Pink Beach Chapter 1

Ricki, Tim and Mia were feelingfeeling reallyreally lucky.lucky. Their parents had rentedrented a cottagecottage and a rowingrowing boat for the whole six weeks of the summersummer holidays.holidays. The cottage was in the countryside,countryside, on the bank of a river,river, but alsoalso very near the sea. It was the children'schildren's idea of a perfectperfect summer holiday!

 At that time Mia was eleven,eleven, Ricki was eight and Tim was only six. Ricki and Tim both had fair straight hair and blue eyes while Mia had curlycurly brown hair and grey eyes. All three had turneded up noses that freckledfreckled badlybadly in the summer, but no one exceptexcept Mrs Gale, their mother, mindedminded about that. In those days people did not realiserealise that cancer could be causedcaused by the sun's rays.

Before the holiday, Mr and Mrs Gale were busy for weeks, makemaking lists of things to take, and then packingpacking them. The three childrenchildren helpedhelped as much as they could, and trytried very hard never to be naughty and get in the way during the packing.packing. They packedpacked camp stretchers,stretchers, blankets,blankets, towels and old clothes to go fishingfishing in. They packedpacked bathebathing suits and fishingfishing lines. They packed fryingfrying pans, saucepans,saucepans, cups, plates, knives, forks and spoons. And they packedpacked tins and tins of homemadehomemade biscuits. In one very strong box, Mr Gale packedpacked an outboardoutboard motor for the little boat.

It seemedseemed as if they would never be ready in time, but finallyfinally all the boxesboxes were nailednailed up, and all the bags fastened,fastened, just before the taxi came to take them to the station.station. During the journey,journey, Mia, Ricki and Tim chatteredchattered withoutwithout stoppingstopping about the fun they would have – fishingfishing and swimmingswimming and playingplaying on the beach.

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