Passage Explanation

2019
Paper 2 - TYS
 Despite the detour to pick up Kasim, Alice felt quite relaxed after the drive to the family's house. 
We know that there was a last minute arrangement to pick up Kasim.  The grammar use of a conjunction “Despite” indicated that since
it was last minute, Alice should feel the frustration as it was an impromptu decision.  But she was the least perturbed.

However, the thought of meeting her sister and brother with their respective children after such a long time filled
her with both apprehension and excitement.
Through this statement, the author is clearly trying to tell us that Alice’s family may not be of good terms and they had not met for a  long
time.  She felt the tension and concern brooding within her. 

They were apparently the first to arrive, but Alice discovered as she stood at the front door that she had forgotten
the keys.
Alice and Kasim's early advice was an irony  since she had  and oversight to take her keys along with her. 

The fading hum of the taxi was the only sound at first in the still afternoon, until their ears became used to other
sounds: the murmuring of the water in the stream that ran at the bottom of the garden, a whisper of tiny
movements in the hedgerows and grasses.
The author heightened the senses of the readers to understand that the place was quiet and desolated.  All the distinct sounds can be
heard.  Both Kasim and Alice MUST be city dwellers as she are not accustomed to sound of the nature

At least it was an afternoon of balmy warmth, its sunlight diffused because the air was dense with seed floss,
transparent-winged midges and pollen.
 We are aware that it is somewhat in the springtime, “the air was dense with seed floss, transparent - winged midges and pollen”
Searching through her bag, Alice put on a show of amusement at her absent-mindedness. She was
famously hopeless with keys.
Alice’s pretenses is used to front her embarrassment and awkwardness for forgetting her keys
which obviously was the most important thing above all else since they would be deprived of entry
to the house. The author also places emphasis of her being known for misplacing her keys,
“famously hopeless”

Kasim walked away from her round the house without saying anything, and she thought that this mishap
with the keys had shriveled her in his opinion. 
The author indicated Kasim casually walking away from the without any word tells us that he
probably have known Alice very well for being forgetful. Alice, on the other hand thought that this
incident might have greatly caused a depreciation in his appraisal of her.

They were in the countryside, in the middle of nowhere, with no way back; the house was set behind a
cluster of houses on a no through road where there was no café, pub or shop where they could pass the
time.  
Alice and Kasim is stranded out of nowhere in particular and neither was it possible for them to turn
back home.  There was not any place that could possibly helped to entertained and pass their time.
3 Behind her smiles she raged at Kasim for a moment. She wished now that she hadn't brought him.
Offering this place for a short break had been a careless suggestion in a moment of feeling generous.
Despite her smiling appearances, she was furious with Kasim. Alice regretted her invitation to Kasim
tagged along in this trip. Honestly, it was a sudden gesture, offering Kasim this short reprieve

She hadn't really expected him to take her up on it and had been flattered when he did. But if she had
been alone the keys wouldn't have mattered.
In actual fact, it was unexpected of Kasim to even consider accepting her offer. She felt this incident
of her forgetfulness might served her well if Kazim was not here and it would not be a big deal at all

It would have been a kind of bliss, even, to be shut out from the responsibility of opening up the house
and making it ready for the others.
Alice could feel some happiness and contentment is she had been with herself, having to be all by
herself, bereft of all accountabilities of life nor having to properly set up the house for the others,
which she felt was a chore

She could have dropped onto the grass and dozed in the warmth of the sunshine.
4 Instead, with increasing irritation, Alice watched as Kasim peered through several windows.
Kasim’s action annoyed Alice. It appeared to her that he was restless and is going from window to window to
actually pass his time now

But Kasim did not care about getting inside; vaguely he was embarrassed because Alice had made a fool of
herself.
Unbeknownst to Alice, Kasim had little intention about trying to find a way into the house. He was however,
ashamed of Alice having to make herself look like a fool to forget to bring the most important element,
“KEY”

He wasn't sure how long he would stay anyway and had only come to get away from his mother, who was
anxious because he wasn't studying enough during his first year at university. Kasim’s agenda.
He too accepted the invitation out of impulse
5 When he found a shabby grey estate car parked on the cobbles beside the sheds, he called to Alice.
Alice didn't drive and couldn't tell one car from another but looking inside she knew it must belong to
Harriet, her sister.
It appears that someone was there before them.

There was a box with maps in it on the back seat, and next to it on a folded newspaper was a pair of
shoes, placed neatly side by side, with one striped sock tucked into the top of each.
The map indicated that the driver needed directions to get there, the individual probably got there earlier
and was reading the local news but got bored, changed from her shoes to sneakers and went for a walk
perhaps

'That's Harriet's car and I know exactly what she's done,' she said exasperatedly.
'Perhaps she forgot her keys too.'
'Harriet's never forgotten anything in her life. She arrived here, left the car and went straight off for a walk
without a care in the world.’
Alice knew it was her sister’s car and she was indignant of her actions. Harriet was free of all the cares in
the world and gone for a walk in the country, while she, was stuck with Kasim. If he had not tagged along,
there was no liability
 6 At that moment another car came up the drive and stopped. Alice recognised her brother's car which
was full to the brim with children and luggage. She smiled delightedly and went to greet them.
Her brother came packed and prepared. Alice was happy to see them and it is an emphasis of her good
ties with her brother.

'My goodness, you've come prepared! I don't suppose amongst all your belongings you have a set of keys
for the house? I seem to have mislaid mine.’
Alice covered the fact that there was an oversight to bring her keys. Tells us that she was embarrassed and
ashamed for her actions.

'I always bring the spare set, although of course it's very unlikely that either of my sisters would be stupid
enough to forget her own.’
There was irony in her brother’s tone. He definitely knew her sisters well and there reason for non entry into
the house. A tone of sarcasm.

He grinned and Alice saw him again as a young child, laughing mischievously as he picked on his sisters
unmercifully. She linked her arm through his and they walked towards the house, followed by Kasim and the
children.
Terms of endearment

At last the holiday could begin.

It was the first time since Alice’s arrival that there was optism that this was going to be a great vacation