coast shipping coffee, but he has many wives and children and doesn't care about me. My great grandfather is rich, but he is out of touch with us. I heard all about him in stories from my father. He has a boat yard but he is always away. He has money, he could help my mum. They think he is too old to help, but he is still sailing his boats trading all over, he is strong from all the fish he eats. I found a man who knew him and he took me to his boat yard, you see up there by the trees?'

'But that is a rich people's place.'

'The blue hut. That is my grandfather's hut. Do you have anywhere to sleep?'

'No I slept with the children under the trees.'

'Come and sleep in the hut with me. I am lonely.'

'Are you sure?'

Prince nodded. Amelia felt better, she had not slept well and his name was Prince, which had to be a lucky sign.

'Can you help me? Amelia asked

'How?' said Prince.

'I need to swim for some more shells. Can you look after my money and my other shells for me?'

'Sure,' said Prince. Amelia stripped to her vest and pants and handed him her dress and bag to look after. She walked into the sea and waved to Prince who smiled and waved back.

Amelia duck dived down near the rocks. She ran her hands on the ocean floor, hoping not to get bitten by a crab. She could just about make out shapes. Maybe she could make friends with a tourist and borrow their goggles for seeing underwater. After a while she pulled out two tall blue shells, they weren't very pretty, but could maybe sell for a five coin. She put them on a rock. She could put them in her vest and walked back along the rocks when she had enough. She dived some more bringing up mother of pearl and purple shells, some as big as your hand. She was beginning to feel tired but tomorrow she was going to start selling earlier so needed a lot of stock. She looked back to the beach worried suddenly that Prince might go off with all her money, but he was there waiting. She forced herself to keep on diving until she had about thirty shells. She climbed up on the rock and stuffed them all inside her vest. She walked back to the beach being careful not to stub her toes on the rocks.

Amelia put back on her dress and showed Prince her shells. He said they were very beautiful. Amelia remembered that she had said that she was going to meet Raindrop but she didn't want to lose Prince. She asked him to come with her because she wanted to get her hair combed; too many people were calling her 'abandoned'

Raindrop smiled when she saw Amelia and Prince. Amelia introduced him and told her that Prince had said she could sleep in his grandfather's hut. Raindrop questioned him. She told Amelia that she would have to be careful, if that hut belonged to a rich man and he found them, they could get in a lot of trouble. Prince told her that a fisherman that worked for his grandfather opened the hut for him every evening at six. He had told the fisherman his grandfather's name and described a ring he wore and told him his father's name. Luckily the fisherman knew who he was.

'So Amelia, you met a prince after all!' said Raindrop. Then she gave Prince two bottles and told him to go and fetch water while she combed Amelia's hair. Amelia relaxed watching the people leave the beach and the abandoned children pick through their left-over picnics and possessions. She closed her eyes, soothed by Raindrop's combing. She remembered her mother combing her hair and then, tears poured down her face as she remembered her mother's face. She was sure her mother would come back and find her. She didn't want Raindrop to see her cry. Raindrop was talking to her, telling her how she had no mother and father she was going to have to be a strong girl, do her best and sell her shells. She had made a lucky friend in Prince; try not to get in any silly children's arguments for him to drive her away. She wiped her eyes and nodded. She did have a mother though.

Prince came back giving one bottle of water to Raindrop. He was eating a cheese roll that he had bought with Amelia's coin. Amelia kissed Raindrop goodbye and they walked to the hut. Amelia told Prince that she would have to come back out and give the bread to the hungry children she slept with the night before. He told her she was a very nice person, but she couldn't bring them with her as he might get in trouble with the fisherman.

The hut was beautiful, tall, made of strong wood painted blue. Inside was a hammock. The fisherman had let them in. He made up a bed for Amelia out of old blankets. When she spoke to him he didn't answer but after a while he said,

'I don't want to know you or anything about you. If Prince says you are his friend that is all I need to know. I don't want people asking me "who is this" and getting into a lot of confusion.' He left after patting Prince's head.

'So what do you think?'

'I love it here!' said Amelia. It wasn't a castle but it felt safe.

Chapter 5

Amelia was woken up by slants of sunlight coming through the gaps in the woodwork of the hut. She was disappointed that she was still in the same situation even though the hut was a big improvement. Since arriving at the beach, she had wanted to wake up and find she had been rescued by her family, or taken to a big castle. There was the ancient castle visible two bays away. She wondered who lived in it. She vowed that one day she would sell a lot of shells, buy a dress and go there. Maybe the royal people were there waiting for her. She still felt hurt inside. She looked over at where Prince was sleeping in the hammock. She chastised herself: wasn't he good enough for her? He collects rubbish she told herself in a stuck up voice. He was beautiful though, his long curly eyelashes crushed together, his cheeks not too fat, not too hollow. It was sad; she had heard some of the beach children call other children 'hollow faced' as a kind of insult. It was sad because it meant their faces had become so thin from lack of food that they had hollowed in. Amelia shuddered thinking about last night. She had told Prince that she would be back, and had gone to see her friends from the night before. Although she longed for rich people she was hypnotised by the beauty of the little girls she had slept with under the trees, and by the musical laughs of the boys. People said that the beach children were rough, but it was the men with the big cars and men eating burgers and drinking beer that were rough. If you heard their laughs, they sounded criminal. The children had sweet voices. It seemed all wrong. A lot of them never let the children speak so they never knew. They would tell them to go away, thinking they only wanted money. Yesterday, she had seen a beach boy run after a man with his camera that he had left on the beach. The boy wore ragged shorts and a ripped white t-shirt. The man shouted at the boy to stop following him.

'Your camera!' shouted the boy, and one of the man's friends realised what was going on, but still accused the boy of stealing the camera.

Amelia had found the two little girls. She had made a vow that she would buy them bread every day. She had a kind of mystical belief about the beach that if she did good deeds then good would come to her. She told the girls a big hello and was upset when they asked her who she was. She told them to remember, she was the one who had bought their bread the day before. She told them to stay where they were she would come back with bread, but they insisted on going with her. One held her hand. The other kept jumping up to be carried. When they got to the bread stall one said to the man,

'Look, look, this is my sister. She is buying bread for me. You will know me now that I have a sister and you can't say "go away hungry dog" again!'

Amelia looked at the bread seller who was a funny looking cross-eyed man with the tattoo of a crab on his neck.

'Is that what he said to you? That is horrible. Come on, let's go somewhere else.'

'No, no I don't want to walk forget what he said.'

'I never said that!' said the man' What do you want darling?'

'Five breads.'

'You have the money?'

'Yes I have money here!'

Amelia gave the man the money and he gave her the breads. She gave one to each of the girls.

'Are the boys coming? These other breads are for them.' Amelia was still full up from the burger and had saved a ten coin for the morning.

'The boys will come. Thank you for the bread. What is your name again?'

'Amelia.'

'Our names are Pinky and Pearl. She is called Pinky because when she first came to the beach she had on a pretty pretty pink dress. I am called Pearl because that is what a fisherman called me. He found me on a beach up North. A very dangerous beach where the water comes in. If he hadn't come in his boat, I would have drowned. He said finding me was as lucky as finding a pearl in a shell. Sometimes he comes to this beach with baskets of fish and he gives me a big palm leaf. I wave it over the fish to keep off the flies until he is ready to load it on his truck. He gives me oranges, but I am still hungry. He is very old and ugly, with only one eye, but that is why I am called Pearl.'

'Is that where you go in the daytime?

'No we are not allowed to tell.'

'Why not?'

'Because we don't leave tracks we are small. If too many abandoned follow us it will leave tracks like you know when a dog digs the earth? Sometimes the men come to catch all the stray dogs to put them down. They can tell where the dogs are from where they have dug.'

'I don't get what you mean.'

'Well a lady looks after us in her shack that sells fish bait, but only in the day. It's a secret and sometimes the police let men catch abandoned and take them to work on farms. It is not good there, one boy, Pedro, he escaped and came back. He said all he had to eat was some rotten carrots and they beat you and make you work too hard.'

They had walked back to the road where the palms were, the sun was going down. Amelia wanted to get back to the hut before moonlight came, in case she went to the wrong one. She was excited about giving the boys the bread.

'Hello,' she said. I have bread for you.

'Hush don't talk so loud stupid,' said one and she realised why as twenty boys gathered round saying,

'Give me bread! Give me bread!'

She divided the three breads into five pieces and was surprised when some of the boys got into groups of three to share. Jasper, The boy who had had the bread on his head, got his own piece. He came up to Amelia and gave her a kiss.

'Thank you sister. My gift is a special kiss. After I saw you I ran too, I escaped from Torro.'

'I hope you will be safe. Those boys are so good, sharing.'

'They are very poor. They are not allowed on the beach because they have been caught stealing from tourists, the policeman chases them away.'

'No that is horrible; you should save them some scraps from the beach. People throw away so much food.'

'I do but there are hundreds of them, one bag of scraps goes in five minutes. You must bring more bread. You are a posh seller, you can make money.'

'Why don't you sell?'

'I am a tailor. I can mend clothes and fix fishing nets, but I don't get work every day. I am not lucky with tourists, they always tell me to go and chase me away. I don't have a nice smile like you.'

Amelia thought he looked alright. He was holding her hand very tightly when he spoke to her. She wanted to bring bread every day, but him demanding it made her feel like running away.

'I will look after you Amelia; come and lie down and I will tell you a story.'

'I can't stay I have to go back to my new friend. He has got me a place in a hut to sleep.'

The boy looked at her and started to cry

'So you will forget about us and we won't be friends anymore.'

'No, I will always be friends. Tell the story to Pinky and Pearl. I will be rich and I will get everybody a hut.'

The boy just walked off and crashed under a tree and cried. Amelia tried to pat him on the back but he told her to leave him. She went to say goodbye to Pinky and Pearl. They dragged on her dress and cried for her to take them with her. She told them she was not allowed. Pinky started being mean and said to Pearl

'Do you know who that girl is? I don't; she said she is our friend but she leaves us for a new posh friend.'

'Don't be silly Pinky, she buys us bread. She is our sister' replied Pearl. Amelia gave Pinky a kiss but she pushed her away

'Don't worry about her, go after your luck. It is real luck to sleep in a hut.'

Amelia smiled and turned to go. The tailor boy had been talked to by another boy who was telling him his friend, Amelia, was nice. He cheered himself up and shouted,

'Goodbye my sweet friend. You are the most beautiful thing the waves have bought on the beach.

'Hey, have you seen Peto?' she asked

'He comes back tonight. I will tell him you will come tomorrow.'

'I promise I will.' She said and shook the hand of one of the hungry boys who had pulled at her skirt and walked off. She tried not to look back, she felt as if she was betraying them by not being with them, especially the girls

The next morning Amelia worried that the children she had slept with were alright. Last night she told Prince that she had to go there every night to give bread. He was quite harsh. He said that it was the boy's fault, why did they steal from tourists? Tourists just gave you money sometimes. Now they couldn't even get a piece of fish on the beach. Amelia was shocked. She said it wasn't their fault and some of them, you could see their ribs. He called her 'a nice queen' looking after people. He said he didn't make friends because he didn't make enough money to share. He was just waiting for his great grandfather, Melchior. If he met another boy he might lead him away. It had happened with his friends when he lived on the farm, they would say come to their house, their grandmother's farm, their cousin's in town. And sometimes he would get in trouble for being lost. If he wasn't here when his great grandfather came that would be stupid. He wouldn't be able to save his mother and father.

Amelia was hungry. She didn't know whether she should go and get bread and come back or if Prince would go out before she came back. He looked like the statue of an angel she had seen somewhere. She went off into a daze. If she could remember where she saw the statue, she might remember where she was from. She concentrated and saw pillars and remembered the smell of incense. She tried to imagine the outside of the building but couldn't remember the name. Maybe it would come to her. She thought it best to wake him up. She went over to the hammock and called his name. Prince woke up and jumped out of the hammock

'Whey-hey! Another day! Today I am going to be so great. One day everyone will know my name, Prince!'

Amelia admired his punch for living

'I want to get bread.'

'It's time to start. Sometimes I tidy areas of the beach for tourists. I even have to check for poo-poo from street children.'

'Don't they use the toilet?'

'Not always and tourists don't want to sit on that. Come on we should go. You can help me.'

Amelia didn't like the sound of it.

'I have to do my shells. I have fifty shells today. Come and meet me at the café at two thirty so I can do my diving. I will buy your bread this morning.'

'I will do so well today, we will have ice-cream!' he said

'Come on let's wash in the sea. You can wash your pants and they will dry on you in half an hour.'

Amelia followed him to the sea and took off her dress. She was glad she had a vest but it was looking a bit worn.

Splashing with him in the sea, Amelia was hypnotised by his bright eyes and smile. Maybe he really was a prince, and she should not have woken up feeling so grumpy.

Chapter 6

That morning trade didn't start off well for Amelia. She had forty shells and she laid out the best twenty on the sand. She had told Prince goodbye until later and felt sad to see someone so handsome picking up rubbish and clearing away poo poo from the sand into bags for beach dwellers to flick a few coins at him. Why didn't the fisherman who let them in the hut give him money? His grandfather was supposed to be rich.

She had gone to the tap to fetch water before she started and wetted the shells a little to make them look shinier. On the way back from the tap she had seen Melons, the son of the old Lady who danced and shouted. He gave her a big piece of watermelon and patted her on the head. He asked her if she had seen his mother, but she had not seen her for a while. He looked very worried. He told her that he was very stupid, but his mum was smart: she bought the melon cheaply for him to sell; he didn't know how to bargain. He told her not to forget to eat something in the morning so she wouldn't fall over. He said,

'No matter how bad it is, don't fall over,' and went on his way.

Amelia didn't realise that she had dripped melon juice all down her dress. A pretty girl came and smiled at her and asked her questions about the shells. She asked her what they were called and what type of shells they were in her intelligent voice. Amelia said she didn't know and laughed. The girl laughed too but then her mother came over and moved her roughly away saying,

'I told you not to speak to any riff raff on the beach. Look at that girl's dress, all dirty and stained. Do you think that was a decent person to speak to? No it was not.' The girl walked off with her mother. Amelia looked at her dress, it really didn't look good. There was a woman who sold t-shirt dresses on a stall with straw hats near the tap. Amelia had seen her this morning and asked her how much they were. She had said

'Ten paper money. I think that is just something you would dream about. Don't touch them please.'

She was very snooty and if Amelia could go anywhere else to buy a dress then she would, but there wasn't anywhere else. She wondered how long it would take to save up. That was the same as a hundred ten coins. She could do it, she was sure. In one of those dresses with the flowers on she wouldn't look abandoned. There was right now to think of though. She tried to clean the stains off with some water but her whole dress was dirty with stains from when she had slept in the road, and stiff from seawater. She put her head down and felt like crying as people walked past looking her up and down and ignoring her as she said,

'Buy my shells,'

The hat seller came over to her. He had been doing well all morning.

'What's wrong? No luck today?' he asked

'No and I went and dived long for these; they are beauties. What is the matter with people? I think it is my dress.'

'Change your dress then.'

'I don't have another dress.'

'No joking, you only have one thing?'

'Only this.'

'Well that is not good enough. You are a trader! You are not some wasted girl who just cries. I can help you. A tourist gave me some t-shirts and shorts. They are too small for me.' He went back to his stall area and opened a rucksack. He pulled out some folded t-shirts and little shorts. He selected one with Mickey Mouse on and brought it over and gave it to Amelia. It looked brand new.

'Are you sure a tourist gave it to you? I saw some boys steal tourist clothes while they went in the sea.'

'What do you take me for? Go on have it. Put it on and it will help you sell. You need to make your area look more fancy. You should see if you can find some wood to put your shells on, like a stand,'

'That is a good idea. What is your name?'

'Just call me hat boy,' he said. 'I used to be called "rat boy" because I used to kill rats for that come around the bins near the station. I used to feed them to the dogs, and when I killed them I showed the café and the hotel owner nearby and they would give me tips, but then a lady who worked in the hotel gave me some tourist things that had been left and told me to come and sell them on the beach. She still gives me things and I give other boys coins for bringing stuff to me. They don't know how to sell on to town people. The town people don't have much money so that is why they buy my stuff. Today I sold a cap with real leather on it for three hundred coins so I am packing up and going in to town to go cinema. You ever been Cinema?'

