CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

BETTING COMES BEFORE A FALL

Before Jonny could say ‘Wait!’ or ‘No’ or ‘Ummm …’ Alfie was off. He clambered up the tree at top speed, like a squirrel late for his dentist appointment. Jonny jogged over with the box of doughnuts and gazed up. It really was a very big tree indeed.

Seconds later, Alfie was near the top, clinging to the branches, which were swaying in the wind.

‘Woo-hoo!’ Alfie yelled. ‘I knew I could do it. Nearly at the top! I’m going to win the bet! Are you coming up too?’

I didn’t actually bet you, Jonny thought, feeling exasperated by Alfie’s endless bets and challenges. And no, I don’t want to climb up too, thanks. I already told you I don’t like climbing.

Jonny stayed where he was, feet firmly on the ground, but Alfie kept taunting him from above.

‘Come on, Jonny, climb up,’ he yelled. ‘It’s super fun!’

‘Oh all right,’ said Jonny eventually. Anything to shut Alfie up. Plus Alfie was younger than him. Older brothers had to be better at stuff than younger brothers, didn’t they? That was the natural order of things. Jonny was the oldest now, so …

He tried to swing his legs up over the lowest branch, and just managed to heave himself up. Then he glanced up at Alfie, who had now made it to the very top. He could barely see the little boy’s face, but he suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

‘Do you want to come down now?’ Jonny asked. Perhaps Alfie would make another bet, about how fast he could descend, but instead, in a small voice, he just said, ‘Can’t.’

‘What?’ shouted Jonny.

‘I can’t get down,’ Alfie said limply. He was clinging to the uppermost branch, which was now swaying in the wind even more.

‘Oh massive swear word,’ muttered Jonny.

What should he do? He had some experience of protecting his new brothers. He had made sure Henry wasn’t seen by the police, and he’d tried to save Mervyn from the pond and the puddle (OK, without success, but it’s the thought that counts). Jonny wasn’t afraid of water, but climbing up there after Alfie? That was something else! He knew he wasn’t a good enough climber. Ted would have been able to rescue him. Ted was amazing at climbing. If only Ted were …

CRACK!

The branch Alfie was standing on began to give way.

‘You need to start climbing down, Alfie, NOW!’ shouted Jonny.

‘But …’ spluttered Alfie. He was now wobbling on the unsteady branch.

Jonny dropped to the ground and ran to where he could see Alfie better. Peering up, he could tell that the slim branch Alfie was standing on would soon break.

‘Climb down, Alfie!’ he yelled.

Too late. With another loud CRACK, the branch snapped and Alfie fell.

It was like watching a tiny blond cherub plummeting from heaven. Jonny gasped but he didn’t panic. He spotted the box of doughnuts and, with a firm kick, sent it skittering across the grass. Alfie fell, fell, fell. The doughnuts skidded and stopped and almost immediately – THUMP! Alfie landed squarely on the box.

The fall winded him, but the soft cushiony doughnuts saved him. He was fine. Breathless and bruised, but fine. The doughnuts, on the other hand, were not. They looked like doughnut roadkill. And Jonny? He was wide-eyed with shock.

‘Told you I could climb to the top of the tree,’ said Alfie, standing up and rubbing his back.

Jonny said nothing. He was shaking. It’s not every day you see your brother fall out of a tree. A really big tree.

‘Wow, you could have, like, hurt yourself,’ Jonny stuttered. ‘Are you OK? Thank goodness for the doughnuts.’

‘I would have been fine, anyway,’ said Alfie, shrugging. ‘I would have done another cool ninja roll or something.’

Jonny pulled a ‘really’ face, and then, without asking, Alfie opened the box, peeled a flattened doughnut off the bottom of it and stuffed it into his mouth.

Jonny watched in silence as Alfie chomped. Despite loving doughnuts, he had lost his appetite.