Holmpatrick Graveyard

Marianne and her mother walked beside the canal at dusk. They passed red brick houses, a small bridge and a row of empty boat sheds. Marianne stopped when she saw a blue door marked Water Rescue. A woman in a red coat stood outside with two rubber boats and a stack of life jackets. The woman explained that the canal had risen after the storm and one family lived below the water line. Marianne lifted a boat, her mother carried the jackets, and they followed the woman to a narrow street. An old man and his granddaughter sat on a chair in their hallway, water shining on the floor. The rescue team helped them carry what they could save, then placed them in the boats. They crossed the canal to a hall where beds, blankets and hot soup were ready. Later, Marianne looked back and saw the blue light from the hall reflecting on the water. She had not known the city had that much danger, or that so many people were prepared to share it.