'No my grandmother didn't like it.'

'Anyway you get changed and shout some more. You will sell something. Most of the time the tourists don't come until lunchtime. Here want a peanut? I have some.' Amelia nodded and held out her hand. He filled it up with nuts and then wished her goodbye as he went and packed up what was left on his stall into a big bag. Amelia quickly took off her dress and put on the t-shirt and shorts. She must look cute now but she still didn't have any shoes. She had quite a lot of things to buy. She felt sad as she remembered she had to buy bread for Pinky and Pearl and the boys so this wasn't going to happen any time soon. She had better get selling, she thought. The café was filling up with tourists.

'Buy precious, beautiful shells from deep under the ocean! Your only chance to have an original souvenir you can treasure for ever!'

She smiled and smoothed her hair. She splashed a bit more water on the shells. Some tourists started to come over and she sold three shells for a fifty coin. That was bread sorted. She wouldn't be stupid and buy a burger again, it was way too much. All through lunchtime she sold until she had twenty left. The shorts had a little pocket with a button that was now bulging with coins. The boy selling friendship bracelets came over.

'Hey you are doing well, are you going to spend it on ice-cream or going to the arcade?'

'No that is what happened to Prince, he lost all his money. Thank you for introducing us, now I have somewhere to sleep. I am just me so this is for my food and clothes.'

'Oh you are abandoned. My mother has a shack. She sells fish and in the evening she makes bracelets for me to sell that way I have food and there is milk for my little brother.'

'That is nice,' said Amelia feeling jealous, although the memory she had of her mother putting the garland on her head was near a big house not a shack. Who was she? She wondered in awe of the memory, but was jolted by tourists arriving

'I have to go; I have customers.' A tall tourist came over.

'What are you selling?' he asked

'Beautiful shells, shells from the islands, the most unusual shells you could ever want.'

'They are beautiful,' he said. They would look nice on my mantelpiece. How much are they?'

Amelia was about to say they were a ten coin when the friendship bracelet boy held her back and said,

'For you Sir, you can take them all for ten paper money. My friend has to dive in the ocean and find these specially. It takes a very long time.'

The man opened his wallet. It was bursting with paper money. He took out fifty paper money. Amelia had never seen so much money

'Like this?' he asked

'Yes' said the bracelet boy winking at Amelia

'No,' said Amelia 'That is fifty paper money. We want ten.'

'You are very honest, unlike your friend.' The man looked through his notes and said,

'Do you have any shoes? The sand is too hot without them.'

'No, somebody took my shoes at night'

'Here this is for you. Buy yourself some shoes,' he said and gave her a twenty paper money. Amelia nearly fainted. She grasped his hand

'Thank you, thank you sir. He opened his bag and she helped him put in her last twenty shells. When he had gone the friendship bracelet boy said,

'I helped you get that price what are you going to give me? Half?

Amelia frowned. The money was for her dress and some shoes.

'I can't give you. I haven't got a mother.''

'So you don't help friends. You are mean.'

'Look I can give you ten, ten coins. It was me that had to dive for the shells.'

'Okay Meany. I just wanted to buy my little brother an orange.' He took the coins and walked off to his spot nearer to the café. Amelia had nothing left and was excited about buying a dress from the woman who had been snooty this morning. She put the paper money into the pocket of her dress and folded it into a bag. The sun was glaring down onto her face she would like some sunglasses too. The dress lady had funny pink and blue ones, but maybe she should just get one thing at a time.

Feeling hungry, she went to get a bread; she would buy some more later for the others. She sat down on the sand and ate it. Some of the town children, on the beach with their parents, asked her to play. She felt annoyed. They wouldn't ask her if she had on her old dress. She shook her head and thought she would just relax for a little while until it was time to meet Prince and do more diving. Her water was nearly gone and it would need topping up soon. She lay back on the sand and dreamed off then she felt water dripping on her face. She looked up and saw Peto.

'Hey Amelia! What are you doing in the full sun with no hat? You should go in the shade!'

'Hey Peto, come and sit down and talk to me.'

'I can't stop; come with me.'

'Where to?'

'The fisherman Papa is having a big cook-up in his shack for George and Beno and everybody. The fish will be delicious. I helped catch it myself.'

Amelia jumped up and followed him. The fisherman Papa's shack was a rundown hut, not posh and crisp like Prince's grandfather's, but there were about fifty children outside eating fried fish from a barbecue. George and Beno rushed up to Amelia and hugged her and took her over to the barbecue.

'Are you George and Beno's Dad? 'she asked the fisherman Papa

'I am not their father. They have no-one but they have me. I am like a father. They are just fish paste.'

'What do you mean?'

'They are just little fish spread on the bread of the beach. Their mother must have been a piece of fish bait who trapped their dad a fish, but they had no money so their kids are fish paste. I made a song about it called the "fish paste, fish bait" song. I love children though. I spent all my wages like fish paste for all the little fishes I know. My father's say you should talk to fish paste children and give them bread until they are a fish face. That means that they will learn your trade and be helpful and be like a fish you see every day for your lunch. What I mean is they will be like me, who brings the best fish to the market so they can make their living. I dress George and Beno and let them sleep here. You need a place to sleep?'

'I have somewhere, and it smells of fish here.'

'Thank you! Do you want fish? You are thin.'

'Yes please.'

Amelia didn't want to sound unkind but the place really did smell of fish. Pinky and Pearl were there and they called out to her. She went and gave them a kiss and she sat down and ate the delicious fish. The fisherman was very kind and gave all the children three helpings. Peto came and sat down and told them all about going on the fishing boat and how he nearly got thrown in the sea by a big wave, he said it was as tall as the hotel but George and Beno said he was lying. The party was going to go on all night and people started doing singing turns. The fisherman sang his fish paste song

'He was fish bait he pulled in the fish, and now his name's fish face'. Everybody laughed. Amelia was having a great time, but she had no shells left and she had to meet Prince. She gave Peto seven ten coins to buy bread. She had a thought: maybe the fisherman would keep Pinky and Pearl. She went up to him and asked him. He was in happy party mood.

'Maybe. It is not my shack it belongs to my boss. I will see,' he said

'Please, they are just little and they sleep on the road.'

'I will see. You know I was fish paste myself so that is why I try to be kind.'

'Thank you and thank you for the party.' Amelia shook his hand. She had never met a person that actually smelt like a fish before, it was overpowering. She told everybody goodbye. All the children said she was like a town person being serious about her shell stall when she could be having fun at the party. Amelia thought about staying but skipped off to meet Prince washing her hands in the sea first so that she didn't smell like fish paste, as she was sure she wasn't that.

Chapter 7

Amelia had met Prince after the party and shown him the money she made. She said she might not need to dive as she had made so much.

'You are just like a girl thinking of pretty dresses when you should be thinking about business. We don't know if anyone will come for us. There is no-one to buy us milk. Didn't your grandmother tell you to drink milk every day or else your bones wouldn't grow? When was the last time you drank milk? You are supposed to eat meat; not just bread. Besides, you are supposed to be there every day so that people know you, and you should buy something to put your shells on. Do you see the amount of money the tourists have? You are going to give up after one good day?

'But what about my shoes? The man said I should buy shoes.'

'Okay maybe some slippers. Go to the Guy at the end of the road. Say you know Prince and he will give you a good price. When you get the change, give me the rest of the money and I will hide it in the shed. I saw the fisherman come already. He bought us fish.'

'But what about diving for tomorrow?'

'Meet me back here .I don't feel like walking. I've been walking all day.'

Amelia walked along the beach. As she was walking she saw a man with an eye patch pushing the boy that sold friendship bracelets. She went nearer and stood and watched wondering how she could help.

'Give me your change or I will tell the policeman I saw you rob a tourist. Then you won't be allowed on the beach again.'

'Please Torro. I have to buy milk for my little brother,' said the bracelet boy

'Shut up or I will burn all your mother's wool!' Torro, who was a fiercesome hunched man, walked away a little and looked towards a friend and called him over

Amelia approached as if to beg for the bracelet boy. He motioned her to go away

'Do you need help?' she hissed

'No it's alright. Just go quickly before he sees you.' Seeing Torro come back he said,

'I don't have any money. Stop begging me go away girl.' Amelia went, realising that he was saying this to make Torro believe that she didn't know him. Torro's friend pulled the bracelet boy's hair and he squealed and emptied his pockets. Amelia ran off, afraid of the two rough men. She would come and see if the bracelet boy was alright later. She felt a bit sad as she went to get her shoes. She saw Peto on the way and told him there was a bad man taking money from her friend.

'What was his name?' asked Peto

'Torro. He had an eye patch and his friend was all dressed in red.'

'Thanks for the warning. Torro is a very bad man. I am going to go and hide in the tourist arcade. I will tell all the others. Torro takes everything you have make sure he doesn't see you on the beach.'

Amelia continued on her way. When she got to the slipper man, she told him that she was Prince's friend and he shook her hand. He asked her about herself, if her dad was a fisherman. She said she was just here taking in the sea. Her Aunt thought it was nicer than the city. He asked her how she got the money; did she take it from a tourist? She said no, she had her own shop selling seashells. She told him that someone stole her shoes when she went swimming, they were good shoes. She didn't really want slippers because they didn't stay on your feet properly. He reached in his bag and took out some that were more like sandals and had straps on the back.

'These are my new line you can wear them like an advertisement. Send everyone to me to buy them.'

'Same price?'

'Just give me twenty coins.'

'Do you have change?' she asked taking out the note money'

'You are a rich little sea shell seller.'

'I work hard.'

'Okay well good luck! Don't forget to tell people about where to buy the shoes.'

'Don't forget to tell people to buy seashells. I sell near the café'

'Will do!'

Amelia felt better walking in the shoes. All the children that had shoes on seemed to be more confident. Those without shoes seemed to walk with their heads down. Amelia was worried. She had to go back and meet Prince but she did not want to meet Torro. She stood on a sort of balcony that overlooked the beach and scanned it for Torro. She couldn't see him and there were a few children on the beach conducting their business as usual. She bounced happily along back to Prince. She sang a little song to herself. If she had made so much money for herself how much would she make from the shells she dived for today? She could buy herself maybe three dresses and a big Pizza to share with Prince and a Cola and an ice-cream. She heard a shout and she saw Pinky and Pearl and some of the boys from the road. She felt bad thinking about the things she would buy for herself when the children needed food.

'Do you all want bread?' she asked

The children nodded and so she doubled back to the bread shack and had to queue in line. The two people in front amused her. From their conversation she worked out that they were going to do a song for the tourists but they kept arguing about who was going to take which part.

'I have the best voice for the chorus, you sing like a cat,' said one boy to the other. They had on swim shorts donated from tourists, too big, kept up with rope. One had a bracelet made of coca cola ring pulls. She wondered where the bracelet boy would think he was from; coca cola land?

She got to the front of the queue and bought six breads and the bread man winked at her and put them in a bag for her. She hurried back to the children.

When she reached the children they all sat round in a circle and shared the bread. They boasted about how lucky they were to have a rich friend like Amelia. Amelia said she would get even richer and buy them ice-cream and Pizza. Pinky began to cry for an ice-cream and nagged Amelia for twenty minutes; trying to find out how much money she had. Jasper told her to shut up and asked Amelia to tell them a story; then he would tell his. Amelia thought for a while and then told a story that there was a Goddess who was angry that all the children were hungry so she turned the sun into a red tomato and the sea into tomato soup. All the children drank the soup until their bellies were full. The children liked the story. Jasper told a story about a rat and Pinky and Pearl put their hands over their ears saying they hated rats, but he carried on. Amelia was not sure if the story was about the Jasper's life or the rat. Nobody liked the rat, it stole bread, but only because it was hungry. The children laughed as he told how the rat out smarted a cat in the town, but it was a sad rat that didn't want to look like a rat and wished it was a bird. Jasper looked quite rough. His teeth were bad; his clothes ragged and dirty and his nails bitten down. He told his story with such gusto though that he was strangely beautiful. He was just standing up doing a funny rat dance when one of the other boys shouted,

'Torro!' and they all ran in different directions. Amelia looked up to see Torro looking fiercely over them

'Who has money for bread that should have been money for Torro? He grabbed Pinky and said,

'Who got this money and how?'

Pinky said nothing, then squealed as he pulled her hair

'Tell me!' he demanded, 'and don't lie because I can see what is a lie and what is the truth and I will pull your hair out.

'It was Amelia, 'said Pinky 'she sells seashells'

'You are all nothing, all stupid, all just pathetic shells for sale. Who would buy you? I can sell you to my friend who needs slaves to plant or my friend who needs floors to scrub. You will give the money to me and I Torro shall have the bread. Which one is Amelia?'

'Run!' said Pearl, and she grabbed Pinky and they ran. Amelia didn't know she could run so fast as she ran off to Prince; thinking that he would protect her. When she had got quite far she looked back to see Torro talking to a friend and looking around. She panted and ran and got to Prince. He tutted when he saw her.

'What time do you call this?'

'Sorry I saw the other children and we were telling stories. Do you like my shoes? We have to go because Torro is looking for us

'Torro, I hate that man.'

'He said that he could sell us to work as slaves. Is that really true?'

'He makes people afraid of him, but he is a drunk. Once he has got money for drink he drinks then falls asleep. He is always getting into fights and so the police make him go, but he has some police that like him because he is smart and buys them a beer. Come let's go to the shed quickly. Put your head down.'

'But what if they've got Pinky and Pearl?'

'Don't worry he is slow and he can't run fast.'

They hurried off and went to the shack. Amelia's heart was beating fast and she was worried. What if Torro found her and stole her money or stole her?

'What about diving for shells? I will have nothing for tomorrow,' she said.

'We can't risk it. Torro is stupid but he is dangerous. We will have to wake up early and we can go then.'

They hurried to the shack. Outside the fisherman was cooking fish on a barbecue.

'Come eat! It's a celebration,' he said

'What is happening?' asked Prince

'I have heard news that Melchior is returning. His boat is coming into star harbour next week. I will take you. He will be so proud. You will want for nothing again. Melchior is rich. It's just that he is old and out of touch with his family. If he knew of you, you would not go hungry. If he knew how the children on this beach were starving he would never allow it.'

He took a tin plate and put the grilled fish on it for Prince and Amelia. It was delicious. Maybe this was the start of her good life. She was a princess with a rich relative. One day it would be her looking like a tourist giving money to the children, but she would not look down on them or tell them they didn't know what a fridge was.

Chapter 8

In the morning the fisherman was in a better mood than usual because of the news of Melchior's return. He normally ignored the children and just went out early without saying a word. He patted Amelia's head and asked her what she was going to do for the day. She replied that she would be selling her shells. He was amused and asked her about it. She told them she just put them on the sand and he shook his head and went to the back of the shed and pulled out a crate. He told her she could use it like a table. Then he gave her a patterned cloth used for picnics and told her that she was a good girl. Many people, he said, started off with businesses on the beach, and worked hard until they were older and opened up a shop in town. Amelia felt pleased. She had changed: she had wanted to be found by rich family and have everything bought for her, but now she enjoyed making money for herself.

Prince woke up and they talked about her diving for shells. He said that she didn't need him to watch her stuff as she could keep her money here.

'What about my shoes?' asked Amelia

Prince considered. It would be bad if Amelia's shoes were taken. They agreed that they couldn't really blame thieves; they were just children. It wasn't good having no shoes.

'Do you think Melchior will buy shoes for all the children?' Amelia asked the fisherman.

'I have seen him do many wonderful things. When I was a child he took all the children including me to a house in the country with a farm with cows and chickens and a school. He was very kind to me that's why I look after his shed. Everyone said that he was dead as there has been no sign of him for years, but I believe he is alive. I don't know the number of the farm anymore; I haven't been there for twenty years. Maybe if we don't see him I could take you there so you could have a good life like me. Look at how strong I am! Years of good meat and milk and fruit. On the beach the children don't drink milk. I must start to buy milk for you. I am not a good man. I don't remember what children need.'

'Don't worry we can survive for ourselves,' said Prince

'We are grateful that we can sleep here,' said Amelia. She didn't want the fisherman to look sad. He had to go out on his boat so Amelia and Prince got ready to leave.

