Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
About the Author
Chapter One
Tick. Tick. The big hand on the clock clicks round to three. At last! Luke pushes back his chair and lets out a big sigh. He doesn’t mean it to make a noise, but it does. His teacher frowns.
“Thanks for the reminder, Luke. OK, everyone. Time to go home. Put everything away in your drawers, please. And don’t forget tonight’s homework. I want each of you to prepare a short talk about something that interests you, for tomorrow. Off you go.”
The playground is full of people: mums and dads and carers and big sisters and brothers, all waiting to collect children from St Giles’ Primary School.
Luke pushes past them. He goes home by himself.
Well, not home, exactly. Luke goes to Grandad’s house, which is twelve minutes fifty seconds’ walk away from the school.
It’s his favourite place ever. For a start, Grandad is there. Grandad lets Luke make pancakes for tea (and supper and breakfast).
He doesn’t ask questions like what did you learn at school today? or what homework have you got tonight? He doesn’t moan about Luke’s muddy shoes, or tell him to turn the TV off. There are interesting things to look at on the shelves: fossils, and a small brass telescope, and a compass.
And then there’s the garden. It’s long and thin, with trees you can climb and grass you can run on.
At the bottom of the garden are the sheds. One is empty apart from a few tools. It’s the perfect place for sitting in when you want to be quiet and think. It smells of hay. The other shed is the pigeon loft.
Luke pushes the door open. It’s like stepping into another world.
The air is full of the sound of soft bird calls: crrroo, crooo. It makes Luke think of cats purring. Feathers float in the warm air. The birds peck at the seed in their boxes and preen their feathers. Their eyes are beady bright. They watch Luke. They know him. They’re not scared.
Luke talks to them. He tells them secrets, sometimes – how he doesn’t like school. Today, he tells them about football.
“I’m useless at it. I don’t even like it, really, but everybody else does. So that makes me different.”
The pigeons coo back. One tries to peck his finger when he holds his hand against the wire mesh. It tickles. He laughs.
Close up, you can see all different colours in their feathers. Green, and purple, and pink and silver.
Luke hears Grandad coming slowly down the garden. These days, he walks with a stick.
“Shall we let them out for a fly around?” Grandad asks.
Luke nods. Together, they watch the birds hop onto the edge of the cage as each door is opened. Suddenly they all take flight, off and up into the blue, summer sky. Their wings flash like silver in the sunlight as they wheel round, a silver arc above the houses and gardens and streets.
“Let’s have our tea outside today,” Grandad says.
They are still there when the pigeons come back to roost. They hear the swish of wings as the birds circle over the plum tree.
Mum tuts at Grandad when she comes to collect Luke on her way home from work. “You’ll catch cold,” she says. “The garden’s all in shadow, now.”
In the car, she tells Luke he ought to help Grandad in the house more.
“Didn’t you see the piles of dirty dishes in the sink?” she asks. “And dust everywhere. He’s getting old. He shouldn’t really be living by himself.”
Luke knows Grandad wouldn’t dream of living anywhere else.
“Finished your homework, I hope,” Mum says, like it’s a question.
Luke nods. He hasn’t, of course. He’s forgotten all about it, on purpose. He doesn’t want to give a talk. He hates talking in front of the whole class.
He thinks about it again at bedtime. He stays awake, worrying. He listens to the owls outside his window.
Even in a town there are owls. Perhaps he could do his talk about Grandad’s pigeons, he thinks, just before he falls asleep.
Chapter Two
“I don’t feel well,” Luke tells Mum at breakfast.
“What’s wrong?” she says.
“I feel sick.”
“Well, we’ll just have to hope you don’t get any worse,” she says. “I’ve got a busy day. I can’t stay at home. I’m sorry, Luke.”
“I could stay with Grandad,” Luke says, hopefully.
“No,” Mum says. “Grandad needs time to rest. It’s enough for him having you after school every day.”
“He likes having me,” Luke says. “He says it’s the highlight of his day!”
But Mum is already getting the car keys and her coat.
Most of Luke’s class are in the middle of a football game in the playground when he arrives at the gate. He stands next to Mira and watches Sam and Marek dribbling the ball like professionals. Marek scores a goal.
“What are you doing for your talk?” Mira asks him.
Luke shrugs. “Nothing,” he says. “I forgot.”
They start doing the talks after lunch. Luke feels sicker and sicker. What is he going to do? Mira talks about going to India for her aunty’s wedding. She shows the class the sequinned sari she wore. Marek talks about the Junior League – he’s goalie. Joe’s talk is about the newts he has in his garden pond. The newts have little hands.
Luke wonders about having a pond in Grandad’s garden, with newts. The whole class clap when each person finishes. It’s not so bad, after all, Luke thinks. It’s fun listening to everyone.
Luke watches the clock. Tick. Tick. Nearly there. Tick Tick. Home time!
“I’m sorry, children,” Mrs Hill says. “We’ll have to save the last four talks for tomorrow.”
YES! Luke thinks. Now he’s got time to get a really good talk ready. He imagines everyone listening and clapping.
