Read Online The Amazing Mind of Alice Makin by Alan Shea - Free Book Online Page B

garden with its apple trees. A white horse is nuzzling the grass in the field behind. Outside the front door a woman in a bright summer dress sits in a rocking chair.
    â€˜Come on, l-let’s get a lolly. You never know your luck.’
    â€˜I know mine – bad.’
    â€˜You ever w-won anything?’
    â€˜No, never. I wish just for once I could. It’s my mum’s birthday on Wednesday. I’d give anything to win that box of chocolates for her.’
    â€˜Law of averages s-says you’ll w-win something one day.’
    â€˜Do the ice lollies know that, though?’
    â€˜Maybe we’ll buy two. Law of averages says two chances are better than one.’
    The ice lollies are refreshing. Like your tongue’s been dropped into a bath of freezing fruity water. I break a bit of mine off and give it to Flash. He wolfs it down, except for a little bit that gets stuck on his nose. He tries to lick it off. It melts into a red moustache.
    Once we get outside, it’s not far to go to the park. I’m looking forward to seeing the swans on the boating lake. They’re so graceful – one long curve really, a gliding question mark. The sun sucks at my lolly, dribbles juice down my hand. Reggie bought a bottle of lemonade, too.
    â€˜Want a s-swig?’
    â€˜Please. Can you hold my lolly?’
    We pass them backwards and forwards. It’s a rule that you can’t take a bite from someone else’s lolly while you’re holding it for them.
    I take a gulp of the lemonade.
    â€˜Oi, th-that’s enough.’
    â€˜Hold on. I only had a sip.’
    He pulls it away too quickly and some of the drink goes up my nose. I burp.
    â€˜Oi, d-don’t do that.’
    I get the giggles. I always do when I burp.
    â€˜Alice, s-stop doing that.’
    â€˜I can’t!’
    I get caught between coughing, burping and laughing. It starts Reggie off. When he sees me laughing, he always starts too.
    I finish the lolly before the sun has a chance to do it for me. As we pass a bin he throws in the bottle and holds out his hand for my stick. I suck off the last bit of ice and give the stick to him. He goes to drop it in the bin.
    I wish I’d won. I imagine it. In my head I see the numbers appearing on the stick. It’s so real I can see it. We’re waiting to cross the road.
    â€˜Cor, l-look at that.’
    I think he’s seen something across the road.
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜Your lolly stick.’ He holds it like a conjuror about to do a trick. I try to see it in his hand.
    â€˜What about it?’
    â€˜Can’t you s-see?’
    â€˜See what?’
    â€˜Look at the t-top.’
    â€˜I will if you take your hand out the way.’
    â€˜You’re never g-going to believe it.’
    â€˜Believe what?’
    Suddenly, he pulls his hand away. The conjuror pulling out the rabbit.
    â€˜You’ve d-done it!’
    â€˜Pack it in, Reggie. Done what?’
    â€˜It’s the l-lucky number.’
    â€˜Don’t muck around, Reggie. That’s not funny.’
    â€˜I’m not. See for yourself.’
    He shoves the lolly stick at me. There, in bold black writing, is the number twenty-seven. I can’t believe it. I must have bought hundreds of lollies in that shop, but never the lucky one.
    â€˜Blimey . . . I’ve won. I’ve won something at last!’
    I grab him and plant a kiss on his cheek. He goes red.
    â€˜I didn’t see the number. How did I miss that?’
    Part of my brain dances with joy. I’ve got the lucky stick. I can get the chocolates for Mum. The other part is whirring, telling me that something funny is going on here. There was no number on that stick when I gave it to Reggie.

11
Picksmeup and dropsy
    W e carry on to the park. No sense in walking around with a box of chocolates. We’d probably eat them all. We can get them on the way back.
    Just inside the park is a fenced-off area like a