'Come let me buy you breakfast,' said the fisherman and he took them up the beach to the shack next to the bread shack where Amelia normally went. It had fruit croissant and sweet bread. He bought them both a croissant.

'You must think I am mean not buying you food,' said the fisherman. 'It's just that when I first came to the beach I used to give away all my money to the kids but once some followed me and robbed me. Another time one boy I always petted robbed a tourist and then told the police he saw me do it and I had to go to jail. I didn't want him to go to jail, but it was very terrible. Ever since then I just kept myself to myself.'

The children told him that they were sorry that had happened. He told them goodbye and went off to his boat. Prince said that he would watch Amelia's shoes so they walked to the rocks carrying the crate and cloth. Amelia took off her clothes to her vest and pants and dived in the cold water. She swam down to the bottom and picked up a big shell, but the snail was still inside it. It was slimy as she touched it and she threw it away in disgust. She continued trying and looked all around at the bay. It was beautiful and balmy this time of the morning. There were whispery clouds around the castle. Amelia still wanted to go there to find out if that was her destiny. She didn't think that she would be an ordinary girl; she thought she was meant for something special. As she swam she imagined being a posh person at the castle. She would leave her door open for all the beach children to come and ask her for whatever they want. She found five nice shells and rested them on the rocks, but she would need more than that so she continued on until she had twenty. She put them inside her vest and they scratched her. If Torro tried to take her she would scratch him with a shell until he let go. On the beach she sometimes saw razor clam shells that were long and sharp. One boy kept one just in case a dog tried to bite him. The other boy said that was cruel to the dog, but he said it wasn't fair; he didn't have big teeth. Stupid Torro, she thought, why was he so mean? She looked around to see if he was on the beach but there was no sign of his red bandana.

'You took long,' said Prince as she flopped down tired on the beach.

'Sorry'

'I'm going to make a start. I want a patty for my lunch. Chicken. That fisherman may be alright but what does he think I live on air?'

'You can always take from the money.'

'For you to cry in my face and say I ate your dress money? No thanks. I am a boy that can look after himself. I will meet you here at three okay?'

'Okay thanks.'

Amelia put on her dress. She didn't have a comb; her hair must look a state. Maybe she could find Peto or Raindrop to borrow one. She needed to look right. She looked around. There was no sign of Raindrop but she saw Peto talking to a woman. She went over to him. He was talking to an expensively dressed looking town woman.

'Hey Peto; can I get a loan of your comb?'

'Sure Amelia this is my friend Rosa Anne. Her friends have all gone out on a boat but she is afraid of the water so she is waiting here. She likes children and says she wants to help to stop her from being bored. Why don't you let her come with you? Amelia sells shells,' he said to the woman.

'Hello darling! Aren't you pretty!' said Rosa Anne. Are you all by yourself? I can't stand it. I literally can't stand it to think of you little loves all by yourself in the world. Do you want me to come with you? I work in a bank in the city. I know all about money.'

Amelia looked at Rosa Anne. She had on a lovely blue dress and flip flops. She had gold earrings. Amelia wasn't sure about her hard eyes and how hard she was straining to smile and didn't say anything.

'That's a great idea. Two girls together. I want to help Amelia but I am busy selling water. It is too much work for you so go with Amelia. Look Amelia, Rosa Anne gave me the new chewing gum, take one.'

Amelia took one. She had seen it on a billboard.

'I expect you need it if you don't clean your teeth do you have a toothbrush?'

Amelia shook her head feeling ashamed. She quickly combed her hair. She didn't really want to be with anyone, but at the same time she felt a bit nervous of the adult tourists sometimes, and worried about the café owner and the police.

'Okay I have to go,' she said handing the comb back to Peto

'Let's go then sweetie,' said Rosa Anne and pushed some sunglasses off her forehead. Amelia smiled at her a little unsurely and they walked up to the café. Amelia tried to make conversation about Rosa Anne's friends on the boat but she didn't reply just smiled. When they got to her usual spot Amelia put down the crate. She had put the shells inside the cloth and tied it with a knot. She undid the knot and arranged the shells.

'I normally shout "buy my shells" to the tourists. It's how I get my business. That's hat boy and that is the boy that sells friendship bracelets. We all help each other. Okay so I am going to start.'

Amelia started to shout. Rosa Anne laughed but got very serious once the tourist started to come. Unlike with Amelia, the tourists spoke much more to Rosa Anne; asking her questions about the country and places they should go and visit. Amelia listened. She would have to learn this. She got good prices for the shells; thirty to fifty coins each. Rosa Anne put the money inside the crate saying that then she could give change. Amelia told her that she wanted to buy a dress and spent a long time describing the best ones she had seen on tourists. Rosa Anne said that she would take her into town tomorrow, if she could spare a day's work, and buy one for her. Amelia could not believe her luck she hugged Rosa Anne in thanks. They sold about fifteen shells helped by Rosa Anne charming the tourists. Amelia took twenty coins and went over to Hat Boy to see if he had anymore t-shirts. She wanted to get one for Jasper and Peto, and see if he had anything for Pinky and Pearl. She asked Rosa Anne to look after the stall for a few moments. Hat Boy gave her a friendly pinch and looked to see what he had in his knapsack. He told her she shouldn't be looking after boys, they should be looking after her, but she said that they were her friends and she didn't mind. He had a little swimsuit that would fit Pinky and gave her two t-shirts and a big blue shirt. He put it in a plastic bag for her. Amelia was really happy. She wanted her friends to look nice. When she looked around, Rosa Anne was not there so she hurried back to the crate that had five shells left. She stood up and looked over to the café; maybe Rosa Anne had gone to get a drink. She had probably gone to the toilet. Amelia didn't shout but waited for the tourists to come to her. She sold a shell for twenty and the lady gave her a note. She dipped into the crate for change and realised all the money was gone. Why had Rosa Anne Taken it? Had she gone to buy bread? When she had no change the tourist said she would come back. Unhappiness showed on Amelia's face as two hours past and there was still no Rosa Anne. Amelia sold three more shells but for little money, just ten coins each. The bracelet boy noticed as she started to cry.

'What's the matter?'

'That lady said she was helping me but she took all my money.'

'Who was she?'

'I met her with a friend. Her friends have gone off on a boat and she said that she wanted to help.'

'Look there she is,' said the bracelet boy. Amelia looked and saw Rosa Anne at a bar drinking.

'I'm going to talk to her wait a minute.'

Amelia walked over to the bar

'Where is the money please? Do you have my money?'

Rosa Anne ignored Amelia and hid behind her sunglasses. Amelia asked her again and again until she was shouting. The waiter came over.

'Oh boy get rid of this beach urchin for me will you. You know what they are like when they want money,' said Rosa Anne to the waiter.

'Go away girl!' shouted the waiter and pushed Amelia away

'But she stole from me!' she wailed

'Go away and stop bothering here,' said the waiter. Amelia ran off crying back to the bracelet boy, and furiously cried into his chest.

'She stole my money. She is a rotten, rotten lady.'

'Don't worry. It's best not to deal with adults. They trick you worse than the beach kids,' he said trying to console her. She cried and cried. Some tourists came over and the Bracelet boy sold the last shells to them and gave Amelia two paper money. Amelia had a little at least and she shoved it into the back of her shorts. She was so upset that she didn't even thank the bracelet boy. She picked up the crate and the cloth and carried it to meet Prince not knowing whether or not to tell him about Rosa Anne; she felt too ashamed.

Chapter 9

Amelia should have been happy; every day she was making at least five paper money. The ocean kept on providing beautiful shells. Every day she was amazed by their colours, shapes and patterns. She was proud she could provide something so beautiful, and became more and more confident selling to tourists. She spent her money on food for her and Prince and the other children. Prince noticed that she had been looking sad, so every day he said they should have a treat: an ice-cream, a fizzy drink. Amelia was still upset by the way she had been conned by Rosa Ann. She resented the way people still called her abandoned. She didn't know how much longer she would be living in the shed for. What if Melchior came and took Prince away? What if he said she was not his family and cast her out? The fisherman had said he was kind, but could you trust adults? Look at Aunt Flo, she had said that the people on the beach were kind and there was lots of food, but many children went without. Fisherman Papa would still cook for the children, but Amelia would stop everyone from having three portions and go and look by the side of the road for more hungry children to come and share. George and Beno said she was crazy as she desperately shared out the fish. She would tell off fisherman Papa saying,

'Why don't you catch more fish? Why don't you feed all of the children on the beach every day? Why are you always laughing?

George got angry and told her not to speak to his Papa like that; he was the only one giving away something, but fisherman Papa said,

'You are right little one. I must work harder and pray for more fish for all my little fish faces. I spoke to my boss and he said I can keep your friends as long as they don't go toilet around the hut.'

'You mean Pinky and Pearl can sleep here?'

'Pinky, Pearl, you want to sleep here? He asked

The two girls shrieked and ran and hugged fisherman Papa. Jasper looked sadly at his shoes. Amelia felt bad. He probably needed a better place to sleep too.

'We have to find a place for you too Jasper,' she said

'Don't worry about me man. I don't want to smell of fish, and I like the road. I have plenty of friends with the town boys. I can never get in a fight because a town boy will always defend me.'

Amelia remembered that he sewed fishing nets.

'Hey Fisherman Papa, Jasper can sew and fix nets if yours have a tear.'

'Really little man? I can sew too, but I will share your name about to the other fishermen.'

'Thanks' said Jasper. He had on the t-shirt Amelia had given him. He had been wearing it for two weeks. Amelia always felt sad looking at jasper. He was kind of sweet and intelligent. He ought to have a Mum to look after him, and a new t-shirt every day. No matter what improvement Amelia made it was never enough. There was never enough food; their clothes always looked old compared to the tourists and town picnickers. Why were there two kinds of children: rich children and poor children? Thought Amelia. Couldn't somebody see that the children needed more? Were the people blind? Were they made of something different as they pushed you away from their children and called you abandoned?

Amelia didn't say 'thank you' to fisherman Papa for taking in Pinky and Pearl. She just started to shout at him that he would have to give them milk for their teeth. They would have to brush their teeth. Prince's fisherman had brought her a toothbrush after she told him Rosa Ann had said beach children didn't brush their teeth. She didn't tell him she had been robbed. Realising that she was shouting and spoiling the fish feast, she walked outside to calm down. She really had a jealousy for the Fisherman Papa. He could sing and dance and make jokes and was always smiling. Amelia just felt sad and low. She could never imagine singing anymore. In the city with her grandmother she had been quite quiet and lonely. Her grandmother hadn't let her play with other children as she said that there would be too much mischief and she was too old for that. Sometimes there was a school in a church, but it was only for two hours. Amelia spent too much time listening to make friends. She wanted to be able to read. She had heard people cursing other people as stupid for not being able to read the paper.

Amelia went back inside and thanked the fisherman. He thanked her for bringing new fish to see him. There were about twenty new children eating fish. Their eyes were shining as they ate it. They had all recently arrived. One of them cried that his mother had died, and Fisherman Papa hugged him and told him his mother was an angel looking down at him. Everyone began to tell sad stories and the mood saddened. Fisherman Papa went outside and put up two sticks and an old piece of net.

'Come on everybody! Outside, Volleyball!' he said and started to throw a ball into the air. The children came outside and he showed them how to play. At first, Amelia didn't join in thinking she would be too bad at hitting the ball with her hands, but Prince, who had come to the feast, joined in and pulled her in to the game. Amelia ran and hit the ball. Fisherman Papa clapped. She hit the ball every time and started to enjoy herself with all the other children.

When the game was over, Fisherman Papa said,

'You will all remember this party on the beach. You have sad memories, but you have to live for the day. Those rich children you all want to be like, do you think they had as much fun as us today?'

All the children shook their heads and smiled at each other.

'Tomorrow we will hear the greatest musician in the country. The great Star-Strummer! He is from a village near mine. Not many people know of him yet, but when he plays the guitar, you have to dance!'

'I can't imagine dancing to a guitar,' said Peto

'Yeah what is that? I dance to Reggae, Soca or Pop. Who dances to guitars?' said Beno

'You will see. It is not just him; he has someone playing percussion, shaking it making you go crazy; someone playing the trumpet like salsa! It will be a treat not to be missed. I will be on the boat so I will not see him until later, but you should all go and dance, be happy, forget sadness. He is playing up near the hotel. Don't forget his name; Star Strummer. Speak to him and tell him fisherman Papa sent you.'

Amelia looked at Prince

'You going?' she asked him

'I only like rap, not some old thing,' said Prince.

They got ready to go and meet their fisherman back at the hut. She watched Jasper sadly walk to the road. She would have to see if she could help him. There were a lot of huts just quiet and empty near theirs. She had tried asking their fisherman if more children could stay, but he just shook his head. Maybe she could find another hut owner to help. She would keep some shells as presents, or buy friendship bracelets from her friends as offerings to the hut owners if she saw them. Some of the older boys of thirteen or fourteen turned mean and joined gangs because there was no one else to look out for them. Amelia wouldn't like this to happen to Jasper. There was Peto too, always so cheerful. She began to feel sad again that the world here was not kind to all the children. Sometimes all kinds of mad and dangerous people would try to hurt them. Who was in charge? Why didn't they change it? She didn't even want to be rich anymore if everybody else couldn't be rich too. Thinking like this made her head hurt. She was a bit thirsty so she told Prince that she was going to get water before night. She walked to the tap, pausing to speak with Raindrop who was looking after five little toddlers she had found abandoned on the beach. She said that she had been saving up to go and visit her husband as she wanted to go back to sleeping in a bed, but she kept finding these little toddlers all alone. They were so adorable she stopped, and paid them attention, and bought them some milk. She couldn't stand to see the hollowing in of their eyes and cheeks. Amelia cuddled one, a little coffee skinned boy with spiky black Indian hair standing on end. It was strange but Raindrop seemed happier than she had ever seen her as she sang and chatted to the little ones, but it made Amelia feel sad. She told Raindrop she was off to buy water, and offered to bring some back for her. Nearby she saw Melons so she called out to him, and he came bringing melon for all the little ones who showed smiled showing off their pearly little teeth.

'How is your shop?' asked Melons as he was leaving.

'Oh I am doing big time at my shop making lots of dollars!' she shouted back. She smiled as she walked off, but then she felt a firm arm grab hers.

'If you are making a lot of dollars, then surely this is against the law. The council does not know of any such shop. You are Amelia who sells seashells, you told me this yourself.' Said the policeman who she had spoken to at the tap

Amelia looked into the policeman's face, afraid. What if he was going to throw her in jail?

'If I told the council you could go to prison where it is very dark and dangerous. Let me think, shall I tell them?'

'Please don't tell them Sir, I am not a criminal. It's just I need the money for food, and I give food to all the children,' she begged.

'If you have money to give away, you can give money to me. I have a system; I usually take fifty percent from traders to avoid trouble. So I will come and see you, and you will give me half of what you make.'

Amelia felt furious, but afraid of the big Policeman. She said nothing.

'If you would prefer jail, I can arrange that tonight,' he said menacingly.

'No Sir, I will give you the fifty percent,' she said.

'Good. I will come tomorrow. Don't try, and tell anyone or you will be in the worst jail with the rats.'

He let her go. She felt devastated, and quickly ran to the tap. She felt so bad that she did not even feel like telling her problem to Raindrop or Prince, but kept it bottled inside, hoping it would go away.

Chapter 10

Prince didn't want to wake up the day after the feast. The fisherman asked him repeatedly to start waking up and getting ready, but he just moaned.

'What is the matter Prince, we have to go now.'

'Why do we have to go? Why is he so mean? I don't feel like seeing people today. I wish I was with my mother. She would let me sleep; bring me fruit in bed, give me cartoons to read.'

'Come on prince that was the past. We have to keep going.'

'But if this is my great grandfather's hut, why can't I stay here. I don't want to see people today. I don't want nobody looking down on me. My other grandfather who died, he had the best farm in the village. There I was a prince. Who am I here? Prince nothing.'

'Hey Prince, Less of the talk; time to get moving,' said the fisherman

'Why can't I stay here? I have a stomach ache,' asked Prince

'You don't know pirates. If they come here to try to seize the hut, you couldn't defend it. It's better that it stays locked. Here, here are some ten coins to buy bread.'

