Save the Flowers (3 page)

“Great! Let's go find your friend now and tell her about it.”

“I'm meeting her at the school gate at 12:15. I'll tell her when I see her,” said Mabel. She looked at her watch. “Oh dear, it's already 12:25. I've got to go!”

“Wait!” cried the pebble. “Don't go. Take me with you. I want to go to school too!”

“You want to go to school with me?” asked Mabel, puzzled. Why would a pebble want to go to school?

“Yes! I think it'll be great fun! Please, please, please take me with you,” pleaded the pebble.

“Oh, alright,” said Mabel. “I guess it'll be quite fun to have a talking pebble with me. I could show it to Julie. She always scolds me for talking to things. Now I can tell her that things talk to me too.”

Mabel picked up the pebble and held it in her hand. She brought it up to her eyes and studied it again. It felt heavy and was about the size of her palm. There were some green specks on it too. There were also two large yellow dots which seemed to
sparkle
under the sunlight. It looked slightly strange for a pebble. Suddenly, the two large yellow dots lit up and she saw a pair of eyes staring right at her!

Chapter 3

“Ahhh!” Mabel screamed and threw the pebble to the ground.

“What are you doing? Why did you throw me to the ground?” asked the pebble.

“You… you… you have eyes!” stammered Mabel.

“Why can't I have eyes? You have eyes too. Without eyes, how can I see?” said the pebble.

“But… but… but you're a pebble. Pebbles don't have eyes, or ears or a mouth!” cried Mabel, her chest rising up and down.

“Well, as I said, I'm not an ordinary pebble. In the first place, pebbles don't talk, but I do,” the pebble said.

“So what are you really?” Mabel asked, her mind racing, trying to guess what the pebble really was.

“Well, it's difficult to explain. You're too young. I don't think you can understand,” said the pebble.

“How do you know I can't understand if you have not told me anything? I'm a big girl. You can tell me,” said Mabel.

“Fine, I'll tell you,” said the pebble finally. “I'm actually a Robozonic.”

“What's a Robozonic?” asked Mabel, more puzzled than ever. She squatted down in front of the pebble,
eager
to hear what it was going to say.

“See, I told you you wouldn't understand. How should I explain it? Well, I'm a special gadget, like a robot – but more than just a robot. I'm also a
communicator,
a time machine…” said Robozonic.

“Time machine? This I know – a machine that can travel through time!” Mabel cut in.

“That's right. You're quite smart after all,” said Robozonic.

“So you're a time machine? Which year are you from? Who created you? And why are you here?” Mabel asked a series of questions. She was getting even more curious.

“Don't compare me with a time machine. I'm a much more high-tech gadget than a time machine. I can travel through time, I can talk, I can think and I can store information. In short, I'm a Robozonic. I'm the-best-of-the-best kind of gadget!” said Robozonic proudly.

“Robozonic, you have not answered my question. Which year do you come from?” Mabel asked.

“I come from the year 2111,” replied Robozonic.

“Let me see – 2111 minus 2011,” Mabel started using her fingers to do some counting, “that's a hundred years from now!” She could not believe her ears. Not only did a pebble talk to her, but this pebble was now claiming to be a time machine, or rather, a Robozonic, from the future!

“Why are you here, then? In 2011?” she asked.

“Well, that's a good question. Why am I here? Actually, I've no idea. From what I can remember, I was in 2111 doing something very important, which I can't tell you about. It's top secret,” explained Robozonic. “Then one day, a young man came to the lab and told me he needed to fix me. He opened me up and did something. Next thing I know, I'm here in the park! I think the man was the one who sent me to 2011.”

“And now I don't know how to go back to 2111,” it continued.

“But I still don't understand. If you're a time machine, you should be able to get back to 2111,” said Mabel.

“As I've told you, don't compare me to a time machine. I'm a Robozonic! A Robozonic!” Robozonic said angrily.

“Sorry, Robozonic. So why can't you go back to 2111?” asked Mabel again.

“I think something must have happened to me on the way here. I can't remember how I came from 2111 to the present and how to get back either. I need someone to repair me,” said Robozonic.

“I don't know how to repair you, but I can look after you until you find a way home,” said Mabel kindly. “It's been nice meeting you, Robozonic, but right now, I really really need to get to school. I'm totally late!”

She grabbed Robozonic in her hand and started to run at full speed.

“Stop!” Robozonic screamed.

Mabel stopped. “Why are you asking me to stop? I'm already late!”

“I can help you go to school faster,” said Robozonic.

“How?” asked Mabel.

“Just hold me close to your chest and think of where you want to go,” said Robozonic.

Mabel wanted to say “Don't be silly!” but decided to do what Robozonic said. After all, things were already so crazy. She held Robozonic in her hands and put it close to her chest.

Suddenly, two of the green specks on Robozonic opened up into two tiny holes and two long metal rods shot out. Before Mabel could ask what was happening, everything around her started spinning and became a
blur.
Then all she saw was white light all around her. She felt herself being pulled apart. There was no pain at all, just a feeling of weightlessness.

After some time, the weightless feeling was gone and the things around her stopped spinning. The white light was gone and Mabel could see where she was again.

She blinked her eyes. She was no longer on the path in the park, but in her school toilet!

Chapter 4

“Wow! What just happened?” Mabel asked.

“Well, you wanted to reach the school faster, so I helped you,” answered Robozonic.

“You mean you transported me from the park to here? In, like, one minute?” Mabel asked, her eyes as big as a goldfish's. She was still in a daze and could not believe what had happened.

“It was more like twelve seconds, to be exact,” said Robozonic.

“That's really cool! But can you tell me why I am in the school toilet?” asked Mabel.

