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Arcade

"Ok guys we better get home, come around mine tomorrow and we'll start summer proper and plan everything out," Will said.

"Hopefully I can make it," Arnold said with a slight look of sadness.

"I'm sure your parents will let you out, you know where I live right?" Will asked.

"In the suburbs somewhere" Arnold replied.

"I'm at 41 Rosedale road, my front door is blue, can't miss it," Will said.

"Ok, got it" Arnold replied.

"See you around," Will said and the others said their goodbyes and headed out. Will, Jason, and Malcolm all walked home the same way and talked about the day and future plans, they split up when they got closer to their respected homes and would see each other again tomorrow.

Arnold

Arnold made it home in good time and he had a big smile on his face, his family greeted him friendly enough and asked about his day. He told them about the last day of school and then going to the arcade and how much fun it was to play the video games with his friends.

"I'm glad that you have made friends," Arnold's dad said.

"About that, they are meeting up tomorrow to discuss plans for the summer, can I go dad?" Arnold asked.

"Well I will need you to man the shop in the morning as that's one of our busiest times, but you can go see your friends in the afternoon," Arnold's dad said.

"Great dad, thanks and what about the rest of the summer?" Arnold asked hopefully.

"Well Sundays are yours to do with what you will as we aren't open then, I shall need you on Mondays and Fridays as they are quite busy, same with Saturdays mornings and I same need you on Thursday afternoons as that's when I go out with the deliveries but the rest of the days are yours, I might need you all day Saturday sometimes and I will let you know the day before if that is the case, sound fair" Arnold's dad said.

"That sounds very reasonable dad, also as I am working for you can I get an allowance?" Arnold asked.

"You certainly are being very bold today son, I'll have a think about it and will let you know, we aren't that rich just yet but I might be able to give you a small allowance, what do you need it for?" His dad asked.

"The arcade, of course, thanks dad, you're the best," Arnold said.

"I know, now go wash your hands, dinner will be soon," his dad said, and Arnold obeyed him and went to the bathroom and washed his hands, he then returned to the dining room. The rest of his family were already sat around the table and his mama served out dinner, it was pork and mash and Arnold ate it up with relish and thanked her for it. After dinner, he helped wash up as it was his turn once more and he did it as quick as possible with the others. They then joined the rest of the family in the living room when grandpapa was just starting to tell one of his stories again.

It was one of Arnold's favourite stories, how his grandpapa came to America in 1950 by boat. He and his wife had found that Germany was very poor after the war and there wasn't much work for either of them, but they did manage to find enough to save some money up. They had Uncle Karl a year after the war had ended and then Arnold's dad three years after that. In that time, they had raised almost enough money for the tickets to get across to America as well as raised their boys with just about enough food but as there was rationing in effect that wasn't a lot. But they got the boat and after the few days at sea which the boys didn't like very much, they landed in New York. His father didn't like such a big city, so they only stayed a few days and then moved to the town where they were now. He set up the furniture shop after a few years of doing odd jobs around the town and earning his keep, from helping as a farmhand in the summer to chopping wood in the winter. The furniture store has done fairly well for them over all that time and has seen their children and grandchildren fed and raised, even though the amount of persecution they faced at first was a lot but it certainly had lessened over the years. Grandpapa took a good long time telling the tale and offered a lot more detail into life both in Germany and the state at first and this is what Arnold liked about it, reliving history that wasn't such a long time ago. After he finished, their mama told the story of how she met their father which was very sappy and made Arnold want to vomit but it was a nice tale as a lot of people still avoided the German family in the mid-sixties and her falling for his dad was going against her families wishes, they disowned her for a bit until Jacob was born and then they forgave her, though they don't often see that side of the family often as they no longer live in the town. Once she had finished it was time for bed and they said goodnight and Arnold went to sleep.