'I'm tired of bread. My mother used to cook me eggs.'

'Don't worry Prince. This week we will see your great grandfather and you will live like a prince once again. Now come on.'

'Come on Prince. I'm not even going to sell today. I'm going to see Star Strummer.' said Amelia, who had decided she didn't want to meet the policeman at all.

'That sounds boring. I want the new Cola Champ ice lolly. All the tourists are eating it. My mother would have bought me that straight away.'

'Your mother lost you. Think only of yourself now.'

'That's not true,' said Prince and kicked out at the fisherman.

'That's enough. You are not my son, yet I give you money for bread. I don't even know if you are really Melchior's family, but I took you in. Now get out. I have to start. I cannot lose my livelihood because of a child feeling sorry for themself.'

He opened the door and pushed them out. Prince was crying to himself. Amelia felt embarrassed. She had never seen him show emotion. When they got outside he flung himself down on the sand and wouldn't move.

'Come on, let's go and buy bread. I am hungry, 'said Amelia pulling at his arm, but Prince didn't want to move.

'You don't even have a mother so you don't know what it's like to miss her,' Prince said.

Amelia felt a surge of rage go through her. She felt she would scream at Prince. Instead she said,

'I must have had a mother that is why I am alive and so good. Do you see me sitting down and crying like some of those children? No I am working, and if you are just going to moan I am going.'

'You don't have nobody. Everybody left you; you are just a street rat an old lady took in. Now you have no cage, and the rat catchers are looking for you.'

Amelia strode off. She didn't care about going to get bread. She was hungry, but Prince had touched a nerve. She had often stood on the street in the city watching women. Was one of them her mother? Did she have the same eyes? Was she a hairdresser who had lost her, and when she found her she would put her hair in pretty plaits and ribbons? Did she not come for her because she was dead? She couldn't bear to think of her in a grave in the earth with worms crawling on her. She had to be alive, and one day they would meet.

Amelia felt tears coming out of her eyes. She had not had these thoughts for years. Her grandmother was so sweet to her, she was all she needed, and she had come to be satisfied with her. She knew if she thought about it she would just cry, and this either made people upset or angry with you. At any rate, it took you to a sad frustrating place where there were no answers. To stop thinking about it Amelia started to skip and sing to herself. She was going to see the music. She was going to dance. She was going to forget about making money for the day. She was hungry and shouldn't go without food though; so she thought about who would buy her bread. There was Peto, but he was quite poor. Maybe she could make do with a bit of melon. Looking around for Melons, she thought of Hat Boy. He worried when he didn't see her. Maybe she should go and see him and tell him that she wasn't going to sell today and ask him to borrow money for bread. She skipped over to the café and found him.

'Hey, Hat Boy! I'm not working today. I am going to dance to Star Strummer.'

'Hey Amelia you act like rich people: not working. You are going to dance? That is good. You need to look more fancy. Let me see if I have a scarf. You can tie it around your waist. You should have some earrings and a fancy skirt. You still didn't get no other clothes?

Amelia still had on the shorts and t-shirt he had given her.

'No I kept my money for food. Speaking of which, I got annoyed with Prince and didn't have bread. Can you lend me until tomorrow?'

'Sure okay, but what did you get annoyed with Prince for? You two are like family. You shouldn't argue.'

'He was crying for his mother, and said I didn't have a mother. So how was I born then, if I didn't have a mother?

'Everybody gets the blues sometimes. Did you say you were sorry for him?'

'No. I just walked off.'

'Amelia, you have a bad temper. It will get you in trouble. That is your best friend. You are supposed to care for him.'

'Well he didn't care about me.'

'Tut, tut. You have to make it up.

'Later, after I see Star Strummer. Prince doesn't like guitar, only rap music.'

'Here Amelia, here is a few ten coins.'

'I will give them back to you tomorrow.'

'No problem. I will miss you.'

'Come and see Star Strummer.'

'If I make enough I will come.'

'Thanks Hat boy. Tell bracelet boy to come too. It's by the hotel.'

'Okay. You have fun.'

Amelia felt good with the orange scarf tied round her waist. It stopped her from looking like an ordinary abandoned. She went up to the bread shack and queued for bread. She looked around for Prince, but didn't see him. Maybe she should have been less selfish and consoled him. He only had the fisherman, and he hardly talked or felt sorry for you, he was a kind of closed up, cold person. At the same time, Prince had made her feel sad. It was a code amongst the children that you didn't tell someone their mother didn't care for them, or they were no good because they didn't have a mother. You just didn't talk about the past: you lived for the moment and tried to make each other feel happy. Amelia still felt a sadness that Prince had said she didn't have a mother because she liked to keep the dream of a mother being out there, it kept her going. In the dream her mother had a face. She wondered if this was her real mother in a memory. Her grandmother had had no photos of her. She felt herself dissolving into a sad blues. She quickened her pace, and tried to make these thoughts fly away like a flock of seagulls after a kid had thrown a stone at them. She looked toward the hotel; it was a little way off, beyond the tap. When she was walking, she saw the ragged man who had clapped her when she got up after she had fallen down.

'Hey hey! You look like a Queen with that scarf around your waist. Where are you going?'

He said.

'I'm going to see the music up at the hotel.'

'Dance yourself happy. I am too old to dance now, 'he said with sadness.

'You are not too old. You look fine. You should go too.'

'Maybe I will, maybe,' he said, and she walked on feeling better. Her grandmother had had a radio that she used to put on, on a Saturday night, and Amelia used to dance to it. There was a carnival once a year through the streets, and she would watch how the people danced. Often there were special dances for special songs. Her favourite was one that was called 'The Chilli Song' that sang about the town being as hot as chilli. When the man sang this part, the dancers at the carnival had all jumped from foot to foot and waved their hands in the air. In town Amelia wasn't allowed friends. Her grandmother was suspicious of everybody. However, the neighbouring children would always wave to her and sometimes they would do the chilli dance in the street.

There was a big queue for the tap, as usual. Amelia was thirsty from the bread so stood in line. She had a ten coin left, and there was a little abandoned girl in front of her with some bottles.

'Here, I will give you a ten coin for a bottle,' Amelia said. She couldn't be bothered to go and find her own bottle.

'A whole ten coin! I can buy something for me. It is never my turn. I am here with my brother. It is always his turn. Here, take this big one. There's a top too.' She gave Amelia the bottle. She had sad eyes. Amelia couldn't stand the deep sadness of them. She gave the girl the coin then gave her a hug, but the sadness didn't go away.

'Hey, you know the chilli song?' Amelia asked the girl. The girl smiled and nodded

'This town is hot like chilli!' Shouted Amelia, and danced in front of the little girl who smiled. A man standing in front looked at her and sang,

'This town is hot like...' Another man sang,

'Chilli!' and soon all the queue was singing the chilli song and laughing. The policeman that had told Amelia that no-one was looking for her looked on. 'Good,' thought Amelia, 'he is jealous. He wants us all to be miserable, and just the people with money to be happy.' The little girl had reached the front of the queue, and was filling her bottles.

'Don't stop singing. Sing it again!' she said so Amelia sang it a bit more and waved her arms. The little girl laughed.

'Don't lose your money. Go to the green bread shack, his stuff is the best value for money. Anytime you see me, you can ask me for bread. Remember.'

The little girl kissed Amelia, and this lit her up inside. She was a good person, she could sell and be useful and help others. She gave the little girl a hug and then filled up the bottle. She started to hear some noise coming from the hotel then a melody played on a guitar. Everybody at the tap, who had been singing bits of popular songs loudly, hushed up. Some started to exclaim as if they were praying about the beauty of the music. Amelia picked up her bottle and walked towards the melody. It was everything she had felt that day, happy and sad. There was a big crowd outside the hotel. It was mainly ragged people and town people. Amelia pushed her way to the front to look at Star Strummer. He was a little short man the colour of a cappuccino. He had dancing starry eyes, and his dark hair was in a plait down his back. There was a man playing bongo drums, another man with a guitar, and another with a trumpet and flute. The man with the bongos also had shack-shack percussion, and was shaking something furiously to create a rhythm. They all struck up a melody together. It was so sweet to the ears. Star Strummer stepped forward and said,

'Welcome West Beach! I am going to make you dance for me today! I am going to make you feel like you are special. This party is just for you. I could play for some rich people down at Kings Moorings, but I want to play for real people, real people who can dance. Nobody can dance like West beach people. Am I wrong?'

'No!' shouted the crowd and he began to play and sing. Amelia wasn't sure of what the dance was so looked around at the other people. They were making little steps from one foot to the other, walking backwards and forwards, and making little circular motions with their hands at their sides. Amelia copied, she thought the song was quite calm, about the town Star Strummer was from, but then he went into a chorus, and really sang his heart out. Amelia felt her heart beat extra fast. It was amazing that music could do that to you. Star Strummer stopped singing, and the trumpeter picked up the tune. Star Strummer walked into the crowd and held his hand out and pulled someone to dance with him. Amelia was amazed to see that it was Raindrop in her usual long tunic. She felt proud and like Star Strummer even more. There were a lot of younger prettier girls in short fashion clothes that wanted to dance with him, but he had chosen Raindrop. The crowd looked puzzled, but then Raindrop started to do some very fancy footwork, and they clapped her. Amelia clapped hard and smiled, Raindrop looked really happy. The crowd began to grow and everybody danced as Star Strummer didn't stop singing his beautiful songs about the ups and downs of life. Peto, George and Beno arrived with Pinky and Pearl, and hugged Amelia they all started to dance together. Star Strummer would talk to the crowd in between songs, saying that West Beach people were beautiful people, don't let anyone put them down; they were the best crowd he had had; he couldn't stop singing just to make them happy.

Amelia forgot everything and danced. She wished that Prince would come, but she didn't want to leave the music for one minute to go and look for him. She was spinning round faster and faster, when she felt a hand grab her, and she saw it was Star Strummer.

'I love this girl dancer! I want a daughter like her. Everybody watch how she dances.' He shouted. Amelia felt embarrassed, but carried on dancing and the crowd clapped her. Raindrop came over to her and hugged her, and they swayed together for the next two songs. Star Strummer then said that there was going to be a break for lunch, and everybody fell down on the ground worn out with dancing. Peto rushed up to the band with bottles of water, and was bursting with pride as they thanked him. The trumpeter came over to Amelia and Raindrop. He took off his cap, and said he need people to collect money for the band, they should do it for them as they were such special ladies.

'Please give what you can to the band. Not you West Beach people, you are good as you are, any town people. Please give anything to these two ladies with the hat.'

Raindrop and Amelia took the hat and went round the crowd stopping at the town people in their cotton shirts and flowery dresses. They dropped a few coins into the hat and smiled. Today all people were one. Star Strummer had done what Amelia longed for, he had stopped people from being mean to each other, for that she loved him, and didn't want the day to end.

Chapter 11

Star Strummer must be some kind of magician, Amelia thought. She had not stopped dancing and partying all day. Town people put her on their shoulders and spun her around; suddenly she was not lower than them. Tourists had come over to hear the music, and clapped Amelia and her friends' dancing. One tourist was eating chips and Pearl had cheekily asked him for one. He had given her five paper money to buy some, and so her and Pinky and Peto had gone off to get them. They had asked Amelia, but she didn't want to leave the music. Fisherman Papa had come and Star Strummer waved at him. He sang a special song for him about a fisherman falling in love with a mermaid. Fisherman Papa took turns lifting up George and Beno all though he was often distracted by women coming over to kiss him. Amelia asked George if they were his girlfriends. George said they weren't. They were just women from the town who sometimes sold in the market where he sold his fish. He said when they were pregnant Fisherman Papa would give them free fish to make their babies strong. Amelia liked this story. She looked at all the women. They were so pretty with their hair worn into sleek ponytails, their shiny hoop earrings and their splash of make-up. She wondered if she would look like this when she was older. She wouldn't like to be poor and not have enough to feed herself and her baby. She would need a rich husband or to have a shop like the fisherman from the hut said

Star Strummer kept saying,

'This is the last song for today,' but the crowd would not allow it and whistled and called out, 'More! More!' and begged him to play on. It was late afternoon and the sun had stopped burning so hard. The music somehow made everything seem beautiful again: the castle in the background, the old yellow Spanish cottages, the roofs and spires of the town, the gentle lapping of the sea. Amelia felt free of all worries as she arched her back and danced her hands above her head the same way she had seen the women dance.

At the end of the song, Star Strummer said they were going to play at the next town for the evening, and gave a bow, then put down his guitar. The crowd clapped, and clapped and surrounded him. Amelia felt sad that the day was over. She hadn't liked anyone as much as she liked Star Strummer and his band for ages. They were so special. She didn't want to go back to the everyday struggle of life on the beach. She looked down. Raindrop came up to her and said,

'Amelia! Why are you looking so sad? Didn't you enjoy yourself dancing?'

'Yes I want to be a dancer now, a dancer for Star Strummer.'

'He asked me to come to Island View where they are playing tonight. Do you want to come? We can go there with the band in their truck.'

'Raindrop I want to. Please, please take me.'

'Come. I think they are getting ready, come with me.'

Amelia sat in the back of the truck with the band and Raindrop. The trumpet player was driving. Raindrop had told Star Strummer that she was bringing Amelia to help collect money. He had asked her if Amelia was her daughter and Raindrop had given her a look, and said,

'No, but she is like my daughter. All the beach children can come to me if they are sad.'

'Bring her, bring her; your daughter is my daughter,' he said, and pulled her into the back of the truck.

Amelia could tell that Raindrop liked Star Strummer. She spoke to him for ages about how she loved all the poor children. Amelia thought that she was not really lying, she was a kind person. Star Strummer asked Raindrop if Amelia was abandoned, and she said she was. Star Strummer called Amelia a 'Poor little Angel,' and then started to talk angrily about people who abandon their children.

'How much is milk? Just five coins. Anybody can go and clean a house and make two paper money, and so have money for their child. How much is bread? How much is sardines? These women, they would rather sit in a hairdressers like a pack of sardines than find where their children are. Anything could happen to this girl on the beach, anything. Girl is your mother dead? How else could she not love you? Look at your eyes, as beautiful as the lakes of the Blue Peak region. Look at your smile! You could still smile. These parents they leave their children on the street and their smile and their laugh disappears, they never get it back'

Amelia blurted out,

'It is not my mother's fault. My mother loved me.'

'So why are you alone? You must promise me you will grow up and be good, and when you have a child you will not leave her.'

Amelia nodded and said,

'My grandmother died. It is not my family's fault.'

Star Strummer threw her a pack of bubble gum and continued his talk with Raindrop. He spoke for about an hour about how bad people where to abandon children; he mocked the people of several areas, people from gangs, people who sold themselves to the Indigo men that made you work to pay off your debts that Prince had spoken about. Amelia thought that Star Strummer was a bit hard on people. She had never blamed anyone. He spoke as if the children should hate their families for abandoning them, as if their families were evil, not just poor. Raindrop tried to argue that it was not people's fault, mostly they were young and poor. Star Strummer objected saying he had seen men who had abandoned their children on the street wearing designer clothes instead of feeding their kids. He said some of them just left their wives for other women and forgot about their children. The Bongo man shook his head and said,

'Star Strummer, you have no love for the people. It is the Government's fault.'

Star Strummer said,

'If the people have no love, how can I have love for them? I am a realist, and don't talk about the government or you could end up in jail.'

'Come on man; look at the upper town where the government meets. Look at their big cars. How come they don't share the money better? Why are there no orphanages? They can spend billions on sports stadiums, but they don't care about children dying on the street, living on the street exposed to all kind of murderers and monsters.'

'Don't speak about the Government again! If you do me and you are through!' shouted Star Strummer at the man. There was silence as they drove on. Star Strummer got a call on his mobile and spoke animatedly to someone. Raindrop spoke to the Bongo player,

'Why is he so touchy?' she asked

'About a year ago we gave a concert and we all said that the country should be fairer, not so many poor people, the rich should help. We said that it was time for the government to make a change. Anyway, it was at a university, and all the students started to cheer and shout. Then they went and marched on the town hall and demanded more for the poor. Anyway, the Mayor didn't like it and we were arrested for starting trouble. It was hell. We were in jail for a month. Star Strummer, he acts like he likes the poor, but he wanted to get married to this rich girl, but because he got in trouble, her father didn't let her. He is still mad about it'

'Can you really go to jail for just that?' asked Amelia. She knew poor people went to jail a lot. It was why her grandmother didn't let her have any friends: she was frightened that she would get in trouble.

