What a fine day it was with a robin chirping loudly outside the window and the sun shining so strongly that the children's cheeks were burning hot. Despite the October breeze, the Saturday was promising to be one of the finest that autumn. Alex, Dori and Santos quickly got ready and out they went planning to spend their day in the park.
Their cul-de-sac was a quiet sanctuary for birds which only got disturbed by the local cats always keeping an eye on birds entranced in their songs. Besides those infrequent dramatic episodes of hunting, Scandall Close was really free of scandals. The park adjacent to their street was slowly dressing up in the autumn golds and reds after an extended hot summer and the kids delighted in the beauty of the trees so they swiftly climbed them to check if the squirrels gathered enough nuts for winter. Then, Santos suggested: ‘Why don't we have a sword fight with sticks?’
To which Alex enthusiastically grabbed the stick laying in the nearby bushes and waved it vigorously Dori jumped back not to be hit with it!
When the duels were over, the kids decided to collect some colourful leaves and set them adrift in the small pond. Alex got a little hungry so they all decided to pick some apples and pears in the wild orchard occupying the far corner of the park. When they were satisfied and rested again Dori proposed:
‘Let's make some chestnut men. We have some skewer sticks at home, all we need is some horse chestnuts.’
While they were collecting them they got into a competition to find the biggest one. Their pockets were getting heavy with horse chestnuts when they saw an elderly neighbour go by so they greeted him:
‘Hello Rob. How are you?’
‘Very well, very well. Thank you. What are you up to today?’
‘We are celebrating autumn.’ replied Dori with a big smile.
Five minutes later they had pockets full of horse chestnuts and they ran home to pick the skewer sticks to start making horse chestnut men when they found Rob lying on the path. The kids got very alarmed asking him one after another:
‘Rob, what happened?’
‘Are you hurt?’
‘Can we help you?’
‘I'm fine.’ responded the old man with a grunt. ‘Could you just help me get up, please?’
The boys gently helped their neighbour to scramble up to his feet.
‘Why don't we accompany you home?’ suggested Alex.
‘Yes, we will do that.’ agreed the others.
‘Thank you.’ the old man replied smiling.
So each of the boys walked on one side of the man letting him support himself on their arms whilst Dori was giving Rob the report of the comings and going of the hedgehogs and foxes. The old man laughed and before they realised they got to his door.
‘Why don't you come over for tea and biscuits? That's the least I can do to repay you for your kindness.’
Alex, who was always a little hungry, agreed right away before the others could respond.
And so they did stay three quarters of an hour sipping hot tea, sharing funny autumn stories with him and enjoying their neighbour's reminiscing of the past events that happened in their local park. Picnics before the war, bombings during it and young families moving into the area after the war enjoying and park and planting many of the current trees. The park and its inhabitants have been witnesses to all those years and events.
What an aurulent day it was full of sun, golden leaves, good deeds and autumn treats! Is there an autumn day you could tell me about? Which funny stories did the kids share with Rob? What do you think of their behaviour that day?
