A Boy Called Hope
Page 18
Gone from my view for ever.
A tear rolls down my cheek, knowing that this is my final goodbye to Dad. Yes, he said goodbye to me on the stairs when I was seven, but now I’ve had the chance to say mine. Not that it means I’ll forget him. I won’t. Not ever. Dad will always be a little jigsaw piece in my life. Perhaps not as big a piece as he was before, but if I removed Dad completely, the jigsaw wouldn’t be right. So Dad’s always going to be with me and no one can ever take that away. Despite the ache in my heart, I know everything is going to be okay. That’s how I feel as the breath of a soft wind dries my tears. And that’s how I feel as I turn to look at the trees behind me. They’ve come through the winter and now they’re growing stronger and I’m going to do the same.
As I stride through the grass, I realize that this is a whole new beginning of Dan Hope. Far in the distance I can see Big Dave and when he spots me he waves. And that’s when something really amazing happens. Something that makes me certain that it was okay to let Dad go, because he always loved me, no matter how much I doubted it.
A white feather.
Falls from nowhere.
Softly spiralling.
A white feather.
Like a solitary snowflake.
A white feather.
In an empty night sky.
A white feather.
Floats on the breeze.
A white feather.
An angel’s calling card.
A Girl Called Lara
Lara was born and studied in Northern Ireland, graduating with a BA (Hons) in Fashion Design, before moving to London. After freelancing for various magazines including Elle and More, Lara settled at J-17 as Beauty Editor, where she won a Jasmine Award for Best Article in a Youth Title.
After receiving an Honorary Mention in the SCBWI Undiscovered Voices 2012, Lara began writing A Boy Called Hope – her debut novel. She currently lives in London with her husband and daughter and likes daydreaming, tap-dancing and writing. Not at the same time.
A message from Lara
This is the story of Dan Hope and me because without one there couldn’t be the other. Growing up I had lots of big hopes and dreams. One that came true was writing for magazines. It took many years and a lot of hoping and dreaming before I started work at J-17. But in all that time I never gave up on the dream. Without knowing what it felt like to have those hopes and dreams I couldn’t have written about Dan, the small kid with big hope in his heart. We share a lot in common. Dan would probably spell out NO WAY in potato alphabet shapes. But we do. And if I could write him a message on a sky lantern I’d say I can’t walk like a baboon, I can’t skateboard and I can’t play “Over the Rainbow” on a guitar but I know what it feels like to have hope. Of course, life is no picnic sometimes, so I would also write and say Dan might see a lot of darkness before he can find the stars. Maybe I’d say he needs to feel the rain before he can see the rainbow. Finally, I’d say that no matter what life throws at him, a little bit of hope goes a long way. And then, just then, the sky lantern would fly.
Acknowledgements
In the words of Dan, I’d like to say a S-U-P-E-R-M-A-S-S-I-V-E thank you to all those who have supported and helped me complete A Boy Called Hope. Without your love, generosity and enthusiasm all hope would have been lost.
Huge thanks to my incredibly supportive and lovely agent, Madeleine Milburn. If I had some potato alphabet shapes I’d spell out ACE because that’s what you are. Fact!
A special thanks to my amazing editor, Rebecca Hill, whose insightful edits and unfailing belief made Dan’s hopes and dreams come alive on every page of this book. In doing so you made my own dreams come true. I cannot thank you enough.
If I could, I’d send a red rocket (with BIG THANKS painted on the side in white nail polish) to the entire team at planet Usborne who have worked so tirelessly behind the scenes to make this book what it is. And a special mention goes to Team Hope: Becky, Sarah S, Sarah A, Anna and Amy – I couldn’t have done it without you.
Shelley Instone: you saw the heart in this story and you made it beat stronger. Thank you from the bottom of my own heart.
Thanks also to my cheerleading friends, Melissa Roske and Cat Clarke. You helped with plot, you read the story, you answered my questions – daft though they were – you helped me with titles and, most of all, were always there at the other end of the email when I needed you.
Sharon Healy and Jill Vosper: for all those Thursday tap evenings when you gave me your support. If I could, I’d do wings to celebrate this book but I am too afraid of breaking my ankles.
Huge hugs to all my Twitter friends, readers, bloggers and booksellers. I wish I could name you all but if you’ve tweeted, retweeted, read, blogged, recommended or sold on my behalf you have a special kicky-flicky foot snap of thanks from me.
Thank you to my mum and the Smyth family: David, Josie, Geraldine, Dessie, Peter, Joe and Ally (not forgetting Ben the dog). If ever I was searching for Paradise I found it with you.
Thanks as big as Jupiter to Thomas Howard, not only for reading the book but for putting on a deerstalker without complaint and to Matthew Howard for bringing Dan to life by being the best actor I could have wished for. You are both out of this world!
Heroes get a special mention in this book – Graham, you are mine. I could write a whole page on you alone because I owe you so much. And the last thank you goes to Millie. Without you Charles Scallybones wouldn’t have had such a fabulous name. Without you I wouldn’t have written a single word of this story. Without you there wouldn’t be hope. This is your book, Millie, with all my love.
Don’t miss the next novel from
Coming 2015
First published in the UK in 2014 by Usborne Publishing Ltd., Usborne House,83-85 Saffron Hill, London EC1N 8RT, England. www.usborne.com
Text and illustrations © Lara Williamson, 2014
The right of Lara Williamson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
Photography: World, page 9, 71, 187, 221, 274 © leonello calvetti/Shutterstock; TV, page 24, 209 © Ensuper/Shutterstock; Virgin Mary, page 83 © doraclub/Shutterstock; Shrimp, page 174 © Alexander Raths/Shutterstock
The name Usborne and the devices are Trade Marks of Usborne Publishing Ltd.
All rights reserved. This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or used in any way except as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or loaned or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ePub: 9781409579366 Kindle: 9781409579373
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