'Why do you think there is no change? People are frightened to talk.'

Amelia felt sad. She looked around at the fields where people were working. Maybe her parents were like Prince's working in the fields somewhere. She wouldn't care if they were poor, she would still love them.

'Hey don't look sad,' said the Bongo man, and took out his percussion shaker. He began to sing a song about a snake that thought it was King of the Jungle. He made a funny 'Sss-ing' sound that made Amelia laugh. All the other animals were friends, but the snake always told them hurtful things that he was going to eat their children. They warned each other of danger. One day a fierce crocodile came up the river and all the animals warned each other to flee. The snake didn't want any part of their chatter and the crocodile ate him up. The Bongo man made a snapping movement with his hands. Raindrop clapped and said

'This is how we have to comment, in our country, by telling tales. You see the government is like the snake. It doesn't want to listen.'

Amelia thought she understood, but wasn't sure.

When they got to the next town which was a quiet place with hardly any ragged people, they stopped the truck in front of a bar.

'Here, this is the bar of my good friend where we will play. Eat whatever you want.'

He jumped out from the back of the truck and was met by the bar-owner he came and hugged him. Amelia and raindrop got out and Star Strummer gestured them towards a table where they sat. Amelia's knees trembled. She had never sat at a restaurant table before. Suddenly she needed to go to the toilet very fast. She told Raindrop who took her quickly. The toilet was beautifully clean, not like the ones on the beach which smelt bad, and were often blocked up. There was beautiful smelling soap near the sink, and Amelia washed herself. She had missed soap.

'Have you finished smelling salty like a sardine, and now you want to smell like a princess? Asked Raindrop. Amelia smiled and dried her hands on the hand towels. She tried to fold up five to put in her pack pocket, but they were a bit bulging, she always needed tissues, but never had.

Back at the table there was a basket of bread. The Bongo Man ordered Amelia a coke from the waiter who smiled at her. Not like the waiter at the café on the beach who had called her abandoned, or the one with Rosa- Anne who had made her go away. The bread smelt lovely and was soft and there was butter. The coke was cold with ice and lemon. Amelia normally only had coke cola on her birthdays with her grandmother. It got better: soon plates of grilled chicken and chips were brought over. Amelia felt guilty thinking of Prince. She had not told him where she was going or when she would be back. She didn't know when she would be back. She shared her worries with Raindrop.

'Girl, the last thing you need to do in life is worry about a man. Feel free! You are young! You don't owe him anything. I see you, every day you work. You are your own woman.'

The Bongo man piled chicken and chips onto Amelia's plate. She bit into the chicken. It was heaven. She ate and ate until she forgot all her troubles. She was definitely going to save up all her money and take her friends for a chicken feast. Star Strummer took hold of her hand, and said he was so glad he could feed her, she would help him. He said that she could follow them everywhere and dance. He would teach her to sing, and she would become a great legend and travel all over the world. Amelia felt as if her heart would burst out of her chest. Maybe this was her destiny. She could be like one of those singers whose posters were all over the city, who were always on the radio.

It was around eight when Star Strummer and the band began to play. Once again, Amelia was transported by the songs and the melodies. She forgot everything and just shook and jumped about. When it came to a break in the melody she went around with the hat with Raindrop, amazed by the paper money falling into the cap. The town was pretty with flowered baskets hanging all around. There were many palms decorating the street, unusual types, which Amelia had never seen before with red leaves. The crowd that came were smart. The women wore fancy shawls around dresses; the men wore hats, striped t-shirts or cotton shirts and trousers not shorts. The Bongo man had said the town was wealthy as there were lots of factories nearby it. He said the area was run by Don Oro, son of Don Oro who was one of the richest men in the country. Don Oro was a kind of legend, but nobody knew who he really was, nobody saw him. Amelia remembered the name; it was the rich man her grandmother had said had given her flowers. Maybe she would meet him, and he would help her be rich; maybe after she was a singer. Bongo man said all the people worked in the factories so had money. He said that the Police here were mean though: if they saw a ragged person they would put him in jail for begging or force them out of the town, even children. Amelia had cleaned her shoes with a tissue, and had asked Raindrop to comb her hair before the music started. Raindrop combed it into a pretty French braid. Amelia looked at herself in the toilet mirror, and fell in love with her own image. She decided that she was definitely not going to be ragged when she was older. She looked far better than a girl who had to sleep in a fishing shack on a beach and trade for money. She looked like one of those girls she had seen in the city near the cathedral, with a white dress and a doll, who lived in the big houses with the gardens. Maybe she hadn't met the Prince her grandmother had spoken about yet. Maybe he was one of those children that came to beach with his nanny, who lived in a big house. Maybe he would like her and his family would take her to live with them in their house with the swimming pool.

After she had collected the money, Amelia joined the crowd and danced to the other songs. Star Strummer sang from his heart about how he loved his people, how he loved all the little children who 'watched him with their eyes making star trails in his world.'

Raindrop was not dancing wildly as she had done on the beach, and had made friends with a serious looking man with a hat who bought her wine. When Amelia went over to her she shooed her away to go and dance. She was sitting very upright and fluttering her eyelashes a lot. Amelia later saw her get up and go to the toilet so she followed her

'Who is that man?'

'He is a farmer, his wife died and he is looking for a housekeeper. Oh Amelia, it is so good, he has offered me the job. I will go with him tonight. I will have a home with a bathroom and television.'

'But what about the band, aren't you coming with us on the tour?'

'No I am way too old for that sort of thing really. Aren't you glad for me?'

Amelia tried not to look sad; she knew this was what Raindrop had wanted. She gave her a hug and told her that she would miss her.

'I will come and see you on the beach on my day off,' she said

'But I might not be there, I might be a great singer with Star Strummer,' Amelia replied, though saying it out loud made it seem unreal, not how it had all seemed before. She had imagined doing a concert on the beach when she was famous and buying everybody chicken.

Feeling a bit sad and moody about Raindrop going Amelia sat down on a stool without dancing. The waiter saw her and bought her a coke and some peanuts. Amelia smiled. Raindrop came over and hugged her goodbye, and Amelia tried not to cry.

The bar got more and more crowded, and Amelia was carried about by the crowd in a mad dance for about an hour. She did not realise until the band started to play some slow numbers that she was tired and felt her eyelids drooping. She nearly fell over. She went to the waiter and asked him what time it was finishing, and he said very late, maybe all night. She told him she was tired and needed to sleep. He put his hand on his lip, thinking, then gestured her to come with him. He led her through the kitchen to a linen room with a washing machine in. He put a blanket down on the floor, and told her she could rest there. Amelia could not think about anything except sleeping, and lay down on the blanket, and went out like a light.

Chapter 12

Amelia stumbled down the stone streets. It was only seven o'clock, but the sun seemed to be extra hot. She was walking determinedly towards the castle. It was only in the next village to where the band had played. The band, what fakes they turned out to be.

She had woken in the laundry room at about five. She had got up and gone to the kitchen for a drink of water, her mouth was dry and her throat was sore from shouting and singing. She went into the bar and looked for Star Strummer and the other guys, but there was no one there. She thought they must have gone to a hotel, and would be back to pick her up. She went to the door of the bar to look for them outside, but it was locked. The bar was still a mess from the night before with glasses everywhere. The carpet on the floor was dirty and littered. The best thing to do, she decided, was to clean herself up before they came. She went into the bathroom and washed her face in the delicious smelling soap. How bad her life had become, that she had had no soap. Her t-shirt still smelt like the ocean, and it was a delicious smell too. She did not hate the ocean that had fed her with its fish, or the beach that had provided her with lots of fish faced friends. She took off her t-shirt and shorts and washed all over. She washed her pants with soap and rinsed them out and put them back on. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a bit wild, but she had no comb. She undid the plait and did it back up. This was the start of a new life. She was going to become a singer, loved by the whole country. She could dance as well. There were not many people who could sing and dance. She clicked her fingers above her head and did a dance in front of the mirror. She was definitely something else, she decided. She pushed open the door pleased by the soapy scent she smelt of. She was hungry. She wondered if she could find any bread in the kitchen, she was sure they wouldn't mind, they were Star Strummer's best friends, and she was with the band. She went into the kitchen and opened some of the cupboard doors looking. There were all kinds of tins and huge packets of rice and pasta. She should tell Star Strummer that his friend should take some food to West Beach for the children. She couldn't find any bread, but found some biscuits, and took out a handful. She opened a big fridge and saw a big plate of fruit, papaya, mango, grapes, all cut into chunks. She lifted out the plate and put it on the table. She loved fruit.

Amelia was tucking into the fruit and biscuits when she found she was being grabbed by the shoulder

'But who is this? A rat? Out, out, now, before I call the police.'

Amelia looked up to see a red faced fat man

'But sir, I am with Star Strummer. I am with the band. I am Amelia. I am just waiting for him.'

'I will not have a rat urchin in my bar get out!' he shouted

'But I am waiting for Star Strummer'

'He went last night.'

'But he will be looking for me. He said I was going to be his singer.'

'Little girl, you must not believe fantasy. Do you think Star Strummer cares about some beach urchin? Is that where you are from the beach?'

Amelia nodded

'Well you can get back there. We don't like Street urchins in our bar. Your band look what they have done to my bar, look at the floor, it is like a load of pigs has been here.'

'But sir he meant it, about me being a singer. I collect money for the band.'

The man paid no head and marched Amelia to the door. He unlocked it and threw her on the street, slammed the door and locked it afterwards.

'Another disappointing set of grown-ups, thought Amelia, 'another insult.' She folded her arms and scowled, but she did not feel like crying. No-one was going to make her cry ever, ever again. Maybe Star Strummer was still here, but the car she had come in had gone. She was going to have to accept it, and when she was a great singer and they interviewed her and asked if she knew Star Strummer, she would say,' who?'

How was she going to get back to West Beach? She thought of Prince. She wanted to see him and tell him all about how she had been betrayed. Raindrop had gone too, but at least she had said goodbye. Then she looked up from the ground she had been staring at and saw the castle to the right, near enough to walk to. Maybe this was meant to happen, and she would finally find her luck. She was glad that she had run into a good shoe man as the road was hot and hard, she would never be able to walk there in slippers or flip flops. She suddenly felt happy. She dug her hands into her pockets and whistled the chilli song. As she walked, it became clear that it was longer than she thought. Open trucks of workers whizzed by some of them shouted hello to her and this cheered her up. The road narrowed out and she came to a junction. One way led behind the castle to a village, the other was a rough path that seemed to lead to the castle itself. She decided on the rough coastal path. The sun was making her tired and she felt thirsty. She had a flash of doubt. What if she got to the castle and it all went wrong, they told her to go, and she was stuck with no water. She thought of her grandmother, she was hard, but what a sweet person. She could not be wrong about her meeting a prince. She carried on, falling a couple of times from the rough stones. Her knee spilled blood when she fell and she had to try and clean it with a leaf.

Eventually Amelia reached the castle. Her heart had been falling as she approached it as she realised it was virtually a ruin. There was no glass in the windows and the whole place seemed deserted. She walked up to it, and saw there was a little fenced off bit at the back with steam coming through the windows, but it hardly looked grand. She went through the huge stone door of the main entrance. Inside was majestic but eerie. A bird had got inside through an open window and was flying angrily around an iron ceiling decoration that must have once held a chandelier. The whole place was bare. It must have once been beautiful: there was a worn mosaic floor and ornate but crumbling pillars. At least it was cool. Amelia sat down on some steps that were at the base of a window that looked out to the sea. What had happened to the King and Queen that lived here? Maybe that was why the people were suffering, because they had no King. Or maybe the King and Queen had been too mean and wanted too much money for themselves, and the people had made them go. Maybe she would just live here, be the Queen of the Castle. Who was going to tell her to go? She wanted water, she was so hot. This wasn't what happened in her dream. In her dream the castle was full of children and there would be a banquet feast to which she was invited. A lizard ran on the floor over her shoe and she screamed. The bird squawked loudly, and managed to find its way out of the window. She put her head in her hands and cried; sometimes she just wanted someone to look after her, someone to take her home, someone to get her some water. She was tired of doing it all for herself. Was it going to be like this for the rest of her life? The sobs came thick and hard, but she didn't care. She had thought she was never going to cry again, but that was not true. She thought that she should walk back, and try and get a lift back to West beach, but she had no energy. She just rocked and cried, and looked at the ceiling until she fell asleep there on the steps near an old cannon pointed out to the sea.

'What is the matter?'

Amelia was roused by this voice speaking to her. It sounded kind and elegant. She didn't want to open her eyes and look. She couldn't bear another let down, she kept her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep. She just didn't want to know another lying grown-up who pretended to be your friend and then double crossed you.

'Hey, hey, it's alright. I am not going to hurt you. I heard you crying. I live here in the castle. This is my castle. I don't want any people to be sad here.'

Amelia opened one eye and stared at the person speaking to her. It was a man with beautiful kind eyes and a smiley little face. He was a dwarf, smaller than Amelia herself in an elegant tailored shirt and trousers and intricately woven leather sandals. Amelia smiled at him. He wasn't a story book prince but he had a kind presence like Raindrop, someone who looked like they would help her.

'Who are you?' she said

'I am Don Oro. Who are you?'

'Are you the Don Oro?'

'That depends what you mean?'

'Are you Don Oro that owns West Beach and all the factories?'

'That is me. Who are you?'

Amelia sat up and brushed herself off. What a tale this would be, that she had met Don Oro himself.

'I am Amelia. I was from the City, but my grandmother died, and now I live on West Beach with my friend Prince. I sell sea shells.'

'Oh what a pleasure to meet you. So why are you here and why are you so sad? Teardrops are unlucky for me.'

'Do you have any water? I keep feeling thirsty and crying, and the more I cry, the thirstier I get.'

'Come with me, come. Do not be afraid.'

Amelia followed Don Oro out of the castle main door to the back where she had seen the steam. He led her through a gate in the fence that had been locked to a little side door in a building that looked more like a chapel. He opened a door and led her in. Inside was very homely. There were lots of paintings of fruit and birds on the walls and sofas draped with greeny-blue embroidered cloths. He told her to sit on the sofa next to a sleeping puppy. She sat down and started playing with it, it was adorable. Don Oro came back with a glass of water which he gave to Amelia.

'I like your paintings,' she said.

'Thank you. I painted them myself. That is what I do here.'

Amelia drank and tried to stop herself from speaking too much and too insistently about all the things she wanted to say.

'What do you think of West Beach?'

'I have not been there for twenty years since my father died. It broke my heart.'

'What do you mean? You must come to West Beach and help the children. You are Don Oro. You could make it safe for the children.'

'I was living in the country with my mother, but when my father died he left me in charge of this area. I thought a lot about West Beach. I was going to build a lot of chalets for all the people to live in, build new facilities for the fisherman, and expand the trade in the port. I went to West beach to meet the Mayor and the local business owners, but when I came they said,

'Ah someone from the circus. I tried to talk to them seriously, but they picked me up and started throwing me backwards and forth. They were very cruel and called me many bad names. I fled here to the castle and never went back. Most of the time I spend with my brother in the country. He is tall, not like me, but he does not have my brain, and also he is blind He cannot manage all the factory accounts. My father always thought of me as a joke, he didn't send me to school, but I looked at my brother's books, I have three brothers. When my father came to test them on maths I shouted out the answers. Surprised, he tested me on the most difficult sums he could think of, and I got them all right. I have a brilliant memory. At a young age I started to read his business accounts, and soon took over from his accountant. He left all his businesses to me, saying my brothers just like wine and boats. But West Beach. I hate it. At the beach there were a whole crowd of people jeering and laughing at me. I said,' 'I am Don Oro's son, Don Oro. I am here to bring change. I am the new owner, but they just laughed and taunted me. They did not believe me.'

Don Oro looked sad like he would cry. His voice was all choked up.

'Don Oro, they were ignorant people. I am so sorry, but you must not let them stop you. It must be a sign that I have come here. You are a good man, you are not like the Mayor, and you can help us. We want to go to school, we want milk.'

