YSJ Anthology 2015

A WALK IN THE PARK
Helen Barclay
Bertie looked mutinously at Mummy. He leaned back hard to resist
Mummy’s pull.
‘Just get in the car, Bertie,’ said Mummy.
She was cross, he knew that, and she was trying not to lose her
temper. As Mummy slackened her grip slightly, Bertie started to
move the weight of his body back towards the house. Mummy lost
her temper.
‘Get in the car NOW, Bertie.’ Her voice rose and she started forward.
‘If you don’t get in right now, I will pick you up and put you in.’
Bertie knew when he was beaten. He jumped into the car and sat on
the passenger seat beside Mummy. As the car pulled out of the
drive, Bertie sat up and leaned on the arm rest. He pressed his nose
to the window. His breath misted up the cold glass and he moved his
nose around to make patterns in it. He knew this irritated Mummy
but he didn’t care. She was cross now and the trip to the park was
already spoiled.
When they got to the park Bertie jumped out as soon as Mummy
opened the door. Down the smooth grassy bank he could see Ella
and Lily running backwards and forwards with a ball. They were very
excited and the sound of the game carried towards Bertie and made
him thrill to the feel of the warm damp wind and the smell of the
musty leaves along the bottom of the bank.
He was in time to join in the game, as he lunged for the ball he
knocked Lily into Ella and the three of them rolled around in the
damp grass squealing with the joy of being out on a sunny autumn
day. Ella’s mummy wasn’t very pleased. Ella had this season’s coat
on for the first time as the clocks had just gone back, and now it was
muddy! Bertie’s fault again. But he wasn’t bothered – Bobby was
coming into sight in the distance and Bobby was always up for some
rough and tumble. Despite Mummy calling frantically, Bertie made a
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