by Dawn PackerEvery Tuesday morning, Timmy watched Mrs Bailey get on the bus outside his house carrying her suitcase.
Was she going on holidays? Every Tuesday?
Timmy decided he would find out. So the next Tuesday morning, Timmy asked his mother if they could wait for Mrs Bailey.
“Hello Mrs Bailey,” Timmy said when she got there.
“Hello Timmy,” she smiled.
“I see you getting on the bus every Tuesday with your suitcase. Are you going on holidays?”
“Today Timmy, my friends and I are going to see Africa and the elephants.” She winked at his mother and stepped onto the bus dragging the case behind her. She found a seat, looked out the window and waved to them as the bus drove off.
“I wish I could go to Africa and see the elephants,” Timmy said as he followed his mother back into the house.
The next Tuesday morning, Timmy waited by the gate again to see Mrs Bailey.
“Hello, Mrs Bailey”.
“Hello, Timmy. Can’t stop now, here’s the bus. Off to see the Eskimos in the snow”.
“I wish I could see the Eskimos in the snow,” thought Timmy as he waved to Mrs Bailey.
Timmy’s mother had a surprise. Mrs Bailey had telephoned to see if Timmy would like to go with her next time.
The following Tuesday morning Timmy was up early and excitedly waited with his mother at the bus stop for Mrs Bailey.
When Mrs Bailey came, Timmy kissed his mother goodbye, helped lift the suitcase onto the bus and off they went. Soon, Mrs Bailey said “we’re here”. So off they got with the suitcase.
They walked up to a big building, knocked, and waited to be let inside.
Mrs Bailey led Timmy into a big room full of people. The people were very old and some were in wheelchairs. “Hello everyone, this is my friend Timmy. Today we are going to visit the Zoo.”
Timmy looked confused.
Mrs Bailey opened the suitcase and took out books about the zoo. She talked about all the types of animals and showed lots of pictures. Her friends looked very happy and talked about going to the zoo when they were younger.
“Do you understand now Timmy how I get to show my friends these places? They can’t go any more so I bring all these books and they feel like they are there. Books are very special things. Books can take you to wonderful places, tell you great stories and even take you to another time, like the time of the dinosaurs.”
“Every Monday I go to the library and get books so on Tuesdays I can come here and for one day my friends get to visit somewhere else. That is what is in my suitcase, books!”
Timmy really enjoyed almost going to the zoo with Mrs Bailey.
The next Tuesday morning Timmy watched Mrs Bailey waiting for the bus.
He looked at her suitcase, smiled and wondered where she was taking her friends that day.
Following her husband’s death four years ago and after many years working in a law office, Dawn Packer decided life is too short to not do what makes you happy.
She quit work and now spends her days writing and illustrating children’s stories, painting in her studio, and chasing after an ever growing assortment of animals on her small acreage on the outskirts of Sydney. For more information, visit the Dawn Packer Facebook page.
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