Don Oro put his head in his hands

'I am so sorry I am a coward. I just can't stand taunting about my size. I have a man who works for me who does all my business. No one knows who I am. I will tell him to come to the beach.'

'But you must come yourself, come with me. The people I know are kind; I will introduce you to them.'

'I do not leave here. I am happy with my painting. I don't like to feel sad. After they taunted me I was so sad I nearly swam out to sea and never came back, and I owe my mother more than that.'

There was silence for a while. Amelia could not help smiling at Don Oro's face. It was so kind.

'My grandmother used to live in West Beach when she was a child, that is why she sent me there. She said she once got a bunch of flowers from Don Oro, that must have been your father,' she said.

'That is interesting. My father only gave flowers to women if he thought they were like an Amphora.'

'What does that mean?'

'Like this.' He pointed to a terracotta pot with handles. 'People used to use them to carry water. It is an old saying from the country, when women used to carry them to give drinks to men in the fields, that a good woman is like an Amphora, she helps others. How do you help others?'

'I help the other children; I buy them bread when I sell my shells.'

'I will help you then. It would be lucky for me to help someone who is good. I have too much money. Do you have a guardian? I can give him a house for you to stay in, but not alone. It is empty, and no good to me. I have many houses. I can see you are a kind girl. You deserve to grow up unharmed,' he said

'I could ask the fisherman, or fisherman Papa. What I really want is a mama, someone who will comb my hair.'

'Maybe my friend will find you a woman to help. Are there many homeless?'

'For many the beach is their home, and the police don't like us, and the town people talk to us like we are scum.'

'Poor little one. Do you want a sandwich? Maybe I can make plans. I will call the Mayor; he doesn't have to meet me in person. I have a building they use it as offices. Maybe I will make it into a children's home. I will tell him to give it back to me. My father only lent it to him as a favour.'

Amelia clapped. Don Oro went away to make the sandwich. Amelia stroked the little puppy dog. Things had worked out really well. Don Oro wasn't a prince, but he was a king of a man, and it could mean change for everybody. She paused a minute thinking about how she had recently been let down, but there was something honest about Don Oro. He was not a show off the way Star Strummer was.

Don Oro returned with a huge baguette filled with cheese. Amelia wolfed it down while he asked her questions about the beach, businesses, and who she had met. He wept as she told him about Jasper and Pinkie and Pearl.

'You cannot stay here as I am not your relative and I only look after my relatives .People would not think it was right. I will look after you though. Bring your fisherman to see me, and I will give him keys to a house, and I will give him something for your food. Do you have money for the bus?'

Amelia shook her head. She didn't want to leave Don Oro. She feared that he would disappear, that he was too good to be true.

'Here,' he reached in his pocket and took out five paper money and some ten coins. 'You can take the bus at the top of the road. It comes in twenty minutes. You will make it if you are quick. Thank you for talking to me. I never normally talk to anyone. I heard you in the castle and I would normally have gone when I saw you were not hurt, but there was something about your face I liked. You remind me of my mother.'

Amelia smiled.

'Are you really going to help us?'

'Listen,' he said. He picked up the phone. 'I am dialling the Mayor's office. Hello? May I speak to the Mayor? He is not there? Tell him this is Don Oro. I am coming to sort out all my affairs. I want the building on River Street back. Tell him to be prepared to hand it over within a month. I am coming to make changes. Tell him to speak to my lawyer Mr French at French and Partners. Good day to you'. He put down the phone and smiled. Amelia clapped her hands

'Will it be a really nice children's home with books? Will we have clothes?'

'I will do all this. I will let my man sort it out. You must not tell anybody except your guardian about me, you must not tell anyone you have seen me or that I am a dwarf. I don't want anyone to know. If you betray me then the deal is off. You best hurry now before the bus leaves.'

Amelia really didn't want to go, but realised she was on an important mission. She was about to get her own home. She wished that Raindrop hadn't left, otherwise she could have been the one to look after her, but on the other hand, Raindrop had left her alone in a strange town, so maybe she couldn't really be counted on. She felt like hugging Don Oro, but he didn't have that way, so she held out her hand and shook his hand telling him over and over how thankful she was. He led her to the door, giving her a bottle of water and some grapes and apples in a bag. She walked up the path feeling that she had, after all, been turned into a princess.

Chapter 13

The bus came to the stop at the end of the road and Amelia got on and asked how much it was to West Beach. The driver smiled and said it was three ten coins. Amelia paid him the money and went and sat down in an empty seat. The bus was half full of old women in headscarves and a couple of families. The children were nicely dressed and quiet. The bus was hot, but there was some breeze from roof windows as it moved off. She opened the bag and started eating the grapes. She watched the castle disappear in the background as they journeyed to the next village. She felt angry at the village where the bar was with its rows of neat houses with hanging baskets outside and a fountain. Didn't the people know that there were hungry children with no homes living in the town near West Beach? She watched as one of the families got off, and wondered if she would be any different: If she would care about other people when she had a family. An old woman opposite her was crocheting with a hook. Amelia took a sip of her water.

'Can I have a sip?' asked the woman. Amelia smiled and handed her the bottle.

'I forgot to bring mine. I was in such a rush. I have a new grandchild coming and I had to rush and see my daughter at the hospital. Are you not getting off here?'

'No, I am going to West Beach.'

'Is that where your family lives?'

Amelia thought for a while. What would the woman's reaction be if she told her that she had no family? Pity? She didn't want pity. She was the agent of Don Oro. Soon everybody would know about her. She thought about making up a lie about living with her mother in the village, but she didn't like to lie and said,

'I am staying there with my cousin.'

'I don't like West Beach, it is too rough. I prefer it up here where the people are looked after by Don Oro, with work in the factories. In West Beach there is nothing.'

'There are the fishermen. They are nice people. I like West beach. Do you want a grape?'

'Thank you I will.' The woman took a grape

'Do you know Don Oro?'

'No. I only knew his father. Nobody knows who the younger Don Oro is. Probably he is so rich that he thinks he is too good for people. He probably spends all his time at Royal Moorings where all the other rich people live, on a yacht. '

Amelia smiled. She felt like telling the old woman about who Don Oro was, that he was sad about the way he had been treated, but she kept quiet as she did not want to betray Don Oro. The woman asked her if she could count and add up, and she spent the rest of the journey testing her in sums. She asked Amelia if she went to school , and told her to come to her church saying it was very wicked not to go to church, that was where you went if you want to be good. She was quite cross. Amelia said,

'I am good. I help all the children on the beach get bread. What does your church care? They only care about having nice hats. Why don't they come and give the children bread'

'Don't insult the church you preposterous child!' said the woman and took out a cross and started praying. Amelia folded her legs and drew close to the window. Another woman looked over from the seat in front.

'You are a real West Beach child. Full of spirit, but it is important to pray. Put your hands together and ask God to help you and your friends. It will help.'

Amelia felt sulky. How had God helped the children so far? Peto said that some of the children from the town died of hunger or from not being taken to the doctor. She didn't need to pray, she had Don Oro. But the woman was insistent and came and sat beside her and made her pray with her for the rest of the journey. At first Amelia was just pretending, but then she concentrated on her prayers. The woman called on God to help the children and help Amelia in her suffering. She told Amelia that God put his prophets in her way if you prayed. She asked her to think of people who had been kind and thank God for them, not everybody was sent by the devil, you had to thank God for his kind people. Amelia thought of Fisherman Papa, of the fisherman, of Raindrop and Melons and thanked God. She felt calmer. The first lady got off the bus at the town bus station and said to the other woman,

'I don't know how you have time for these West Beach riff-raff.'

'They are all God's children, you have to remember this.'

The woman ranted about going to church, if you didn't you did the work of the devil, as she picked up her bag and dismounted. Amelia looked around at the bus station. There were lots of children begging. They looked half-starved and their clothes were ragged. Their eyes did not shine in the way kids eyes should. She felt anger rise up in her. She had four apples left, and she went to the front of the bus and called a street boy over. She handed him the apples and took them and said,

'Just apples? Don't you have any money?'

Amelia thought of the five paper money she had. She might need it to go back and see Don Oro, it would make the boy happy, but she could not risk having nothing. She felt bad; she was as bad as other people. She shook her head and went back and sat down as the driver was starting to want to move off, but what could she do? She was just a girl.

'That was very kind of you,' said the woman she had prayed with. She took out a pen and paper and wrote down her address

'Come and see me. I live in the cottages. Are you all alone?'

Amelia shook her head

'No I have my friend Prince.'

'You must stay away from boys. You must not do the work of the devil.'

Amelia drifted off as the woman spoke about boys leading you to the devil, to make sure they don't watch you. Amelia thought of Peto and George and Beno and Prince. They were not doing the work of the devil, they were kind. The woman meant well, but she just wanted to see Prince and all her friends again. The woman got off at the stop before West Beach, and told Amelia to come to her, she would take her to the Lord. Amelia thanked her, normally she would be glad to meet someone with a house, but she felt that the woman, if she was from church, should love boys as well as girls. Amelia felt excited as the bus moved towards the beach. She had to decide who she would take to see Don Oro: Fisherman Papa or Prince's fisherman. She wondered if there would be room in the house for George and Beno, Pinkie and Pearl, and Prince. The bus stopped at West Beach and she got off excited. It was quite late now, the time that Prince and the fisherman would be at the hut. She decided she would ask the fisherman as he was more serious than Fisherman Papa, and he had given her a home.

Amelia walked slowly up the beach keeping her head down, what she was going to do was important; it would mean change for everybody on the beach. She bumped into bracelet boy.

'Hi Amelia, where have you been? There are lots of tourists on the beach. You missed out on a lot of money.'

'I was with Star Strummer. He was going to make me a star. We went to a village bar. Up there is different. There are no abandoned. I ate fried chicken and drank coca cola. You should see my belly, how it sticks out! I ate five pieces of chicken.'

'I love fried chicken. I have it at Christmas. So how come you are back here if you were going to be a star?'

'I'm on to bigger things.'

'For real?'

'For real, but also Star Strummer is a fake. He left me in the village and went off.'

'You can't trust people. They play with your dreams. I get people talking to me, once they see that I am smart, "come and live and work on my farm, come and stay in my church, come and help me in my kitchen," but they are all fakes. They have a nice smile, but they don't want to pay you nothing, and want you to work from dawn til dusk. Anyway Amelia, you stay good. I have to go back to the café. I want to work and buy my baby brother some shoes. He can walk now he is so sweet.'

Amelia gave him a hug. He was a nice boy, how could the woman say that boys were bad when bracelet boy was doing that for his brother.

She walked up some more to fisherman Papa's hut, but it was locked and there was nobody there. She had thought about telling him about Don Oro. He loved children. Maybe he could help with the children's home. She felt a bit sad and walked on up to Prince's shack. They would be so glad to know their lives were going to change. She was bursting to tell them. When she got there she walked up to the front, but it was locked. She didn't understand; it was late where were they? She sat on the front of the step and tried to collect her thoughts. They were probably off getting some water or food. She waited and waited and watched the sun go down, red and orange lights spilling across the water. She was glad that she could stay by the Ocean once she got her house. There was no sight as beautiful as the ocean. It was not something just for the rich people, it was for everyone. She put her head on her shoulder and just sat, not thinking of anything for a while.

It started to get quite breezy, and started to feel worried. Where was Prince? She looked over to a pier where the fisherman's boat came in. There were a few men there. Maybe they would know where he was. She made her way over. There was a man with ginger hair that she had seen talking to the fisherman before.

'Have you seen the fisherman from the blue hut? I stay there. I am Amelia, Prince's friend.'

'They have gone to see Melchior. They will be away a week. The fisherman was looking for you. He was very angry.'

Amelia felt really annoyed. How could Prince have gone off without her? Now where was she going to stay? She had forgotten about Melchior. He was supposed to be some big man, but how could he let his own family be sold by an indigo man? Don Oro was a much better bet. Feeling like talking to someone, she decided to go and look for Peto. She had wanted to go and see Don Oro tomorrow and sleep in her new house the next day. Now she had to wait for them to come back, and she had nowhere to sleep. Perhaps Peto would know where fisherman Papa was, she would have to see if she could stay there for the night.

After a lot of searching, she found Peto.

'Amelia! Come here! You were with the band! I thought you had left us forever!'

He hugged her and tears came out of his eyes.

'I didn't want you to go, you are my friend, my good friend,' he continued, squeezing her tight.

'You know, music is not really for me. It is alright, but I got bored of singing, and decided to come back to the beach.'

'You know that the beach is the life. You know you can't leave us, but that Star Strummer is something else. I danced, danced, danced. Forget all them rich people. West Beach people know how to have a party.'

'You know that! Only now, I have a problem. Prince is away.'

'Prince was mad at you. He said he was taking you to meet his grandfather and turn your life around, but you were just some stupid dancing girl.'

'Oh I hope Prince isn't going to be mad at me. He will be happy when he hears about my plan.'

'What plan is that?'

'I can't tell you yet, I have been blessed. Someone is going to help me, help all of us.'

'Who?'

'I can't tell.'

'You will,' said Peto and began to tickle her 'Tell me, tell me. I hate secrets.'

Amelia laughed and pulled away, but he chased her and tickled her more. They were absorbed in their game when they heard some shouting from the top of the beach.

'What is that?' she asked. They looked and saw that there were a lot of police on the beach with batons. Three large police Lorries had pulled up at the top of the beach. The police were picking up the people sleeping on the beach and making them go. One of the police had a loud haler and shouted through it,

'All vagrants off the beach. No sleeping on the beach allowed. Everybody leave the beach.'

Amelia and Peto shivered. They watched the police hit someone with a baton and chase the children off the beach

'Everybody leave peacefully, and you will not have to go to jail. I repeat everybody off the beach,' shouted the policeman through the loud haler.

'What shall we do? Hide?' asked Amelia

'We better go. I don't want a beating. They have done this before.'

'But where will we stay?'

'Let's just go. They even put children in jail sometimes.'

Amelia and Peto walked up the beach frightened. The police were pushing people. A policeman saw them and said,

'Move out, move out'

'But sir, I sleep at the fisherman's hut. He will be looking for me,' said Amelia to the policeman.

'I've heard it all before, abandoned. No vagrants on the beach.'

'But why, why can't you leave us in peace?'

'The owner of the beach is coming; the Mayor wants the place cleaned up. Now move!' he shouted, pointing his baton at Amelia and poking her with it. Prince pulled her away and she started to cry. Everybody had to leave the beach. Some of the policemen had fierce dogs. It was all wrong. It must have been Don Oro's phone call to the Mayor; he must think he was like rich people that hated the poor. Amelia seethed. She would have to go back and tell Don Oro, but now it was late and there were no buses. When they got to the top of the beach the police with dogs told them to get out of the area. Any vagrant in half a mile of the beach would be arrested.

'We will have to go to town until all this dies down' said Peto

'But where will we stay?'

'It's not nice, but you can survive.'

Amelia thought of the ragged boys at the bus stop. She felt desperate. She thought of the praying woman's address. Maybe she could shelter them. She reached in her pocket, but it was gone. She should have been more careful. She had to see Prince and the fisherman, how would she make contact if she was not allowed on the beach? She followed Peto and all the other people on the dusty road to the town. Praying had not helped her, but she tried again, just praying that she would get through the night.

Chapter 14

Amelia's feet were hurting her; it was a long way to the town. Some tried to hitch rides by standing on the back of trucks carrying wood and metal fixings. Sometimes the drivers were nice; sometimes they stopped and beat off the person that had tried to get a ride while the vehicle had stopped in a queue. Peto offered her a piggy back and she jumped on. He told her jokes and sang her songs trying to take her away from the atmosphere of the road. Along the road were many police who kept everyone moving towards the town. There were some areas, half dune, half field, where people tried to stop and pitch up, but the police moved them on shouting angrily. Some trucks passed and offered people work in the countryside. Amelia heard the men bartering and felt sad at the amount of money the men offered for work, just a ten coin for two days work; these were big men how could they work in the hot sun for such a small amount?

'Police want you out of West beach. You beach bums don't have no other option but me, 'said a farmer driver to some men, and a few of them jumped aboard. Amelia was sad at how the children were talked to by the police. The children tried to smile and joke with them; the little ones asked if they could go back to the beach, but the police were stern. If only they knew who Don Oro was.

