“I wanna go to the park. Oh stop rain, stop. Mum why won’t the rain stop?”
Mary leans into the cool window, squashing her nose. The rain has been pouring down for three days now. Not only cats and dogs but elephants and rhinos too. The back lawn is puddles. There’s hardly any grass to be seen.
“I hate this rain. Muuuuuuuuum? What can I do? There’s nothing to do” Mary pushes off from the glass and stamps her bare foot.
“Enough Mary, enough. Here’s your yellow sou’wester, your wellington boots and don’t forget your new hat, the one that comes down over your ears. We’re off to the park”
“No, I hate that hat, it’s stupid. I hate the rain. You know I hate getting wet. This is all your fault.”
Somehow Mum drags her down the street.
“Muuuuuuuuuuuuum” and tears fall down her cheek to land as cold bits on her neck.
“where are we going?” she hiccupped and coughed “this isn’t the way”
Down at the end of the lane there’s a round stone wall house with a little red tiled roof. Mary’s never seen it before and darts ahead.
“Mum, a wishing well. Look a little well. And a bucket. Does it work? Can I make a wish Mum? Can I, please?”
The penny rises into the air and only just makes the little wall.
“plop”. Mary bends over the little wall, being careful not to topple in. She tries to see the water but it’s just a big black hole.
“Mum, what will I wish?”
“You decide darling. It’s your wish. Don’t forget to keep it a secret. It won’t come true if you tell me or Dad.
The next day, Mary wakes up with the blanket in a pile on the floor. The bright yellow sun streams through the curtains and the rays are already hot, like a knife piercing the thin cotton sheet.
“Phew, it’s hot” and little bubbles of sweat run down her forehead. Mary pulls on her shorts and her favourite red tee shirt. She flings back her loose blonde hair and skips down the stairs singing.
“Mum, my wish has come true. Look it’s sunny. It’s off to the park for me. ”
“Isn’t it lovely darling. But I’m afraid it’s far too hot for the park. Today’s going to be scorcher. You’d fry your fair skin. No, today is an indoor day.
“Muuuuuuuuuuuum. It’s not fa…………ir” she only just got out the fair bit when she bit her tongue and gobbled. She suddenly realizes this is her fault, it is her wish after all.
“Uuuummm” she thinks
“Mum?”
“Can we make dinner? You know just you and me in the kitchen. We can make a surprise pasta for Dad and can I make some scones, Mum? Can I, all by myself?”
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1 comment:
Kerry says:
Mary's quite a handful isn't she? Seems life just doesn't go her way. It's very mature of her to take responsibility at the end when she believes that she has made things turn out the way they have.
I have some questions about the plot. Did Mum have an ulterior motive in taking Mary to the wishing well? Is it magical and didn't exist before? Has Mary invented the well in her mind?
Good fun to read Sue. Very pertinent for me at the moment with a 2yr old in the house, knowing how to entertain young ones.
One other point, inconsistency with punctuation is distracting for the reader. Perhaps it's pedantic but this could be one of the writing distinctions we take on. I'm often bamboozled about how the punctuation should be handled, particularly for conversation.
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