Granny's shop is now open and doing good business, while elsewhere on the edge of the village
" I spy with my little eye " says Hugo " something beginning with S "
" Mm S ? " sighs Edward " your sure it's an S ? "
" Oh yes it's S !"
" Could it be sky ? " says Edward with a tiny little huff
" Why yes ! " laughs Hugo " You are very good at this Edward "
"Maybe because it's been either Sky or Leaf for the last seven goes "
"Really ! Are you sure ? " asks Hugo puzzled " your go !"
Meanwhile just behind Edward and Hugo , the others bears are quietly excitedly chatting away.
" I'm looking forward to sitting on the green benches " Pinkney says to her best friend Lavender
" I want to shout out ' Order Order! If you cannot let the right horrible speak you'd best leave ! " she giggles
" It's right honourable " giggles Pinkney " not Horrible ! "
" They are right Horrible to me " Lavender grins
" Well the only order order I'll be shout for is a G&T "
" Gin and Tonic! " gasps Lavender in surprise
" No silly , Grapefruit and Tomato ! "
That sends them into even more giggling, which draws Edwards eye, so they quieten down.
" beginning with L " finishes Hugo
It's going to be a long trip sighs Edward pretending to think about what could possibly begin with L !
" It couldn't be leaf ? could it? " asks Edward , but before Hugo can answer, a car drives up the road and Edward moves forward to check if its their taxi to the station.
Alas it drives past and stops further down the road. He decides to stay where he is as Hugo is now chatting to old Custard .
Edward is wondering how long he should leave it before he goes back inside and calls the taxi company again ? Luckily he's allowed a good hour to get to the station before their train, so can leave it a few more minutes.
"What's going on here then? " wonders Diggory, from the cover of the bushes " Looks very suspicious if you ask me !"
He moves to the bottom of the post and immediately forgets why he moved there!
Luckily Edward noticed him moving along the wall and looks down at him
" Hello Diggory , does Mrs Mum know you are out in the front garden? "
For a moment Diggory wonders if god is talking to him! or maybe the tiny little insect walking along the wall
" Diggory! Look up "
Must be god decides Diggory, if he's wanting me to look up !
"Why hello god I didn't think I'd be meeting you today "
God? Edward calls down " It's Edward Diggory, why don't you come up ? "
Well of course I'll come up Edward Diggory ! " he exclaims " You must be a relative as I'm a Diggory too !"
" I'm Edward and your Diggory " Edward calls down
One good thing about bears, they never lose the ability to climb even if they lose the ability to remember anything else !
"Well " says Diggory after catching his breath from the climb " what are you young whippersnappers
doing sitting on the wall ? "
" We are off on a small trip up to London "
" The big smoke hey !"
" Big smoke ? " queries Edward
" Yes back when I was a young cub, that's what we called London, due to all the coal fires filling the air in the winter, so it was all foggy "
" Oh I never knew that " Edward smiles
" So why are you going to the smoke? " Diggory continues " It's not really a safe place for small bears "
" Oh nothing to worry about " Edward replies " We have been invited to lunch with an Economist in Westminster , she wants our feedback on how the Country is doing, from a bears point of view "
" Really ! " Diggory thinks there is something wrong with that statement but the more he tries to think what it is, the further it moves away from him .
" Actually Diggory you can do me a flavour and tell the others indoors, if they wonder where we are, if we are late getting back. that we have gone to London to lunch with an Economist "
Diggory pauses for a minute repeating the words in his head " Yes! I'm sure I can do that "
"Great " smiles Edward as he sees their taxi coming up the road. " I'm sure we will be back by about tea time sixish"
"Sixish " repeats Diggory
With that Edward gathers everyone up , apart from Diggory , and gets them into the taxi and off to the station.
Diggory waves them off , then sits awhile enjoying the view from up on the front wall pillar.
He stays and waves to the children coming back from school, along with their mums and dads. He is still there when the binmen turn up to empty the recycling bin.
But it goes very quiet in the village, and the temperature has dropped and even for a bear with some fur, at his great age he does now feel the cold. Time to head in and have a snooze by the fire.
Now if he could just remember what Edward asked him to say ? He sits a little while longer then it comes to him! " They have gone up to the big smoke to punch a communist !"
Feeling very pleased with himself, he quickly, well as quick as a very old bear can manage, heads back to the house deciding he'd best pass on the message before he forgets again . . .
