Market morning
An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.
At dawn, Sarah reached for the tin money box beneath the market stall. Mrs Bell drew it towards herself. “Arrange the apples, child,” she said. “Those little hands are not ready for coins.” As Sarah worked, her mother inspected each row and moved any apple that was out of place. Sarah said nothing.
Near noon, the handle of a large basket snapped. Pears rolled beneath the customers’ boots, and Mrs Bell hurried from behind the stall to gather them. Three customers began calling out their orders at once. Sarah did not wait for instructions. Her voice, which had been timid that morning, carried clearly above the noise of the market. She weighed fruit, counted change and answered each customer in turn.
When Mrs Bell returned, the queue had disappeared and the coins stood in neat piles. She looked from the orderly stall to her daughter. “Keep the box beside you,” she said quietly. This time, when Sarah reached for it, Mrs Bell released it.
Analyse how the relationship between Sarah and her mother develops through the writer’s use of language and structure. Support your response with references to the passage.
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