If Only I Would Have Listened

• Matilda Greta Littman, Grade 4, Otford Public School
• Short Story
• 2017

Finalist in the 'Write Here Write Now 2017' competition

I heaved my heavy, black suitcase up the marble stairs. As I walked down the long narrow corridor, I peeked into each room. The walls were cleanly polished with white paint and the rooms were silent like a graveyard on a cold frosty night. When I finally made my way into my room, my arm was aching. I dumped my suitcase on the soft woollen carpet and bolted over to the white framed window. Even though the window was sparkly clean I opened the window to let the cool fresh air in. The view was of my neighbour’s front yard. They had a blow-up rainbow beach ball planted directly under a peach tree and the grass was as green as a mint flavoured ice cream, not a speck of leaf was left on the lawn. Separating the garden to the quiet streets was a wooden fence painted dull grey. The house looked like it belonged to proud people.
I was enjoying the view when suddenly an old man dressed in dirty blue overalls opened the front door. His face was covered with soot and charcoal... An almost finished cigar was planted in his mouth. I couldn’t help but stare at the ginger cat sitting beside him.
“Hey you!” the man said gruffly, his eyes sharply bolted to me. He took the cigar out of his mouth and dropped it on the grass.
“Me...” I stuttered. He glared sharply.
“Well there is no one else around is there?” I looked around.
“Yeah,” I replied, the ginger cat was now walking around the front yard like a lost polar bear in a tropical jungle.
“You’re moving into this house right,” he pointed his dirty finger to our new house.
“Yeah,” I answered.
“Well I gotta go now but whatever you do DO NOT pick the carrots in the front yard” he turned his voice deep when he spoke. I looked down at the carrots, they looked perfectly normal to me.
“Why though,” I asked But he had already disappeared.
The next day, I had completely forgotten what the old man had said about the carrots... I slept in so badly that I missed breakfast. When I woke up it was lunch, I was starving. When I got down to the table, my mom was cooking carrot cake.
“Can you please go and pick those carrots out in the garden? I think they’re ready.” mom ordered. “Yep,” I replied as I opened the front door.
I picked five ripe carrots and came back into the house. I laid them down on the bench beside the chopping board. Just then I felt a slight breeze blow into the house. I looked up. A whirling hurricane blew around the sitting room.
“Arghhh,” I screamed. Even though the the hurricane was whirling around me I wasn’t cold. I turned over. Then I opened my eyes, I was lying in bed with no hurricane.
“Phew,” I whispered.