start, I want my parents to pay some attention to me for a change. I don’t want it to be all about my brothers ALL the time. And I want my parents to be normal !’
‘Normal, huh.’ Rodney was nodding carefully, as though committing all this to memory. ‘Can you be a little more specific about that?’
‘I don’t want new schemes or bizarre hobbies. I want parents who are happy to work in normal jobs and watch television at night and eat ordinary food … that they cook. I’ve had enough crappy takeaway food to last me a lifetime. I want a house that isn’t falling down. In fact, I’d like a really nice house where there is no chance of the tap falling off in your hand when you try to turn it, and where I can have a proper room with nice things in it.’ She was getting excited just thinking about it.
‘So.’ Rodney hopped down from the rock and began walking up and down on the grass, frowning hard, his hands clasped behind his back. ‘You want to be the centre of attention. You want a flash house, and you want your parents to be normal ?’
‘Yes.’
‘It might be difficult getting the normal part right.’
‘Really?’ Ruth was surprised. ‘I thought that would be the easy part.’
‘ Normal is very close to boring on the scale I work with.’ Rodney scratched his head. ‘But we can try.’
Ruth had a sudden flash from the previous week of her mother standing in the middle of the street with her arms held out. Come on, Ruthie , Mrs Craze had called, come and welcome the rain! Ruth had seen at least three neighbours peering through their windows watching her.
‘Boring is absolutely fine with me!’ she said grimly.
‘Okay, is that everything?’ he asked.
Ruth closed her eyes and tried to think.
‘I’d like some friends again,’ she said in a small voice. ‘I mean girl friends. Howard is good, but he’s … sort of not who I want to hang out with all the time.’
‘Fair enough,’ Rodney said thoughtfully. ‘I’ll do my best.’
11
‘A re you ready, Ruth?’
She was sitting cross-legged on the ground under the bridge. The rat was standing on a nearby log looking down at her.
‘Yes.’ Ruth tried not to sound nervous. ‘I’m ready.’
‘Okay. Let’s go!’ Rodney closed his eyes. ‘Remember – up some steps and through a red door and you’ll be there.’
Ruth nodded and closed her eyes too.
Rodney began a high-pitched hum, which changed after a minute into a low, thundery one.
Ruth began to feel slightly faint. The humming went on and on with nothing at all happening. She snuck a quick glance at the rat from under her lashes. Was he serious? Rodney was now raising both tiny arms and circling his paws. He suddenly let out a high-pitched squeak and brought them down.
A rush of air hit Ruth’s eardrums. This was followed by a mighty roar that got louder and louder. Then it stopped abruptly.
All was quiet; the colour and light began to shimmer and dim, and then faded away into heavy blackness.
Even though her eyes were open, Ruth could see nothing. The blackness felt almost syrupy, as though she might be sitting in a pool of treacle. Was she blind?
Ever so gradually light began to leak in, almost imperceptibly. Ruth blinked hard a few times, trying to make it happen more quickly, but it remained a slow trickle. Until at last she could see!
She was in a gloomy hallway, standing at the bottom of a long flight of old wooden stairs. There were no banisters and the stairs looked rickety and unsafe, but at the very top, only just visible, was a shiny red door.
Ruth looked around. There was no way out of this damp, horrible place except upwards. Too late to back out now. She was going to have to take the risk. One step at a time , she told herself, and don’t look back .
Up she went, the stairs swaying and rocking beneath her. She thought she might fall at any moment. Don’t look down .
At last she reached the top. Even though she was on quite a flat little landing she
‘Normal, huh.’ Rodney was nodding carefully, as though committing all this to memory. ‘Can you be a little more specific about that?’
‘I don’t want new schemes or bizarre hobbies. I want parents who are happy to work in normal jobs and watch television at night and eat ordinary food … that they cook. I’ve had enough crappy takeaway food to last me a lifetime. I want a house that isn’t falling down. In fact, I’d like a really nice house where there is no chance of the tap falling off in your hand when you try to turn it, and where I can have a proper room with nice things in it.’ She was getting excited just thinking about it.
‘So.’ Rodney hopped down from the rock and began walking up and down on the grass, frowning hard, his hands clasped behind his back. ‘You want to be the centre of attention. You want a flash house, and you want your parents to be normal ?’
‘Yes.’
‘It might be difficult getting the normal part right.’
‘Really?’ Ruth was surprised. ‘I thought that would be the easy part.’
‘ Normal is very close to boring on the scale I work with.’ Rodney scratched his head. ‘But we can try.’
Ruth had a sudden flash from the previous week of her mother standing in the middle of the street with her arms held out. Come on, Ruthie , Mrs Craze had called, come and welcome the rain! Ruth had seen at least three neighbours peering through their windows watching her.
‘Boring is absolutely fine with me!’ she said grimly.
‘Okay, is that everything?’ he asked.
Ruth closed her eyes and tried to think.
‘I’d like some friends again,’ she said in a small voice. ‘I mean girl friends. Howard is good, but he’s … sort of not who I want to hang out with all the time.’
‘Fair enough,’ Rodney said thoughtfully. ‘I’ll do my best.’
11
‘A re you ready, Ruth?’
She was sitting cross-legged on the ground under the bridge. The rat was standing on a nearby log looking down at her.
‘Yes.’ Ruth tried not to sound nervous. ‘I’m ready.’
‘Okay. Let’s go!’ Rodney closed his eyes. ‘Remember – up some steps and through a red door and you’ll be there.’
Ruth nodded and closed her eyes too.
Rodney began a high-pitched hum, which changed after a minute into a low, thundery one.
Ruth began to feel slightly faint. The humming went on and on with nothing at all happening. She snuck a quick glance at the rat from under her lashes. Was he serious? Rodney was now raising both tiny arms and circling his paws. He suddenly let out a high-pitched squeak and brought them down.
A rush of air hit Ruth’s eardrums. This was followed by a mighty roar that got louder and louder. Then it stopped abruptly.
All was quiet; the colour and light began to shimmer and dim, and then faded away into heavy blackness.
Even though her eyes were open, Ruth could see nothing. The blackness felt almost syrupy, as though she might be sitting in a pool of treacle. Was she blind?
Ever so gradually light began to leak in, almost imperceptibly. Ruth blinked hard a few times, trying to make it happen more quickly, but it remained a slow trickle. Until at last she could see!
She was in a gloomy hallway, standing at the bottom of a long flight of old wooden stairs. There were no banisters and the stairs looked rickety and unsafe, but at the very top, only just visible, was a shiny red door.
Ruth looked around. There was no way out of this damp, horrible place except upwards. Too late to back out now. She was going to have to take the risk. One step at a time , she told herself, and don’t look back .
Up she went, the stairs swaying and rocking beneath her. She thought she might fall at any moment. Don’t look down .
At last she reached the top. Even though she was on quite a flat little landing she
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