game of football in the garden?’
Elijah nodded. He liked being in the garden and being around Obi. He couldn’t stop looking at Obi’s arms and wondering if he was the strongest man in the world. He followed Obi out through the glass doors at the back of the kitchen. Nikki walked in front of them. She was breathing really quickly.
The garden was long and thin with a stretch of grass and two lines of flowers at the outsides, bursting with roses in all colours and tiny white flowers, which climbed up the fences and twisted through the gaps at the top. Near the kitchen there was a stone area where Nikki sat on a chair next to a table with a giant umbrella over it. On the table, she had laid a tray with a jug of lemonade and three small glasses. Nargis would never have made lemonade and Sue hadn’t let him drink from a glass, but Olu let him have lemonade once from a bottle and he remembered the taste and Fola filling his glass up three times and putting his finger to his lips when Olu told them to not drink too much.
The other end of the garden had a trampoline and swing set and a small white net with a football in it. Obi ran towards it and kicked the ball towards Elijah.
‘Mind my flowers!’ shouted Nikki. ‘Let Elijah kick it and you be in goal.’ Her words were normal but her voice wobbled a bit. Elijah checked but he couldn’t feel the wizard.
Obi rolled his eyes so that Elijah could see but Nikki was probably too far away to notice. Elijah kicked the ball towards the net. The ball hit the post and bounced backwards as if it was alive. ‘Nearly!’ shouted Obi. ‘Good kick.’
He held his hands in front of him as though he was a real goalie and moved from side to side. His body was so big thatElijah couldn’t even see the net; the net was smaller than Obi’s back but, even so, the next time he kicked it, Obi dived the wrong way and the ball flew in. ‘Wow!’ Obi stood up and ran towards Elijah, lifting him on to one of his shoulders. He ran around the garden shouting, ‘Goal! Goal!’
Elijah smiled. When he’d finished running and shouting, he didn’t put Elijah down. Instead, he walked towards the tree behind the swing and pointed upwards. ‘Get me one, please,’ he said. ‘They’re not ripe until autumn, but I love the sour taste.’
Elijah looked in front of him at the tree, full of tiny apples. He touched them one by one, hard and small and green. He had never picked apples from a tree before. Obi lowered him to the ground. ‘Thanks,’ he said, biting into his apple. ‘Don’t forget to check it for maggots.’
Elijah turned his apple around and around in his hands. He smelt it – sharp – and bit into the skin. ‘Yuck,’ he said, and Obi laughed. They walked back towards the house and Nikki poured them some lemonade. ‘That was good football,’ she said. ‘Hey! You shouldn’t eat the apples yet – they’re not ripe.’ She looked at Obi. ‘Though it’s hard to wait – I love apples.’
Elijah took a big breath and looked at Nikki right in the eyes. ‘There are some riper ones,’ he said, and he ran all the way down the garden. When he got to the tree, he jumped up as high as he could and swung his arm but he couldn’t catch one. It was too high. He turned to Nikki who was waving. ‘Don’t worry,’ she shouted. ‘You can pick me one in September, when they’re ready.’ Her arm wasn’t shaking at all. It looked strong, like the trunk of the tree.
Elijah looked up at the big tree and saw one apple, lower than the others, that was slightly red and not as small. Hecrouched down and pushed on to the grass, propelling himself as high as possible, grabbing the apple.
‘I got one that’s ready!’ he shouted and ran back towards Nikki and Obi.
Nikki laughed. ‘You did, Elijah. Thank you. And in September or October I’ll get you a basket and you can pick the apples for me. We could make apple pie together.’
He sat down next to her. Instead of moving away,
Elijah nodded. He liked being in the garden and being around Obi. He couldn’t stop looking at Obi’s arms and wondering if he was the strongest man in the world. He followed Obi out through the glass doors at the back of the kitchen. Nikki walked in front of them. She was breathing really quickly.
The garden was long and thin with a stretch of grass and two lines of flowers at the outsides, bursting with roses in all colours and tiny white flowers, which climbed up the fences and twisted through the gaps at the top. Near the kitchen there was a stone area where Nikki sat on a chair next to a table with a giant umbrella over it. On the table, she had laid a tray with a jug of lemonade and three small glasses. Nargis would never have made lemonade and Sue hadn’t let him drink from a glass, but Olu let him have lemonade once from a bottle and he remembered the taste and Fola filling his glass up three times and putting his finger to his lips when Olu told them to not drink too much.
The other end of the garden had a trampoline and swing set and a small white net with a football in it. Obi ran towards it and kicked the ball towards Elijah.
‘Mind my flowers!’ shouted Nikki. ‘Let Elijah kick it and you be in goal.’ Her words were normal but her voice wobbled a bit. Elijah checked but he couldn’t feel the wizard.
Obi rolled his eyes so that Elijah could see but Nikki was probably too far away to notice. Elijah kicked the ball towards the net. The ball hit the post and bounced backwards as if it was alive. ‘Nearly!’ shouted Obi. ‘Good kick.’
He held his hands in front of him as though he was a real goalie and moved from side to side. His body was so big thatElijah couldn’t even see the net; the net was smaller than Obi’s back but, even so, the next time he kicked it, Obi dived the wrong way and the ball flew in. ‘Wow!’ Obi stood up and ran towards Elijah, lifting him on to one of his shoulders. He ran around the garden shouting, ‘Goal! Goal!’
Elijah smiled. When he’d finished running and shouting, he didn’t put Elijah down. Instead, he walked towards the tree behind the swing and pointed upwards. ‘Get me one, please,’ he said. ‘They’re not ripe until autumn, but I love the sour taste.’
Elijah looked in front of him at the tree, full of tiny apples. He touched them one by one, hard and small and green. He had never picked apples from a tree before. Obi lowered him to the ground. ‘Thanks,’ he said, biting into his apple. ‘Don’t forget to check it for maggots.’
Elijah turned his apple around and around in his hands. He smelt it – sharp – and bit into the skin. ‘Yuck,’ he said, and Obi laughed. They walked back towards the house and Nikki poured them some lemonade. ‘That was good football,’ she said. ‘Hey! You shouldn’t eat the apples yet – they’re not ripe.’ She looked at Obi. ‘Though it’s hard to wait – I love apples.’
Elijah took a big breath and looked at Nikki right in the eyes. ‘There are some riper ones,’ he said, and he ran all the way down the garden. When he got to the tree, he jumped up as high as he could and swung his arm but he couldn’t catch one. It was too high. He turned to Nikki who was waving. ‘Don’t worry,’ she shouted. ‘You can pick me one in September, when they’re ready.’ Her arm wasn’t shaking at all. It looked strong, like the trunk of the tree.
Elijah looked up at the big tree and saw one apple, lower than the others, that was slightly red and not as small. Hecrouched down and pushed on to the grass, propelling himself as high as possible, grabbing the apple.
‘I got one that’s ready!’ he shouted and ran back towards Nikki and Obi.
Nikki laughed. ‘You did, Elijah. Thank you. And in September or October I’ll get you a basket and you can pick the apples for me. We could make apple pie together.’
He sat down next to her. Instead of moving away,
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