“This is the only place you'll not be seen,” explained Robozonic. “If you suddenly appear in front of other people, they'll be shocked.”

“You're right,” said Mabel. She placed Robozonic in her pocket and quickly walked to her classroom, Primary 2C.

All the pupils were already seated at their desks. Mrs Lim, Mabel's form teacher, was in the classroom taking attendance.

“This is all your fault. I'm late because I stopped to talk to you. I'm in deep trouble,” said Mabel. She stood outside the classroom, unsure of what to do. “And make sure you don't talk in class or I'll get into more trouble.”

“Mabel Tan?” Mrs Lim called from her desk and looked around the class.

“Here, Mrs Lim,” said Mabel. She quickly stepped into the classroom. “Good morning, Mrs Lim. I… uh… had a stomachache so I went to the toilet.”

“I see. Quickly take a seat, Mabel,” said Mrs Lim kindly.

Mrs Lim was Mabel's favourite teacher. She had long silky black hair that almost reached her waist. Her voice was soft and soothing. She never scolded the children and was always kind to them. Mabel would put on her best behaviour in Mrs Lim's class as she did not want Mrs Lim to think badly of her. Mrs Lim taught the class English, Mathematics and Art. Today, she was in a red floral dress.

Mabel made her way to her seat and quickly sat down.

Julie, who was seated two tables away from her, turned towards her and hissed, “You didn't meet me at the gate!”

Mabel said, “Sorry, something happened.”

Julie looked at her, puzzled.

“Well, it happened like this…” Mabel started explaining but was
interrupted
by Mrs Lim.

“Mabel, why don't you take out your Mathematics textbook and turn to page 45?” Mrs Lim asked.

Mabel swallowed the words that she was just about to say and turned to face the board. She took out her textbook and flipped to the correct page. She would have to wait till recess to tell Julie what had happened.

As Mrs Lim started on her lesson, Mabel's mind kept
wandering
off to Robozonic.

Every now and then, she would put her hand in the pocket of her school uniform and give Robozonic a squeeze to make sure that it was still there. Everything felt so unreal and she still could not believe that she had actually talked to a pebble, or rather, a Robozonic (whatever that was). She squeezed Robozonic hard again.

“Can you stop squeezing me?” Robozonic said, after the tenth squeeze.

“Oh, shut up!” said Mabel loudly.

The class went silent and everyone stared at her. Mrs Lim's hand stopped in mid-air, her chalk still in her fingers. She had been explaining the concept of volume to the class. She opened her eyes wide in confusion. She could not believe that a student, a Primary 2 student, a well-behaved female student (well, normally well behaved, except for today) had actually asked her to “shut up”.

Tears started to
well up
in her eyes, for Mrs Lim was such a gentle soul. She never had a harsh word for anyone and no one had ever uttered a harsh word to her.

“I'm sorry, Mrs Lim. It was the mosquito! It kept flying around me and making this ‘mmmming' sound. I was asking it to shut up,” Mabel stood up and said hurriedly.

“Oh, I see,” said Mrs Lim. Her tears somehow stayed in her eyes and did not fall. “Well, let's carry on with the lesson, shall we?”

Phew! What a narrow escape! Mabel gave Robozonic a squeeze again to warn it not to talk to her.

“Sorry about that! But can you stop squeezing me, please, please, please?” Robozonic said.

“Sure!” said Mabel aloud. All eyes were directed at her again.

“I mean, sure, let's carry on with the lesson,” she
grinned sheepishly.
The pupils turned their attention back to Mrs Lim. She managed a smile and continued with her lesson.

Soon it was Art lesson and the class was allowed some light chatter as they did their artwork. Julie quickly got Mabel's attention.

“What happened?” she whispered. Darren, the Mr Busybody who was sitting next to Mabel, immediately sat up and leaned over to listen.

“It's a long story. I'll tell you during recess,” Mabel whispered back.

“Okay, talk to you later,” said Julie as she returned to her artwork.

“What long story?” Darren asked.

“Nothing,” said Mabel.

Darren was not willing to let it go. He had to find out what was going on. “What story are you talking about?”

“Do you really want to know?” she asked.

“Yes, yes. I really want to know,” he answered eagerly. He always wanted to know about everything that had happened to everyone in class.

“Promise me you won't tell anyone?” she finally said.

“I promise,” he said.

“Well, I went to the beach yesterday and found a beautiful pebble.”

“I don't believe you. It was Monday yesterday and it was a school day. How could you have gone to the beach on a school day?” Darren asked.

“Well, I went in the morning before I came to school.”

“Can I see the pebble?”

“No, you can't.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“If you don't let me see it, I'm going to tell Teacher.”

“You Mr Tell-Tale. I shouldn't have told you anything,” Mabel said angrily. She took Robozonic out from her pocket. “Here, this is the pebble.”

Darren
glanced
at it. “It's such an ugly pebble.”

“How dare you call me ugly,” Robozonic said.

“I didn't say that,” said Mabel.

“I thought you had something interesting to show me. This is so boring,” said Darren and carried on with his artwork. He did not seem to have heard Robozonic.

Mabel stared at the blank piece of paper in front of her. She could not decide what to draw. Mrs Lim had asked the class to draw their favourite toy. Mabel thought for a long time. She eyed Robozonic, which she had placed on her desk.

She picked up her pencil and drew a huge circle in the middle of the paper. She looked at the pebble and started counting the number of green specks. There were ten. She added ten tiny circles in her large circle. Then she drew two eyes and a mouth. She coloured the smaller circles green and the larger circle silvery-grey. She paused to look at the end result.

“Hey, are you drawing that pebble?” asked Darren, being nosy again.

“Does it look like the pebble?” asked Mabel.

“Yes, it does,” he said. “And it's still ugly.”