Chapter 2 Making Friends
1794 Words
A very good-looking boy was walking up the front path. He was dressed in Jersey and shorts, and his dark curly hair was thick and unruly. He had bright, cheeky eyes and a smile that beat Pat's heart at once.
Good morning,' he said to Mrs Mackenzie when she came to the door. I expect you've seen us moving in next door-my mum and I. Mum says she hates to bother you, but could you possibly lend us a kettle to make a pot of tea? Our kettle has completely disappeared.'
Well, I was just going to ask if you'd like a pot,' said Mrs Mackenzie. I'll lend you a kettle too,' with pleasure. Come in and a minute, and I'll make you some tea, and you can take it back with you.'
The boy came in. He grinned at the twins and Pat. Hello! You're our neighbours, aren't you? Does anything exciting go onin this town? I belonged to a great gang.
What's a gang?' asked Pat.
Oh-a lot of boys - and girls too sometimes,' said the boy. What's your name? Mine's Bob Kent.'
We're twins, Jeanie and Donald, and this is Pat. She's seven. We're eleven,' said Jeanie.
She's no baby?#1' said Bob, grinning at Pat. I once had a seven-year-old cousin to stay with me, and she was up to all sorts of tricks. I bet Pat is too.'
Pat was delighted by this. She never did get up to tricks, but she didn't mind this boy thinking she did. She smiled broadly at him, hoping that he would be friends with her, and not with Jeanie and Donald. But he was so big for his age-he would never want a little girl like Pat.
Mrs Mackenzie went into the kitchen to boil a kettle. She liked Bob too - a merry boy with plenty of goes in him, she thought. It would be fun for her family to have him to play with.
Is your father coming soon?' asked Jeanie. We only saw your mother.'
My father's dead,' said Bob. He died last year. I miss him an awful lot. There's only Mum and me, so I like to look after things - when she lets me!'
The twins felt sorry for Bob's father. They loved their own father very much - he was cheerful and loving, and also strict, but they didn't mind that so long as he loved them! They thought it must be dreadful not to have a father to say" Yes, you may' or No, certainly not!" or to take them to the zoo or on a picnic.
Mrs Mackenzie appeared with the tea. She had put it on a tray with a jug of milk. She had put a glass of lemonade on the tray as well, and a plate of biscuits.
Oh, thanks awfully,' said Bob. I would love a drink of lemonade. I'll bring back the tray later. And thanks for the kettle too.'
He went off, carrying the tray carefully, giving Pat a broad wink as he went. She didn't like to wink back. She stared after him, thinking that it really would be fun to have him next door. He didn't think her a baby, so he might play with her.
Did you like Bob, Mummy?' asked Donald. I did. He'll be fun - up to all kinds of things.'
Yes, I liked him,' said Mrs Mackenzie, secretly wondering what kind of things Bob would be up to. He had a bold look about him - she thought he would dare to do a good many things he ought not to do. And what a good-looking boy he was!
She looked at the twins - red-haired and freckled with green-brown eyes. Pat wasn't red-haired, she was dark with brown eyes. Mrs Mackenzie hoped that Bob would take a little notice of Pat. Pat was too shy, and too dreamy, and she suffered because the others were twins and didn't need her. That made her a bit of a mummy's girl' but it couldn't very well be helped.
Frisky the dog ran in, wagging his tail. He had taken the boy right to his front door. He liked him. He liked his loud, cheerful voice, and the way he stroked him and patted him - firmly and confidently. Frisky thought he was the right kind of boy for a dog!
Well, anyway, we've got one nice neighbor,' said Donald. I expect he'll go to school with us.'
It was Saturday, so there was no school that day. The twins went off for a walk with Frisky in the afternoon, and Pat went with her mother to see her aunt, though she wished and wished she could go with Jeanie and Donald.
The two new families settled in that day and the next. Curtains went up, and the house began to look lived-in. When lights shone from the window at night the Mackenzies felt pleased.
It's nice too have people living each side of us again, said Jeanie. Mother, may we ask Bob to tea sometime?'
Ask him for Thursday, said Mother. Then he will have had time to settle in.'
Bob appeared in their school on the Tuesday. He was in a class below Jeanie and Donald, but higher than Pat's, of course. The other three children from Summerhayes appeared also.They were well- dressed and neat.
