Four Wheeled Hero by Malcolm Brown Page A

see him, as he had been
missing for a week. That night they held a feast in celebration as
the boy was the only son of the tribe Chief and thanks had to be
given to their gods for his safe return.
     
    What ever we
drank that night made us sleep like logs and it was late in the
afternoon of the following day that we prepared to leave. The Chief
came over to me and gave me the stone you now have. He told me it
had great powers and would help me achieve great things. He then
said that I should carry the stone with me wherever I go or the
power will not work. It’s most unusual looking stone so I thought
you would like it for your collection.
     
    I must go now
or I’ll miss the boat down river, Give my love to you parents. Best
Wishes, Uncle Bill”
     
    ‘Well isn’t
that nice of your Uncle Bill’, said Tommy’s Dad. ‘If it’s got magic
powers, maybe you should ask it for that new fishing rod you keep
pestering me about’, he added with a broad grin on his face.
     
    ‘No’, said
Tommy laughing as he placed the stone in his pocket. ‘I’d wish for
it to make my wheelchair into a magic machine that would do as I
commanded’.
     
    Unbeknown to
all, the stone in Tommy’s pocket started to glow for an instant
before returning to normal.
     
    Tommy’s Dad
started to tickle him making him slide down his chair in a fit of
laughter after which he felt quite exhausted as they sat together
watching TV.

    He was a little
more tired than usual and he decided that he would have an early
night, so at around 8.30 he kissed his Mum and Dad goodnight and
went to bed and dropped off almost immediately.
     
    The next
morning he woke bright and early. He got dressed and joined his Mum
in the kitchen to have his breakfast.
     
    ‘Are you all
right’, she asked. ‘You looked exhausted last night, your not
coming down with something are you’, she enquired.
     
    ‘No I’m fine’,
Tommy replied.
     
    She came over
and put her arm around Tommy giving him one of those squeezes that
only a mother can give.
     
    ‘I’ll get the
car out while you finish your breakfast’, she said as she grabbed
the keys off the top of the kitchen unit and headed for the door to
the garage.
     
    Tommy finished
eating and put his bowl in the sink before collecting his bag
containing his school books and heading out of the front door. His
Mum stood by the front passenger door of the car to take his
wheelchair once he had transferred himself to the car. With it now
loaded on board they left to collect Smithy on their way to
school.
     
    As usual Smithy
was stood balanced on his garden wall pretending that he was either
walking a tightrope or about to rescue a maiden in distress from an
evil villain who lived in a castle at the top of a mountain where
the only way in was over a rope strung over a cavern. His eyes
closed he would walk along the wall wobbling from side to side
before falling with a crash into the small hedge surrounding his
garden.
     
    ‘Come on
Smithy’, Tommy’s Mum cried as she stood with the car door open
watching Smithy’s legs sticking through the top of the hedge.
Within seconds the legs disappeared and the bedraggled Smithy
appeared clutching his school bag.
     
    ‘Fell off the
cliff again’, enquired Tommy’s mother.
     
    ‘I can never
make it along that wall with my eyes closed’, answered Smithy.
     
    ‘Then why do
you try’, Tommy asked.
     
    ‘It’s the
challenge’, replied Smithy.
     
    The journey to
school was uneventful and they waved goodbye to Tommy’s mother and
headed into the playground. They went over to the bike sheds and
Smithy slid down the side wall to sit on his school bag.
     
    ‘What are we
doing this weekend’, asked Tommy.
     
    ‘Nothing by the
looks of it’, replied Smithy. ‘My horrible uncle is coming over so
we will have to stay in and talk nice to him as usual. No one in
our family likes him but because he runs my Granddads business and
holds a lot of power over him and my