Roses Are Red, But Violets Are Not Actually Blue
Dear Alex,
I thought I’d write to you and tell you about what’s going on at home. School has finished now so we’re all on holiday, which is good. You’re totally wrong about the weather here by the way – it’s really hot and sunny and we’ve been spending most days outside in the garden.
Last week Mum completely surprised me. She said that we should get away and have a proper holiday after all the upset of the last few months. She said we should make the most of Granny and Grandpa having some extra help and that we could go camping for a few days. She dragged our old tent out of the attic and we went shopping in town and got a camping stove and a new sleeping bag for Mum (I used yours – Mum said you wouldn’t mind).
It was SO MUCH FUN! I wasn’t sure whether it’d be any good with just the two of us, but it was the best holiday ever! We drove for ages. Mum said it was a road trip and let me sit in the front with my feet up and the windows down and we put the radio on really loudly and sang along. You’d have loved it! Then we got to a campsite right on the beach – the only things between the sea and us were these amazing sand dunes. When we woke up every morning, we could hear the waves – it was the best sound to wake up to.
Every day was amazingly sunny. We swam in the sea and it wasn’t freezing cold like it usually is. I bought a snorkel with my holiday money and spent ages floating around, looking at all the amazing creatures on the seabed. I’m thinking that I might go to university and study to be a marine biologist when I’m older.
One night we had a campfire and toasted marshmallows and told each other scary ghost stories. I got a bit freaked out when it got really dark, but it was OK because then I could just snuggle up next to Mum, all warm in your sleeping bag, and it felt like nothing could ever scare me again.
We went for a few long walks along the sand and Mum only wanted to talk about me. She asked me all about school and my friends and what I’d like to do with the rest of the holidays, and did I feel like she gave me enough attention. I feel like this holiday has been really good for us – we’ve never had so much time together before, just the two of us.
I’m glad it’s all working out for you in Switzerland. Your chalet sounds great and I’d love to see the cuckoo clock – Mum told me about it. I hope Charlie’s stopped being moody now, but boys can be like that, I know.
Write back soon,
Love Izzy xxx
Thanks so much for your brilliant letter! Your camping holiday with Mum sounds fantastic. I wish I could have been there too. Of course I don’t mind you borrowing my sleeping bag – you can take anything from my room (just make sure you put it back!).
I’m sitting outside our chalet in the sunshine because Charlie’s inside having a rest. Thank goodness he’s gone to sleep – I hope he wakes up in a nicer mood! I’m determined not to have an argument with him today. Still, I suppose I need someone to yell at and I haven’t got you or Mum here so I’ll just have to make do with Charlie! Like you say, boys can be moody.
He’s tired all the time at the moment, but he says he has to work extra shifts because we need the money. It gets a bit boring for me sometimes because Uncle Rob won’t let me do much work at all, which means I’m just sitting around doing nothing, on my own. Don’t feel too sorry for me though – being bored in Paradise isn’t the worst thing that could happen to a person!
Further adventures of a cuckoo clock: yesterday, when Charlie was hammering up a coat hook, it fell off the wall and all its insides pinged out and it doesn’t work at all now. But I put it back up on the wall because it still looks nice and homely, despite the various bits and pieces hanging drunkenly out of the bottom. I think ‘passive’ is about the only word you could use to describe the poor cuckoo now – he looks a bit floppy and bewildered by it all!
Have you seen much of Finn? I’ve written to him a few times, but I haven’t heard anything back. I guess he’s still mad at me. If you see him, tell him I said hello.
Do you know how Sara’s getting on? I know her exams will be over by now, but if you happen to see her around tell her that if she ever feels like writing a letter then I’m desperate for news from home.
Tell Mum that I’ve sent her a birthday card, but the post can be really slow, so not to think I’ve forgotten if it hasn’t arrived by the fifteenth.
Take care, Izzy. I hope you guys are coping without me! Give my love to Granny and Grandpa.
Love you forever,
Alex xxxx
I never thought I’d be glad to be going back to school, but it feels like this summer holiday has lasted forever. I’ve spent so much time in the library in town that I could virtually run the place. I know all about how they organize the books and the other day, when I overheard a lady asking where she could find a book on gardening, I answered her before the librarian did. It was incredibly embarrassing.
Early on in the holidays Mum and I went camping. It was a complete disaster. It rained virtually every day and the only day that it was sunny I got stung by a wasp. Our tent is really old and has a rip in the roof so all our clothes got wet. I had to use Alex’s sleeping bag and it was only a two season – but camping in England in the summer definitely requires more of a four-season attitude. Mum tried really hard to make it fun, but it was just too weird without Alex. Not that I’m going to tell Alex that. I don’t want her thinking that we can’t have a nice time unless she’s there. So I wrote her a letter saying how amazing it all was. I didn’t tell her anything about how I’m actually feeling because I can’t trust her any more. Actually, I’m quite surprised by how easy it is to lie if you write the lies in a letter; it makes me wonder if everything Alex writes in her letters is the actual, honest truth. Maybe it isn’t as fantastic in Switzerland as she says it is.
The weather’s rubbish too. The second we broke up for the holidays it started to rain and it hasn’t really let up. Even the ice-cream van has stopped coming down our road and he never normally lets a bit of bad weather put him off: one year I saw him out there in December, trying to sell ice lollies to kids wrapped up in gloves and hats and scarves.
I’ve seen Hannah a few times, but she went away to Spain for a fortnight with her family and then her cousin came to stay so she’s not been around much. When we got back home from camping, Mum felt bad about leaving Granny and Grandpa, so we’ve spent most days popping over to their house. Mum and Granny mostly sit around talking non-stop about Alex and the baby. I’ve played my violin for Grandpa a few times, but I can’t really be bothered to practise as much as I usually would; now there’s no chance of me ever being a member of On the Rocks I can’t really see the point of carrying on with the violin. The rest of the time I’ve just sat quietly, listening to them going on and on. I think it’s fair to say that it has probably been the worst, most boring summer ever and I’m glad that school’s starting tomorrow. Maybe life can get back to a bit of normality now.