He tells Grandad what he’s decided. “Tomorrow I’m giving a talk about your pigeons.”
“Good lad,” Grandad says. “Maple syrup or lemon and sugar for your pancakes?”
Luke has both. So does Grandad. Luke remembers to help do the washing-up. Grandad has a sleep in the deckchair. He sleeps for ages, so Luke feeds the pigeons and lets them out for their fly around.
“I’m going to tell everyone at school about you tomorrow,” he tells them as they perch on the cage edge, ready for takeoff.
They tip their heads and look at him with their beady eyes. The pigeons fly off with a swoop of wings. Two feathers flutter down. Luke picks them up. He can take them in to show his class.
He watches the birds spiral above the gardens in bigger and bigger circles, and then veer off over the street. Maybe they are flying over the school. Perhaps Grandad would let them out when he did his talk, so everyone could see.
Luke goes over to ask him. But Grandad looks strange. His face is grey. He’s shivering.
“Give us a hand in, lad,” Grandad says.
Luke makes him a cup of tea but he doesn’t drink it.
“I think we’d better get your mum here,” Grandad says. Luke phones her mobile.
“I’m on my way,” she says. “Keep him warm. Call the doctor if he gets worse.”
Luke brings a blanket downstairs and tucks it round Grandad. He sits by him. Grandad strokes his hand. They watch the TV till Mum arrives.
She phones the doctor. The doctor says they need to get an ambulance. Grandad gets bundled into the ambulance. Mum and Luke follow in the car.
At the hospital, Luke has to wait on a chair in a corridor for ages. He suddenly remembers the pigeons. They will need shutting back in their cages safe for the night. He tells Mum when she
comes back.
“Grandad needs to stay in hospital tonight,” she says. “Come and see him before we go.”
Grandad is lying in a bed. The white sheets make his face look grey. Luke thinks Grandad looks older and a bit sad.
“Take care of them pigeons for me, lad,” Grandad says.
“I will, Grandad. I’ll feed them till you’re safe back home.”
When Luke turns round to wave from the doorway, Grandad has already closed his eyes.
“He’s going to be all right, isn’t he?” Luke asks.
“He’s in the best place right now,” Mum says.
Chapter Three
Luke’s hands are shaking as he stands in front of his class.
“Right,” Mrs Hill says. “What are you going to tell us about, Luke?”
“Pigeons,” Luke says. His voice comes out too soft, and a bit squeaky. Someone giggles.
Mrs Hill frowns. “Quiet, everyone,” she says. “Speak up, Luke.”
Once he’s got going it isn’t so bad. He tells the class about the pigeon loft, and how to put seed in the hopper, and fill the water trough. He makes the sound of a happy pigeon: crrroo crooo.
“Their feathers are beautiful, if you look properly,” Luke says. “Pink and turquoise and green, not just grey like people think.” He passes round the two feathers for everyone to stroke.
“Best of all is when the pigeons fly off, in a great circle, and their wings flash silver in the sunlight as they turn.”
“Why don’t they just fly away?” Mira asks.
“Because they know where they’re fed, see?” Luke says.
“They’re homers, and you can train them.”
“Have they got names?” Joe says.
“Yes. Each one’s different, see? There’s Silver, with his silvery head, and Bossy, who’s the lead bird, and Queenie, because of the way she walks…”
Luke’s forgotten that he was scared about talking in front of everyone. It’s easy. Everyone’s listening, and asking questions.
Mrs Hill gives him a big smile. “Well done, Luke!” she says. “We need to stop now, but that was fascinating. Thank you.”
Everyone claps.
“You were brilliant,” Mira says at the end of the day.
Luke blushes.
“Can I come and see them pigeons?” Joe asks.
“When my Grandad’s better,” Luke says. Mum finishes work early so she can collect Luke from school and they can both go to the hospital.
“Had a good day?” Mum asks.
“Yes,” Luke says. He’s surprised. It really was a good day. His talk was pretty cool.
They tiptoe through the door into the ward. Grandad seems to be sleeping. Mum sits in the chair next to the bed, and Luke stands next to her. Grandad’s breathing sounds funny. Mum strokes Grandad’s hand. He opens his eyes. He doesn’t recognise them at first. He thinks Luke is someone else.
“Speak to him, Luke,” Mum says.
“I did my talk about your pigeons today,” Luke says. “Everyone liked it.”
“Good lad,” Grandad says. “How are my beauties?”
“They’re missing you,” Luke says. “I fed them this morning on the way to school. I’ll let them out, later.”
“Good lad.” Grandad closes his eyes again.
“He’s very tired,” Mum says. “We better not stay too long.’
“Tired,” Grandad echoes. “Tired out.”
Mum drives back via Grandad’s so Luke can look after the pigeons. “I’ll do a spot of cleaning while you let them out,” she says.
Luke gets the key and goes down the garden. The pigeons are crowding against the wire in their cages in the shed, jostling for space at the front, cooing and pecking at the empty seed hoppers.
