Davina Dupree's Bizarre Birthday Balloon Ride

by SK Sheridan

  Davina Dupree’s Bizarre Birthday Balloon Ride!

  S K Sheridan

  8 am. Thursday 18th March

  Guess what, Diary?!

  Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me... Yes!! It’s my eleventh birthday at last, which is EXTREMELY over exciting.com.

  At the moment, me and Arabella are sitting in the back of Mrs Fairchild’s favourite car, her silvery blue vintage Aston Martin. She’s not driving of course, Bertie the gardener is. She’s sitting next to him wearing flying goggles, telling him hilarious stories about all the antics she got up to in her twenties. Arabella keeps giggling because from where she’s sitting she can see how much Bertie is blushing – she told me in whispers that he actually went bright purple when Mrs Fairchild said she and her college mates once tied their knickerbockers round flagpoles to celebrate the last day of term. Hee hee, very funny.com.

  I’ve brought the letter with me that my mum sent last week. It’s so exciting I’ve re-read it about a million times:

  “Darling! Hope you are having a thrilling time at Egmont. Have you had time to take up those sky diving lessons I booked for you? Daddy and I have just escaped from a tricky situation in Columbia, can’t say too much about it but I can say that we sat in the jungle for three days eating insects. Can you imagine?! Anyway Darling, we know it’s your eleventh birthday next week so as a surprise we’ve booked two places on a luxury hot air balloon ride for you and a friend. Daddy’s already cleared it with Mrs Fairchild, she said you deserve a treat as you’ve been helping solve crimes or something – good girl – chip off the old block eh? Go to the website address at the bottom of this letter and enter the password “BIRTHDAY SURPRISE” and it will take you to the tickets, which you’ll have to print off. And Darling, this is no ordinary hot air balloon ride so remember to bring a camera...Hugs and Kisses, Mum xxx”.

  What does she mean, “This is no ordinary hot air balloon ride”? I just can’t imagine. I printed off the school tickets in the computer room using the password a few days ago and now they’re safely in the side pocket of my backpack, I checked them ten times before we left at the crack of dawn this morning.

  Arabella’s always a bit grumpy in the morning and she didn’t actually speak to me until we sat down in the back of the car and Bertie gave us a chocolate chip brioche roll each. She ate hers in three mouthfuls then cheered up no end. She’s such a sugar monster.

  We both keep looking out of the window wondering if we’re nearly at the hot air balloon place. We passed through Little Pineham Village ages ago so we can’t be too far. We’ve driven through a forest of pine trees, over a hill, through another village, and now seem to be in the middle of nowhere.

  Ooh, hang on a minute Diary, I think I’m going to have to go. The car’s slowing down and Mrs Fairchild is pointing at a gate in a hedge although I can’t see what’s on the other side of it because there are too many trees in the way. I think we’re nearly there!

  10 am. Thursday 18th March

  Well, Diary!

  What an adventure we’ve had already and we haven’t even left the ground.

  We had to get out and walk through the gate in the hedge, there was no room for cars. Mrs Fairchild decided to walk with us, so Bertie put his feet up on the dashboard, lowered his cap over his eyes, and was snoring loudly before Arabella had even closed the gate behind her.

  The path through the trees was quite overgrown, although I saw fresh footsteps in the soil. Flowers lined both sides, and between us me, Arabella and Mrs Fairchild spotted bluebells, wild roses, oxeye daisies, fox gloves and primroses. Beautiful and extremely colourful.com.

  Suddenly, the path ended and we BURST into a large open glade. Six stunning hot air balloons were sitting on the lawn in front of us, I never realised how big they are before! Literally towering above us, rather breath-taking.com.

  A funny little man with flying goggles propped on top of his head stopped talking to two other men and jogged over to meet us.

  ‘Hello, hello,’ he yelled. ‘So good to see you. You must be the Davina Dupree party.’ He stopped, a little puffed out, and beamed round.

  ‘Giles!’ Mrs Fairchild exclaimed, taking a step back and putting a dainty hand to her mouth. ‘My my! I didn’t know you’d become a pilot.’

