Page 101 - My Home on the Earth

him. This is my home for now, he thought. Before he reached the shed, John noticed a few fresh wood shavings fluttering across the ground. He instantly crouched down to scan the yard for an intruder or for signs of a disturbance in the buildings opposite. More shavings lay closer to the shed, so g etting inside under cover was urgent. Satisfied he was alone, he stood up and walked to the shed door, and couldn’t believe his eyes.
In his absence, someone had fitted a door lock with a keyhole and handle. Glancing furtively over his shoulder, he turned the handle but the door was firmly locked. ‘I’m locked out!’ He needed a tool to prise it off but realised his box was inside. John looked around for something heavy to knock it off with and noticed a brick. He lifted the brick and underneath lay two silver keys. Again, he looked around before picking them up and inserted one in the keyhole. With a flick of his wrist, he unlocked it. Placing his hand over the door knob, he turned it and pushed the door. Inside, he gazed at a grey fold-up camp bed, a metal oil lamp, a white wicker chair and table, and a patterned mat on the floor. Mystified, he murmured: ‘This is mine. Has someone has taken over my home?’ Touching the table and chair, John examined his belongings and counted his tins and packets. Nothing had been stolen. ‘Who left them in here and why?’ He peered outside, then swiftly shut the door. ‘Perhaps they’re coming back later.’
Smiling, he realised he could lock it from the inside. He turned the key. There was only one way to find out, and that was to wait and see.
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