There's a Hamster in my Pocket (9 page)

But I needn't have worried. The minute Auntie Shabnam appeared in the Arrivals Hall, the ‘Auntie Shabnam Worry Factor' plummeted to zero. She was seriously
cool
!

She had short black hair, long sparkling earrings and the sunniest smile I'd ever seen, and she was wearing a grey leather jacket, black leather trousers and high-heeled red boots. As soon as she saw us, she made a bee-line for me and gave me a great big hug.

“State-of-the-art jeans, Yosser,” she said, handing me a carrier bag with ‘Dubai' written on it. “I hope you like them!”

I had a quick peek and boy, did I
ever
! Then we all squeezed into the car, and Bilal showed Auntie Shabnam his
In/Out
trick all the way home, and she said he was brilliant, and probably a businessman in the making.

Then we settled her into her office, which she said was ‘just the job' and, after a special meal, the grown-ups sat down to talk Business Plans.

It all sounded great, especially the interactive website which Auntie Shabnam said would “rocket Farooq's Fruits into the twenty-first century”, but it had been a long day, and when they got to the health and safety issue I said I thought I'd turn in.

I didn't get far, though. As I stood up to go, Nani's foot clamped down heavily on top of mine, and she wiggled her eyebrows meaningfully. I sat back down.

“As I see it,” Auntie Shabnam was saying, “the hygiene issue is paramount. We at Farooq's Fruits must employ the very latest in antiseptics, anti-bacterials, and hi-tech anti-vermin devices. . .”

She paused and looked over at Nani. “And to that end,” she went on, “I believe Auntie here has a suggestion.”

Nani cleared her throat. “Auntie has indeed,” she said. “It's the very latest in Vermin Control and it's called
Killer Queen. It's not too hi-tech yet,” she went on, “but give it a couple of months and it'll be
lethal
.”

She turned to me. “Perhaps, Yosser,” she said, “you would be so kind as to fetch it?”

I could see Mum and Dad were trying hard to keep their faces straight, and as I closed the door I heard a lot of laughter, so I reckoned Nani had already prepared the ground, but still, I said a little prayer as I presented Killer Queen to the committee.

I needn't have worried, though. They passed her unanimously, and they decided she would stay in the house for the next few weeks, then take up residence in the shop. Which, though not ideal, was a million times better than losing her entirely.

***

Later that night, when Nani came to bed, I handed her the envelope.

“It's a ring,” I said. “It was in the box from Samarkand.”

Nani looked at the ring for ages. I waited for her to say something, but she didn't, and perhaps it was just as well. Perhaps some things are better kept secret.

Then, all of a sudden, she brightened right up. She took my hand, winked at me, then slipped the gold ring onto
my finger. It fitted exactly. I couldn't believe it. I'd never had such a precious thing, ever.

“Thank you, Nani-jee,” I said. “It's perfect.”

Nani gave me a big hug.

“You're welcome, Yosser,” she said. “And I hope it brings you good fortune.”

Then we settled down to sleep, and as I lay there next to Nani with the Golden Ring from Samarkand on my finger, I realised that, finally, everything was as perfect as it could possibly be.

And you know what? I wasn't beset by one single, solitary worry.

Not one.

I
've written over 25 books for children, and I also write for adults. I live in the village of Lochwinnoch, in Scotland, where I enjoy the countryside and wildlife.

For me, writing a children's book always involves the same processes. Here they are. . .

First, there's THINKING – what will I write about? I find it helps to look at pictures, and books, and the internet. It also helps to
move
. My best ideas come when I'm walking or cycling.

I got the idea for
There's a Hamster in my Pocket!
from a puzzle box I saw on YouTube. It seemed just the sort of thing Nani would have!

Then, there's RESEARCHING – finding things out. For
There's a Hamster in my Pocket!
I had to find out about puzzle boxes and Papillons. And I also had to watch bits of a really
horrible
film. . .!

Next, I decide on CHARACTERS. For
There's a Hamster in my Pocket!
the new characters were Sniper, Twista and Germane.

I always draw my characters before I write about them, because it helps bring them to life.

Finally, I do a CHAPTER PLAN (that can be tricky!) and then I can get down to the actual WRITING. And
that
is the best part of all!

Writing can be a lonely business but, as you can see, my two cats – Lily and her son The Woozle – are with me every step of the way!