  ‘Well bless my cuff links, is that you, Mrs Fairchild?’ The small man’s eyes grew large. He shook his head, stared at Mrs Fairchild for a few seconds, then his mouth broke into the biggest grin I’ve ever seen. ‘Well, well, well! It’s so good to see you. I don’t think I’ve seen you since I graduated from Dormouse College fifteen years ago. Has it really been that long?’

  ‘I think it has,’ Mrs Fairchild put her hands either side of his rosy cheeks. ‘And you haven’t changed one bit. Still the cheeky little chappy I remember. I’m good friends with Giles’ mother, Sophia,’ she said, turning to me and Arabella. ‘Although the shame of it is we lost touch after she moved to the Bahamas. Well girls, all I can say is that if Giles is your pilot today, you’re in safe hands. You excelled at physics and engineering, didn’t you Giles? We all thought you’d do something aeronautical. Personally I thought you might become an astronaut.’

  ‘Oh you do say the kindest things, Mrs Fairchild,’ Giles chuckled. ‘I did get round to taking my pilot’s licence a few years ago and I’ve been working as a luxury hot air balloon pilot ever since.’ He turned to me and Arabella. ‘You’re in for a real treat today girls, the ride of a lifetime. These balloons are really something.’

  ‘Marvellous!’ Mrs Fairchild clapped her hands together and jumped up and down. ‘How absolutely exciting. Now listen, I mustn’t hold you up any longer, I’m sure you’re all keen to get started. Oh girls I am pleased to be leaving you with Giles. Have a fabulous time, both of you, and come and tell me all about it when Bertie brings you back on Sunday. Although I’ll be out until three o clock at my archery lesson.’ She gave us both a big hug.

  ‘Do send my love to your dear mother, Giles,’ she twittered, leaning forwards to kiss him on both cheeks before turning to sashay back down the path towards the trees.

  ‘Oh I will, Mrs Fairchild,’ Giles grinned. ‘Right, come on girls, let’s get you kitted up for an experience you’ll never forget!’

  He took us to an elaborate log cabin in the middle of all the hot air balloons and showed us how to strap light weight, folded up parachutes to our backs.

  ‘Just a safety precaution of course,’ Giles said, adjusting straps here and there. ‘No one’s ever had to use their parachute on one of our trips but we pride ourselves on being the safest luxury hot air balloon company in the country. Better to be prepared, I always say. Now, whose birthday is it?’

  ‘Mine,’ I said.

  ‘Then may I say happy birthday young lady,’ Giles said, doing a theatrical bow so low his flying goggles nearly touched the floor. ‘If you make your way to the log cabin behind the gold and black hot air balloon you’ll find a scrumptious birthday brunch laid out for you. Compliments of your mum and dad. Please wait in that cabin until I come and call for you, I’m just waiting for a few more passengers to arrive.’

  ‘Oh goodie,’ Arabella said. ‘I’m absolutely starving. Come on Davina, let’s go!’

  I have to go now, Diary, as Arabella is pulling my parachute, trying to get me to hurry up so she can start eating!

  12pm, Lunch Cabin, Thursday, 18th March

  Yum, yum, Diary!

  So basically, Arabella and I left Giles staring at a clipboard with lists of names pinned to the front of it and made our way towards the birthday brunch cabin. To be honest my tummy was rumbling quite loudly by then and I was looking forward t
o seeing what food my crazy parents had ordered.

  Before we entered the cabin, we just had to stop and stare at the six hot air balloons positioned all over the lawn like giant sculptures. They looked so majestic, each one with an enormous, upside down egg shaped balloon joined delicately to a cabin underneath it with four long pieces of rope. When I saw them I thought blimey.com, I hope those ropes are strong, they look so thin compared to the size of the balloons!

  I have to say that the gold and black balloon is DEFINITELY mine and Arabella’s favourite, we are keeping our fingers, eyes and toes crossed that it’s the one we are booked to ride in. The cabin beneath it is more like a little house than any of the other balloon’s cabins. It has a balcony at the top that has an ornate rail running round it and exotic plants pouring over the top of it. The outside of the cabin is decorated with classical pillars and arches and it all looks very grand. The balloon, which is bigger than any of the others, has horizontal black and gold stripes all the way up it, and there is ornate decoration all over the gold stripes. Just completely breath-taking.com.