'Why do we have to all move?' Amelia asked a policeman

'It's the Mayor. He has some tourist companies that want to build a hotel, and he wants the beach clear to sell it,' said the policeman. So it wasn't just Don Oro's phone call, thought Amelia.

After an hour of walking they got to the town. It was very busy with lots of traffic and people crossing across the main roads. Buses whizzed by.

'Where are we going to sleep?' she asked Peto.

'I think I know a place, follow me, it's cool. It's a Guy, he sells fruit. Sometimes he lets you sleep in his warehouse.' She followed him, her feet still hurting. The people on the street here looked mean and menacing like the people in the city. They didn't look like the ragged people on West beach who looked as if they had just heard a joke or were about to tell one. There seemed to be two classes of people. People with shoes and clothes who looked well fed and walked down the centre of the pavements, and hungry homeless street people who hid in the shadows of doorways, pushed out of the way. The street children looked sadder than the West Beach kids. Peto had started off by talking confidently saying things like,

'It's just down here. We will wake up smelling of peaches. I was so lucky to have met that man. You'll see I'm luckier than Prince for you. He went off without you.'

'Yeah but you introduced me to that woman who stole all my money.'

'Forget that, it's just down here.'

They walked through some streets that had warehouse buildings. Peto started to look unsure.

'But wait, I'm sure it was this corner,' he said. Where they were was an area sealed off by builders with a crane in it and heaps of gravel. He took her round and around the streets looking. She believed in him and followed silently. She had a future. It was just a few days away; she just needed to get through the night. Peaches were fine with her. Peto stated to look sad as if he were about to cry as they rounded back around the corner to the marked off area.

'Hey, did this used to be the peach warehouse?' he asked a man in ragged clothes.

'Yes they sold it and now they are building. I can show you a tap where you can get water.'

Peto started to cry silently, and they followed the man to a toilet.

'Tap in there works. People will even charge you for using a tap in town.' Peto wanted to ask him some more questions, but he hurried off saying

'I don't want no children bother me,' and spat. They went in the toilet and drank from the tap trying to ignore how bad it smelt.

'What are we going to do?' asked Amelia.

'All I can think of is a building near the bus station. Many kids stay there.'

Amelia thought of the desperate children she had seen at the bus stop when she was with Star Strummer, but she just nodded. She had Don Oro's money still, but that was to go and see him. She felt very anxious not about going back to the beach and meeting up with the fisherman or fisherman Papa to take them to Don Oro to set her up for the future. If this was not on her mind she could probably have sorted a better plan. She felt angry with herself that she had left the beach. She should have gone to the fisherman that she had asked where Prince had gone, and made him open the hut for her. On the walk to town Peto had boasted that,

'Town aint no trouble. I can survive there. You'll be fine with me,' but she watched his eyes, and he looked a bit frightened. The sun had started to go down and at least it wasn't burning hot any more, but the air in the town was polluted and smoggy. Desperate, dirty looking children sitting on cardboard begged passers-by and were ignored, each rebuff cutting into them, increasing their sadness. They got to the bus station and Prince led her down a street to a deserted building. He showed her a window that they climbed through. Inside it was dark and dusty. It was full of the sleeping homeless. Peto smiled at people and was ignored stonily.

'That's why I like West Beach. The people are more friendly man. Come morning let's make our way back. This aint no place to be.' He motioned them over to an empty space. Amelia was so tired she did not care. There were many children crying, some of them just little toddlers. How could the rich let them sleep in a place like this that stank of urine and worse. If there really was a King and Queen they should be ashamed, she thought. She cuddled up with Peto and went to sleep.

Amelia woke to some shouting outside the building. It was night with just the light of one street light. There was the sound of a scream and she heard someone say.

'No my dog is too weak. I'm going to take a look inside for some fresh meat.'

The voice sounded menacing and familiar. She saw the sacking in the window move and a person come through with a torch light shining it on sleeping faces. Another figure came through the window after. She shuddered in fear. The figures came nearer and she pretended to be asleep. They shone the torch on Peto

'Hey I know this dog from West Beach. He is tough. He will be my fighting cock.' The figure moved up to Peto and pulled him up. With fear Amelia recognised the figure, it was Torro. He said to Peto, who woke up not knowing what was going on,

'Move outside. Now! You have work.'

'I'm not going anywhere with you!' said Peto rubbing his eyes. Amelia saw a glint of metal. It was a knife that Torro pointed at Peto

'Move now!'

Peto's eyes smarted with tears and Torro dragged him towards the window and pushed him through. Amelia didn't know what to do she shivered and blinked, hoping it was just a nightmare, but it was real. She heard jeering in the street. She wanted to know what was happening she followed towards the window where a boy was up looking nervously through.

'What's happening, why do they want Peto?' she asked him

'It's for fighting. They make one boy fight another, and gamble who is going to win. Amelia felt her whole body go acid in disgust. Peto never fought, he hated the idea of people being hurt. She heard Torro

'Okay my boy. See that boy, I want you to damage him and come out the winner. You could make it big and fight all over the city.' She heard Peto cry

'But I don't want to I'm not a fighter. He is five years older than me.'

She heard a big crowd of people shout,

'Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! and she felt pains of worry in her stomach. She wanted to see what was happening, yet couldn't bare to look. She climbed through the window, she had to save Peto. Outside a crowd of people stood in a circle. Through the gaps she saw Peto with Torro. He was being forced forward by Torro with the knife. There was another boy, a desperate, sad looking ragged boy. Another man gave him a piece of metal and said, 'beat him on the head.' The boy nodded and walked forward to Peto. Amelia screamed and ran forward shouting, 'No!' She felt herself be knocked to the ground and she passed out. She came round a few minutes later not wanting to reawaken into the nightmare. She heard a car horn and a man shouting in another kind of voice.

'All of you disgusting people get away from here. Come. Are you alright boy?' She heard Peto's voice.

'Thank you sir, I am alright.'

'Do you want a ride somewhere? I will take you to my friend with a church.'

'I have to find my friend we are from West Beach' said Peto. Amelia stumbled up and rushed towards the car. Peto hugged her.

'Is this your friend?' said the man who was the tallest man she had ever seen

'Yes this is Amelia.'

Amelia looked into the car, and in the back, fast asleep, she saw Prince

'Prince!' she squealed

'You know my great grandson?' asked the man

'Yes. I am Amelia. I stayed with Prince in the hut on West Beach.' Amelia felt her heart stop beating so fast. There must really be an angel looking over her.

'I am Melchior. Did you hear about me? I am the most powerful man on the Coast. What are you doing here?'

'The Police made everyone leave West Beach. They said the Mayor was selling a hotel to tourists and they didn't want any ragged people around.

'Nobody sells anything without my permission. I own half of that strip.'

As they were talking a few of the men who had wanted the fight came back angrily shouting and pointing with a knife at Melchior

'Quick get in the car,' he said and they jumped in the back next to Prince. Melchior got in, rolled up the windows and started the engine. The fight men banged on the car with their fists but he pulled away and drove down the street. Peto had a gash on his eyebrow where the boy had hit him. Amelia cradled his head in her hands as he whimpered softly

'I was so afraid,' he said. Amelia looked at Prince he was asleep still. They drove through the sleeping town. She saw people sleeping in doorways and at the front of shops. She didn't ever want to come back to the town. She wanted to go back to West Beach, sort it out with Don Oro, and live in the little cottage overlooking the sea. As they were driving Melchior told them all about what he owned on the beach, the restaurants the shops nearby. He winked at them and told them everything would be different now he was back. Amelia and Peto held hands and smiled at each other. Melchior said he could take Peto to the church, but Amelia said they were together. She felt a kind of steely wish to show those Police who had made her go from the beach: that here she was in a big car, coming back.

'Okay. I am going back to West Beach. We can stay at the hotel. I am the owner.'

'You own the hotel?' asked Amelia incredulously.

'Yes. I haven't been here for many years. I have been very busy. I ship many things: gold, oil, Sugar, coffee. I am a very busy man. I can't get distracted or else people would not sell their produce and they would starve in the country.'

Amelia looked at his eyes in the wing mirror. He could have done so much to help people if he had money. But he didn't look unkind, and Amelia felt safe with him. She felt a rush of warmth as they pulled up to the West Beach hotel, as if she were at home. She would have to tell Hat Boy all about it. Melchior woke up Prince and he jolted.

'Amelia? Is that you? I thought you were going to be a singer with a band and you forgot all about me'

'I could never forget you Prince,' she said as they walked to the hotel. She hung her head realising that this was not true. When she was with Star Strummer she had forgotten all about everyone. There was a police van outside the hotel and a policeman got out and questioned Melchior as they walked up to the hotel. Melchior showed him his papers and told him he was the hotel owner. The policeman stepped back. Amelia looked at him with hate. If they didn't have money he would have made them go. They walked into the hotel. Melchior made them sit down in the lobby. The hotel receptionist gave them a discouraging look. Melchior told her that he was the owner and these were his children, if she had a problem with that she could find other employment. She didn't seem to believe him and rang the manager on her phone. He appeared a little later, and recognised Melchior. He bowed and shook his hand and they talked for a long time. Amelia, Peto and Prince were finding it hard to stay awake.

'Come celebrate! You are West Beach children returned. Show them they can't push you around!' boomed Melchior

The children tried to smile but they were exhausted.

'I want to sleep grandfather,' said Prince

'Of course, of course, you are just babies,' said Melchior and told the receptionist to take the children to a room. She gave him a funny look, but did what he said. She took a key and motioned to the children toward the lift. They got in after her and went up to the first floor. Amelia had never seen anything so grand as the hotel. They got out of the lift and she led them to a door. She opened it with a key. Inside were four single beds. There was a jug of water and a plate of fruit. Peto drank thirstily. The woman looked at his cut eye and spoke under her breath about rough children and what was going to become of the place now that the owner was here and he was mad, letting in all kinds of riff raff children. The children just ignored her and fell down on the beds.

'Ai-ee.' Said the receptionist, 'you must wash first before touching the bed linen.' She showed them a door with a bathroom in it continuing to curse them under her breath. She left leaving Prince the key

'Watch, I will tell my grandfather about her, and she won't keep her job,' said Prince.

Amelia laughed, but washed her feet and face in the sweet smelling soap and dried them on the luxurious towels. She couldn't wait to lie down in between the beautiful white sheets. She took off her dress and hopped in, in her vest and pants. The room was bright with moonlight. Peto and Prince made their way into their beds and they all groaned with pleasure.

'We must be the luckiest kids alive!' hooted Peto.

They boasted about their luck. Then they told Prince about having to leave the beach.

'They can't do anything to us now. Melchior is our protector.'

'What do you think has happened to all the others: Pinky and Pearl, George and Beno, Jasper?' asked Amelia

' We will have to find them. I saw the tailor women hide Pinkie and Pearl so they will be safe. George and Beno will still be out on the boat.'

Amelia thought about Jasper who didn't have much luck, and started to cry imagining him having a hard life in town.

'Don't worry, don't worry everything will be fine. Melchior is here now,' said Prince, but Amelia's mind was in a blur. There were so many desperate people in town. Why should any of them suffer? Melchior couldn't help all of them. Life was so unkind.

'Why are you sad? We are living it up now! Said Peto

'Life is so unkind,' said Amelia

'Girl smell the bed you are in. You ever smell anything so sweet? We are blessed.'

Amelia sunk her head into the pillow. She had seen too much sadness to feel happy. She would never be rich when there were people going without food. She imagined herself in a ragged dress giving out bread to never ending queue of poor. She would give them soap and food and clothes. There was a smile that the poor gave you when you gave them something, as if they were not used to anyone being kind. Amelia wanted this more than someone smiling at her because she had on an expensive dress. She dreamed off thinking of them smiling, exhausted.

Chapter 15

Although she should have woken up cheering their luck, Amelia woke up crying. The sheets had smelt so sweet she thought, compared to the renk smell of town. They were sweeter than her grandmother's sheets. She couldn't afford washing powder and just used a rough blue soap. Their bed always smelt of her grandmother's perspiration. She suddenly missed the smell of their shack that her grandmother had fought to keep clean, but was so small that odours of chicken and shoes lingered. She had a hotel bed; new rich protectors Melchior and Don Oro; she was getting a house; but she wanted the impossible: she wanted to bury her head into her grandmother's side and be squeezed. When she had this she hadn't really cared that she was poor; she didn't really want anything that badly.

Peto was singing in the shower. He had been in it for nearly an hour. Prince was just. She tried to pull herself together; she didn't want Prince to think that she was ungrateful. Eventually, Peto came out wrapped in a white monogrammed towel.

'I am a Don! Smell me! 'he said

'Peto you was nearly a gone! How could you take me to that rough place in town? Look you nearly got pasted. 'said Amelia

'Peto you were never meant to take Amelia to town, didn't I tell you to take her to the other fisherman's hut? 'said Prince

'There was no time, the Police made everybody go. 'Peto went to the window and drew the curtain. 'You see there are hardly people on the beach. They made everyone go to town.'

'They've got no right to do that. My grandfather will change everything.' Said Prince

'Where is the fisherman?' asked Amelia

'My grandfather sent him with money to go and get my mother. I don't know how long he will be gone.

There was a knock on the door. The children shouted, 'come in, 'and Melchior entered carrying a tray with croissants and peaches and grape juice.

'Eat! 'He told the children. They did not need to be told twice'

'Why do you look so sad?' Melchior asked Amelia. 'Are you not happy that your Prince has come back for you? It was lucky for you that we did. You were in the very wrong part of town.

'I was thinking of my grandmother. She died. I wish I could hug her again.'

'Do you have no mother?'

'I don't remember. I only remember my grandmother.'

'The bracelet boy said that her bracelet comes from our villages' said Prince

'Let me see' said Melchior. Amelia showed him the mango wood bangle.

'These carvers are very specialised each village has its own mark. You see these grapes underneath the bird? They mean you are from the Saint Prince area. There is nothing there now. Nearly all the villagers were killed by the hurricane seven years ago. They took many children to the city thinking that there was an orphanage there were the children could live. They didn't realise there was no provision. '

'I don't know if it was even my real grandmother. She grew up on West Beach when she was a child and she gave someone money to bring me here after she died. She said I would meet a Prince.' She said this to block out the idea of her mother and father drowning, dying in a hurricane.

'And so you did!' said Melchior. Amelia wondered if he knew that Prince had been picking up rubbish for a small piece of bread a day.

'So how come Prince could not come and live at the hotel, he had to live in a hut, and didn't have enough food?'

'The fisherman did not know he was mine for sure, and he hardly knew me. It was a long time since I was here in West Beach. Some people are ignorant and don't believe you have power and money if you are dark skinned. They will get to know all about me. Come get dressed we are going for a walk on the beach. Nobody can tell my people they are not allowed on the land they were born in.

Amelia got dressed wondering what to do. If the fisherman had gone, she had nobody to take to Don Oro. Melchior was a busy businessman. He would not want to take time out to be her guardian. Don Oro was going to create an orphanage in town. Maybe her house could be a home for Peto, Pinkie and Pearl too. She got dressed in her usual shorts and t-shirt that didn't seem crisp like the hotel bed sheets.

'Don't be sad about your grandmother. Let her live on through your life. You are the survivor of beautiful people. The villagers of Saint Prince were the kindest nicest people in the country.' Said Melchior picking her up and giving her a squeeze.

'That's true, Amelia is very kind. She always gives kids bread, 'said Peto

'You were lucky I drove by young man. How could you have got into a scrape like that?'

'It was Torro; he is a type of devil man.'

'I have many things to do, but I am not an easy character; I don't let people pick on children. I will find that Torro and drive him out of the area.'

The children all smiled and laughed

'So do you think my parents are dead?' asked Amelia

'You never know in this country. Never say never. 'said Melchior and gave her a wink. 'Be downstairs in five minutes' he said and left

'Don't worry Amelia. I don't have a mother either and I heard told that my mother just left me in the street because she had no money. So what am I a dog no one wanted? But I stay happy because at least she gave me life. I might end up being a footballer in the world cup. Then she will come to my door and say, 'Peto, Peto my son, I love you so much, I have come back 'and I would shut the door in her face. Does she know how it is to walk in the sun with blisters fetching water for people who spit at you?'

