Water Wings Read online

  ‘We’ve brought you something,’ she said.

  ‘Yeah,’ said Mitch.

  Gran tried to chuckle, but it turned into a cough.

  Pearl saw Gran’s face crease with pain.

  ‘Thanks,’ said Gran, ‘you’re both champs, but I’m a bit past that now.’

  ‘It’s instead of the injection,’ said Pearl.

  Gran looked at them for a long time.

  ‘You’re not just champs,’ she said at last, ‘you’re angels. But I’m pretty much past that too. No point getting you into trouble when nature’s doing the job for us.’

  Gran coughed again and Pearl watched helplessly as Gran’s face twisted in agony.

  She held the glass closer to Gran.

  ‘Drink it, please,’ she said.

  ‘We want to help you,’ said Mitch.

  Gran looked at them, panting painfully.

  ‘I don’t need you to help me cark it,’ she said, ‘but I could use a hand with the travel arrangements.’

  When they got to the lake, dawn was just starting to break.

  ‘All the best,’ said the taxi driver softly.

  Pearl realised he was speaking to all of them.

  He touched Gran on the arm for a moment, then reached for the note Gran had written.

  ‘If anyone comes,’ he said, ‘I’ll have this ready.’

  Pearl and Mitch helped Gran down to the water’s edge.

  ‘On my back,’ wheezed Gran.

  They lowered her into the water.

  As Gran started to float, the hospital nightie billowing out around her, Pearl saw Gran’s whole body relax.

  ‘If you can manage it,’ said Gran, ‘I’d like to go to the middle.’

  ‘I can manage it,’ said Pearl.

  ‘What about you, Mitch?’ said Gran.

  ‘I’ll try,’ said Mitch.

  Pearl launched herself into the water, kicking gently, steering Gran out towards the centre of the lake.

  She saw that Mitch was hanging on to the other side of Gran, face tense with concentration, kicking furiously.

  ‘Not too hard Mitch,’ croaked Gran, ‘or we’ll go round in circles.’

  ‘Sorry,’ panted Mitch.

  They moved slowly through the silver water.

  Pearl realised Gran wasn’t wheezing any more, and when she spoke her voice was clear and soft.

  ‘I’m not gunna say goodbye,’ said Gran, ‘cause you know where I’ll be.’

  Pearl nodded.

  She glanced across at Mitch.

  He was nodding too.

  Gran didn’t speak again, and when they finally arrived at the centre of the lake, the water fiery with the first rays, Pearl saw that Gran had stopped breathing.

  Her face was calm and expectant, as if she was about to see someone she loved very much.

  ‘Mitch,’ said Pearl softly, ‘it’s time to let go.’

  They let go.

  Slowly, arms spreading in welcome, Gran slipped from sight.

  Then Pearl remembered Mitch couldn’t swim.

  She looked anxiously over at him.

  He wasn’t thrashing around in distress.

  He was on his back, gazing at the sky with an amazed, tear-streaked face.

  Floating.

  Pearl rolled over and floated next to him.

  She closed her eyes and out of the warm darkness of her tears, two familiar faces appeared, smiling at her.

  ‘Winston,’ she said, ‘I’d like you to meet Gran.’

  In the distance Pearl could hear the sound of vehicles, and people shouting.

  She took Mitch’s hand and they headed for the shore.

  Also by Morris Gleitzman

  PIZZA CAKE

  Save ten lives with a paperclip, make a new friend in a garbage bin, rescue your dad from a dog and a spider, eat a pizza that makes you fearless, and imagine a world where teachers earn more than a rock star . . . Funny stories with the lot.

  GIVE PEAS A CHANCE

  Surprise your mum with a chainsaw, save the world with a plate of veggies, rescue your family with a tomato, do a good deed with a bag on your head, upset your auntie with ten kilos of chocolate, swap a bomb for ice-creams on a train . . . Funny stories you’ll gobble up.

  DOUBTING THOMAS

  Thomas has an embarrassing secret. Is it a rare and special gift or the worst thing that could happen to a boy? A story about best friends, surprising adventures and itchy nipples.

  EXTRA TIME

  A young Aussie soccer genius and his 10-year-old manager take on the world. And win. For a time.

  TOO SMALL TO FAIL

  What do you do when your mum, your dad and sixteen camels are in trouble – and only you can save them? The sometimes sad but mostly funny story of a boy, a girl, a dog and four trillion dollars.

  GRACE

  In the beginning there was me and Mum and Dad and the twins. And talk about happy families, we were bountiful. But it came to pass that I started doing sins. And lo, that’s when all our problems began.

