Mia's Optiscope - Natalie Rose

Скачать книгу

mum headed for a tall curly haired woman standing at the bottom of a slide.

      ‘Hi, I’m Alexis, and this is Mia,’ Mrs Glasson said.

      ‘Oh hello, this is Lena,’ the woman said pointing to her daughter who’d hoped off the swing and was climbing up the slide, ‘and I’m Maria.’

      Lena slid down and stood by her mum. Maria asked if it was Mia’s first day and Mrs Glasson told her they’d just moved to the area. The two mums talked together as their daughters stared at each other. Eventually Lena’s mum turned to Mia.

      ‘How are you, Mia?’

      Mia nodded.

      ‘You like your new home?’

      Mia shrugged.

      ‘Don’t worry, Lena is also nervous about the first week at school.’

      ‘No I’m not, Mum,’ Lena said. ‘I’m just worried what teacher I will get this year.’

      ‘Oh right,’ Maria said.

      ‘Been here since kindy?’ Mrs Glasson asked Lena.

      ‘Yep,’ Lena replied.

      ‘My two eldest went here too,’ Maria said.

      ‘Oh really, how do you find it?’

      The two mums chatted on while Mia and Lena continued to stare at each other. Eventually Mia asked if Lena wanted to play and the girls were soon following each other across the playground. On the swings Mia asked if she could sit with her at lunch and recess.

      ‘But of course,’ Lena agreed, ‘you’ll meet all my friends.’

      Mia frowned, realizing Lena already knew people and that she might not fit in. ‘Well if you don’t mind...’ Mia said.

      ‘No, I don’t mind.’

      Lena promised to show Mia all the ‘important things to know’ on her first day.

      ‘I’ve been coming here for ages. I’ve followed my sisters to their classes for five years.’

      ‘Are you starting year four?’ Mia asked. The chance meeting was turning out to be very useful, especially for the first day. And, for the first time since she’d moved, Mia didn’t feel quite so alone.

      ‘Yes, I am, and I know all the teachers, I just don’t know which one I’ll get this year. Do you?’

      Mia shook her head.

      ‘Don’t worry, they’re all okay.’

      Chapter 3.

      Builders Wall

      The next day Mia and her mother stopped at the low wall Mia had built the tower on, but a new model had replaced hers, a house of sorts.

      ‘That’s funny. Rex, who’s been here? Did you see someone?’

      Rex purred and watched Mia take the house apart and spread the rubble out.

      ‘Well you’re no help,’ Mia teased as she scratched Rex’s head.

      ‘Curious,’ Mum agreed and helped Mia build the tower again.

      On the walk home after school the tower was still there and Rex was standing guard.

      ‘No one came while I was gone?’

      Rex purred and ate the half sausage Mia had kept in her pocket from lunch.

      ‘Oh Mia, really.’

      ‘What, Mum?’

      ‘Don’t overfeed that cat.’

      ‘He wouldn’t eat it if he wasn’t hungry.’

      ‘True.’

      The next day the tower had once again been made into a house. Mia dismantled it and turned the rubble into a truck. She wondered if Rex had been the one to create it and looked around for him.

      ‘I doubt that, Mia, cats can’t lift stones, even these lighter ones.’

      Mia sighed inwardly, she wished it to be Rex. Speaking of which, where was he?

      Mum was saying something.

      ‘...possible he did it if a bird helped him.’

      Mia liked the sound of that. ‘A bird, Mum?’

      ‘Why a crane of course,’ her mum laughed. ‘A crane to lift the rocks.’

      ‘Oh, very funny mother,’ Mia said dramatically and Mum smiled smugly.

      ‘Pretty pleased with yourself, hey?’

      Mum shrugged then checked her phone, ‘Grandad says nice truck.’

      ‘You sent him a photo?’ Mia asked, trying to sound annoyed.

      ‘Mmm hmm.’

      ‘But seriously, Mum, where is Rex?’

      ‘I’m not sure, love – I’m sure he will turn up, maybe he’s gone home for a feed?’

      Mia frowned in response. Where are you Rex? Mia missed him and was a little concerned about not seeing him.

      The next day there was still no sign of Rex at Builders Wall.

      ‘It’s too early to say he’s missing, love, he might have gone to the vets or maybe he’s on holiday care while his owners are away. I’m sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation.’

      Mia traced an arch in the dirt with her foot. Something inside told her Rex wasn’t coming back. He’s missing, not on holiday.

      ‘Tell you what, if Rex isn’t back by the weekend we’ll search for him – put up some posters and look round. Okay?’

      Mia nodded.

      ‘Have you seen the train?’

      Mia smiled to see her truck was now a steam engine. ‘Who’s doing this? Someone is definitely playing a game with us.’

      Mrs Glasson looked around, ‘Perhaps a little boy or girl like you lives here and saw your game. Now, they are playing with you.’

      ‘Maybe.’

      ‘What if the builders are doing it?’ Mrs Glasson drew Mia’s attention to the site. ‘They’re here every day. Maybe they saw us building and wanted to join in? They have a crane too you know – look.’

      Mia narrowed her eyes and gave her mum a friendly scowl. ‘A crane – really, that old joke?’

      Mia cast her eyes over the 1970s red brick apartment block they were in front of. There were no little faces peering through the gaps in the painted brick balconies, and all the windows facing the street had their blinds drawn. The street was quiet. No one looked to belong to their game. Across the road the building site was vacant, it seemed it would become a house after all. The foundation concrete had been poured and set with pipe ends poking out ready to take the plumbing. The first rows of bricks were laid and stacks of timber piled up at the side.

      Mia considered the builders for a moment then decided, ‘No. No, Mum. It’s definitely a kid. Adults don’t play.’

      Mum laughed, ‘What am I then?’

      Mia tilted her head, ‘You’re different,’ she offered.

      Mum frowned.

      ‘Well, it’s not that adults don’t play – it’s just, I don’t think many would want to play this game.’ Mia took interest again in the

Скачать книгу