Page 147 - My Home on the Earth

canny. But they taught him how to care for himself in tricky situations. Jake had especially enjoyed the camping- survival courses and confidence-building activities.
He read the letter again and scanned a line of small print at the bottom. It stated the foundation was a registered charity. ‘Supper Van probably means food, and I am hungry. But what if it’s a prank or an attempt to get me out of here? I still don’t know who this stuff belongs to,’ he said, staring at his bed and table. Feeling the notes again, he wondered if it was enough to buy a train ticket to Scotland. ‘I can find out at the library. The schools are on holiday so the lady won’t wonder why I’m not at school. I can find out about the foundation too and who owns it and maybe I can buy a new pair of jeans from the market.’
An hour later, Jake was enjoying a bowl of hot Irish stew with tinned potatoes and crusty bread spread with butter. For pudding, he had three chocolate marshmallows.
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Rising early on Saturday morning, Jake picked up the plastic water bottle and stepped outside. A black knotted sack lay outside and he nervously kicked it. Inside, it could be someone’s rubbish so he dragged the sack across to a building and prodded it with a strip of metal. The contents felt soft. Before opening the sack he looked around and listened. He made a small hole in the side but couldn’t make out what it was. Tearing at the plastic he saw a bundle of clothing, towels and sachets. ‘You’ve excelled yourself this time, Mum,’ he murmured to
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