Story Challenge 6

[Daisy]

Following on from some lovely Christmas stories, the next Challenge is a story starting with the line ...


Sam's Granny was at the school gates waiting for him (or her) .........

over to you, story tellers. It can be as long or short as you like, funny, sad, thought provoking - whatever you like.

Please don't be shy - have a go.

[Gemini]

Hooray, I love a story challenge!
I'm busy today, but will get my thinking cap on over the weekend.

[Gemini]

Just bumping this up. I must get thinking!

[Daisy]

I've got an idea for it, but haven't had time to actually write it.

[Gemini]

I will write this story before I go on holiday!!!

Anyone else??

[Daisy]

Good for you, Gem. I have still got my original idea lurking but haven't had time to actually write it. I can be my homework while you're on holiday!

[Gemini]

I do better with just sitting down and writing it than planning, for some reason!

[Daisy]

Sometimes an idea develops when I sit down to write, and often it doesn't turn out how I'd imagined originally.

[Gemini]

I will write this story before I go on holiday!!!

Anyone else??

I may not have time! I will write it when I get back though

[Daisy]

Hehehhe, Gem. You're not going until tomorrow, aren't you? Plenty of time love!!

[Daisy]

At last, my effort at Story Challenge 6:


Sam’s Granny was at the school gates waiting for him when he came tumbling through the door, dragging his coat along the ground and hardly pausing to say “Bye, Sir” to his teacher. He waved his free hand at Granny, and almost knocked her over as he threw himself into her arms.

“Granny, Granny” he shouted, excitedly. “Have you made cakes for tea?”

Granny laughed. “Yes, and they’re your favourite chocolate cup cakes. But we’ve got to go round to the Junior school to collect Henry, first.”

She scooped up his coat off the floor, took his lunch box and book bag off him, and gave him a big hug, thinking how lovely that he was still young enough to hug his granny in front of all his classmates. Henry, she knew, would be more reserved, and would want to know why she, instead of Mummy, was picking them up.

She was right. Henry was pleased to see her but immediately asked where Mummy was. Granny gave a vague reply about Mummy being busy and ushered them both to her car.

“We’ll go back to my house for tea,” she said. “Gramps is waiting for you and he wants you to try out the new obstacle course he’s made in the garden. Your bikes and helmets are there ready.” Sam, bouncing up and down on his car seat, wanted to know if his stabilisers were still off his bike. “Of course,” said Granny. “You don’t need those anymore!”

“I can ride my biiiiike, I can ride my biiiike,” he sang. Henry watched him quietly, saying nothing. Granny thought what an old head Henry had on his 8 year old shoulders. Always a quiet, thoughtful boy, he tended to watch, listen and think.

After tea, Sam couldn’t wait to get out in the garden and onto his bike. Henry hung back in the kitchen with Granny. “Granny, is Mummy ok?” he asked anxiously. Granny hesitated, wondering how much to tell him. She couldn’t say everything was absolutely fine, because it wasn’t, but she didn’t know yet how serious the situation was and didn’t want to frighten the boy.

“Daddy’s with her,” she whispered, “and he’s going to ring us a bit later. But go out and play on your bike while it’s still light.”

Satisfied for the moment, Henry joined his brother in a frantic race round the various obstacles Gramps had placed round the large wilderness of a garden.

“What do you think, Sue? Will she be ok?”

“Please God, I hope so”, she whispered.

The phone interrupted any further conversation. Tom answered it, and passed it quickly over to Sue. It was Robert, their son-in-law and the boys’ daddy. They both put their ears to the earpiece, listening to Robert. Their expressions were shock and delight. Ringing off with assurances that they and the boys were on their way over to the hospital straight away, they called the boys.

“Is it the baby?” Henry wanted to know.

“Yes,” beamed Granny.

“It’s a boy, it’s a boy, I know it is” shouted Sam.

“No, it’s a girl, it’s got to be a girl”, yelled Henry, losing his reserve and shouting his little brother down.

Granny and Gramps looked at each other, smiling.

“Well, we can go to the hospital and see Mummy tonight if you get a move on,” laughed Tom.

Half an hour later, they were hugging their Daddy and asking the same questions. Boy or girl? Sam, desperate not to be the youngest boy in the family wanted a brother, while quiet, thoughtful Henry thought it would be great not to have another noisy boisterous Sam in the house. Daddy looked at each of them smiling. “If you can be very quiet and good you can go and see Mummy and your new baby now. But you must be very quiet and gentle. Promise?”

The boys solemnly promised and were ushered into a side ward where their Mummy looking pale and tired, but very happy, was propped up on the high hospital bed, gazing in to the large cot besides her. “Sam”, she said, “come and say hello to your little brother”. Sam totally forgetting his promise to be quiet whooped loudly “I’ve got a brother, YAY”.

But Mummy hadn’t finished. “Henry”, she beckoned him over too, “come and say hello to your little sister.”

Daddy, Granny and Gramps looked on smiling from ear to ear. It had been very tempting to know the babies’ gender, but they wouldn’t have had this amazing surprise, exactly what the boys had wished for, one brother and one sister. The emergency Caesarian hadn’t been on the agenda, but with two healthy 5 lb babies, everyone’s fears evaporated. The babies, swaddled side by side, gurgled quietly as they slept peacefully with no idea what joy their arrival had brought.

[Plantaholic]

That is a great story Daisy

[Daisy]

Awwww, thank you Plant, you're very kind. 😊😘

[Gemini]

Oh that's lovely

You are a good writer Daisy and kept us guessing.
Tomorrow is a free day, so Story Challenge is going on my list!

[Daisy]

Thank you Gem. I didn't know where the story was going until I got there - if that makes sense. The starting point was thinking that GD1 goes up to the Junior School in September, so when GD2 starts in Reception the following year we will have to pick GD2 up first (they finish a few minutes earlier) and then walk round the playground to the Junior school for GD2.

Looking forward to reading your story - and it would be great if anyone else would have a go as well. We all have a wealth of experience to draw on and you can create a story out of the smallest starting point.