The Boats that Sailed Across My Bed(Nya Guest) I’d just finished school and so far everything was alright until dad started going faster and faster and we had a car crash. This may sound quite dramatic and over the top but these were the reasons mum never let dad drive, he’d always pretend he was living his dream of being a grand prix racer when he was driving. Anyway mum got the worst of it with shattered bones in one leg and a bleeding hand. Me and my brother John were sort of fine, John had a headache and my hand was all twisted and broken. My dad however, was out of the car with a cut on the side of his head and he wasn’t walking properly, like he was going to collapse or something. We were all taken to hospital and given what we needed. I didn’t get to stay at the hospital because I only needed a cast for my hand. Mum was broken, dad was lying down and breathing heavily, and john had a head injury, so I was sent to granddads house to live for a month.

I came back by train because granddad can’t drive anymore. When I got home dad was sitting on the sofa feeling sorry for himself and John was on his back with tears rolling down his cheeks, but mum was gone. Only then was I told that mum had left because she couldn’t trust dad anymore. My life was ruined. Mum always helped with the problems because dad was too busy teaching John how to cook. Mum always sorted our lives out when they got terribly hard to live. she could build a wall to block the bullies from you, and dad can’t do that. Oh I do love dad, but cooking and making us all laugh and being our personal teddy bear are his talents. What will I do? As soon as I found this out I went to my room and cried myself to sleep.

I woke up and it was completely dark. granddad was still here talking to dad. I could hear John snoring loudly, a few times he coughed in his sleep. I crept slowly downstairs and listened. “You could of lost your driver’s licence you know,” sighed granddad as he repeatedly sipped on his coffee. “I’m going to have to find a closer school for the kids then aren’t I?” whispered dad like he knew I was there. “Suppose so…suppose so,” mumbled granddad. I couldn’t bear leaving school and my friends; I stomped up the stairs and slammed my door shut making sure no one could get in. I strained to hear the quiet shuffling of dad and granddad coming up stairs. Knocking gently, dad called my name asking if I could come out, but no reply came from me as I reluctantly waited for dad to leave thinking I was asleep. I turned my lamp on and looked in a book of boats; it was mum’s book judging by the smudged handwriting at the front.

The next day I went the attic and took down all of mums special model boats and placed them on my bed. As I stared at the boats and my bed, the duvet swirled into a fabric sea and the boats began to move. I could see mum on her favourite boat, her hair blowing in the salty wind, her eyes as blue as the ocean. I began to cry again and washed away the beautiful image of mum and the boats and the duvet sea.

Dad told me that we can visit mum and sometimes she might visit us. that helped a little but it wasn’t enough, I needed mum really badly because I kept on having nightmares. So dad pulled out a big scrapbook belonging to mum; ‘me, my life and family’ it said on the front. Me and dad laughed and we cried, there were so many things in the scrapbook it was unbelievable and mum is only 24! Dad got up and looked at me then rushed downstairs. a few moments later he returned with a letter and placed it in my hands.

Dear Jamie

I love you and always will; don’t be upset, hopefully I’m coming round tomorrow to see you. I’ll always belong to you.
From mum xxx

P.S. give my love to John and your dad.

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