It is the meteorite that caused the mass extinction.
Azeem picked it up again. Throwed down hard.
Boom a bomb!
Meteorite.
Then a lady came of a green coat and shiny shoes.
Come on, Azeem. Time to go. Say goodbye to your friend.
She getted a tissue wiped it away the sandy snot.
Goodbye dinosaur boy!
Karen was up the slope with Meemaw. All the time there. They were near the skinny tree all over white flowers now. The wind blew the white petals all in the air like snow. Like snowing of a cartoon. Meemaw there behind it.
Meemaw was laughing. Karen lying on the grass and laughing too. Karen in a hoody. Meemaw would say put your coat on put your coat on it’s a cold day. But no coat on Karen and all the time laughing. Karen and my Meemaw.
I tried to make Spiney a new cave but it went to crumble down.
Boys came said words too fast and shouting pushing. One had a smell of milk. Trainers too close. I getted out the sandpit went up the slope to Meemaw.
Here he is, the professor! How you doing, mate?
Karen looked fast. I looked away.
Right, I’m going to get us some drinks in. Professor, do you want some crisps?
Bounce hair spikes. A little white of spit fired out on the grass. I nodded for crisps.
What’s that, Danny?
Meemaw sharkly of the ruby red. I looked at my trainers.
Yes please.
Karen runned down the slope. Bounce bounce her hair spikes. Bounce the hoody hood of her.
Come and sit down, Danny. Listen, you remember to say thank you to Karen when she brings the crisps, okay?
I putted Spiney close my leg on the grass.
Karen getted me salt and vinegar which are best. I yummed them up and only a bit sandy because I remembered to wipe my hands on my coat before I opened.
Meemaw had tea and a rolly. Karen drinking a can of drink called Coke Zero on it. I watched her gulpy mouth.
Do you want a sip, mate?
She holded it out the can and Meemaw speaked quick.
Oh, oh I don’t let him have fizzy drinks. Just water really.
Karen putted the can beside her on the grass.
Fair enough. Sorry, I don’t really know what’s what with kids his age.
Thanks, anyway, though. I just… I don’t really want to get him started on…
No, no, fair enough.
I crunched all the crisps a good zing. At the end I tipped the packet up some went tumble on my coat.
Karen was all the time looking at Meemaw.
Meemaw was all buzz of a bumble bee. Shimmery glittery of the ruby red. Meemaw’s head sideways all sideways eyes up down when she blowed out her smoke. It was too much a loudness of looking. I closed my eyes.
Do you like football, mate?
I heared Meemaw laugh.
He doesn’t really know much about it to be honest. It’s not my thing.
Then I heared Karen laugh.
Not your thing? Well, we’d better sort that out then! I’ll bring a ball next time and we can have a kick about, eh?
It was quiet. I opened my eyes. Meemaw not talking. Karen not talking. Meemaw and Karen staring at each other. Meemaw’s nostrils gone big as a dragon. Then Karen speaked quiet. Hard to hear in the screamy of the park.
I bet I can persuade you to join in.
No thanks.
Meemaw flicked her ash on the grass. Karen lied down close of Meemaw. I never saw a person so close of Meemaw lying.
Karen taked a daisy from right close of Meemaw’s leg by her jeans. She pulled off the thin white petals til just the yellow puffy. She throwed that away.
All sudden I wanted Meemaw to push me on the swing I thinked of the whooshing air. Swing please swing. But no words would come. I pulled.
Danny, just ask, sweetheart! What is it?
I putted my hand round Meemaw’s ear. Whispered inside.
Swing Meemaw!
She brushed off the sandy crispy bits.
It’s better to speak out loud in company, love.
I hated those words said. Stupid Meemaw. But she getted up.
I’m just gonna give him a push on the swing for a bit, Karen.
Sure.
There was a free swing. Meemaw waited and I getted on. I holded tight very tight of the chains. Not like in the baby swings when you can’t fall out. You could fall out. She lifted it high high.
Hold on, Danny! Keep on holding on! Whatever you do don’t let go!
For a minute I was holded up and thinking of falling. Falling down and bang on the ground. But then whoosh! I was swinging!
