Sandra - week 3 synopsis

Sarah is 5 yrs old when she is taken to her Grandmothers house.  Sarah believes for a visit but her mother is carrying a suitcase and is in a hurry.Sarahs short legs have to run to keep up.
 Grandmother May widowed shortly after Sarahs mother was born  lives in a cream painted cottage with a handkerchief sized garden full of the roses that she loves. May earns her living by taking care of two mentally ill elderly men for social services; Mr Newson a retired merchant seaman with alzeimers and Fred a war veteran with post traumatic stress disorder.
In this strange household Sarah is brought up. Though at first she is frightened by the strange behaviour of the two old men she quickly develops a bond with them. Mercilessly bullied at school by the other children she retreats further and further into their world.
When Sarah is 11yrs of age her mother turns up at Mays' house in a smart black car.  Mother has a new boyfriend and a new home and wants Sarah back. Sarah is returned to her mother who treats her like a maid and shows no affection. Desperately unhappy Sarah runs back to  grandmothers house  - grandmother is out when Sarah gets back and the two old men Fred and Mr Newson decide they must hide her or she will get taken away again.
They take Sarah to an old Icehouse that is hidden in a copse at the back of Grans cottage.
Sarah is eventually found by police dogs and returned to her mother.
Mr Newson convinced that Sarah will return to the Icehouse makes frequent visits there in the dead of night. Always frail he gets pneumonia and dies. Fred devastated by the death of his friend and losing Sarah becomes hopelessly depressed and withdrawn.
Sarah blames her mother for Mr Newsons death and Freds demise and plans her revenge- she deliberately sets about getiting pregnant at 15yrs knowing that her mother will throw her out and she will be able to go back to Gran and Fred.
For a while the three of them enjoy a halcyon period, Sarah safely delivers a daughter  and Fred proves himself an excellent babysitter.  When noone else can calm her colicky cries Fred would bounce Megan on his knee and sing 'Pop goes the weasel' til she fell asleep on his lap.
Then one October day....
'Sarah saw the checked cap laying where it had been thrown on impact before she saw him. He laid in a crumpled heap his body now as broken as his mind, the pink blanket May had knitted was laying over him and his hand was outstretched as if even in death he had tried to pull the buggy back. Sarahs heart stopped for a moment ,'Where was her daughter', 'Megan'  she screamed.