Flabberwocky

15 - Stormy seas and currant buns

The next morning Molly and Panda woke up to the sound of Barbra flushing the toilet. Molly wanted to bury her head under her pillow to block out the noise, but despite Mum changing the case, it still smelt too awful to put close to her skin. Even though it was Summer, the room was so cold she created a cloud of steam with each breath, and the heavy condensation on the window had soaked into the dark brown curtains, sticking them to the glass. As Molly carefully pulled them open she spotted the map that she and Panda had drawn for Lawrence the night before. Panda slowly emerged from her sleeping bag rubbing her eyes, "is it raining out?" Molly tried to rub the wetness on the window away with her pyjama sleeve, "no, I think it's wetter in here than it is out there." Panda unzipped her sleeping bag and opened the wardrobe to find her dressing gown. Molly held the map up to the light, "I'm not sure they'll go for it, you don't see many maps with sudoku puzzles on the other side." Panda grinned as she recalled sneaking out of their room after everyone had gone to bed and tearing the page from the back of Barbra's puzzle book, "he might think it's another clue?"

By the time the girls returned from the shower block, everyone was sitting around the dining table waiting for Nan to make them breakfast. Barry seemed transfixed by Barbara's hair net, while Lawrence was sitting still zipped into his sleeping bag shivering. "Cold last night was it?" jibed Molly. Lawrence didn't answer, he just gripped his mug of tea with both hands and raised it slowly to his lips. "What's everyone's plans for today then?" asked Dad as Nan put down a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him. "Well, Daddy Greggy," replied Panda, "I've always wanted to try hang gliding." Before Dad could reply Nan agreed with her, "oh yes, hang gliding, I've always wanted to try that too, up there with the birds, it must be wonderful." Dad just shook his head, "I was thinking more sand castles and deck chairs." Unusually when Barry's breakfast was placed in front of him, he took a moment before tucking into it, "Daddy Greggy?" "Ugh, not you aswell," Dad groaned. "Is there any chance you can lend me some money until we get home?" Dad looked surprised, "I thought I heard you telling Lawrence about your pocket full of spondulicks on the way here in the car!" Barry thought quickly, "yes, that's right, spondulicks, they're throat sweets," he then paused for a moment before pushing his luck, "do you want one?" Lawrence tried not to laugh as Dad declined and asked how much he needed to borrow. The lure of Nan's breakfast meant Barry replied with his mouth full of baked beans, "fifty?" Dad huffed as he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and begrudgingly handed the money over. "Thanks Daddy Greggy!" beamed Barry, his mouth all orange with bean juice. Barbra leaned towards Mum to softly ask, "are these all your children?"

By ten o'clock the weather had warmed considerably, and it was agreed they would all spend the day on the beach. To everyone's relief Barbra decided to stay in the caravan, refusing to even attempt the walk down the cliffs. Nan had plenty of energy though, and beat Mum and Dad to the sand. Molly and Panda gave Lawrence their homemade map, then spent most of the morning watching the boys pacing around the beach and digging holes with a tiny pink spade. After two hours of toil Barry started to question the authenticity of the map, "hey Loz, have you seen the other side of this?" Lawrence put down the spade and climbed out of his hole, "yes, I think it's a grid system." "I know," countered Barry, "that's what you said before, but what about at the bottom where it says Super Puzzle Monthly, and then there's a page number too?" Lawrence grabbed the scrappy sheet of paper out of Barry's hand, "I should have noticed that, do you think there are more pages to the map then?" Barry sighed, "No Loz, I think we've been had." Overhearing the conversation the girls closed their eyes and pretended to be asleep. Lawrence did think it was a little odd how Panda and Molly had refused to help them dig, especially when they agreed to waive their rights to a share in the treasure. He looked over to Molly lying motionless on her towel. She had a look on her face that Lawrence knew well, it was the face she pulled when she was trying stop herself from laughing. He threw down the map and stomped across the beach towards her. Realising they'd been rumbled both girls sprang to their feet and sprinted across the sand. The boys gave chase for a while before they all returned to their towels exhausted and laughing. "I'm not sure why they call this place Shortbeach," panted Barry. Panda couldn't stop giggling, "didn't you think it was weird that there were no measurements on the map?" "I thought the spider in the corner was a key, so eight legs meant eight paces between the markers," explained Lawrence. "It was a crab," grinned Molly. "Yes, so it only had six legs Lozzy," laughed Panda, "and didn't you think it was funny how it was all drawn with eye liner and lipstick?" Lawrence shook his head, disappointed by his own gullibility, "I thought it was just old and the ink was wearing off." Thankfully the analysis of the boy's foolishness was cut short by a burst of heavy rain.