Lewi's Birthday

Right at the top of Lewi’s birthday list was Daddy.

He hadn’t been there when Lewi started big school. Or when he came out, after his first day, with the painting he did of the soldier. It was Daddy in a desert, looking high as a mountain and wide as the sky.

He didn’t like the way the paint ran off the end of Daddy’s jacket because that wasn’t what happened in real life and he wanted his painting to look just like Daddy in his big boots and desert cammo.

Lewi had never seen a desert but Mummy said it was like a massive beach without any sea and that was where Daddy had gone.

Lewi looked out of his bedroom window. He wondered what Farmer’s Field would look like if it was all sand.

By the moonlight, Lewi thought he saw the fox but it did not matter. Lewi was getting to be a really big boy. Foxes might be scary for little kids but not Lewi.

Lewi was five tomorrow and nothing got the better of him. No way. He was Indiana Jones and Tilly Tylor was enough to frighten anyone off. She might have been a fat old dog to anyone else but to Lewi, she was a fearsome beast and not to be messed with.

With the moon shining in through his window, Lewi fell asleep.

He had dreams of fantastic adventure and other wonderful things about birthdays and wishes he kept secret under his pillow.

Lewi ran and ran for miles until he was almost too tired to run any more. Tilly just about kept up and they ran so hard they began to fly. Over mountains, forests, shark infested seas and hot, dry, deserts. Paige waved them both goodbye.

Lewi was Indiana Jones alright. Nobody could stop him.

Lewi swam like a fish across shark infested oceans. He crossed deserts, climbed trees, zapped nasty skeletons and poisonous snakes. Faster than the speed of light he raced, cracking his whip. Nothing could get in his way.

As Lewi flew over the top of the tanks and tents, he saw him.

Daddy! It was Daddy!

Lewi began to fall, spinning faster and faster. It felt like forever until strong hands caught him.

‘Hello, big man, happy birthday’ Daddy said, grinning, ‘what’s it like to be five, then?’

‘The best,’ said Lewi and grinned right back.