Percy's Special Wish

PERCY'S SPECIAL WISH


Percy was seven years old.
He lived in an enormous house by the sea.
From his bedroom window he could see all the way down to the beach.
When the tide was in, he could see the waves dancing on the water.

He watched the fishermen drag their boats into the sea and row out to where the crab and lobster pots were anchored.
He watched as the fishermen returned.

Sometimes, they had so many crabs and lobsters that their rowboats looked as if they would not be able to stay above the water, but they always did.
The fishermen were very clever in knowing how much they could carry in the bottom of the boats.

When the tide was out he could not see the waves at all, in fact, he could not see the sea.
All he could see was the sand where he spent time making sandcastles and burying dead starfish and small crabs.
He didn't like seeing dead things on the beach, it looked as though nobody cared for them, but he did, so he buried them and put pretty shells on top of them.

You may think that Percy was a very lucky little boy living in such an interesting place.
But Percy did not have a mummy or a daddy to look after him. His mummy and daddy went to heaven to be angels when he was two years old.

He was an orphan and the big house he lived in was called an orphanage.

There had been three other children at the orphanage for a while, but, over the last four months, each of them had been found a new home with families who wanted to adopt them.

There were two dogs in the house by the sea. Their names were Mumbo and Jumbo.

Mumbo and Jumbo had four friends. Flash, Flop, Dandy and Ringo who were all rather large cats that spent their time either eating, sleeping in the sun or sleeping on whichever bed was free at the time.

When there was no sun in the winter time, they could all be found curled up or stretched out in front of the big log fire in the play-room.

In October, the leaves on the trees had already turned brown and golden and fallen onto the ground.

Percy liked going into the garden when the leaves were all over the ground. He would make a big pile of leaves and then jump into it so all the leaves got scattered again.

In November, he looked forward to Guy Fawkes night when he watched the big firework display on the village green.
There was always a HUGE bonfire which would burn well into the night and still be smouldering the next morning.

This was December.
Christmas is usually what children look forward to. Everyone he knew was excited about the presents that Father Christmas would bring.

Everyone, except Percy.

All Percy wanted was to be able to spend Christmas with a proper family.

Every night he said his prayers and every night he asked in his prayers that he would be able to spend Christmas with a real family.

This year he had given up hoping.

Then, two days before Christmas Eve he was called, from his playing, by the Matron who ushered him into her big, unfriendly office.

Standing in the middle of the room were a lady and a gentleman.
They looked at each other and then both looked at Percy.

His ginger hair was untidy, his clothes looked as though he had been in them for a fortnight instead of a couple of hours.
His hands and face bore the tell-tale signs that he had been playing with the coal in the scuttle again, much to the horror of Matron, who had repeatedly, told him not to touch it.

He was coal dust unhuggable, but his blue eyes, round as saucers and almost as large, gave him an adorable look.

The man knelt down on the floor and held his hands out toward Percy.

Percy stood his ground not knowing what he was supposed to do.

After a couple of seconds, with his hands still outstretched, the man said, in a very gentle voice " Hello Percy, my name is Matthew Ward and this is my wife Val.
We would like it very much indeed if you would come to our house and spend Christmas with us and our daughter Tamzin. Do you think you would like to do that ? "

Percy could not believe what his ears were telling him.
He just blinked and blinked and blinked in bewilderment.

Matthew repeated his question and Percy suddenly understood what had been said.

He started jumping up and down, he ran around the room (which was strictly forbidden. He had to walk quietly at all times ) shouting at the top of his voice " Thank you, thank you Mr God for making my prayers real…..Hurrah…..hurrah "

That night Percy didn't sleep very well.
He was so excited.
He kept thinking what Christmas was going to be like with his special family.

When eventually he fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, he dreamt a lovely dream about presents and food and playing with Tamzin.

Next day he was dressed in his Sunday-best clothes waiting for Mr & Mrs Ward to come and collect him.

He stood next to the front door, looking out of the window.

His little case which contained his pyjamas, dressing-gown, slippers, toothbrush, face-flannel and a clean set of clothes, was on the floor.

Then, a car came up the drive, crunching the gravel beneath its tyres.
It stopped outside the front door and out got Mr & Mrs Ward and Tamzin.

As quick as a flash, Percy was out of the house carrying his case.
He said hello and jumped into the back seat of the car just in case they left without him.

Tamzin climbed in next to him and introduced herself whilst Mr & Mrs Ward spoke with Matron.

Percy was still not too sure if he was dreaming.
Maybe because he wanted this so badly he has invented the whole thing.

The car doors slammed shut and Mr Ward started the engine.

