“Johnny pumped up the front tire, pumped up the back, listened to the echo from the inner tubes, let out a bit of air, jumped in some more, and checked the tires. Having completed that little ceremony, he handed over the pump to me. Me!”
“But Johnny has only thought in his head and that’s his beloved bicycle, he just sits there staring at it, examining it, and gauging its chances of a life after this.”
“Ben, the middle child in a large, busy family living in London, wants a dog. His grandparents give him an embroidered picture which leads to fantasy which has a violent culmination. ”
″.. but he receives a picture of a dog instead of a real one! But the imagination can be a powerful thing, and when Ben puts his to work, his adventures really begin!”
“So when the day comes for Ben to receive his gift from his grandparents, his heart is broken and trust shattered when he only receives a woven image of a Chihuahua in a frame.”
“They’re a family. They’re a family. And this isn’t Ben’s apartment: not really. Right now I’m sitting here inside someone’s family home. Why on earth didn’t Ben tell me this? Did it not seem important? Did he somehow not know?”