  These balloons look very different to the ones Arabella and I looked at last night on the internet. We searched for images, just because we wanted to know exactly what we were letting ourselves on for, and all the ones we saw just had little wicker baskets underneath them with people standing in them. Oh well, I suppose my mum’s letter did say this was a luxury balloon ride.

  Anyway, Diary, when we’d finished looking at the balloons we walked up the steps to the log cabin’s door and went in. I nearly fell over because in front of us was a table covered in the most luxurious food I’d ever seen! Trust my parents to go completely overboard.com. There were multi-coloured bread rolls filled with spicy meats from around the world, a rainbow selection of fruit kebabs arranged like a fan on a plate, delicate, golden pastries in the shape of wild animals, black and silver cupcakes which smelt of cinnamon and chocolate, golden cheesecake slices with a flower made from edible gold on the top of each one, and glasses of fizzy watermelon juice to drink.

  It was all so beautifully arranged it seemed a shame to eat it, but we were SO hungry I decided to take a photo of it with my new camera, (another birthday present from mum and dad, they really spoil me with stuff but it’s a shame I never see them), so we could remember it forever.com, then Arabella and I set to work, nibbling away at everything. Wow, Diary, talk about taste explosion! Everything was so delicious, I don’t think I’ll ever eat food that yummy.com again.

  Right I have to go now, I can hear Giles’ voice getting nearer and nearer. Ooh how exciting, I wonder if we’re about to meet our fellow passengers...

  1.30pm, Outside the Hot Air Balloon, Thursday 18th March

  There’s some good news and some bad news, Diary.

  The good news is that most of our new flying friends are very nice, the bad news is that two small kids are coming too and they’re SO ANNOYING! They’re non-identical twins called Hattie and Hugo, they’re six years old, have curly black hair and think that going round being rude to people and poking them is funny, when it’s SO NOT.COM. Arabella’s already told them to go away quite loudly but it didn’t seem to bother them, they just went behind her and sniggered.

  Anyway, like I said, the rest of the crew seem nice. There’s the twins baby sitter, Amy, a tall girl who plays games on her mobile phone quite a lot. She’s got a nice smile and she doesn’t seem to like the twins very much, I can’t say I blame her. There’s an old man called Mr Duffy and his dog, Crackers. Mr Duffy is very smiley and keeps telling us tales about when he was a young man. He seems quite forgetful; he asked me where his spectacles were, when they were on top of his head the whole time! Then there’s Aiden, a short, quiet boy who hugs his laptop to his chest wherever he goes. Giles suggested that he put the laptop away in his bag but Aiden looked horrified and said it was his favourite ever possession and that he NEVER let it out of his sight. So it looks like there’ll be nine of us on the balloon ride: Me, Arabella, Giles, Hattie, Hugo, Amy, Mr Duffy, Crackers and Aiden.

  Another bit of good news is that we ARE going in the black and gold balloon, hurray! We’re standing outside it now while Giles does some final safety checks, then we’ll all get on and Giles will show us around. I can’t wait to get started! Apparently it shouldn’t be too long now...

  2.30 pm, Thursday, 18th March

  The excitement mounts, Diary...

  Giles popped his head through the door of the black and gold balloon’s cabin and said,

  ‘Come on in folks, I’ll show you around.’

  Arabella and I were just about to step inside when annoying.com Hattie and Hugo elbowed past us and ran in front. Oh well, I suppose we only have to put up with them for three nights and I’m CERTAINLY not going to let them ruin my birthday treat.

  The inside of the cabin was even more amazing.com than the outside. It’s a lot more spacious inside than it looks; we walked through the front door into a small entrance hall and goggled at the petite sweeping staircase directly in front of us. Giles showed us the kitchen-diner to the right and the comfy sitting room to the left, which definitely has enough sofas, rocking chairs and chaise longues to seat us all. Upstairs, several doors opened off the corridor revealing small but well-furnished bedrooms. I’m sharing with Arabella (thank goodness), Hattie and Hugo are in one, Mr Duffy and Crackers are sharing, and Amy, Aiden and Giles all have tiny rooms of their own. Such fun.

