BW’s Adventures (2)

2nd Adventure

BW and RJ return to the library

BW, my four and half year old grandson, told RJ about his adventure at the library. RJ is eight going on nine. She is bright and a delightful young lady. Rebbeckah Joy is also my wife’s and my Goddaughter. I was the first man to hold her, just thirty minutes after she came into the world. She is a very special young lady.

As you can imagine, both these children are very close to my heart and also to lots of others.

RJ, being almost twice as old as BW was understandably struggling to believe his story of having spent time in a parallel universe. BW could see she didn’t believe him and like some children aged four and a half, he became quite adamant.

It was Saturday and I needed to change my library book. The book was a vegetarian cook book by Delia Smith. I am not a vegetarian but I do enjoy eating healthily and there were some great recipes in the book. As I was looking after them both (They were very definite that I wasn’t ‘baby sitting’) I asked them if they wanted to come with me to the library. I am not sure what I would have done had they said “no”. Fortunately “yes” they shouted in unison. I think RJ wanted to prove BW wrong and BW wanted to show her that he was right. So, my library book in my rucksack, off we went.

We went out of our house, across the Warwick road at the pedestrian crossing and into the ‘People’s Park’. We had a small container of peanuts with us, so we fed the peanuts to the squirrels. The squirrels are very friendly and some will even take the peanuts off your hands. We went over to the aviary and looked at the caged birds. They looked bright, colourful and were very chatty. I find it strange that lots of folk look at the caged birds but very few looked at the bright, colourful and chatty birds flying free around them. I often wonder why this is, perhaps we equate caged with exotic?

We resumed our walk along the path to the south east corner exit. We went through the walkway and across the road using the pelican crossing. We went up the steps into Saint Mary’s church yard, then around to the right of the church and down the alley way to the High Street. We used the zebra crossing to cross over the road, carefully crossing another road and onto Marlborough Road. Over another zebra crossing and we were on the correct side of the road for the library. We walked along the pavement and soon came to the familiar library building.

We went up the ramp and in through the huge red doors. We went past the security devices and the grand staircase. We went through another set of doors and into the library proper. We turned right and I started to use the automated book borrowing/returning system to return the book I had borrowed.

BW and RJ asked if they could look at the children’s books. BW knew where they were, I think RJ did too but allowed BW to think only he knew. I said they could but not to leave the library without me. “OK” they said in that far away tone of voice that children sometimes have. Off they ran “quietly” I shouted realising almost instantly what I had done.

I was in Banbury library and as you can imagine there were lots of books. There were also DVDs and CDs. There are several authors I enjoy reading. I like action thrillers by Clive Cussler, Wilber Smith and Tom Clancy. I also enjoy crime stories particularly those by Ian Rankin. Today though I wanted to look at some of the travel books and have a read of the daily newspapers.

I find that the library attracts an eclectic mix of people. There are people returning books and browsing for some title that takes their eye. Often, there are young mums reading to and playing with their children. There are those who are working during the week and are in the library for a defined period of time and seem busy because of that. They seem desperate to get in, get what they want and back out again. Then there are older folk, men and women, who can browse through the various sections. The men usually settle into a seat to read the papers or one or more of the journals that are available. There are some men who dress in tradition clothing from western Pakistan or Afghanistan who sit and read papers which are supplied in their native language. There is always an air of peaceful calm.

I realised, as I was reading a newspaper that I hadn’t been crept up on by my stealthy grandson. He usually tries to give me a fright and each time he does that I react with a jump. He seems to really enjoy giving his granddad a fright. I folded up my paper and put it back on the rack. I thought I would go and check on BW and RJ to see what they were getting up to. I walked over to the children’s area and there sat cross legged on the floor of the alcove were the two of them. They appeared to be asleep. Remembering how Miss Amy had approached BW last time, I walked over to the alcove. I squatted down and gently touched each of them on the shoulder and asked how they were. Both BW and RJ jumped. (I’m not sure how you can jump when you are sat cross legged but I think you know what I mean.) RJ usually has a lot to say and tried to talk to me. What she said went something like this. “Wow, amazing, awesome – we were – we went – we… Wow …” this was repeated several times. BW sat and rubbed his eyes and there was a kind of smug look on his face. A look that said “I know something you don’t.” He looked at RJ and smiled, she smiled back and became uncharacteristically quiet.

I saw a book between the two of them. I was looking at them both as I put it back onto a shelf. I am sure the title was ‘BW and RJ’s Amazing Adventure’ but now it said ‘Bill’s Amazing Adventure’ – strange I thought, remembering that Miss Amy had said about the titles seeming to change.

I asked them both a very silly question “Would you like to go to McDonalds?” “Yes” they replied in unison. “You can both tell me what you are looking so smug about when we get there.”