All the trees gone smeary on the white sky. I hanged back my head to upside down.
Shutted my eyes then and it was the feelings. Just feelings of whoosh and go.
I opened my eyes. Meemaw behind me. Her upside down head her upside down head and long hair blowing of the wind. Like octopuses’ arms. Meemaw just a lovely head of my Meemaw and love and love.
It was forward backness on on. Meemaw’s hands were a pushing machine. I went higher I could see the pond where the ducks and gooses live. I didn’t want stop ever to come just Meemaw always be pushing and not ever stop.
But she did. She shouted.
Hey, Danny! That’s enough now.
Her hands gone then and always falling lower. Slower. Sad and ending.
I watched Meemaw going up the slope. Karen waved Meemaw waved. Kept on walking on. She flopped on the grass near.
Faces close. Two faces only just a little piece of green grass in between. I draggled my feet on the ground. I draggled draggled my trainers turned sideways. The red coming off all scuffy.
***
When it came time to go Karen walked all along. On the corner by the pet shop she holded Meemaw’s hand of her two hands. Kissed Meemaw’s cheek slow. Lips pressed in.
I’ve had a really lovely afternoon, Nat.
Yeah, me too.
Meemaw’s voice quiet and the cars going by.
Karen rubbed her hand up down the top part of Meemaw’s arm. Rubbing slow and looking.
I’ll message you, yeah?
Meemaw nodded and then sudden a flashing sharkle. Karen smiled.
Then sudden she crouched down. Karen’s face close of mine all yuck of the perfume smell. All loud and close.
So, Professor…
Blue eyes of much too. Blueness only. One colour in. Not a mix-up of colours like Meemaw. Not true not real like Meemaw. The Karen eyes sharp. They spiked me.
I won’t forget the kick about.
Nose of a bobble it moves. Eyebrows thin archy as a viaduct. All the time stinky shout of perfume smell.
I closed my eyes. Waited. Thinked of go away and go away. I heared her stand up.
I think that’s me dismissed then, honey, eh?
Laughing and nothing funny. Go away go away go away.
He’s tired, I think. Danny, say goodbye to Karen.
Still my eyes closed. I didn’t say of it.
See ya, honey. Really soon, I hope.
Yeah, me too. Bye Karen.
I opened my eyes. Meemaw still. Meemaw staring watching Karen going. Away down the road she getted smaller smaller. I thinked shrink away to invisible.
She went round the corner gone. Meemaw picked up the bag.
Come on then, Danny.
I stopped by the pet shop window.
Can we go in just look Meemaw?
Meemaw doesn’t like it she tells it is like a prison in the glass boxes for the kittens. When we stop by the yellow birds Meemaw puts her finger on the thin bars says who the hell would put a bird in a cage. But today not any of that.
Come on then; I know you love it.
Meemaw standed still still in the shop. Gone away. I looked a long time at the creatures.
Best were baby rats curled up together in the corner gone asleep. A tumble all babies together. I putted my face close and maked the glass
go white. I wiped of my finger. A one-eye window. I holded Spiney up so he saw them too. In a long time the shop lady came.
I’m sorry, love, but we’re closing up. Is there anything I can get you?
Meemaw did a jump grabbed my hand. I pulled. No grabbing.
No! Sorry! Come on, Danny.
Rushing. I don’t like it.
***
When we getted home Meemaw gived me her phone and I finded the most brilliant of things on YouTube. It was called Dinosaur! Tale of a Tooth. Fifty seven minutes forty one seconds that is nearly a hour. I watched it all all.
There was a man called William Buckland. He was from olden days had a tall hat and a giant tooth and that’s how they first knowed dinosaurs existed. The man of the voice on top was American. All up down. He said they ruled the planet for one hundred and twenty million years. I said it after. Up down. Again again.
One hundred and twenty million years…
Just of my quiet voice.
The man talked on. More of dinosaurs.
Meemaw was making our tea. Lots of chopping chop chop chop. She getted the little jars spices of smells in them. We can’t use them often because of gets a bit pricey. But we like the tasty taste.
