Summertime

Inspired by true events.

I loved Summertime, especially since school was closed and there were six lovely weeks of late nights and waking up at midday to the beautiful sunny days just playing, eating and more playing it was the best time of the year.

Describing the games that we (me, my sister and our two friends) played or the things we did in the Summer is best depicted by, maybe a novel written by Enid Blyton probably a famous five story (except there was only four of us and we were not at all famous); or even the film 'Stand by Me' (except no dead body or railway track).

Stealing blackberries from the neighbours bush then making blackberry squash by adding sugar and water to them (loads of sugar might I add). Having water fights with other children who we really did not know and their parents telling our parents that we had ruined their best going out clothes.

Infact, getting into trouble with mum was a major part of the Summer. I mean if a day had gone past without getting into trouble I am sure it was because we were either asleep all day or ill. Even so, I loved the Summer.

"If I ever catch you on the roof of the kitchen again then I will smack you" mum said very angrily. I had often just climbed on the roof and sat there on the ledge just staring at the view, maybe drawing a picture or two or maybe just spying on my sister through her bedroom window which overlooked the roof. Sometimes, I got caught but majority of the time I got away with it.

I listened to mum quietly and when finished I went to my sisters room. Our neighbour was there who was also our best friend ever and both of them were talking about how they hated 'Europe' and the song 'A Final Countdown'. It was number one at that time and had been playing constantly on the radio and top of the pops.

"He is the ugliest man in the world, and totally grosses me out" Daisy said.

My sister was laughing hysterically because she had just bought a teen magazine with him in full on a two page spread and she was flashing the picture towards Daisy and making kissy noises. Daisy was so not impressed but the laughter continued until eventually Daisy was called by her mum for tea and had to go.

"It would be hysterical if we could pin this picture on her bedroom wall tonight, ready for her when she gets up in the morning" my sister had said with a mischievious grin. " she will be totally freaked. Why don't you go and ask her mum".

"Me, no way you do it" I replied.

"Oh, pleeeeease, you know your the bestest sister ever"

"No way, any how I don't think we could do it without waking her up anyway, so it's a silly idea".

"We should try because it would be hilarious" my sister said smiling at me. So we sat and thought for a while.

"Umm, what about if I climb on the Kitchen roof and access her window from her Kitchen roof then sellotape the picture on her window" I said excited that this idea might work. "Then, when she wakes up and opens her curtains she will see his face looking in on her and will scream, it will be so funny" I sounded so enthusiastic.

"What if you break their roof, mum will kill you".

"Oh, please I am super slick on the roof, just like catwoman I can slide across light and nimble" I said doing an immpression of catwoman tippy toeing in the bedroom. That evening the plan had been set and early tommorow (well around 11am) it would be put into action.

I woke up at 10.30am all eager to put our plan into play. After waking my sister, I quietly opened the garden door and outside I climbed on our kitchen roof. Careful not to make any noise, as not to wake Daisy or even my mother.

Very cautiously I climbed onto the neighbours kitchen roof.

Tippy toe, tippy toe, tippy toe, across the top I went, very slowly as not to fall or make any sound that would be heard in the neighbours kitchen. The picture rolled up in one hand and sellotape in the other, tippy toe, tippy toe all the way to her window. I was there at last and the curtains were closed so I carefully opened the picture and placed it face inwards on the window.

Now trying to use the sellotape with one hand whilst holding the picture against the window with the other and having to use my teeth to break the tape proved quite tricky but I eventually managed it.

I looked up towards the window and reached out my hand to place the first strip of tape when all of a sudden the curtain opened. I froze.

It all happened within a couple of minutes, I looked up at the face in the window, which was not Daisy's by the way but her mothers, looking very angrily at me. So I jumped backwards and fell towards our kitchen roof. Even then I did not stop I just crawled towards our roof and once on it I stood up and looked at Daisy's mum asking "What are you doing? you could have fallen". All I could say was it was the picture. I don't even know why I thought her mum would know what I was talking about.

All of a sudden I heard banging on my sisters window and I thought she is calling me to climb in. So on turning my head and getting ready to run in that direction, again I just froze.

Mum had been banging on the window and she looked really angry saying she was going to kick my butt. Showing me her fist, she was opening the window but before she could scream at me, all I could think of before I jumped off the roof was 'It's the Final Countdown dannana nanananan dannana nanananna (music to the song).........

Obviously, I didn't die, I just sprained my ankle along with getting into sooo much trouble that wonderful, gorgeous Summer.