They gave their names as Eleanor, Harriet and Thomas Berkeley. Bob gave his as Robert Kent. He rushed up to Jeanie and Donald when the cleven o'clock break came.
Hello! I went to call for you this morning but you'd gone. Hello, Pat! Have one of my biscuits?'
Oh, thank you, said Pat, proud that the big boy had singled her out for a biscuit.
Are those the kids from the house on the other side of you? asked Bob, nodding towards Eleanor, Harriet and Thomas. They look pretty struck- up and the boy looks bad- tempered, I think.
He's not very nice to his sister, said Jeanie. I saw him push one over just now.
Well, I might push a sister over if she was struck - up, said Bob. Come on -let's play burglars and policeman. I'll be the burglar, you be the policeman. And Pat can be a detective and watch all I do.
Bob made it a most exciting game, and they were all sorry when the bell went for lessons again. Bob shoved past Thomas as they want in. Thomas shoved back at once.
Here! Who are you shiving? he said. You, Bob said cheerfully. What are you called- Thomas or Tom? I'm Bob. Live two doors away from your.
I'm Tom Berkeley, said Tom, and looked closed at Bob. Bobgrinned back , and Tom gave a sudden grin too, which made his sulky face look quite chifferent.
The Mackenzies, Bob and Tom all walked home together. Eleanor and Harrier walked some way behind, talking in low voices They had been police but not friendly.
Haven't made up their minds yet whether they want to know us or not! Jeanie said to Donald.
Frisky came rushing to meet the children. Bob made great fuss of him and so did Tom. I wish I had a dog, said Tom. I've always wanted one, but my mother said it would have to belong to all of us if we had one, and I want a dog of my own.
But Frisky belongs to all of us! said Donald. We all share him-and he likes it.'
You wouldn't like sharing anything with my two sisters, said Tom.
I'd like a dog too, said Bob. But mother says they 're a nuisances. They bring in mud and all that.
But you can always clear it up, said Jeanie. What's it matter? Donald and I always clear up any mud Frisky brings in.
And I pick off the hairs he leaves on Mummy's sofa, said Pat. I'm glad our mother likes dogs.
Oh, my mother lets me have anything else I like, said Bob, at once. I go to the cinema, and I get plenty of sweet, and I've got a fine railway set. The rails take up the whole floor when they're set out.
I had a set like that too, said Tom. But when we moved out of our big house to this Small house, my mother sold my railway set. She said there wouldn't be room to play with it here. My father was angry, becuase he'd said I could keep it. There was a fine old row.
Jeanie and Donald remembered the loud, harsh voice scolding in the kitchen of the house next door, When the Berkeleys had moved in.They didn't somehow think they would like Tom's mother-esecially if she had sold his lovely railway set!
Will your father buy you another one? asked Pat.
No. Mother would only sell that too, said Tom. Do you know what he said? He said that he would sell one of my mother's brooches because she sold my railway set! So she locks all her jewellery away.
When she sold my railway set I'd a good mind to take one of her brooches myself and sells it!'
All the other looked at him, shocked and disbelieving. What a dreadful thing to say!
Don't you love your mother? said Pat, in an amazed voice. You couldn't do a thing like that to her!'
Tom looked suddenly ashamed. He began to whistle loudly , then he stopped. Look at old Frisky, he said , changing the subject very abruptly indeed. He's found a bone or something!'
Frisky had indeed found a bone-but unfortunately it belonged to another dog! The dog leaped at him, growling, and Frisky dodged asid, still holding on to the bone. The other dog leaped again.
Oh-Frisky will be bitten! ceried Pat. He won't let go of the bone!'
Bob ran to the two growling dogs and caught Frisky by the tail. Frisky barked crossly -and dropped the bone! The other dog snapped it up and was off at once.
Good work!said Tom admiringly to Bob. I say -that was brave of you. You might have been badly bitten. I hate to interfere when two dogs begin a fight.
Thank you, Bob, said Jeanie, and she thuumped him on the back . Frisky you're bad to steal another dog's bone. Bad dog!'
Tom seemed to be very struck with Bob's action. I wouldn't have done that for worlds, he said. I say, let me come and see your railway sometime, will you?
Bob was pleased. He liked being praised by an older boy. I'll ask my mother when you can come, he said. Well, here we all -I'm off to my lunch. Goodbye!'
- Writer