There was the one coriander and the ginger and sizzle. All good smells and Tale of a Tooth man telling on. Meemaw stirring humming humming. Fizz onions going to golden. All smells of golden in our flat.
Tea time!
Tale of a Tooth, Meemaw! One hundred and twenty million years!
Later, love. Time to eat now.
It was of delicious golden the smell. Meemaw gone golden too. She was gone very golden warm. Her hair shiny and smiles. I sitted down on my chair.
Well done, sunshine! Here you go! Veg curry!
It was many of carrots and sometimes hiding peas. We did happy of no talking and I eated lots.
Meemaw humming sometimes.
Right, no bath tonight love. The meter’s a bit low.
Tale of a Tooth!
Tomorrow, love. We don’t want to run out of data. Come and have a wash.
It was a clothes off wash of a flannel.
I washed hands and face. Meemaw gived me a soapy flannel for wash my bot willy and balls. Last my feet. She did rinsing off because nasty itchy if you leave soap on your private parts.
Not much of talking. It was quietness but still the gentle golden of Meemaw. I thinked of Tale of a Tooth and tomorrow. I thinked of it safe in the phone. Then into my pjs.
Right then, pyjama boy, time for another instalment of Terence the Turtle, yes?
Make him to find a great fossil tooth Meemaw! As in the days of the dinosaur hunters!
Hey! Who’s telling this story, you or me?
You, Meemaw, but make him!
Meemaw didn’t do it but she maked it so Terence went on the train to London. In London to the Natural History Museum where the actual tooth was in a glass case.
That’s really true that is, Dan. It’s in the museum in London. Maybe we’ll go one day.
What day Meemaw? What day can we go?
Oh, God, I’ve done it now, haven’t I? Not for a long time. In a long time when we have the money.
Meemaw tucked me cosy in. I didn’t mind of it too much because still in the phone was Tale of a Tooth and the man of the up down voice. And one day the museum of London. I did a yawn.
Meemaw lied down beside but on top. Not going to sleep with me tonight.
You know, I was a real dinosaur nut like you, Danny, when I was little. Once we went to that museum I told you about. It’s brilliant. It’s got loads of stuff, not just dinosaurs. There are animals carved in stone in the walls.
I thinked of stone animals. Then the creatures in the shop not of stone but actual alive.
My dad lifted me up so I could touch one of the stone monkeys and I wished so hard for it to come to life and come home with us.
Did it? Did it go alive Meemaw?
No, it didn’t.
Meemaw kissed my head.
When we came out of the museum though, we did have a treat. We had whippy ice creams with chocolate flakes from the van.
I want a chocolate flakes.
Meemaw doesn’t let me have chocolate so not fair. Not a good story part like the stone monkey.
It was a real scorcher of a day though, Dan. And I remember a lot of that ice cream melted down my hand before I could eat it. I must have been really little. I don’t know.
Meemaw was gone far away and not more talking. Remembering of it. I did remembering too but I didn’t know of the people so it was too hard.
Was your mummy there Meemaw?
Yes. Yes, she was there that day.
So then I tried to do remembering of a mummy for Meemaw but I couldn’t. I did wriggle and wriggle under the covers instead.
Time to go to sleep, lovely boy.
Meemaw did a snuggly kiss of my neck. Turned out the big light sitted in the chair sideways.
There was thumpy music. Sometimes shouting outside of names and you bastard. I turned over over over.
Settle down, love.
Meemaw sitted her book on her knees open. But not turning pages. Street lights went pop to on in the sky of blue treasure. Pink then orange the street lights go.
Meemaw and the lamp. Meemaw sometimes swooshed sudden to ruby red. Just sitting still not reading. Sometimes to ruby red. And sometimes her eyes closed.
CHAPTER FOUR
Meemaw leaned her head on the window.
It’s not going to stop, Dan. I’ve checked the forecast.
Raining hard as hard. The windows gone to melty. Wind went rattle bump.
Tell you what, how about a pj day?
I feeled a big whoosh of good.
Yay!
I love pj days but Meemaw doesn’t say yes mostly. Meemaw telled once of pj days can be the start of a slippery slope.