“It’s all right,” Luke tells them. “I’m looking after you now.”
As he unlatches each cage, the birds push and shove their way onto the edge and then take off in sudden flight. Luke watches each single bird become part of the whole, so that they fly together in a silvery wave, high over the rooftops and away towards the park.
Luke cleans out the cages with the special brush Grandad uses. He refills the feed and water. Then he sweeps out the shed and makes everything tidy. All the time he imagines Grandad is there, watching him.
Mum wanders down the garden. “Tea’s ready,” she says. “We can have it here, today.”
“Grandad’s a very sick man,” she tells Luke, as they eat.
“I know,” Luke says. “I can see that. He’s not going to get better, is he?”
“Probably not,” Mum says, and a tear trickles down her cheek.
Luke holds her hand. He doesn’t want to cry, but he can’t help it.
Chapter Four
On Saturday, Mum drives Luke round to Grandad’s house as usual so he can look after the pigeons. She has cleaned the whole house by now, top to bottom. She picks flowers to go in the blue china jug on the kitchen table. Luke makes pancakes for them both for breakfast.
“I wish Grandad were here,” he says.
“Me too,” Mum says.
“Couldn’t we bring him home and look after him?”
Mum sighs. “It would be nicer for him,” she says.
Luke talks to the pigeons while he gives them some corn. “What do you think? Grandad might get better if he came back home, don’t you think?”
“Croo, croo,” they say.
Luke reckons that means yes.
When they get to the hospital ward, Luke and Mum have a shock. Grandad isn’t there.
A nurse walks over. Her shoes make a squeaky sound on the floor. “Mrs Taylor?” she says.
“Yes?” Mum says. “Where’s my dad?” Her voice sounds panicky. Luke feels his heart beating faster, too.
“We’ve moved him,” the nurse says, “to his own room, to give him a bit of peace and quiet.” The nurse looks at Luke, and then at Mum. “Can I have a private word?” she says.
Luke watches them talking together. He feels sad and heavy inside.
He knows where the single rooms are. He goes to find Grandad by himself.
Grandad doesn’t look like Grandad any more. His eyes are sunken and dull. His skin seems paper thin, and his bony hand on the sheet is curved like a claw.
“Luke?” Grandad whispers. “Thank goodness you’ve come.” A tear rolls down one of his papery cheeks.
“What is it, Grandad?” Luke touches his hand, even though he feels scared.
“Take me home,” Grandad whispers. “Please.”
Mum arrives at the door. She puts sweet peas she’s brought from the garden close to Grandad’s face so he can smell them. For a second, something like a smile hovers on his lips.
“We’ve got to take Grandad home,” Luke says.
“Yes,” Mum says. “I’ve already told the nurse that’s what we’re going to do.”
Luke and Mum go first, to get everything ready, and then an ambulance brings Grandad. The ambulance men carry Grandad inside. They tuck him into bed on the sofa in the front room, so he doesn’t have to go upstairs.
Mum goes back to the flat to fetch clothes for her and Luke.
“We need to move in here for a while to take care of Grandad,” she explains.
Luke hugs her. “Good. We should have done that ages ago,” he says.
Mum laughs. “Grandad wouldn’t have let us! He loved being on his own, in his own place, doing exactly what he wanted. Just him, and those blessed pigeons, of course!”
From his sofa bed, Grandad can glimpse a square of sky and when Luke lets the pigeons out for a fly around, he can hear the beating of their wings.
He smiles, weakly. “That’s better,” he says.
He sleeps most of the time. Luke understands that Grandad is tired out. Tired of living, now.
“I’ve had a good life,” Grandad says. “Time to go, soon.”
It makes Luke feel very sad. Sunday evening, Luke carries Queenie and Silver into the house, so Grandad can say g
oodbye to his favourite pigeons. The birds nestle on Grandad’s knees, on the blanket, and he smoothes their feathers with his hand.
“Time for me to take flight,” he whispers to them.
Chapter Five
Luke wakes up in the night. It must be nearly dawn, because the window is pale grey instead of black. He hears Mum’s feet on the stairs. Then he hears her talking to someone on the phone.
Luke climbs out of bed and goes onto the landing. There’s a lamp on downstairs. Mum comes out of the front room. She looks up.
“He’s gone,” she says softly. “Grandad’s died.’
They sit on the stairs, and cry together. When Luke goes back to bed, he lies there remembering all the happy times he’s had with Grandad.
He dreams about Grandad and the pigeons. The pigeons are carrying Grandad with them as they circle and spiral into the blue sky.
When Luke wakes up, he knows Grandad is happy, and safe, wherever he is now.
After the funeral is over, Luke goes back to school.
“We missed you,” Mira says.
“Want to play football?” Marek and Sam ask, at lunchtime.
“No, thanks,” Luke says, but he’s pleased they asked him all the same.
He sits with Joe under the tree in the playground.
“The pigeons are mine now,” Luke tells Joe. “And we’ve moved into my grandad’s house, so I’ve got a garden, too. We might make a pond.”
Taking Flight Page 1