Page 84 - My Home on the Earth

two apples, an orange, and two bananas from a van. He leant back and shut his eyes for a second.
‘Oi!’ a gruff voice shouted in his ear. ‘Wake up! You can’t sleep here. We’ll lock the park in two minutes. Now, clear off! We don’t want your sort in here.’
Dazed and dizzy, the boy stood up, squinted at his watch and called after the man. ‘How do I get to Sunbury Avenue, please?’
The man stopped and shuffled around. Slowly, he eyed the boy up and down before pointing. ‘Through the side gate, straight down the road and turn left.’
‘Thanks,’ he replied.
It was five o’clock before John turned into the avenue. Wow! What a difference a few strides make, he thought. Instead of rows of terraced properties, these were grand detached houses.
Neatly trimmed hedges and stone walls protected immaculate lawns and colourful flower beds. He couldn’t help noticing an array of expensive cars parked on the driveways. Strolling along, he tried to imagine which of the properties were flats. If they were, the monthly rent would be far out of their reach. What is she thinking of? he thought. Knowing Mum, she might have got the wrong street.
He strolled to the end of the avenue, turned left and found himself facing the park and a dead end. He checked his watch. The bus back to Quay Road was due in half an hour. It would take too long to go back the way he came, so he climbed the railings and dropped down on the other side. Ignoring the sound of a screeching car, he strolled
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