Horatio's Big Day

This one was written 6th July 2005 for my eldest nephew. It has pictures, even...

Horatio’s Big Day

Everyone was busy on the Sloop family mooring. Horatio’s Mum was tidying the jetty, and Horatio’s Dad was cutting the weed from the piles and wiping some oil smudges off his hull, because Horatio’s Grandma Yawl and Grandad Ketch were coming to visit.
Horatio was excited because today he was allowed to go out as far as the old brick fort to meet them. ‘Bye Mum’, ‘Bye Dad’ he called, and sailed off down the creek.

…and saw his friend Sam and Sam’s mum coming towards him very very slowly. ‘Hi Sam’ shouted Horatio, and Sam went a little bit red, then a little bit redder, then something very very red and wobbly slid across his cockpit and Sam keeled over and almost capsized…

… but Horatio hauled in his sheets to make himself go faster, dashed forwards and caught Sam by his rigging just in time. ‘Close thing’ said Horatio as he helped Sam’s mum put him upright again. ‘What are you doing with that jelly on your deck?’. Sam went red again and muttered ‘learning to sail very slowly and carefully’ before concentrating so hard on the jelly that Horatio couldn’t talk to him again before they passed each other (port side to port side, of course).

Horatio carried on sailing out towards the entrance to Cow Creek, carefully keeping out of the shipping lane so the big boats didn’t collide with him. ‘That’s funny’ he thought. ‘Why are all the happy boats wearing hats and blowing whistles?’ The happy boats were the little boats that weren’t quite big enough to go out without a grown-up yet. ‘Maybe they’re having a play day at the nursery’ thought Horatio as he rounded the harbour wall…

…and nearly bumped into his Grandma Schooner. ‘Good afternoon Horatio’ said his Grandma. ‘And how are we today?’ ‘Why are all the happy boats wearing hats?’ asked Horatio, who hadn’t quite got the hang of answering grown-up questions yet. Grandma paused for a second. ‘Because it’s hot and they don’t want to get sunburnt’ she answered. ‘And blowing whistles?’ ‘Because they might get lost, and the whistles help the grownups to find them’. Grandma made a very strange clinking sound. ‘Oh, my stays’ she said ‘I must get my baggywrinkes replaced’ and dashed off towards the harbour.

Horatio had reached the old brick fort, so he let his sails fly and waited for Grandad and Grandma Ketch to arrive. But the day was just getting stranger and stranger. Something pink and yellow and purple was heading towards Horatio along the coast of White Island. It came closer… and closer… and closer… until it turned into George and Sally Jetski, each towing a big big bunch of pink and yellow and purple balloons. ‘Hello’ brmmed Sally. ‘Helllo’ brmmed George. ‘Hello’ flapped Horatio, who was starting to get a little suspicious about this very strange day. ‘Where are you going with those balloons?’

‘Errrrm…. We’re just playyyinggg’ brmmed George. ‘Yes, playing’ brrred Sally, and she went round and round and round in circles to show Horatio how close to the water she could get the balloons.

… and got so excited that she let go of the string! “Eeek!” cried Sally. “Whoops” went George, and “Oh dear” said Horatio…

…and caught the runaway balloons in his big billowing jib. ‘Thank you’ brmmmed George and Sally together (because they were twins, you know), and ‘Oh, there’s Grandad’, and off they went at a slightly more cautious pace. Brmmmm… brmmmm… brmmm… Horatio filled his jib again, went about to watch Bryan the Ferry hoot hello as he went into the harbour, and thought that since it was such a strange day, he wouldn’t even think about why Brian had a big white box tied across his stern.

‘Hello Tacker’ said a friendly voice. Horatio went about again and saw his Grandad Ketch and Grandma Yawl sailing towards him. Grandma Yawl had the biggest cake Horatio had ever seen on her aft deck, and Grandad Ketch was letting off little things that threw lots of paper streamers all over the water. ‘Have you guessed why we’re here yet?’ said Grandma. ‘Well’, said Horatio. ‘Jelly, and hats, and whistles, and balloons, and cakes and streamers. Is it a party? Am I invited?’

‘I hope so’, laughed Grandma Yawl, ‘it’s your birthday party’. ‘Happy Birthday Horatio’ shouted Grandpa, who was very excited. And they all sailed back to the visitor’s moorings by the ferry terminal, and everyone ate sandwiches, and Sam’s big red jelly, and Grandma Yawl’s cake, and Bryan the Ferry’s ice cream, and drank Grandma Schooner’s lemonade, and wore silly hats and blew whistles, and held balloons (except Sally, who lost hers again), and let off streamers all over the water, and everyone had a thoroughly joyful time and went to bed tired but happy that evening.

Happy Birthday Horatio!