Four Wheeled Hero Read Online Free Page A

she asked.
     
    ‘Oh, we have a
bet on with Trevor Green that we can catch more fish than him, so
we’re making an early start so we can be sure to win’, Smithy said
in his best lying voice.
     
    ‘A fishing
contest’, said his Dad. ‘I may join you later on for a bit of fun.
I’ll be able to advise you so that you can win’, he added. ‘I was
quite a fisherman in my younger days you know’.
     
    The look of
panic shot over Smithy’s face as his brain fumbled for a reply.
     
    ‘No, No you
can’t. We agreed that no parents or another relative should be
involved. It must be fair and square. Even if you only stood there
would be enough to loose us the competition’, Smithy pleaded.
     
    ‘OK’, said his
Dad. ‘You don’t realise the experience you have just passed over.
I’ll watch the football instead’.
     
    Both Smithy and
Tommy gave a low relieved sigh at how near they had come to
disaster as they moved to seat themselves around the table for
breakfast. Smithy’s Mum handed them their choice of cereals and
they munched their way through two bowls full while Smithy’s Mum
prepared their packed lunches and placed them in the holdall that
stood in the hallway with the remainder of their kit. By seven
thirty they had finished breakfast and had prepared themselves for
leaving.
     
    As they were
having breakfast Smithy’s cat ‘Tiger’ had decided it was safe to
return home and came creeping in through the cat flap. As it did so
Smithy’s Dad opened the kitchen door sending the poor cat into a
panic. Within an instant it dived head first into the open holdall
that contained the boys lunch without being noticed by anyone. In
the darkness the cat curled itself up and fell fast a sleep.
     
    ‘Here you are’,
said Smithy’s Mum handing the mobile phone to her cheeky looking
son. ‘Now don’t you forget, call me every two hours or I’ll send
your Dad to fetch you, even if it means you loosing your
competition’. She walked out into the hall and tucked the phone
safely in Smithy’s holdall which contained their lunch and the
sleeping cat, without even disturbing it.
     
    ‘Now don’t
loose it’, she said as she kissed Smithy on the cheek which made
him blush a bright red.
     
    ‘Don’t worry’,
Smithy said as they made their way to the front door.
     
    ‘Don’t forget’,
his Mum said. ‘No later than five thirty, do you hear’.
     
    They both
nodded in agreement as they escaped through the door and headed
down the road in the direction of the canal.
     
     

Chapter 3
     
    The One That
Got Away
     
    The canal ran
just five hundred metres from where Tommy and Smithy lived. Its
wide banks complete with tarmac tow paths made it ideal for Tommy’s
wheelchair allowing him to go wherever he wished to fish. Some four
hundred metres along the canal was a wide bridge that swept in a
curve so anyone entering one side, could not see anyone on the tow
path at the other.
     
    The two boys
made their way to the opposite side where the sign ‘BARGES FOR HIRE
AT KEMPLTON JUNCTION’ was situated on the grass embankment. Smithy
climbed up the slight hill to place the fishing kit behind the
sign. With only the holdall on his back which contained their
lunch, and the sleeping cat, Smithy rejoined Tommy on the
footpath.
     
    ‘There’, he
said as he inspected his hiding place, walking up and down the tow
path so as to ensure that no one could see the kit. ‘It’ll be as
safe as houses there until we get back’.
     
    With that they
set off with Smithy pushing Tommy up the path which led to the
roadway above to catch the bus which stopped just the other side of
the bridge. They had only minutes to wait before the bus arrived.
It stopped to let off passengers before allowing anyone to get on.
Smithy jumped on and asked the conductor if he would help get Tommy
aboard.
     
    ‘You can’t come
on this bus with that’, the conductor said in a nasty tone which
annoyed both of the boys.
     
    ‘Why can’t