The Birthday Wish
Two weeks later, on a Friday when Ben came home from school, he could see that the leaves on the big trees in his garden were turning yellow. He started to cry, but then remembered that it was his birthday the next day and that he’d be having a party with a birthday cake. The weather looked as if it was going to be fine, so he thought he’d still have time to search some more.
That night, Gran told him about the words that he had to say before he blew all the candles out and made a wish.
‘Remember, Ben, your wish won’t come true unless you say the magic words. Come on, one more try.’
Ben said the words and Gran told him that he was a clever lad. He liked that. He thought hard about his wish, but he had two in mind and couldn’t decide between them.
‘Gran,’ he said, ‘if we light the candles a second time, can I have another wish?’
Gran laughed. ‘No, cheeky! Just the one, so make it a good one. Now, go to sleep and it will soon be morning.’
When Ben woke up the sun was shining and he could hear the birds calling to each other in the garden. He jumped out of bed when he heard the clatter of the letterbox. The postman had been! He ran downstairs and his mum was in the hallway.
‘Look Ben, lots of cards, all for you, and there are more in the kitchen. Now go back upstairs and put on your slippers and dressing gown, please.’
Ben went back to his room and did what his mum had asked, then he ran down to the kitchen. The table was laid for breakfast but on his plate were lots of cards, and on his chair were presents from his family. They clapped and cheered when he came into the kitchen and shouted, ‘Happy Birthday, Ben!’
Ben opened the envelopes and ripped off the wrapping paper and said ‘Thank you’ to everyone. Mum and Dad had bought him trainers, and a computer game about a boy who lived in a castle. The boy made friends with a dragon and they had to go on lots of adventures. Gran gave Ben a backpack and torch, and a big book all about birds, as well as a red notebook and pencil. He couldn’t stop smiling.
At three o’clock that afternoon his friends began to arrive. For their birthdays, lots of them had had parties in the new burger bar in town, and Mum said that maybe next time Ben could do that. Today they were having a barbecue in the garden and Dad had set up the picnic tables outside as well. Ben and his friends played football on the grass while Dad was cooking and then they all sat down to eat.
Soon it was time for the cake. Gran carried it out and Ben jumped up and down. His cake was shaped like a castle and there were seven silver candles on top. Mum and Gran had made it and Ben could see that the front gate was exactly like Lox’s. This was the time to decide which wish to choose. Should he wish that he could find the last piece of the gate, or should he wish that autumn didn’t come at all this year?
‘Come on, Ben. Time for the candles.’ Dad lit them and Ben took a deep breath.
‘Don’t forget the words, Ben,’ Gran reminded him, ‘the magic ones.’
Ben shook his head. He’d nearly forgotten.
‘Red, orange, yellow, green, purple, blue.
Please make my birthday wish come true.’
He took another big breath in and blew as hard as he could. Five candles went out right away but two of the flames just wobbled. Ben puffed even harder and the two lights went out.
‘Hooray, hooray!’ Everyone clapped and sang ‘Happy Birthday to Ben’.
‘So what did you wish for?’ Jess poked him in the side.
‘Can’t tell you, or it won’t come true,’ Ben said.
‘Well, will you tell me if it does come true, then?’ Jess asked.
‘Yes, all right.’ Ben smiled. He’d made his choice. He was going to find the last piece of the gate in the next two weeks. He was. He really was.
Later that night, when Ben was in bed, his gran asked him if he was ready to finish his made-up story.
Ben shook his head. ‘Not yet, Gran, but soon.’
‘All right. Just tell me when you’re ready.’ Gran turned off the light.
Ben began to plan how to search in the lane and woods. He would have to do a small patch at a time but he had no idea where to start and how far he would have to look. He was really worried now.