  LOYAL CREATURES

  They were loyal creatures, the men and horses of the Australian Light Horse, but war doesn’t always pay heed to loyalty. This is the powerful story of a 16-year-old volunteer and his horse in World War One and the journey towards his own kind of bravery.

  ONCE

  Once I escaped from an orphanage to find Mum and Dad. Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house. Once I made a Nazi with a toothache laugh. My name is Felix. This is my story.

  THEN

  I had a plan for me and Zelda. Pretend to be someone else. Find new parents. Be safe forever. Then the Nazis came.

  AFTER

  After the Nazis took my parents I was scared. After they killed my best friend I was angry. After they ruined my thirteenth birthday I was determined. To get to the forest. To join forces with Gabriek and Yuli. To be a family. To defeat the Nazis after all.

  NOW

  Once I didn’t know about my grandfather Felix’s scary childhood. Then I found out what the Nazis did to his best friend Zelda. Now I understand why Felix does the things he does. At least he’s got me. My name is Zelda too. This is our story.

  SOON

  I hoped the Nazis would be defeated. And they were. I hoped the war would be over. And it was. I hoped we would be safe. But we aren’t.

  BOY OVERBOARD

  Jamal and Bibi have a dream. To lead Australia to soccer glory in the next World Cup. But first they must face landmines, pirates, storms and assassins. Can Jamal and his family survive their incredible journey and get to Australia?

  GIRL UNDERGROUND

  Bridget wants a quiet life. Including, if possible, keeping her parents out of prison. Then a boy called Menzies makes her an offer she can’t refuse and they set off on a job of their own. It’s a desperate, daring plan – to rescue two kids, Jamal and Bibi, from a desert detention centre. Can Bridget and Menzies pull off their very first jail break, or will they end up behind bars too?

  ADULTS ONLY

  Jake is an only kid. He’s the only kid in his family. He’s the only kid on his island. Or that’s what he thinks.

  BUMFACE

  His mum calls him Mr Dependable, but Angus can barely cope. Another baby would be a disaster. So Angus comes up with a bold and brave plan to stop her getting pregnant. That’s when he meets Rindi. And Angus thought he had problems . . .

  WORM STORY

  Wilton likes swimming and farming, but he’s lonely. He wants to find a friend. Not easy when you live in a tummy.

  ARISTOTLE’S NOSTRIL

  Aristotle just wants to be happy. Is that too much for a germ to ask?

  TOAD RAGE

  The epic and very funny story of one slightly squashed cane toad’s quest for the truth.

  TOAD HEAVEN

  The stirring saga of one slightly squashed cane toad’s dreams of a safe place and what happens when he wakes up.

  TOAD AWAY

  The heroic tale of one slightly
squashed cane toad’s travels across oceans, continents and some really busy roads.

  TOAD SURPRISE

  The wart-tingling escapade of one slightly squashed cane toad’s hunt for friendship and the surprising place he finds it.

  GIFT OF THE GAB

  It’s a normal week for Rowena Batts. A car full of stewed apples. A police cell. A struggle to keep Dad off national TV. Then her world turns upside down.

  TEACHER’S PET

  Ginger is allergic to cats. And possibly to her family as well. She’s also not keen on the cat food in her breakfast bowl or the school principal trying to kill her best friend. The question on everyone’s lips is – will Ginger snap?

  SECOND CHILDHOOD

  Mark’s father has always wanted him to be a Somebody. But unless Mark picks up at school, it looks like sheep’s poop is where he’s heading. Then Mark and his friends discover they’ve lived before. Not only that – they were Famous and Important People!

  THE OTHER FACTS OF LIFE

  Ben stared at the images on the TV screen half in fascination, half in horror. He had never seen anything like this. It was incredible. It was awful. He needed answers . . .

  Special thanks to Anna Fienberg, Jane Angus,

  Nikki Christer and Cathy Proctor

  PUFFIN BOOKS

  UK | USA | Canada | Ireland | Australia

  India | New Zealand | South Africa | China

  Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies

  whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.

  First published by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd, 1996

  First published by Penguin Group (Australia), 2004

  This edition published by Penguin Group (Australia), 2015

  Text copyright © Creative Input Pty Ltd, 1996

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  Cover design by Tony Palmer © Penguin Group (Australia)

  Cover illustration copyright Jeremy Ley, 2015

  Colour separation by Splitting Image Colour Studio, Clayton, Victoria

  puffin.com.au

  ISBN: 978-1-74228-635-8

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