So, off we trooped. The machines didn’t bleep as none of us had a book, never mind one that we had forgotten to check out. Right turn out of the library, right turn into the High Street, over the road at Tescos local and continue along the High Street. Avoid the vehicles using the pedestrian area. Continue past the bandstand, David’s flowers and into McDs.

We sat down. BW and RJ had a ‘Happy Meal’ each with milkshakes, it was a cheese burger and diet coke for me. When we were settled I said.

“Ok, what have you two been up to that you look so smug about?”

RJ jumped straight in with “BW told me about his adventure but I didn’t really believe him.”

“Yes, I know – but now?” I said.

“Well I believe him now.” She said. “We went into the children’s area and there weren’t any other kids there. BW took me to a corner but when we got to it, it changed into an alcove. On the shelf was a book that had the title ‘Amy’s Amazing Adventure’ but when BW reached for it the title changed to ‘BW and RJ’s Amazing Adventure.”

“That sounds a bit weird.” I said.

RJ gave me a funny sort of look that implied she agreed. Then she said. “BW took the book down and opened it to show me. We just sort of … fell into it.”

“Wow and where did you two go? Did you go to the same place as BW went last time?”

BW said. “No we didn’t go there, but we had an adventure.” He looked really pleased with himself.

“Yes we did.” Said RJ.

“So what happened?” I asked.

Together they said “We went to ‘Lego Land’”

“But did you each have the same adventure?” I asked.

They looked at each other and smiled that smug smile and said in unison “Yes we did.”

I wondered how they knew.

“OK then, tell me about it.” I said.

BW said “We were at the entrance and the man in the kiosk said ‘Hello BW and RJ we have been expecting you. I hope you have remembered your driving licence RJ and have you got your tools with You BW?’ RJ said that she had and showed the man. She has carried it with her since she got it when we went with you and Grandma. I realised that I was wearing a belt that had lots of tools hanging from it.”

“I asked why I needed my driving licence?” said RJ.

“So that you can drive around the park.” Said the man in the kiosk.

“He gave me a key and pointed out that the red car was mine. I was a bit frightened.” Said RJ.

BW continued “I asked the man why did I need all these tools and he said ‘Well you never know when you might need them.’”

“We got into the Lego car and RJ put the key in and turned it on. She then drove across the forecourt and down the path to the star wars exhibit.” Said BW

RJ jumped in with “BW you haven’t said how good a driver I am.”

RJ is the sort of gifted child who seems to be good at all she tries.

BW said “But you hit the Lego mum with the Lego family.”

“That was when I was just starting and anyway we put the leg back on. No one will notice.” With that RJ decided to eat some of her lunch.

BW continued, “We fixed the leg, it’s Ok, I think. Anyway RJ drove us to the driveway down to the “Star Wars” bit. She drove into a parking bay and we went into the building. We could see the big spaceship – it was called the Falcon.”

“Was it the Millennium Falcon?” I asked.

“Yes, it was on a stand. A man near the stand saw us and asked if we had come to fix it? RJ said ‘yes’ and we started to walk nearer the space ship.”

RJ speaking with a mouthful of burger and fries said “It was weird, really weird!”

“What was?” I asked.

I was amazed that RJ could eat, swallow and talk all at the same time.

“Well” she said “As we walked towards the space ship either we shrank or it got bigger.”

“Oh wow, that sounds interesting” said I.

“We met Han Solo at the ramp and he said ‘Good to see you guys.’ Then he turned to BW and asked him ‘Have you got the left handed thingy majig?’ BW looked down at his belt and said ‘Is this the one?’ Han Solo said ‘You are a God send. Come on let’s go and fix this old crate.’”

Another mouthful and RJ continued. “We followed him into the ship. We went along a passageway and up some stairs there we saw an open panel. Han Solo took the tool in BW’s hand and using his left hand put it through the space and behind the next panel. He turned it a few times. Then pulled his hand and the tool out and shouted ‘That should do it. Fire her up Chewy.” He then fixed the panel back on. Chewy responded in that growly sort of way that Han Solo seemed to understand. There was a high pitched noise followed by a rumbling sort of vibration. The ramp we walked up lifted up and started to close. Han Solo said ‘Follow me.’ We did and a few seconds later we were in the cockpit area. There were lots of screens and lots of windows. There were two seats for the pilots.”

“Chewy, who looked big and cuddly and frightening all at once, made another strange noise. The ship seemed to lift straight up. Suddenly we could see all the stars, they were really bright. The ship started to go forwards and Han Solo said ‘Open her up Chewy, let’s see what she can do.’ The stars became streaks and a few minutes later we slowed down and there were still lots of stars but they weren’t the same ones as a few minutes before. The planets we went past weren’t blue like ours they had all sorts of streaky reddish colours.”

