Sunday 21 September 2008

Peachy Surrender

My parents took me upstairs to my old bedroom to admire the new wardrobe for my Dad's clothes. A place for everything, and the drawers slide smoothly shut with a satisfying click.

The warmest place in the house, at the front and above the kitchen, I liked that old bedroom when I was little. I could see my best friend's house opposite and keep look-out for relatives arriving on Sundays just before lunch. Before we extended the house, my sister and I shared that room. We made up putting-things-away-games when our mum tortured us with having to tidy our room. We messed it up something shocking, and complained like banshees when we had to tidy it. The room's very neat now, what with the children in their forties, a new wardrobe and everything.

One day my sister and I were given a Roald Dahl book each: I got Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, she got James and the Giant Peach. I loved my book. I read it over and over again, living the story, soaking up every detail of every picture, convinced I got the better deal. A stubborn younger sister, I refused to swap and read hers. I remember picking up her book and staring at it, wondering what the bugs were all about, flicking the pages, slowly turning it over and reading no more than the back cover.

When I'd finished admiring the new wardrobe, my mum suggested I borrow some of the few remaining children's books left on the shelf. I finally relented and took James and the Giant Peach to read to my daughter. It's brilliant!

12 comments:

  1. Isn't it?
    Amazing what we miss when younger due to stubborness.
    Somehow I managed to hang on to that bit of my youth...

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  2. Good for you! At last you read it... almost defiantly!
    Loved your description of the bed room you used to have and the changes to it. good post, as always.

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  3. classics are always good no matter when read...glad you finally did. my girls like james & the giant peach.

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  4. I loved that book, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but George's Marvellous Medicine was my favourite I think. I'll mever forget Rick Mayall reading it on Jackanory. Fabulous. :D

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  5. i cannot help it but james and the giant peach brings me out in a rash and a cold sweat. i have listened to that cd so many times in the car i swear the cd player could carry on repeating the story long after i've taken the cd out and attempted to bury it under the frog pond. now i have a way of dealing with car journeys with j&tgp. i reach for my ipod.

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  6. I really enjoyed reading "The Twits" with my son although I cannot remember Roald Dahl from my childhood!

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  7. I loved Roald Dahl. My favourite was Danny the Champion of the World, I think. And Fantastic Mr Fox - I still remember the meal they all ate, with roast chicken, and salivating at the thought!

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  8. Oh I too wast started on the path to loving boks by an uncle who bought me a very colourfully illustrated book about Hiawatha. I fell in love with the look, feel, smell, story and characters. I slept with it under my pillow and read it over and over until the words started to fade on each page.

    Glad your man is back in the country with you all. You sound as though you have reached the end of a long arduous journey where the reward is very special. Happy times dear girl and many more excellently told adventures!

    Just have time to read those last two posts - excellent as usual and both touched me a great deal.

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  9. I love reading the books I read as a child, I get so much more out them somehow...my sister and I shared a room and we played "house" and "coming to see" to get the room cleaned...lovely post with lovely memories
    Sandi

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  10. Growing up is a good thing .. having a chance to re-do those stubborn kid (makes sense that a kid is a baby goat, no?!) things priceless!

    :-Daryl

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  11. Oh, I love Roald Dahl! Glad you're re-discovering his work!

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  12. Glad you got to read the book at last. Debs x

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