by John Mallon
Chapter 5
Alfie awoke early next morning - at a school-morning kind of time rather than a summer-holiday kind of time - to the sound of water running in the bathroom next door. His father was getting ready for work. He put his hands behind his head and remembered his adventure the night before. Tiny people, really tiny people, people the size of ants, lived in the back garden, ‘in our back garden’. He thought again about the message he should leave them. It had to be written on a tiny-person sized piece of paper otherwise it would be like trying to read a message painted on a football pitch in letters the size of an elephant. He looked at the finger nail on his little finger. About half the size of that would be about right, he thought. The solution to writing such a tiny message, a solution that occurred to him as he was drifting off to sleep the night before, now seemed ridiculous. Where could he get a laser from? He could try his magnifying glass. It's not strong enough, he thought. It's only a toy one from the pound shop. Dad, though, has a really good one that he uses for his stamps. Unfortunately, after Lou had nearly dropped it down the stairs, he said that, from now on, nobody gets their paws on it except him: he didn't want anyone looking at it never mind looking through it! Alfie studied the nail on his little finger again and decided that he had no choice. Somehow, he had to persuade his dad to lend it to him.
"Morning dad" said Alfie as he entered the bathroom.
"Mm mm" replied his dad through a thick layer of shaving cream. Alfie waited until his dad had cleared a path around his mouth before talking to him further.
"How come you're up so early?" his dad asked as he set to work on his neck.
"I've got things to do" Alfie replied.
"I hope that includes some bike practice. You know, as soon as you learn we can go on some great bike rides."
"Yeah, I'll have a go."
His dad finished shaving and wiped his face on the red flannel.
"Dad, can I borrow your magnifying glass? The one you use with your stamp collection."
His father froze with one arm in his shirt and looked at him with an eyebrow raised.
"Oh. I don't know son… It's not a toy you know… What do you want it for?"
"I just want to look at stuff, things around the house and the garden, close up."
"I'd like to say yes but I don't think I can. As I said, it's not a toy and I can't afford to have it broken. Your mother wouldn't be happy if I had to buy another one."
His dad set to work fixing his tie. Alfie felt his best chance to make contact with the tiny people slipping away. What could he say to persuade him? He decided to tell him the truth. Once his dad realised how important the magnifying glass was he would not be able to refuse.
"Dad I need the magnifying glass because I need to write a tiny message. I'll be really careful with it."
"Why do you need to write a tiny message?"
"Tiny people and I mean really tiny people, the size of ants, live in our garden and I want to write to them."
His dad finished with his tie and smiled.
"Right and where do these ant-people live then?"
"I'm not sure but I think it's alongside the garage by the fence."
"And how do you know this?"
"Well I saw them last week walking on the washing line and I saw one last night in the garage."
His father laughed.
"Very good Alfie. Like the imagination. You should write it down and I'll read it when I get back from work."
"I knew you wouldn't believe me but it is true all the same."
His dad looked at him in silence as he took his wrist watch from his trouser pocket and fastened it to his wrist.
"Ok" he said. "I'll lend it on two conditions. First, you take care of it and don't let Lou touch it and second you get in some bike practice, proper bike practice. Deal?"
Alfie agreed. His dad said he would leave it on the kitchen table for him when he left for work.
Alfie sat at his desk with twelve pieces of paper scattered on it, each about the size of a postage stamp with tiny blue writing dotted on them, and read the message he had just finished. Writing with the leg of a chair in his Busy book in school would have been easier, he thought. It was difficult to prevent the letters from seeping in to each other and becoming a blur. The thirteenth attempt though had gone well. With the pen held at the right angle the letters had behaved themselves and kept their distance from each other. He decided that the message was a good one, even without punctuation, and that it should be delivered to the tiny people straight away. He cut two small pieces of clear sticky tape and stuck one on the small piece of paper and placed the other on the end of his finger. With the magnifying glass in his other hand he headed for the garage.
Mr Nicholls, their next door neighbour, was out early and working in his garden. A tapping sound was coming from the other side of the fence close to his pear tree. What's he doing now, thought Alfie. He always seemed to be building something or fixing something. As long as he doesn't damage or remove the fence alongside the garage then he could do whatever he wanted, Alfie decided. In the garage, he found the place where he had seen the tiny people the night before and knelt down. He attached the message to the black bag squashed on the bottom shelf behind the strawberry that now did not look so delicious. He picked it up and threw it out of the open garage door in to the garden. After searching the shelf with the magnifying glass, he then placed the spare piece of sticky tape on top of the dagger the tiny person had given him and lifted it up.
I'll look at this properly after breakfast he said to himself then I'll check whether I've got a reply.