“Suddenly Chewy shouted at Solo and pointed to a screen. Solo ran to a ladder and climbed up into a gun turret. As he was climbing into the turret he shouted to chewy ‘Get us out of here.’ Chewy moved the stick in front of him, the ship turned and as it did we saw lots of ‘x’ shaped empire fighters coming at us. They were firing at us and Han Solo was firing back. Then the stars became streaks again. Chewy tapped in a lot of numbers into a console. I think it was his navigation computer? Then he sat back put his hands behind his head and relaxed. Bill how do you know if a Wooky is a boy or a girl?”

I decided to leave that one to her parents. So I said “I don’t know.” A statement that is actually true.

BW continued “A few minutes passed and the streaks became stars. I think we stopped because nothing seemed to be moving. Chewy opened his eyes and he seemed to panic. Solo seemed to jump and turn all at once and shouted to Rebbeckah Joy and me to man the guns. We ran up the ladder and there were two guns. We each sat at one and then we saw it!”

“What did you see?” I asked.

“We saw what they had seen.” Shouted a rather excited RJ. “It was ‘The Death Star’ It was big and looked really bad, it was evil. Han shouted for Chewy to put up the shields. Then all around us were those ‘X’ fighters shooting at us. They seemed to fly straight at us and then just turn really fast. As we gripped the gun handles they moulded to the shape of our hands and when we squeezed the handles the guns fired what looked like bubbles of light. Anyway BW and I shot back and I think we got some but they were so fast. Han was shouting at Chewy to put in the ‘right co-ordinates this time.’ Chewy was again making a funny low growling sound. I heard Chewy tapping the screen again. Then the stars went to being long streaks again.”

“I shot at the death Star granddad and I think I hit it.” BW said.

RJ added “But I don’t think we did it any harm.”

“How did you know how to fire the guns?” I asked.

“Don’t know.” said BW “Just did and it was exciting as well.”

RJ continued “We got down from the gun turrets just as we slowed again. The stars looked familiar like the first ones we had seen. Chewy was concentrating on his approach manoeuvres and we touched down at the Lego Star Wars base. Han turned and thanked us for all our help and said he was sorry that due to a miss calculation or two we had had to fight. Chewy made one of his noises and hugged us both at the same time. It was like being pulled in to a furry carpet. We said thanks for having us and that we were glad we could help out. We walked with Chewy and Han towards the back of the ship and the ramp went down. We walked out of the Millennium Falcon. We turned to wave goodbye to Han and Chewy and then … I’m not sure if we got bigger or they got smaller. That seems to be what happened.”

“That sounds like an amazing time.” I said.

BW said “To get out of the area we had to walk round the rest of the display. It felt really strange.”

“What do you mean BW?” I asked.

“Well granddad, we had just flown through space and fought with Han and Chewy against the Empire. Then we were walking along like nothing had happened. When we went past the Death Star I’m sure it looked to have a few bricks missing.”

RJ said “When we got out our car was where I had left it. We got in and I asked BW what he wanted to do next. He said that he would like to visit the pirate land and see what happens there. BW did look a little shaken and I realised I wanted to be with my mum and dad and R.” (R is RJ’s new baby sister. RJ is gorgeous and R is gorgeous two)

“I asked BW”, said RJ, “Would you like to go home now?”

“If that’s what you want to do – that’s what we will do.” He said so I asked him. “How do we get back to Banbury?”

“I think I know how it could happen, let’s go to the Lego shop.” He said.”

RJ said “After saying ‘OK’ I drove back up the path and over to the Lego shop. The leg was still on the Lego lady. ‘Now what’ I asked BW. To which he said ‘Follow me.’ And off he went into the shop. He went over to the play area and started to make a big spiral out of Lego Bricks. When he had completed the spiral to his liking he said ‘Get into the centre RJ.’ I jumped into the centre careful not to disturb the bricks. BW tip toed in to stand next to me. I asked BW what we were doing. He said ‘I have made a worm hole.’ I asked him what one of them was and he told me it was for travelling through time and space. A kind of short cut like the Tardis goes through.”

“Then Granddad” said BW, I took my sonic screwdriver out of my pocket. I turned it on like Miss Amy showed me and the green light shone and then I made spiralling movements over the bricks like Miss Amy the Doctor did. The Lego bricks started to rise from the floor. Then they started to spin. Then they started to move around the spiral. It got faster and faster and brighter and brighter. It was hard to stand up. I thought I was going to get dizzy.”

“OK” I said “Then what happened.”

They both said “Then you woke us up.”

RJ added “And I didn’t feel travel sick once!”

-oo0oo-