Challenge No.48 - Through Their Eyes.
Write a scene from a child's point of view.
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Johnny was in trouble, he knew he was in trouble, more than that, he knew that he had caused the trouble. Today was the eighth of August and Johnny's eighth birthday. Eight across the board - eighth birthday on the eighth day in the eighth month. But Johnny had been a naughty boy.
He'd put bubble gum in his older sister's hair and her long plaits had to be cut off. He'd put salt in the sugar bowl and spoilt mum's tea. He'd coloured the walls with his crayons. He thought it looked really nice. Mum didn't agree. He'd put a lizard in the bathroom sink and made sister scream. Johnny had been having a great time.
"No party for you," Mum said.
"But! It's my birthday!" Johnny had wailed.
But mum was firm.
Now, Johnny got ready for school. "Good morning." He said.
"Good morning and happy birthday." Mum and sister said.
Johnny looked but there was no birthday cake, no birthday cards and no birthday gifts.
Johnny had breakfast and went to school.
His friends ran up to him. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHNNY!"
Everyone wanted to know what he got. After all, it was his eighth birthday and it was on the eighth day of the eighth month. Everyone wanted a piece of birthday cake too!
But there was none to be had.
"I'm getting nothing for my birthday, my mum is mad, she says I've been nothing but bad." Johnny was very sad.
"Awwwww." His friends were sad too.
"Did you say sorry?" One girl asked.
"Yeah! Sometimes that helps!" A boy agreed.
Johnny thought about what his friends said and he came up with a plan. He asked his teacher for paper and crayons from the activities cupboard and at lunchtime, he set to work.
He had a green sheet of paper and a blue one. He folded them in half, then folded them in half again. He drew lots of hearts on one and lots of stars on the other. Then he wrote inside.
I'M SORRY MUM.
I'M SORRY SIS.
His project was all done and ready for delivery.
When he got home, he found his sister in the kitchen. Mum wasn't home yet; she was still at work. He gave sister the card he'd made. She read it.
"Did you make this?"
"Yes."
"Do you mean what it says?"
"Yes."
"Good, I'm glad." She hugged him.
"Thanks," Johnny said.
"My hair will grow back," Sister said. "But no more bubble gum!"
"No." He promised.
Later on, Johnny gave mum her card.
Did you make this?"
"Yes."
"Do you mean what it says?"
"Yes."
"Good, I'm glad." She hugged him. "We have a gift for you."
"Yes." Sister went to get it.
Johnny shouted. "A PUPPY!"
"This morning you were not sorry, but now you are," Mum said.
Johnny hugged his puppy. "Thank you! Thank you!"
"After all you only get one eighth birthday on the eighth day in the eighth month," Sister said.
© 17 April 2022
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