Miki and the Cricket Bat

By Malla Duncan

In this delightful tale, you’ll meet eleven year-old Miki Mavuya and his quirky family.
Miki loves cricket and his greatest ambition is to have his own cricket bat. When he sees a second-hand one in Mr Molly’s shop window, he finds himself dreaming about owning such a bat. To his amazement, Mr Molly offers to lend him the bat to play a match against the Swallows Eleven.
Promising to take great care of the bat, Micky takes it home and hides it in the broom cupboard in the kitchen. A poor choice as it turns out, because his grandmother finds it. What happens to the bat after this, is the stuff of nightmare for Miki. However, he finds a way to turn disaster into triumph and wins the match.
But this is no ordinary bat and Miki is terrified he will have to pay for the damages inflicted by his grandmother. Luckily, through the honesty and integrity of family and friends, a solution is found that goes way beyond Miki’s expectations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Malla Duncan
• Release date: Jun 8, 2011
• ISBN: 9780987005243

Malla Duncan

Malla Duncan lives in Cape Town and writes across a variety of genres from 'women-in-jeopardy' to romantic adventure, children's fantasy and humorous books for African children. Her suspense novels are fast-paced, contemporary full-length stand-alone reads which introduce ordinary, flawed women characters caught in extraordinary circumstances.

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Miki and the Cricket Bat

(Book I of the Miki series)

By

Malla Duncan

Copyright 2010 Malla Duncan

ISBN: 978-0-9870052-4-3

Smashwords Edition

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Acknowledgements

Cover design: Nandi Appleby – Cape Town, South Africa

Email: [e-mail]

Website: http://www.nandiappleby.com

Title font by: Fonts of Afrika

Website: http://www.slingsbymaps.com/fontsofafrika

Miki and the Cricket Bat

Chapter 1

Miki hit a six on his first stroke.

The ball flew against the blue of a perfect sky. The crowd was silent with awe. Then the ball came back.

It zoomed past Miki’s ear and swooped across to where the headmaster and the teachers sat. To Miki’s astonishment, it began to bounce on their heads. Three teachers fell over while the others tried to hide under the seats. The headmaster’s face turned a funny purple colour. He was looking at Miki with furious eyes. Then – even worse – Miki saw his mother looming across the field, heard her yelling, ‘Miki! Miki!’ He let go of the bat and felt himself falling, falling into darkness…

Miki opened his eyes. The scene of his triumph and disaster faded with the dream, and it was Friday, and his mother was yelling from the kitchen. He was late again for school.

He had been dreaming of the cricket bat in Mr Molly’s shop window. It was an old bat, full of nicks and scratches, but it was big with a strong handle. It was the kind of bat that could hit a ball out of the stadium. Well… at least that was what Miki was doing in his dream when he was woken by his mother’s booming voice: ‘Miki! Miki! You’re late again! You’ll miss the bus. Get up right now!’

Mrs Mavuya bustled towards Miki’s room. If she caught him still in bed, he would be in big trouble. He jumped up and was dragging on his trousers when she came through the door. ‘Miki! You must try and be on time for school. I can’t handle another letter from the headmaster.’

‘Yes, mama,’ said Miki dutifully.

Five minutes later he was having breakfast. Mrs Mavuya said, ‘Now don’t forget it’s your brother’s wedding next Saturday. Granny Noo is coming to make her special pudding, so don’t get in her way.’

‘No, mama.’

Mrs Mavuya sighed and looked tearful. She was a plump lady with a pretty face supported by several cushions of extra chin. Under her large, soulful eyes were dark shadows that indicated long hours and little sleep. Miki’s father had died some years before and things had been difficult since then. Now Mrs Mavuya said, ‘Poor Sepo. He hasn’t got enough money for a decent wedding ring for his bride. It’s a shame. He really wants something nice for Zandi. But at the moment, I can’t help him, I have too many bills to pay.’

Miki was eleven, and so the rites of marriage and the importance of a ring were of little interest to him. He nodded and looked down at his barely buttered toast. This wasn’t a good time to ask for money to buy a cricket bat.

On the way to school he met Louie. ‘You’re on the team on Saturday!’ Louie said in excitement. ‘We’re playing the Swallows Eleven!’

Miki was crestfallen.