“I just don’t get it, our Archie.” Grandma sat on his bed watching him
look through the instructions for the stars. “You dad – or your mum for that
matter – could have got these a lot easier than me. And they’d have had more
idea about exactly what was needed.”
“They wouldn’t have had time, Grandma. And
they wouldn’t have bothered to talk to the man in the shop for so long about
them.” Archie’s ear buzzed just a little bit.
“I’ll give you that. He was really
helpful.” Grandma rummaged in her handbag. “Now where is it? Oh here you are.
He said you can look these up on your computer. It will help you to get them
exactly right.”
“Oh great.” The buzzing stopped as Archie
looked at the list of web addresses. He really did want the stars on his
ceiling again. And these links would help him to get them exactly right. He was
going to make the pattern of the sky above West Bromwich the day Amanda was
born.
“Yes. All right. It’s no good asking me about any frigging
stars. What’s really up?”
Archie took a deep breath. It was no good
trying to keep anything from Grandma. He couldn’t look her in the eye though.
“I wondered, Grandma, whether you’d talk to Amanda for me.” He could feel his
cheeks burning.
“I wish you wouldn’t mumble. Look at me
when you’re talking. You’re rude, you know. No wonder she finished with you.”
Archie looked up at his Grandma. She was
leaning forward again on her stick. That was always a sure sign that she meant
business. “The answer’s no. You’ve got to sort that out for yourself.”
“Oh, go on, Grandma, please.”
“No. You’ve got to prove that you’re worth
it. You need to stop fibbin’. Then show her what you really think of her. And I
don’t mean any of that funny stuff, you know.” She prodded his crotch with her
stick.
“Grandma!” It really hurt. Why didn’t women
realise how sensitive men were down there?
“Learn how to be truthful while you’re
stuck at home. Then go and see her when you’re allowed out again. Take her some
flowers and some chocolates. Be nice to her. And respect her.”
“But Grandma, I love her.” Bloody hell,
where did that come from? “And I’m scared she’ll go out with Toby
Johnson.”
Grandma’s face softened a little. She
sighed. “I don’t know. Young love. Well, you know, you win some, you lose some.
You’ve got time Archie. And maybe you’ve learnt your lesson now. You’ll be more
careful with the next one.” She stood
up. “Well, I’m going to have a cuppa with your mum. Have fun with them stars.
And think about what I’ve said. Tara for now.”
“Thanks, Grandma.” He watched his
grandmother shuffle out of his room. She turned just as she was about to close
the door. “You might get lucky. I got the impression she thought a lot of you
an’ all. But don’t bank on it.”
Archie sighed. He hoped his grandma was
right. Should he phone Amanda? No. better not. He didn’t think he could bear it
if she didn’t pick up.
He opened the packet of stars and read the
instructions about how to use them. It looked dead simple. Finger to star, then
star to celling. Press. He’d need the
ladder of course to get them that far up. Apparently they’d last for sixteen
hours if they were charged for at least eight. Even electric light would do.
Cool!
It would be hard getting the pattern right,
though. He had a quick look at the web sites the man had given his grandmother.
The closest he got was the month Amanda was born over the middle of England. That would have to
do. He printed off an oblong version of the sky map he needed and began working
out the distances he’d need between the stars on the ceiling. He began to get
some idea of why Mr Toddle, his maths teacher, was always banging on about how
important his subject was for solving everyday problems.
Well,
Toddles, you’d be proud of me, he thought as he worked out the final measurement and wrote it down on
the line between a super-bright star and a micro star.
