I was in the back seat of a car with my mum, two men were in the front. We were close to home, but not going home. We were playing a game – just me spelling out words they gave me. My mum was proud of my spelling, I was on the black label books at school – the hardest ones.
Some of the words they gave me I didn’t know; I tried my best but got them wrong. I don’t think my mum knew either because she shook her head as the two men smiled. We pulled up to some traffic lights, in front was a row of shops.
‘Hey Jenny, what does that word spell?’ asked one of the men, pointing to a sign in front with big blue letters.
One of the words I knew straight away, ‘that second word says café’, I said with a smile.
‘And the first word?’ he asked looking round at me.
I thought I knew but couldn’t think what it spelt. It was all in capitals and didn’t look like anything I’d read in a book. I sounded out each letter aloud hoping I’d get it, but I couldn’t.
‘I’m not sure’ I replied, knowing I’d tried my best.
They laughed, roaring laughter; my mum put her hand to her mouth and looked away, but I heard her laughing with them.
‘It says Jenny’s Cafe!’ the driver sniggered as he sped away from the lights.
I blushed and looked out the window, it had started to rain.
