Waiting for the Sun

Chapter One

Beebo kicked the ball over to Peeper and Peeper cleverly tapped it past Weirdo into the goal. It was a goooooooooooooaaaaaaaallllll! 1-0. Beebo and Peeper's team had scored the first goal, and it was now half-time.

Sam was sitting at the side, near the trees, reading her book.

Peeper went over to talk to her.

It can't be fun, thought Beebo, not being able to play with the rest of us.

When the match resumed, Beebo ran as fast as he could for the ball. He was so immersed in the game that he did not see the tree root sticking out in his path.

Beebo tripped and fell.

CRACK!

“Owwwwwwww!!!!!” wailed Beebo.

As the other kids just stood and watched, Sam wheeled back to Kindy to get help.


Chapter Two

Two days later, Beebo sat next to Sam to watch the other kids play. His left leg was in a cast and he was sitting in a wheelchair.

Beebo sighed.

“I'm never going to get better and go to Inglun to play. This is just the mostest megastupendous horrific thing to happen to me,'' he complained.

Sam looked up from her book. What did Beebo have to complain about? His leg would heal. It's not like he would be stuck in a wheelchair all his life like she was.

“Beebo Beedle!” said Sam. “Who are you to complain anything? You're just one day in a wheelchair and already you're whining like a baby. At least your cast comes off in a few weeks time and you can walk and run again.

“For me, it's like waiting for the sun to come to your house for tea. It is never going to happen.”

Beebo was scared. Sam had never sounded more stern and her face was all puffy and red like she was going to explode.

He had heard that girls were made from all things nice. Did this mean that if Sam's head exploded there'd be sugar and sweets and cakes?

Sam was still glaring at Beebo. That helped him return to the present from his mind wandering.

Beebo just sat there quietly, not daring to reply.

Chapter Three

The days went by sooooooo slowly. Beebo felt as if everything was moving in slow motion. Slowly and agonisingly he watched Peeper score goals. Slowly and agonisingly he sat through Kindy School everyday. Slowly and agonisingly he went home and had to be helped through the rooms in the house.

Sometimes, he tried to wheel himself, stumbled onto one of Beezy's or Milly's toys. And on a bad day, the wheelchair would tip over and Beebo would have a fall.

He hated being in a wheelchair. He couldn't do anything he wanted to – really wanted to. He had to rely on others for everything. It felt like he was a baby again.

Slowly Beebo grew sadder and sadder and sadder.

He no longer sat next to Sam to watch the other kids play. He preferred just sitting by himself under the tree pondering all sorts of sad thoughts.

Beebo thought he might be in a wheelchair forever, and he wouldn't be able to go anywhere himself and he would need help trying to reach all the things that were on the table. He'd never be able to play football again, never run freely in the field like he used to, never tiptoe to the fridge at night, never climb up the stool to get his favourite cookies.

NEVER.

As  Beebo thought of all this, the day came for him to go back to the big hospital in the city. Daddy took him.

Beebo waited nervously for the doctor, fully expecting him to say that Beebo would never be able to walk again.

Chapter Four

Unlike Beebo's expectations, the cast did come off and he was told to walk slowly and then he'd be able to run again.

Wooooo-Hooooooo!!!!

That was the best news Beebo had heard, ever.

He jumped for joy.

“Ouch!” said Beebo.

“Take it easy on that foot for a while, Beebo,” said the doctor.

Beebo smiled.

The next day he went to Kindy School. He walked proudly in and at recess, he walked proudly over to Sam.

Sam looked sat sitting there by herself, reading her book.

Beebo asked: “May I sit with you, Sam?”

“Sure. But wouldn't you rather be playing with your friends?”

“Nah. Maybe tomorrow. Today, I think I'll just watch.”

Sam smiled.

“You know what?” asked Beebo. “You were right. I wasn't in that wheelchair forever. And you know what else? I know now how hard it is for you in your wheelchair. It's not any fun, is it?”

“It's okay,” answered Sam smiling. “You kinda get used to it.”

They sat and watched the other kids play for a while.

A week later, Beebo was playing football with his pal Peeper again.