Cruz's Big Secret, Page 3

  Chapter 4

  It was getting close to dark when next the balloon set them down again. There was a little bump and a hop, before the basket settled onto the ground. Balloon had set them down in the middle of an old village. The basket was resting on the road that led in and out.

  “Oh! It looks very pretty,” thought Cruz. “This is very different from my home.”

  He was half way out of the basket and ready to explore before Loyal could say, kangaroo. Loyal grabbed him by the seat of his pants to slow him down.

  “You just wait for me young man, there is a lot for you to learn about this village and I’m just the fairy to teach you,” he said with a big smile on his face. “This is your family’s village and you need to know where all of your relatives live.

  The next few hours passed quickly, as Cruz enjoyed getting to know his family. He peeked in windows and watched them at dinner. He looked around doors and watched them relaxing in front of the television. He even watched some of his family open photos of him on their computers.

  “What an angel,” he heard them say. “Why he looks to be no trouble at all.” Cruz smiled a secret, cheeky smile when he heard that.

  He watched his cousins play soccer on the village park and wanted to kick the ball back to them. What a shame all these people couldn’t see him. Drat! He had a lot of years to wait before he was all grown up and ready to play with them all in the real world.

  All through that twilight evening Loyal led Cruz from house to house, showing him his cousins and aunts, his uncles and second cousins. And goodness me, he even had third cousins living here too.

  “Wow!” Thought Cruz what a lot of lovely family I have that hasn’t met me yet. I must visit them as soon as I’m properly grown-up.

  Soon it was time for all of his relatives to go to bed. One by one, the pretty little homes turned out their lights and tucked up tight and warm for the night. Cruz knew it was time to leave, but oh, he could hardly wait to get big enough to come back.

  Cruz and Loyal quickly climbed back into the warm, cosy basket.

  I wonder where the balloon will take us next, they thought.

  They had no sooner sat down, than the balloon lifted off. It soared straight up into the darkening sky, then, whooshed off towards home. Cruz and Loyal might be happy to wander the world forever, but the balloon had a job to do. He had to look after this adventurous young human. The balloon decided to show Cruz one more country before he took him home. But, home was where they were going to end up-----before Cruz’s parents began to worry. After all, he was doing a lot of sleeping back home in his cot.