There was a familiar noise from the road outside, tappety-tap, tappety-tap, tappety-tap… a sound I always associate with summers from my childhood. Living next door to us was a family with children the same age as me and my sister, and Richard who was my friend, was a great sportsman and keen footballer, even as a little boy. I know he played footie in the winter, but that sound of a football being kicked backwards and forwards seems a summer sound. This morning, with the windows open and the lovely warm air streaming in, a sound also streamed in, tappety-tap… The boy next door was out with his dad, kicking a football backwards and forwards, tappety-tap; I looked out and watched them for a little, a dozen feet apart from each other, not speaking, just idly kicking the ball backwards and forwards in the sunshine, tappety-tap, tappety-tap.
Lois Elsden 