Memories of summer.

By Grace

One barmy August afternoon Lila, an 8-year-old girl with brown hair, lay in her grandmother’s garden staring at the clouds. Lila’s mum had recently been in hospital and as she lay there staring at the clouds she tried to forget the trips to visit her, as she knew her mum was unwell but nobody would tell her what was going on. Her dad just looked sad and carried on working. Even her big brother, who normally loved to give Lila a punch in the arm, was being especially nice. Lila normally loved being at her grandmothers during the summer holidays but this year felt different. Her grandmother was crying all the time and wouldn’t play with Lila in the back garden like she normally would. She had grown tired of all the long faces and concerned stares that she was not meant to see. The constant hugs and random presents (although not unwelcome) were making her feel uneasy. ‘Why won’t anyone tell me what’s going on?’ she shouted out loud whilst she gazed into the sky. Was she hoping for an answer? She was no longer sure. Lila began to imagine drifting on a cloud, soaring up over her local village and across the lush green fields. She felt weightless like a feather being blown upwards and away. If I was a feather where would I go thought Lila? I would soar above the clouds and float down to the seaside. Lila loved the sea.

Last summer the whole family went to a caravan by the sea and Lila spent hours in rock pools collecting shells whilst her brother tried to get his kite to take off. She giggled to herself thinking about him tangled in the cord and falling to the ground in a heap whilst the rest of the family fell about laughing. She went for walks arm in arm with mum and dad and they watched granddad snoring in his deckchair whilst grandmother spent the week with a flask of tea constantly in her hands. Lila remembered her dad asking how one person could drink so much tea and remembered mum smiling at the question. How carefree last summer felt and yet this year was so very different. She wanted so much to be back on that beach.

All of a sudden Lila had a great idea. She wanted to bring the spirit of last summer back so she marched down to the garden shed and pulled out some deck chairs. She spotted her brother’s old kite and she set everything up over by granddads vegetable patch. Grandmother’s tea flask was over in the corner of the shed and Lila placed it on the grass next to the deckchairs. She ran into the house and grabbed her camera; she quickly scribbled a message on a piece of blank paper. Placing it between the flask and the kite she quickly took the picture. She was going to send it to mum; the message said ‘WISH YOU WERE HERE!’