jake’s notebook
Friday 20th December
Days since Mum got sick: Five
Days until Christmas: Five
my biggest fears:
1. Whether I will survive the final day of term
2. Running into Neil again
3. Mum not coming home for Christmas
4. Mum being sick for ever
5. Having to live with Grandma for ever
6. Grandma getting too old to look after us
7. Having to move
8. Having to move in with Dad
9. Social services
10. Mum
‘How are you feeling about going into school today?’ Grandma asked when I raced downstairs on Friday morning, which also happened to be the FINAL DAY before the CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS began.
Grandma has the uncanny ability of always being able to tell EXACTLY what is on my mind. She was VERY PERCEPTIVE for someone of her age. Perhaps age was only a number. Grandma was PRETTY INCREDIBLE after all.
‘It’ll be OK, I guess,’ I said.
Yesterday, my classmates had been acting much friendlier than they usually would. No one had mentioned Mum’s illness or said anything cruel about her which was a relief. Still, I was glad I’d have Rose for back-up just in case.
‘I’m sure you’ll be fine.’ Grandma smiled reassuringly. ‘I’m going to visit your mum again later. I need to take her some more clothes and run some top-secret errands in town.’
Grandma winked at me, gesturing to a pile of bags by the kitchen door. There was ONLY ONE THING that could mean. CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. But what about Mum?
‘I’m worried that Mum won’t be home for Christmas,’ I said.
‘Leave it with me,’ Grandma replied mysteriously. ‘I can’t make any promises, but we’ll find a way to see her, I’m sure.’
I had to admit having Grandma around more really hadn’t been as bad as I had imagined. It was comforting to have someone at home when I got in after school. All we needed now was for Mum to be at home on Christmas day.
As it was the last day of term, Mr Rogers let us spend most of the day watching films so he didn’t have to DO ANY WORK. Harry had brought in a selection of the latest Pixar releases so they weren’t even VERY EDUCATIONAL ONES. As soon as the final bell rang, I was out of my chair like a rocket, determined to avoid running into Lukas again.
I decided to head straight for the high street to try and find Mum a CHRISTMAS PRESENT. I already planned to give her the angel when we next visited the hospital, but I also wanted to get something ABSOLUTELY PERFECT to give to her on CHRISTMAS DAY.
I didn’t even bother trying to wait for Lukas to turn up in order to let him know my plan. It was funny how much everything had changed in the past five days. I no longer felt I could count on my best friend to be there when I needed him.
I had just passed the school gates and was turning left towards town when I heard a BREATHLESS PANTING behind me and someone calling my name.
Of course, I knew from his voice that it was Lukas, but I didn’t turn around and carried on MARCHING PURPOSEFULLY along the street as if I could no longer hear him.
‘Jake! Wait for me!’ Lukas called. ‘Jake! Please, wait.’
Still I pretended not to hear him, though by now he had almost caught up to me and was PRACTICALLY SHOUTING into my right ear. My stride began to waver as he caught hold of my elbow, tugging at me gently and refusing to let go.
I whirled round to face him. ‘What is it?’
‘I just wanted to check you were OK after yesterday,’ Lukas said. ‘You didn’t wait for me after school and I thought something was wrong.’
‘You thought something was wrong?’ I answered.
Lukas blinked at me from behind his glasses. A gesture I used to find ENDEARING had now become INCREDIBLY ANNOYING.
‘Everything is wrong, Lukas,’ I continued. ‘And you’ve been too caught up with your new best friend Nora to notice.’
‘She… isn’t my best friend,’ Lukas stuttered. ‘You are. I’m sorry I haven’t been around more to help you look for your mum.’
‘Well, it’s too late now anyway,’ I replied. ‘It’s over.’
‘I am sorry she’s sick, you know, Mum told me she’s been taken to hospital.’
As Lukas apologised, I felt all the anger I’d let build up inside of me over the past few days start to dissolve like a balloon slowly deflating, until all that was left was the shrivelled skin on the outside.
Being angry at your best friend was EXHAUSTING. All I really wanted was for us to be FRIENDS AGAIN and for things to go back to how they were before Mum got sick.
‘Perhaps,’ I offered, ‘perhaps, you could help me now?’
‘Of course,’ Lukas replied. ‘Anything you want me to do.’
And I knew that with Lukas’s help I would find Mum the BEST PRESENT EVER.
On the walk into town, I explained MY LATEST MISSION to Lukas. I wanted to find Mum the PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT whatever it took.
‘Where do you think we should look?’ Lukas asked.
‘Unfortunately, I’ve hardly got any pocket money left,’ I said, ‘so it’s got to be the best present you can buy on a tight budget.’
‘How about Oxfam?’
We had just arrived at the charity shop. I peered into the windows, hoping for a MIRACLE. Instead, all I could see were fusty old clothes and tattered paperback books. Not quite the GLAMOROUS GIFT I’d been thinking of.
Lukas must have noticed my hesitancy, as he said, ‘My mum always says she finds the best bargains in charity shops. You just have to have a little bit of patience.’
