Ollie and His Superpowers. Alison Knowles
locker? They cost a fortune, Ollie. You know I can’t afford to get you another pair. Oh Ollie, how thoughtless.”
Ollie just looked down at his feet and his old trainers.
“Oh well – get in the car or we will be late, we can talk about this later.”
Ollie’s tummy felt very sick. He wanted to cry. But he got in the car, and they drove in silence to the old peoples’ home.
It was like a big house with lots of little houses around the edge. The big house was where the TV and games room were. Ollie loved it there, because he could play snooker or pool and dominoes, and some of his grandmas and grandpas had taught him to play cards. Sometimes in the school holidays Ollie played in there all day, while his mum looked after the grandmas and grandpas.
But today he did not want to play.
His mum led him through the big doors and into the room where the grandmas and grandpas sat and drank lots of tea. They all smiled and said hello when they saw Ollie. Mrs Elmore smothered him in her big arms and kissed him on the head. The others cuddled him or shook his hand.
Mr Wilcox was sat at the back of the room. He had a party hat on and was surrounded by opened presents. There were lots of socks.
Ollie and his mum took the birthday cake over. His mum lit the candles, and all the grandmas and grandpas sang happy birthday to Mr Wilcox. Mr Wilcox was very happy.
“Now,” said Mum to Ollie. “You stay and chat to Mr Wilcox, while I go and cut this cake so everyone can have some with their tea.”
Ollie stood in front of Mr Wilcox shuffling his feet and looking down at his old trainers.
“Now, now, lad,” said Mr Wilcox. “What’s wrong with you? Don’t I get a hug?”
Ollie let Mr Wilcox give him a hug but stayed shuffling his feet and looking down. “So, Ollie, what’s got you all uncomfortable with yourself?”
“I can’t tell you,” said Ollie, and he felt himself begin to cry because he wanted to tell someone. He did not want his mum to think he was ungrateful and thoughtless, but he didn’t want to add to all her worries by telling her about Simon and George.
“Come on, lad,” said Mr Wilcox getting to his feet. “Come with me. I have a new poster of the England team in my room, I got it for my birthday – come and take a look.”
Ollie followed behind Mr Wilcox. He had a little house just next to the big house. It only had a place to sit and watch TV, a bathroom and a bedroom, so it wasn’t a proper house like the big house.
“Now then, lad – what do you think of that then?” said Mr Wilcox proudly, pointing at his new poster on the wall.
“Yeah, it’s all right,” said Ollie, not really looking at it.
“All right? By heck, lad, it’s brilliant, that’s what it is,” said Mr Wilcox.
Ollie just shuffled his feet and kept his head down. “We’re mates, aren’t we?” said Mr Wilcox.
Ollie nodded.
“And you know the best thing about mates?”
Ollie shook his head.
“Well, they don’t need to keep secrets from one another. They help one another, so they tell one another when they’re not too happy about something.”
Ollie just stood head down, feet shuffling.
“So lad, if we really are mates, tell me what’s bothering you. Come on, lad.”
Ollie burst into tears. “Mummy thinks I’m ungrateful because I’ve lost my new trainers.”
“Oh I see,” said Mr Wilcox. “Well that’s not good. Have you lost your new trainers?”
“No!” exclaimed Ollie. “Simon and George took them! I couldn’t help it. They’re bigger than me and, and, and...”
“Now, now, lad – slow down and tell me all about it,” said Mr Wilcox.
So Ollie told Mr Wilcox about the trainers and about his lunch money being taken every day and about the names they called him, and his mum, and everything else that had been going on.
Ollie felt so much better telling Mr Wilcox everything – his tummy stopped feeling sick, and he stopped shaking.
“Well,” said Mr Wilcox, “what I don’t understand, lad, is why you didn’t use your superpowers to sort these lads out?”
“I don’t have any superpowers,” said Ollie.
“Oh really?” said Mr Wilcox. “Well, I think it’s about time you found out that you do.”
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