But not slippery in our flat today. Slippery outside of the pouring rain.
Meemaw wiped the table. The squashy sponge round round.
It’s going to be chilly later because of the low meter. We’ll have to snuggle in bed and do story mountain, okay?
Okay!
I did a shout very loud Meemaw jumped.
Story mountain is all the books come on the bed. We read them one then another and a mountain maked for our little finger men. Finger men climb it. The conquer of it. Mount Everest. It is the goodest of things.
First of the day though was washing up. All washing up of last night tea time and breakfast too.
Your turn to dry, Dan the man. Here you go.
It was the cloth of the clocks museum came of a charity shop. I like it the big numbers circle of it. I putted it on my face.
Ha! You’ve got a clock face!
I pulled it tight. All our flat was in the little holes of it.
Come on then, sunshine, that’s not drying up is it?
Meemaw holded out a knife going drip on the floor.
I did knifes and forks putted them in the drawer. I did big plates of tea time my small plate of breakfast two mugs of Meemaw two glasses of drinks of water. I worked hard. Meemaw did it all one bowl only of hot because of low meter.
We can just leave the pans on the rack.
Then Meemaw went standed by the window looking. The rain runned down and down.
On the upside down silver pan white bubbles runned too. I touched. Soft. Then I lifted it over over of its heavy handle and looked in. My face inside. I speaked.
A hundred and twenty million years!
It came a good boom.
Meemaw laughed. I looked at her. A still blueness but not dark.
How about a Spiney bath?
Yay!
Just a shallow one… And go easy on the washing-up liquid, eh? That’s got to last.
Spiney gets dirty in the world but Meemaw won’t let him in our bath. She says very fond of Spiney but too mucky for a bath companion.
He has separate Spiney baths. Separate of himself.
I pulled the chair over and standed up on it. Meemaw filled up the bowl to halfway. She did the squeeze of green washing up liquid that must last. Gived me the scrubby sponge.
Not too hard, remember?
Bad of Meemaw to say it. There on the side of Spiney’s sail is a place of pinky where I did it. I scrubbed the colour off for a mistake.
I washed in Spiney’s toes. In his hand claws my finger diggling. I pushed bubbles inside his mouth by the pointy teeth.
Spiney roared and spitted. He even bited me for a punishment!
No Spiney! Don’t you dare!
I holded him underneath the water.
Bad Spiney! Bad!
I pushed hard. Cruelly and hard. I feeled strong but then sudden I was scared.
Oh sorry sorry Spiney! So sorry! Don’t be drowned.
I kissed him on his face all wet of bubbles. I looked in his eye a sorry too. He was okay and not drowned.
Spinosaurus were like the crocodilians of today. Spinosaurus went in the water and devoured fish.
Next I flied Spiney in the air. I did Super Spiney. Standed far away of the bed. Throwed him hard. He landed boing! Bounced.
Super Spiney!
Spiney is allowed to bounce he is light. Not heavy like me. I runned to fetch him. Runned back and throwed again.
Oh the bounce! I’m not allowed it the bouncing. Sofa bed won’t take it Danny. I runned fast to fetch him. Jumped on.
Danny.
Her warning voice I always know. Even though not even looking. A warning of bouncing. I wanted it so much. Bounce and bounce. I remembered it of the old flat. Oh the bounce!
Meemaw was sideways in the chair her woolly socks on. Feet dangly over the side.
I taked Spiney to Meemaw’s feet. Spiney bounced on them. Hard. Meemaw did a sigh. She looked up from her book.
What are you going to do now, love?
Meemaw’s finger slippled in the pages. She wanted to go back in. Meemaw reads books of other worlds of space. Meemaw devours them. Four every time at the library.
I pulled tiggy tug her feet fat and woolly. I pulled until she putted her book on the floor.
You’re not going to let me read are you?
I looked but no answer.
How about a game of Beat Your Neighbour?
Yes!
Do you remember the rules?
Meemaw getted up she fetched the cards.
Yes! Half each to start. It is twenty-six cards Meemaw. twenty-six cards each and no jokers in.
Tale of a Tooth Page 3