Page 36 - Jeremiah Lollipop

see most of the city, and the coast, and a vast stretch of ocean. He went

on up the road and cut through a paddock where some builders were

planning to work, then up another sealed road and finally he was at the

top. He stood on a war memorial wall and pulled some high-powered

binoculars from his backpack.

He trained them down the hill and smiled, because he could see a bit

of his own road and a little of his house. This was perfect.

Mr. Flannel’s truck, Jeremiah had noticed, was full again, and due to

be driven away. Jeremiah wanted to watch it leave, and follow it with his

eyes to wherever it went. He was just in time. Far away, far below, he

saw the tiny shape of the truck pull out and start to move away. It was

smaller than an ant.

Down the road it went, then along another, and another, round the

outskirts of the city, keeping to country roads, then it disappeared behind

some hills and reappeared far away, in a valley. That was the last

Jeremiah saw of it, though he strained his eyes looking, so he put the

binoculars away and started to walk back home.

An hour later he was on his bike and pedaling hard. He took a shortcut

across town and headed for the valley where he had last seen the truck.

When he reached it he slowed down and started to look left and right for

the truck, and then, at last, he saw it. Parked far away, up a dirt road, and

mostly hidden by some hedges which grew everywhere… there was Mr.

Flannel, shoveling dirt off his truck.