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Lucy skipped down the steps of the guest house, brown hair flying and carrying her pink Barbie back pack. She bounced from foot to foot as she waited on the pavement for her father to bring the car round.

"We’re going home, we’re going home" she sang. The landlady who had come out to wave them off, asked in a mock hurt voice,

"Haven’t you enjoyed it here then?"

Shyly Lucy nodded her head,

"oh yes, it’s been lovely" she replied "But…"

"You’ll be glad to see your friends again?" put in the landlady helpfully.

Lucy nodded. At that moment their car drew up and she bounced into the back seat, rolled down the window and began waving.

She waved at the people on the beach and in the sea, and breathed in the smell of hot dogs and chips and salty air as they drove on out of the town and began heading home.

"Home" thought Lucy happily. It had been a lovely holiday, but now, well she just wanted to get back and tell Fred and Charlie the news, oh yes, and she had a lovely present for Mr Potter.

"Oh dear" grinned Charlie past the stem of his pipe, "One soggy moggy".

The said "moggy", who until about ten seconds ago had been poised on the edge of the pond fishing for one of the unwary inhabitants, was now franticly trying to scramble out of the water looking less well groomed than usual.

Fred's face broke into a huge grin,

"You’d think he’d have learned his lesson after the last time, after all, it wasn’t that long ago".

The cat, whiskers quivering, now safely back on firm ground, turned and gave them both a furious glare, then shot off across the lawn at high speed, and proceeded to charge around the garden yowling as he went.

"Did you see that look?"

"Yes" replied Charlie still grinning, "Just like it was our fault".

"A case of injured pride if ever I saw one" chuckled Fred.

They sat silently in the sun warmed garden watching the antics of the cat and chuckling every now and again.

"When are they due home" asked Charlie swatting at a fly with his pipe.

"Don’t know, I’ve lost track of time".

At that moment they heard the sounds of whistling, then the squeak and click of the garden gate followed by the snap of the letter box.

"It’s today" said Charlie eagerly, "That’s the paper boy, and he hasn’t been here in a while".

They listened for the squeak and click of the gate and the whistling floated away on the warm July breeze.

"I’ve missed them" Fred sighed, "It’s been too quiet, especially without young Lucy"

"Yes" agreed Charlie, "She really brightens up the place, especially when her friend comes over and we all have tea together".

The canopy of leaves over their heads rustled as the breeze sighed through the branches.

Now the cat had moved to within a couple of feet of the pond, and with his back leg pointing skywards like a furry antenna began grooming itself.

"I’m always amazed at the contortions it gets into to have a wash" observed Charlie pointing with his pipe.

"Oh no" Fred groaned, "Look over there"

Charlie looked. He squinted against the glare of the sun and saw a large dark sillouette moving across the garden.

"She’s hanging her washing out".

"That means a total eclipse of the sun" grinned Charlie.

They watched in silent fascination as garment after vast garment was pinioned to the washing line.

"I wonder if those knickers are reinforced" Fred mused.

"You know, some of those items would make marvellous parachutes" Charlie said wickedly.

At that moment a breeze stronger than before whipped away a huge striped garment that was reminiscent of a marquee.

"Her husband’s only a little guy" Fred's tone was sympathetic.

The sound of children's voices carried on the air, and they could hear the thud of a ball being kicked. Suddenly it came flying over the hedge and hit the tree trunk behind them, then re-bounded into the pond.

"I’m soaked" spluttered Fred.

The cat, having had enough of water for one day shot up the tree and glared down from the safety of its perch.

A row of heads appeared over the hedge. There seemed to be some discussion as to who exactly would be sent in to retrieve the ball. It fell to the smallest one, and reluctantly he started for the gate which squeaked and clicked as he made his cautious way into the garden.

"Why don’t you take that thing away from the houses" Charlie shouted angrily.

The boy, completely ignoring them, rescued his ball from the pond and raced off leaving only the click of the gate hanging in the air.

"Kids, if only I could run" Fred fumed.

"You’d do what exactly?" asked Charlie

"At least I could have kicked the ball back to them" Fred said ruefully.

They watched the heads bobbing away down the lane and out of sight.

Now the garden returned to a place of peace. The cat sprang lightly down from the tree and rolled joyfully in the grass before settling down to toast its belly under the suns warm rays.

Lucys eyes shot open as they turned into the lane that led to their home. Grabbing her back pack she smiled out at the familiar sight of the two horses standing side by side watching the car going slowly past. Quickly she wound down the window,

"I’ll come and give you some apples later" she called a promise to them, they wickered their pleasure and she rolled up the window.

The car came to a stop in front of their house and Lucy was out like a shot.

The gate squeaked and clicked, then she was running across the garden,

"Charlie, Fred, we’re home" she called. Stopping in front of the two figures under the tree she said breathlessly,

"We’ve had a lovely time, and I’ve brought you presents."

The cat stalked across and began rubbing itself against her, purring loudly.

"Oh Mr Potter" she flung her arms round the cat, "I’ve got something for you too".

She brought out a bag and took out a deep blue velvet collar studded with sparkling stones. The cat sniffed at it, then rubbed his face along her hand.

She looked back at the two figures smiling at her from under the canopy of trees.

"Mum and dad have decided you need to be smartened up" she told them excitedly. "So, you’re going to have some new clothes, won’t that be lovely?"

The two garden gnomes seemed to nod their heads in silent thanks, and was it Lucys imagination, or did their smiles get a little wider?

By Katie Richards

©

March 2007

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