This apology is a tad overdue but I’m aware of the years whizzing past and I think it’s high time I cleared my conscience. Mrs Brooks, it was me (and your daughter) who rang your door bell and then ran and hid. We did it a number of times, often several on the same day, and it must have driven you crackers. We thought we were being daring and bold and adventurous but, now that I’m a grown-up, I realise it was just selfish and irritating. Sorry. I could tell you that it was originally your daughter’s idea (and it was) but that would be shirking my responsibility in the matter. I was quick to acquiesce.

Also, there’s the matter of your hospitality. I appreciate all the mornings you minded me while my mother was working in the local kindergarten. I had fun playing with your daughter and you were always kind to me. But then my mother would arrive at lunch time and present me with the dilemma: did I want to come home with her or stay at your place for the afternoon? You and your daughter would smile at me, expectantly, and I couldn’t bear to let you down, so I’d say I’d stay. Then, after my mother left, I’d feel guilty that she had to go home on her own. I worried that she might think I didn’t love her so, when you weren’t looking, I’d sneak off up the road and go home.

Now that I’ve had children and am older and wiser, I realise that my mother might have been looking forward to having an afternoon to herself. After all, I was the youngest of four children and time to herself was a rare commodity. I also realise I might have worried you a little, disappearing like that. However, as I did it a number of times, I expect it didn’t take long for you to figure out what I was doing. I’m sure you and my mother discussed it, often. But, I’m a little concerned that you might have misunderstood my motivation and it’s quite a relief being able to finally clear that up for you.

Your daughter and I would have got up to a lot more mischief if her health had held up. It was probably, in some ways, a minor blessing that she had to spend so long in a body cast. You see, just before that happened we planned to run away from home. (I can’t remember why but I think it was more to do with having an adventure, rather than any grievances we had with our home life.) We had arranged to meet in the middle of our street (so dramatic) in the middle of the night. We didn’t have any idea where we were going to go, nor did we think of taking anything with us.  Not that we had anything to take, in any case! I crept out of the house and stood, waiting…waiting…waiting… Eventually I got too tired and thought, “Stuff this, I’m going back to bed.” I thought she’d stood me up. Turns out your daughter had slept right through the night. When she finally remembered what we were going to do, the moment had passed. Just as well, when you come to think about it.

There, I feel much better now that I’ve got that off my chest. The things kids, do! It’s a wonder any of us survived past ten.