PATIENCE wasn’t a trait I was known to possess but Lukas had it IN SPADES. This was why we made such a great team. And why I needed his help now more than ever.
Still feeling somewhat sceptical I let him push me through the door. Inside the charity shop smelt just as bad as it looked. My nose wrinkled in SILENT PROTEST as I tried to get my facial expressions back under control.
‘Lovely place you’ve got here,’ I said to no one in particular, as I ran my hand over some dusty shoes that looked like they had seen much better days about a BAZILLION YEARS ago.
By the till, a lady who was almost as old as the aforementioned shoes looked over SUSPICIOUSLY. As if we were going to STEAL ANY OF THIS JUNK.
Whilst I’d been too busy literally turning my nose up at just about everything in there, Lukas had been rummaging through what to me looked like more PILES OF RUBBISH, the only difference was that this time they were enclosed in plastic containers.
‘What’s in there?’ I asked Lukas, as I headed over, my curiosity finally getting the better of me.
Inside the boxes was a JUMBLE of JANGLY JEWELLERY and other bits of brightly coloured tat. It looked like a TOTAL MESS to me. Just as I was about to give up and tell Lukas we should go look somewhere else, one of the necklaces caught my eye.
It was just a simple gold chain like all the others in the box but on the end was a pendant with what looked like the letter ‘M’ engraved on it.
‘There,’ I gasped, as Lukas continued to sift through them.
I reached into the box and pulled on the chain, which was TIGHTLY KNOTTED to about a million other IDEN-TICAL-LOOKING chains.
‘Hang on,’ Lukas said. ‘I can untangle it for you.’
As I stood and watched helplessly, Lukas managed to use his NINJA-LIKE skills to untie all of the knots and free the necklace I had found.
‘It’s perfect,’ I said, as I marched to the till and presented it to the unfriendly old lady who was still looking at us as if we were A PAIR OF THUGS.
‘How much is this?’ I beamed at her.
‘Two pound fifty,’ the old woman replied once she had taken a good look at it.
I gave her my last five pounds and waited patiently for my change as she placed the necklace into a small bag.
‘Thanks,’ I said, as we were leaving. ‘You should really tidy up a bit in here, you know, that box is a complete disaster.’
With that PARTING SHOT we ran out of the shop laughing.
‘I can’t believe you said that.’
Lukas was trying and failing to look serious.
‘Well, she deserved it. Did you see the way she was watching us? And the shop really was a total mess.’
There was just enough time to use my last two pound fifty to buy a milkshake before we had to head home for dinner. GREAT SHAKES is my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE SHOP on the high street, you can get ANY FLAVOUR of milkshake you can think of in there.
We had just grabbed our drinks (mine was a double chocolate and oreo shake) and were about to leave when we heard someone shouting our names.
‘Lukas! Jake!’
It was only NERDY NORA. What on earth did she want now?
As I turned round, I noticed that Lukas had gone BRIGHT RED again. As it was the middle of December, it couldn’t exactly be SUNBURN. I wondered why he always went A VIOLENT SHADE OF TOMATO whenever Nora was nearby. Was it possible that he LIKED HER as more than JUST A FRIEND? Yuck! I didn’t think so.
‘Hi, Nora,’ Lukas stuttered nervously. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I’m just going to meet my mum from work and I noticed you two were in here,’ Nora replied. ‘I thought I’d come and say hello.’
Lukas and Nora made POLITE CHITCHAT for a while, whilst I did my best to look MILDLY INTERESTED and like I was ACTUALLY PAYING ATTENTION and not wondering when we would FINALLY GET AWAY. It was almost five o’clock and despite the massive milkshake I was starting to feel hungry.
‘Can I see?’
I realised that Nora was now looking STRAIGHT AT ME, and I had no idea what she was asking about. Luckily, Lukas understands my COMPLETE LACK OF INTEREST in most HUMAN INTERACTION and jumped in to rescue me.
‘The necklace,’ he said.
‘Ohhh, I see,’ I replied. ‘Sure, here it is.’
Very carefully, I took the necklace out of the bag the grumpy lady at Oxfam had put it in and showed it to Nora.
‘It’s beautiful,’ she said. ‘I’m sure your mum will love it.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Lukas told me she wasn’t feeling very well. I hope she gets better soon.’
I had to admit that Nora seemed QUITE NICE really. She even liked FORTNITE, and she liked FOOTBALL a lot more than I did. When she asked about my mum, I didn’t feel like she was JUDGING HER like some of the other kids in school. I didn’t even mind that Lukas had told Nora about MUM BEING ILL, it was all round school now anyway, but it was good of Nora not to mention that.
‘Anyway, I’d better go,’ Nora continued. ‘Mum will be wondering where I’ve got to. See you next term!’
‘Bye, Nora. Have a great Christmas!’ I replied, surprised to find that I actually meant it.
Once we said our goodbyes to Nora, it was time to head home. I promised Lukas that I would call him on the weekend and let him know how Mum was getting on. It felt good to have my best friend back again and perhaps being friends with Nora wouldn’t be so bad either.