  When we’d all had a good look round, Giles led us up a small flight of stairs and out onto the top deck. Arabella and I gasped at the same time as we took in the luscious plants hanging from a safety rail around the edge, a water fountain to the right, benches and tables to the left, but most noticeably in the centre, some strange metal things poking down from the bottom of the balloon.

  ‘In a minute, when we’re all ready, I’ll blast up the burners, which will heat the air and build pressure until the balloon lifts off the ground,’ Giles grinned round at us, patting the metal contraptions.

  ‘Cool,’ Arabella breathed at the same time as my stomach did a little flip.

  Giles went round checking that all our parachutes are attached properly, I absolutely hope mine is, he didn’t say it wasn’t so surely it must be ok? Then he walked over to a series of panels and screens near the burners.

  ‘Just checking what the weather’s got in store for us,’ he explained. ‘If my calculations are correct, we should be ok to take off in a couple of minutes.’

  ‘Come on, Crackers, jump up next to me and get ready for the adventure of your life,’ My Duffy cackled, smacking the chair next to him. The twins are playing chase round the deck, while Amy texts furiously from a chair nearby, completely ignoring them. Amy’s been really nice to me and Arabella so far but I do wish she’d look after the twins a bit more, they just bump into everyone and screech all the time. Aiden is sitting, serious faced, at a table, hunched over his laptop. What a strange crew we make.

  Right Diary, wish me luck. Giles just motioned to me to put you away, I think we’re about to take off!!

  3.00pm Up in the Air! Thursday, 18th March

  What a view, Diary!

  Wowzers.com, that’s all I can say. I’m looking down over the side of the balcony and the world below me looks like a patchwork blanket of green fields, roads, groups of houses and the occasional blue lake and river. SO pretty.com. I do feel a bit dizzy if I stare downwards for too long, so I keep having to sit back up and stare and my feet for a bit, but Arabella’s fearless, she’s been hanging over the balcony since we started rising up.

  Basically, when Giles had finished all the preparations, he asked us all to take a seat.

  ‘Now it’s time to relax, look out and enjoy,’ he grinned as he twisted the clasps at the end of the burners.

  They BURST into life, which totally made me jump.com. Arabella and I grabbed each other as the balloon powered up, lifting our cabin off the grass until we were swinging in mid-air.

  Hugo and Hattie scream
ed REALLY loudly until Amy, who’d actually stopped texting for long enough to watch us take off, yelled,

  ‘BE QUIET WILL YOU?’ at them.

  ‘Their parents never tell them off or pay any attention to them,’ she sighed in my direction. ‘That’s why they act like spoiled brats the whole time, because to them any attention is good attention. Quite sad really, they’re good kids underneath it all.’ Then she grinned because we were going higher and higher, rising away from all the other balloons which were still on the ground, over the trees and up and up until the balloons left in the field looked like colourful far off balls.

  I’m going to go now, Diary, because I want to take in every last little detail of our view!

  Late at night, In Bed, Thursday, 18th March

  Yawn, Diary!

  What a totally AMAZING.COM day!

  Arabella and I stayed peering over the balcony as the balloon rose upwards, watching the world below disappearing until we wafted through a misty white cloud and burst through to the sunrays above it. Up there, the world below looked like a very far away map, and we could only tell what larger things like lakes and big fields were, everything else looked like multi-coloured dots.

  At about six o’clock, when we’d all put our thickest coats on and were rubbing our hands together to keep warm, Giles suggested we retire to our rooms to get ready for dinner. The good thing about being in the cabin of a luxury balloon is that there’s central heating, so although the air outside is absolutely freezing.com, it’s actually rather cosy inside.

  Dinner was really fun. At seven o’clock, Giles sounded a gong and we all traipsed down the small spiral staircase to the kitchen diner. Hugo and Hattie pushed us aside and raced down first, but I tried not to mind too much as I know how exciting it is here and they are the youngest on board. Arabella was annoyed though, and stuck her leg - out trying to trip Hugo up as he whooshed past, but he was too quick for her.