‘I thought of going back home, but my sister was there,’ Granddad whispers. ‘If I couldn’t get through to her, how would she get through to me? There were too many soldiers . . . too much wire . . . But eventually it got dark and cold and I went home to my parents and told them. Early the next morning me and my father went back. He explained to the guards that he needed to see my sister, but they wouldn’t let him through. People were shouting and screaming – they too had been split from their families and some . . . some never got to see each other again . . .’ Granddad’s voice trails off. I want to ask him more, like did he ever get to see his sister again, but from the tears in his eyes, I think it would upset him even more.

‘I’m sorry I asked, Granddad,’ I say quietly. ‘I only wanted to know more about when you were younger.’

‘I know. I know.’ Granddad puts his hand on my knee. ‘It’s not your fault . . . Now, come on,’ he says, trying to be cheery. ‘Let’s snap out of this – let us get back to this tournament. I was thinking that if you do well we could celebrate with doing another thing on your list, like zip wire.’

‘It’s okay, Granddad,’ I say. ‘I’m not really bothered about my list any more. I only put scuba on there to get out of playing chess.’

‘But I enjoyed scuba diving – it was a wonderful challenge. We should do more things in the lead-up to the tournament.’

I haven’t actually said I would play, but Granddad has a big smile on his face. I don’t want to take it away, but the tournament is only a week off.

‘I’d like to play, Granddad,’ I say. ‘But I’ve only got seven days to prepare.’

‘Then there is only one thing for it,’ says Granddad.

‘What’s that?’

‘It’s obvious,’ he says, rubbing his hands together. ‘We start practising right now.’

I’m Sorry, Jake

‘But you’ve been playing all weekend.’

‘I know. But I’ve got to. It’s only two days until the Inter-Schools Championship.’

‘But ALL the time, Felix? It’s been so long since we were in our tree that the cannons have seized up.’

‘They have not.’ I step out of Granddad’s front door and join Jake on the garden path.

‘Great! So you’re coming now!’ he says.

‘No, I’m just going back home.’

Jake sighs. ‘Come on, Felix, this is boring!’