“Happy Divali, Josh!” said Leela.
“And the same to you!” Josh grinned.
“Help yourself,” she said, offering him a tray of tempting sweets. “They’re special Indian sweets. Try one.”
Josh took one of the colourful confections from the tray, bit it in half then savoured the taste in his mouth.
“Ooh, they are sweet as well,” he said, pulling a face. “They must be all sugar.”
“Well, that is one of the ingredients,” she laughed. “Have another.”
“Ta – I will,” he said, selecting a red one.
“Matt? You want one?”
Matthew shook his head. “Too sweet for m..me,” he told her.
“Please yourself,” she said, turning away. “More for the rest of us.”
“Thought you two got on OK usually,” Josh said to him. “I mean, you should do. You’re our twin strikers tomorrow.”
“M..might be. If Enid p..plays us together up front.”
“Bound to. He wouldn’t have picked you both in the squad otherwise.”
The whole school was celebrating Divali, the Festival of Light, whatever the faith of the children – or even if they didn’t belong to any religious group at all. This was party time – at least for one afternoon – and there was also to be a big bonfire and fireworks that evening in the park.
“Don’t stay up too late,” Mr Blyton told his squad of players who had been chosen for the Divali Sevens tournament. “We need you bright and alert on Saturday morning, not half asleep!”
The teacher might well have had his fingers crossed when he said that. He knew that most of the children would not get an early night. Even if they were in bed, the noise of the fireworks would probably keep them awake.
“This is amazing,” Josh grinned, gazing at the food and the dozens of divas – the little flickering oil lamps dotted around the classroom. The walls were also covered in colourful rangoli patterns and most of the Hindu children were dressed in bright costumes. “Never seen anything like it before.”
“Same every year,” Matthew told him. “It’s a b..bit like Christmas.”
“New to me, anyway. I’m all for it. Better than working.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“What d’yer reckon to Divali then, Joshua?” said a voice in his ear.
Josh didn’t need to turn round. Only the teachers and the team captain used his full name.
“OK, I guess,” he replied, trying to sound cool.
“OK?” Rajesh sneered. “Is that all you can say?”
Josh gave a shrug. “Well, I just said it was amazing, if that’ll do.”
“Better. And what about p..poor little M..Matthew?” Matthew didn’t even bother to respond and moved away instead. “Oh, dear!” Rajesh said with a chuckle. “Your little pal’s left you on your own.”
“Why did you go and do that?” said Josh. “He can’t help having a stammer.”
Rajesh shrugged. “Just irritates me, that’s all. Like you do.”
“Why?”
“Cos you do, that’s why, Williams. If it wasn’t for losin’ the captaincy, I’d have smacked your head in already.”
Rajesh gave him a fierce glare and then stalked off.
“Oh, well,” Josh sighed. “Now, where did that tray of sweets get to?”
There were lots of tasty treats on offer that evening in the park, too, with hot dogs and toffee apples for sale alongside more exotic delights.
Josh tried to sample as much of the food as possible, or at least as much as his pocket money or his mother would allow.
“These sweets are delicious, Ma,” he said, biting into another. “You should try one.”
“No, thanks – I’m just here to watch the fireworks,” she said and then smiled. “And to keep an eye on you, young man. Don’t want you wanderin’ off in the dark.”
“No need to worry. I’ve got lots of new mates here.”
“That’s as maybe – but you can never be too careful,” she said. “Remember what I’ve told you. City folks are different to what you’ve been used to back in Wales.” Josh grinned, knowing exactly what was coming next. “Now when I was a little gal on the island...”
A huge bang made them both jump and saved Josh from yet another story about how life used to be so much simpler back in ‘the old days’. The firework display had started and they stood mesmerised by all the noise and flashing lights which kept exploding across the black sky.
“Now they’s what I call real fireworks,” laughed his mother in delight. “Last time I saw anythin’ like them was at that big party in Ossie’s garden. Remember that, Josh?”
He was hardly likely to forget what happened that night. It was when his father told Ma that he was leaving her.
As another rocket exploded into a cascade of coloured, sparkling lights, somebody lurched past them, almost knocking his mother over.
“Hey! My bag!” she screamed. “He’s took my bag!”
Josh whirled round in time to see the hooded bag-snatcher pushing his way through the crowd.
“Stop him!” he yelled at the top of his voice, but it was too late for anybody to react.
Josh gave chase himself, darting through gaps in the groups of people and almost knocking over a younger child.
Josh scurried this way and that, getting the occasional glimpse of someone else running away ahead of him. It was only when he broke free of the crowd, however, that he managed to get a better view. The black sky was again illuminated by a shower of lights and Josh saw him heading for a small wood near the lake.
As Josh sprinted in pursuit, there was something about the way the thief ran that reminded him of somebody, but he couldn’t think clearly. One thing he did know for sure was that he was gaining on him.
Perhaps the thief thought that, too, for he disappeared into the trees. Josh decided to skirt the wood, hoping to cut off any escape route towards the park gates, but the figure emerged on the far side and made for the lake instead.
Josh was not far behind by the time they reached the water’s edge where they both halted, panting. He was unsure now just what to do. Although the thief wasn’t that much bigger than him, Josh didn’t know whether he might even be carrying a knife and so kept his distance.
“You’ve got my mother’s bag!” he cried. “Give it back.” The hood was suddenly thrown back to reveal a familiar face. “Rajesh!”
“Dead right, wonder-boy! You want it – you fetch it,” he taunted. “But you’re gonna have to swim for it!”
As Rajesh swung the bag round and hurled it into the lake, Josh hurtled down the slope towards him. His momentum was such that he couldn’t stop and Rajesh was too slow to dodge out of his way. Josh grabbed hold of his arm and both of them ended up toppling full-length into the cold water, splashing and floundering in the shallows to try and find their feet.
Fortunately, the lake was not very deep, even in the middle, and Josh began to wade further out, his progress hampered by the thick mud at the bottom. He had lost all interest in Rajesh, for the time being, and was intent upon his search for the bag.
Rajesh had managed to clamber out on to the bank, cursing Josh.
“These are my new jeans for Divali!” he wailed. “And my new trainers!”
“Good,” Josh retorted. “I hope they’re not waterproof.”
Josh was lucky that the bag had not sunk out of sight into the mud. The strap had snagged on a floating branch and he was able to reach forward, now almost waist-deep in the water, to grab hold of it.
As Josh turned in triumph, Rajesh decided to make himself scarce and had disappeared through the gates by the time Josh squelched back up on to dry land, shivering, to be greeted by his frantic mother.
“Got it back, Ma!” he grinned, handing over the filthy, water-logged bag.
“Oh, you silly boy!” she cried, hugging him in relief, despite the muddy state that he was in. “You could’ve gone and got yourself drowned!”
“I’m OK, Ma. Don’t worry.”
“C’mon – home with you, young man,” she ordered, taking him by the arm. “You’re goin’ straight in that bath.”
Josh wasn’t sure he really saw the point of that. He’d already just had one. But at least the water at home would be nice and hot.