Briefly he turned, looked at the two children in the back, smiled and said " Well then, we'd better get going. It's a long drive and we need to get home before the shops close "

Tamzin and Percy chatted to each other throughout the journey. Tamzin telling him of all the exciting things they were going to do over Christmas and Percy listening, wide eyed and so happy.

After an hour, Mr Ward drove into a small road and then turned into an even smaller one.
Percy had never seen a road so small and it was full of bumps and ruts and large holes.
The car crept along, with Tamzin and Percy being bounced up from the seat every time the wheels hit a pot-hole.
They were giggling so much that Percy didn't see the house they stopped in front of until the car doors were opened.

He got out and looked at the house.

It was very big, not as big as the orphanage but very big all the same.
The front door was inside a small porch.
Attached to the door was an enormous knocker in the shape of a giant fir cone.
Next to the door, on the brick wall, was a sign that read Fir Tree Farm.
The garden was a bit overgrown but come the spring, Mr Ward said, it would be full of lovely flowers, shrubs and roses.

As Percy stood looking all around, he saw that the house was surrounded by fields.
Some of the fields had cows and sheep in, others had nothing apart from grass and the rest, he learned later, had cabbages, brussel sprouts, parsnips, cauliflowers and potatoes.

At this moment, running towards them barking, were 3 black and white dogs sheep dogs.

Mr Ward introduced them to Percy as Newton, Aristotle ( usually called 'Arry' ) and Plato.They were so pleased to see Percy, and Tamzin of course, they just kept on licking his hands and wanting to be petted.

It was beginning to get cold and Mrs Ward needed to do some shopping before dark, so Mr Ward took the children indoors whilst Mrs Ward used the car.

In the kichen was an enormous wooden table and on the table was a feast of homemade bread, butter, jams, cakes and a huge pitcher of fresh milk.
Percy and Tamzin sat down at the table. So did Mr Ward.

" Tuck in Percy, you too Tamzin " said Mr Ward. " Grandma came here whilst we were out and has done all this cooking to welcome you "

Percy ate so much that he was sure his tummy had got bigger.
The milk was so delicious.
He had never tasted milk so creamy and he wanted more and more.
" I think you'd better slow down a bit Percy " said Mr Ward laughing, " You'll explode of you eat anything else. "

When they had finished eating Percy asked Tamzin to take him exploring.

" You may go to the barn. But only the barn today." said Mr Ward. " I don't want you outside when it gets dark ".

" Alright Daddy. " said Tamzin. "We'll just go to the barn "

The barn was out of the kitchen back door, across the cobbles and past the horse stables.

" There aren't any horses in there at the moment " Tamzin told him. " They all go to the next village where they are indoor stabled over winter. But we usually have three here. "

" Mine is a little chestnut New Forest pony called Starshine, Mummy's is a palamino mare called Rubadub, and Daddy has got a black hunter stallion called Damascus.
Damascus is ever so big and Daddy is the only one who can ride him because he is very strong "

Percy had never seen a horse up close and was rather glad the horses were not at home that day.

Everything was so new to him and he was taking a while to adjust to his new surroundings.

When they reached the barn, Tamzin opened the huge door and they went inside.

It was a large building made from what looked like whole trees , but Percy knew that was not possible. The wood had been cut roughly and slotted together in a crude way.
It looked like the old ranch houses that cowboys lived in, in the old cowboy and indian movies.

The roof was made from corrugated iron sheets, which had been fixed to a metal framework and then bolted onto the wooden sides.
As they went into the barn Percy was very surprised how warm it felt in there.
There were tall stacks of hay all around the walls.
Straw covered the floor and there, on a hay bale, sat a rather regal looking tabby cat.
Percy crossed over to where the cat was and as the cat got up to rub herself on Percy's legs, Percy saw that she had left behind six of the teeniest little kittens he had ever seen.
They were all squeaking and wriggling about. There was one particular kitten that Percy immediately liked. It was chocolate brown with small white patches on its tail and four white socks. The funniest thing, was that on the tip of its nose and around one eye it was white.
It looked as though it had a patch over its eye and that it had dipped its nose in a pot of white paint.
It did look very funny.

Percy picked it up and held it close to his chest.
The warmth of that tiny creature went through Percy's jumper and he felt as though the kittens warmth was his warmth.

They belonged together.
He knew they belonged together.

Even though he had only been here a very short while, Percy knew that he, too, belonged here.
Here with his new family.
He was going to make sure that he behaved himself, was polite to everyone and then maybe, just maybe, Mr & Mrs Ward would want to be his Mummy and Daddy and Tamzin his sister.
It is all so exciting.
Well, his prayers had been answered about Christmas.

Tonight he would ask God about this new wish.