Extract · Chapter one
A Beautiful Sunday Morning
It was a beautiful Sunday morning in the summer. The birds were chirping. The summery flowers were in full bloom in the warmth of the morning sun. The early morning breeze did a dance over the vibrant rolling hills nearby. It carried with it the sweet smell of the summer flowers. The breeze bounced through the garden and straight into Clara’s room through her open window. The sweet smells did a dance on her nose and woke Clara up, she could tell the fragrance from the flowers apart. Poppy from Allium, the Astilbe from the Iris. And then there were the roses. The beautiful roses were her favourite and the most celebrated in her mother’s garden. She would hug them if she could.
Clara jumped from her bed with a squeal of delight. A wide smile spread across her face as she rushed to look through her window into the garden. It was a lovely sight and she could tell the flowers were bidding her to come and play. What a lovely day! she thought to herself. She decided she would get changed and go out into the garden and return before anyone could notice. She quickly thought it through, playing various scenarios in her mind. Clara knew she could get into trouble: firstly, if she dared to venture into the garden without permission, and secondly, if she left the house in her nightgown, which she already knew was a no-no.
Actually, leaving the house for any reason without permission was not allowed. Her two-day house arrest a few weeks back was still fresh on her mind for, as her mum had put it, being ‘inconsiderate’. She had woken up that day at six o’clock and had not been able to return to sleep. She looked out of her window and saw that the sun was up, so she decided to go and play in the garden. She peeped into her mum’s bedroom to ask her if she could go out to play, but she was fast asleep. Clara had then dragged the kitchen ladder to the door, using it to climb, and pulled the bolt like she had seen her mum do several times before. She turned the key twice and the door opened. Clara then gladly ran to the garden, and that was where her mum found her an hour later messing around in her nightgown.
Her mother had been very angry.
Till now, she had not forgotten how her mum had insisted she stay in her room despite her tears. Her dad, who was initially pleading on her behalf, soon agreed with her mum who gently picked her up and sat her on her knees. She then patiently explained to her again why it was important for her never to leave the house without her permission. ‘Clara, there are good and bad people in this world, and it is often impossible to tell the difference. There are people out there who kidnap and harm children. I have warned you several times never to leave the house without asking me first, haven’t I?’ she queried.
Clara had wanted to continue screaming and shouting, protesting her punishment, but the tears in her mother’s eyes prevented her from doing so. ‘I understand and I’m sorry I disobeyed you mum’, she said meekly. Holding back her own tears, she got off her mum’s lap and rushed back into the house and to her room to play. She knew she could use the time out to finish her fairy tale book or complete the Lego house she had started building earlier…