'Hey maybe it wasn't your mother's fault. I still love my mother, but I went to that farm where they beat me.'

'You have to be thankful you're clever and remembered your grandfather and came to find him. I have to be thankful to you too Prince. Your grandfather saved my hide. Torro set me up in a fight to get injured. Thank you for being my friend Prince.' Peto hugged Prince

'It's no big deal. I just hope you don't turn me away when you are that big footballer.'

'No way!' said Peto and they left to go downstairs. The staircase was very grand and they all posed and joked around

'I am Prince the owner of the joint,' said Prince with his nose in the air

'I am Queen Amelia don't come near my scented skin.'

'Do you think we will become like those posh children and we won't play with ragged kids? 'asked Peto

'No way!' shouted the other two and they all put their hands together

'Ragged til the end!' said Prince and they all laughed. Amelia thought silently that she was going to find Jasper, and all the other children who slept by the road, and make sure they slept in Don Oro's orphanage in sheets as nice as the ones she slept in last night.

In the hotel lobby, Melchior was surrounded by people all shaking his hand, expensive looking businessmen in suits

'Come to my villa and have lunch' said one

'I'm afraid I am busy,' said Melchior

'We could go over some business contracts, what could be more important than that?' protested the man

'My great grandson Prince, and the other children and people of West Beach. Don't you agree that children are important?' Boomed Melchior, and he gestured the children along to the entrance.

Outside Amelia couldn't believe how quiet the beach looked. There were still many police around.

'Come let us walk. I will buy you a hot chocolate. Children are supposed to drink milk. You all look skinny. One of the restaurants here is mine too. It's just I let other people manage it. If I was here there would have been food for all you children.'

Amelia watched Prince look at his grandfather with pride as they walked along. She suddenly heard a cry

'Amelia!' she looked up and saw Raindrop.

'Raindrop,' she said and ran up to her and they hugged

'I thought you lived in the village now.'

'I did but I took a day off to find you. I was so worried when they told me Star Strummer had left you in the restaurant. The waiter told me, his boss told him. I came to see if you were alright.'

'Raindrop I am so glad you are here. Some wonderful news has happened to me and I need to help you with my wonderful luck.'

'Who is this lady?' asked Melchior

'This is my friend Raindrop,' said Amelia

'Is this a kind lady?' Melchior asked Prince

'She is really nice.' Said Prince

'Come and join us for a drink at my café, 'said Melchior 'I am Prince's great-grandfather.

'Thank you sir.' Said Raindrop, and then to Amelia 'is this luck you have found, with Prince?'

'It's half lucky, but I have a different luck, luck we can share. I think Prince's grandfather is just lucky for Prince, but he is a nice man.' They followed the others to the café and sat down. Melchior ordered them hot chocolate with cream on top. Raindrop ordered a camomile tea. Raindrop told Melchior about how they had left with Star Strummer and Amelia had joined in talking about how she thought she was going to be a star, and everybody laughed. Their hot chocolates arrived and the kids had never seen anything so delicious and they sat spooning the cream off the top. Melchior had a small expresso coffee that smelled strongly and Amelia identified that he smelt of this all the time. All of a sudden they were distracted by a cry. They looked over at the beach and saw Melon's mother being pushed around by a policeman who was very angry with her.

'No hawkers, off the beach now!' he shouted

'What is this!' said Melchior

'That's Melons' mum, they sell melon,' said Amelia. 'They are nice they give the kids free melon.'

Melchior jumped up and rushed over to the policeman.

'This woman is a legitimate trader. I am Melchior Riviera the café owner. She is not doing any harm. If you bother her, you are bothering me!'

The policeman looked him up and down. The businessman from the hotel came rushing along and said,

'Officer, please go about your business. This man owns much of West Beach. You must allow him.'

The officer stepped back

'Why are you pushing the people around?' asked Melchior. Amelia felt nervous in her stomach. She had never seen anyone challenge the police

'The Mayor is here and he is showing a new investor a plot to build a hotel. They will not invest if there are vermin around. We need investment in our country. We need progress.'

'You are not it.' Said Melchior angrily. 'Where is the Mayor?'

'Up there to the right' said the policeman

'Thank you sir' said Melons' mum and mumbled 'they think they can treat people any old way, but you see we have friends!' and stomped off giving the policeman the evil eye. The policeman moved away, but Melchior continued to talk to the businessman. Amelia and Raindrop raised their eyes at each other. The boys ran over to sit down by Melchior.

'So Amelia what is this luck?' asked Raindrop

'I have met Don Oro. You have to keep it a secret. After I got thrown out of the restaurant I walked to the castle, and Don Oro is living there. Nobody knows this, it is a secret and you have to promise me that you will not tell anyone.'

'Don Oro!' gasped raindrop. 'I promise I will keep it a secret.

'Anyway Don Oro is a midget. He is very handsome and kind, but he came to West beach once to take over his father's property, and everyone laughed at him, so he never came back. Anyway, I told him I was all alone and he said if I had a guardian, he would give them the key to a house, and we could live there. Raindrop would you come with me? We could have our own house.'

'Are you sure this is Don Oro?'

'I am definite. Please come with me today. I have the money for the bus. I promised him we would come.'

'Of course I will come with you. We will leave right away. I have my job, but I have to sleep on the floor and my boss is unkind, calling me bad names.'

'Raindrop this is the start of our luck. We will be happy and we will help others too.'

'Come!' shouted Melchior to them and gesturing them to come. He looked so powerful being so tall and bronze with his ornate metal belt on his jeans on his legs that went on forever. They went over to him.

'The Mayor thinks he can treat people like dirt. I will show him who wield the power. I have an office for shipping oil that towers over all the other buildings in the city. He would not like to mess with me.'

They followed him up the beach. The tourists were all sitting in their deckchairs as usual, and some town people and their families were dotted around having picnics. Could you only be on the beach if you had nice clothes? They walked across the road to a field where there was a crowd of men gathered with clip boards. There was a foreign looking lady in sunglasses and a white linen dress.

'Which one is the Mayor?' Melchior asked the businessman

'The fat one,' he answered. 'Be calm Melchior. Things have changed since you were around. It is not unusual for even the top rim of society to end up in jail.'

Melchior walked forward. The children and Raindrop followed. He introduced himself to the Mayor as the owner of the oil shipping company and hotel owner, and the Mayor looked impressed and shook his hand. However, he then started to challenge him about the way the people were forced off the beach.

'People?' said the Mayor. 'You can see there are plenty of people on the beach. What are you talking about?'

Melchior swallowed his anger. 'To whom are you selling this plot?'

'To this lady's company. They are a US based hotel chain. It will be great for the area.' The lady smiled at Melchior and said,

'I maybe might be putting it in my portfolio. Of course the people have to change. They can't all come here to beg. It's for tourists.'

Melchior spat on the ground, and she stood back affronted.

'You cannot buy this plot because it is not for sale. It is owned by Don Oro's family.'

'Don Oro is dead,' said the Mayor

'But his family is still alive.' Said Melchior

'Nobody has heard of them and my office has called this now government property.' Said the Mayor through his teeth, and then to the lady 'I don't know what nonsense this is.'

Melchior was about to argue on, but Raindrop pulled him away.

'If this is true then me and Amelia can help you. She has met Don Oro'

'Raindrop! It's supposed to be a secret!' said Amelia

'You met Don Oro? How come you didn't tell me?' said Peto.

The Mayor was talking to his bodyguards. There were about ten of them, big men wearing shades. He was pointing at Melchior

'Come lets go back, we can sort all this out.' said Raindrop.

'Where is he I must see him?' said Melchior to Amelia, pulling her along. Amelia was silent. They went back across the road onto the beach.

'It is a secret,' Amelia said, 'But Raindrop and I are seeing him today. We will tell him you want to see him.'

'His father gave me my first chance. I was just a fisherman and he helped me start up my business. I heard he had sons, but he never introduced me to them, he kept them up in the country. He left so much land and business around here. I tried to contact his son through the lawyers, but he never answered me. Please let me see him.'

'He made me promise not to tell people about him. He is a midget and doesn't like to be looked down on.'

'Oh, but he is a good man?'

'A very good man. He is giving me and Raindrop a house,' said Amelia

'But you can live with Prince. I have a big villa up in Royal Harbour.'

'This is my home now. We will come to the hotel in the evening and tell you what he said.' Said Amelia. 'You look after Prince and Peto, they need family.' Amelia and Raindrop linked arms and told the others goodbye as they walked back to the hotel to get the bus.

Chapter 16

Amelia walked with Raindrop down the rough road leading to the castle with butterflies in her stomach. She had been a bit nervous on the bus, and had looked hard at Raindrop. She had put all her trust into people before, and been let down. How did she know that Raindrop wasn't going to let her down? She asked her if she was sure she wouldn't leave her to go back to her boss or her husband. Raindrop told her to hush, and combed her hair and sang to her.

'You have a lovely daughter,' said an old woman to her on the bus.

'I know,' said Raindrop and winked at Amelia.

'You have to be my mother now,' said Amelia. 'Melchior said I am from Saint Prince, and all the people there were drowned in a hurricane. The people of West beach say the sea is their mother, but how could it be when it drowned villagers?'

'That was the work of the wind. Try not to worry. A good wind has taken us now. Look there is the castle.'

As they walked Raindrop sang a comic song about the sea being the mother and the things it brought you to eat crabs, prawns, fish. Amelia laughed when she sang about eating snails. She would never eat them, no matter how hungry she was. They got to the castle and Amelia led her to the back gate. Raindrop unlocked it and they went to the door and knocked. There was no answer. Amelia's heart sank. What if he had gone away?

'Don Oro, Don Oro, it is me Amelia!' she shouted really loudly. She heard the door being unlocked and when it was opened they saw Don Oro jumping off a stool he had stood on to open it. He looked frightened when he saw Raindrop.

'This is my new mother Raindrop,' she said as he led them inside. He took Raindrop's hand and kissed it

'Charmed Madame, come through and sit.' They sat down on the sofa. The puppy was on it playing with the cushion tassels. Don Oro bought them some water and disappeared again.

'We ought to tell him about the Mayor, 'said Raindrop. Amelia nodded, but she was so single minded about getting her house she had forgotten the morning's events.

Don Oro came back carrying a key and a piece of paper and said, 'this is the key for number 8 Coastal Walk. It is a little blue house my father owned. He owned the whole street. I will have to get my Lawyer to look at the rents there. I don't like to come to West beach so I know little. But I know I don't want to go to hell, so I can help a child. Do you promise you will look after her? I will have my lawyer come to check she is living there every month. I am a suspicious man. This is a formal tenancy agreement you can show if anyone troubles you, let me get my cheques. He went over to a table. Raindrop was glowing looking at the key and the paper and kept saying that she could not believe it over and over. Don Oro wrote a cheque and said,

'This is the money for her food. It should last ten years until she is grown up, then you must find work to support yourselves. It is my father's way.' He gave the cheque to Raindrop who grabbed hold of him, squeezed him hard and kissed him. He blushed under his walnut skin

'Madame please!' he said and rushed out of the room. Raindrop put the cheque, paper and key into her bag.

'Thank you, thank you so much Don Oro. You must come to West beach. We will cook you the finest fish. Thank you so much for what you have done for me. I will be a great person, a good person.'

'You can go now, goodbye,' shouted Don Oro from another room

'But Don Oro, you must tell Raindrop about your life,' she protested

'I don't like company and strangers much. It is time for you to leave,' he said nervously.'

'But Don Oro we have something important to tell you. The Mayor came and made everyone leave the beach. He is trying to sell your land to a stranger to build a hotel. Melchior stopped him. He owns the hotel and oil shipping he is our friend. Will you meet him?'

'I have heard of Melchior. My father once said he wished he were his son instead of me, he rang me after my father died, but I always had a jealousy of him. I am my own worst enemy I suppose.' Don Oro said appearing. 'Thank you for telling me. I will tell my lawyer to come to West beach and check it out.'

Raindrop fell on her knees and began to kiss his feet and tell him thank you again.

'Please Madame you really must go, now I insist, he said jumping back. He pushed Amelia to the door, stood on the stool and opened it for them and shouted, 'goodbye, you must go now. Don't tell anyone who gave you the house. Don't come here again. I am leaving now to go the country to my brother. He is tall but he is blind and he needs me. I don't know what my family did to deserve such bad fortune, I am a midget and my brother is blind.'

'But you are the most handsome, and divine man I have ever met, said Raindrop

'Madame please leave!' he shouted and pushed them out of the door and banged it shut. Outside Amelia shouted thank you to him and promised to be good for him for about an hour, until Raindrop dragged her away towards the bus. They kept hugging and smiling at each other.

When they got back to West Beach they took the road that led to Coastal Walk. Most of the houses were boarded up, it was such a waste. They got to number eight. It was a gorgeous little blue cottage. Raindrop's hand shook as she put the key in the lock and opened the door. Amelia ran in to immediately explore the house that was clean but a bit dusty. There was a little flight of stairs, and upstairs were three rooms. She would share her room with Pinky and Pearl, and Peto could have a room, and so could Raindrop. Raindrop was busy turning on taps and lights to see if they worked. Amelia came back downstairs and entered into the living room. The blue sofas must have been fifty years old, but they still looked nice. There was a picture of a man on the wall. Raindrop said it must be Don Oro's father. 'Choose a room,' said Raindrop. Amelia ran upstairs and chose a room with a window that looked out on the beach. She lay down on a bed, and her brain felt ecstatic. Someone had given her a life. She had wanted to rush out to tell the others to come, but she had got hypnotised by the things in the room, a sheepskin rug, a little wooden carving of a boat, an ancient teddy bear, an Indian striped blanket, a wooden hoop for doing the hula. She felt like she was back in her childhood that had been robbed from her. She felt her eyelids droop and she fell asleep, not wanting to live anywhere else but here.

Chapter 17

Amelia bought her friends Peto, Jasper, Pinky and Pearl to live in her house. She asked Don Oro's lawyer if it was alright when he came that month. The children were all polite to him, and his answer was a shouted,

'They can't live on the road, can they?' Amelia smiled, at least he was on their side.

One day he took them to visit Don Oro's new orphanage. It had been filled with beds and toys. Amelia took him to the bus station, and showed him the building where she had had to stay with Peto. He couldn't even go in, it smelt so bad. He vowed to bring all those children to the orphanage. They insisted he met Melchior who was about to leave for Royal harbour with Prince and his mother who had been found. She looked like she had been ill, her eyes were shadowy and sad, but they were very happy to be with Prince now. Melchior and the lawyer spoke for a long time. Melchior said that everything needed to change. He was going to take money from his businesses and build some chalets for the poor people, but he said that it was the government that should be doing that. All over South America children were in danger sleeping on the street, starving and forced to beg. The government urgently needed to build more orphanages and houses as a priority; they could borrow the money from China or Japan, or stop spending it on yachts and expensive houses. Every child was important; no more lives should be ruined. If they sheltered the young, even in emergency shelters, there was a better chance that they would grow up to be workers, not get pushed into crime. The lawyer agreed, and said he would talk to Don Oro to see if he would help. Melchior said he wanted to meet Don Oro, but the lawyer said he had gone back to the country, and was a private man, a man that only gave places one chance, and that was it. He had been ridiculed and abused in West Beach so had vowed never to return, and he never broke his vow.

Next time the lawyer came back he said that Don Oro had signed the beach land over to Melchior to build more houses for the poor. Melchior told the newspapers, and there was an article all about it. He let people know that the man who had given him the land was Don Oro's son, and they should be very grateful to him. He criticised the Mayor. The people turned against the Mayor and when it came to election time the people voted him out and the new Mayor was a friend of Melchior's who tried to help the poor more.

Amelia and her friends got fat eating Raindrop's chicken and beans, but they did not forget the poor, and every day they checked the beach for children giving them fruit and rolls and telling them about the orphanage. Peto would get them all playing football, and the café Melchior owned would make them a big pot of fish soup served with bread for afterwards. Amelia tried to help their sadness by singing them songs and telling them stories. After she had done this, she would go and swim for a shell to remind her of each person's story. Pinky and Pearl protested about the number of shells in the room, but she reminded them that this was how they had eaten when they were hungry, she'd only survived because like the saying, she sold seashells by the sea shore.

THE END

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