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Back The Lightning Catcher Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
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  45. Acknowledgements

‘Then she called him a daddy-shortlegs, and Mum exploded. There was nearly an incident.’

Dad laughed.

‘Couldn’t you come home and make some steel in England for a bit?’

‘Alfie, I’d love to, but you know how things are.’

‘Can we come to Sweden?’

‘No. Too expensive. We need to rebuild after last year.’

‘How come you’ve taught Lily some Swedish and not me?’

‘Ah, Lily’s been at it, has she?’

‘She called me a dumma fåne and wouldn’t tell me what it meant. I had to go online. Why did you teach her to call me a stupid fool?’

‘I didn’t. She asked me for a Swedish insult – it wasn’t meant for you. But she’s got her sense of humour back, which is fantastic!’

And then it was Lily, Lily, Lily again, and I might as well not have been there.

24

Stay Away

5th August

Stories are still going round the village. They’re saying I whacked Sam’s grandad round the head with a massive stick and that’s why he’s in hospital.

When I told Mum, she pulled me on to her knee (which I don’t in any way fit on any more). ‘A lie is halfway round the world before the truth has got its boots on,’ she said gently.

I smiled. I nearly laughed. ‘How can I fix it?’

‘By putting out better stories. Stories about the good things you’ve done. What happened wasn’t really your fault in that you didn’t do the vandalism, but you were with the vandals. You have to be seen to be making amends. Do you see that?’

I kind of did, but …

‘So you can help one of my ladies.’

‘Help? How?’

Mum’s a care coordinator. She sits in the town hall and (either over the phone or online) makes sure elderly people get meals and any help at home when they need it.

‘Pick up Mrs Gillespie’s groceries from the shop,’ Mum said. ‘The list will already be made up. Then take it round to her at the old people’s bungalows. Number three. You can do something like that every other day from now on.’

‘Wait … Do I have to cook it for her?’

‘No, Alfie! But you might have to put her shopping away.’

‘Who will care about that? Who will even know?’

‘Everyone will know, Alfie! Look how quickly word got round about your mishap! Mrs Gillespie will care, and it’s the right thing to do.’

12.30 p.m.