Stranmillis University College, 2nd Year BEd Primary Education students
17th February 2021
Norman couldn’t take another day of this. He was your average 78-year-old man from Cornwall, but with a lifelong wish. He had spent an embarrassingly large amount of his pension on swimming lessons and was ready to give up. When he walked down the street and travelled past the travel agent, he stood in wonder at the thought of what each destination could bring.
On that grey Wednesday afternoon, the golden sands of the Maldives caught his eye, and he remembered how his wife Edith told him to seize every opportunity and to live every day as if it was his last. It seemed like fate, since his tortoise Mr. T was from the Maldives. As soon as the idea popped into his head, Norman felt guilty. How could he leave Mr. T behind? ‘Or maybe,’ Norman thought, ‘I could take him with me!’
His battered purple roller-skates on his feet and his zimmer frame in hand, Norman flew down the hill to explain his plan to Mr. T – he was ready for an adventure!
Norman put his key in the door and stepped inside. He looked into the living room only to find that Mr. T was not in his tank. There was a letter lying on the floor. It had been ripped open. He picked it up and a note fell out: Follow your dreams!
He looked inside the envelope and found a plane ticket. He looked at the tank again, where, written on the glass, were the words ‘Left for an adventure, meet me at the airport!’
“That tortoise!” Norman laughed, “he’s done it again!”
