Grandad’s TV (Re written)

Mr Edgar Downing was not just an avid gardener; he was a true maestro of the earth, nurturing his thriving vegetable patch for over a decade. Just a thrilling five-minute bike ride from his cosy home, this friendly and generous Englishman transformed the soil with his passion, spending countless hours prepping, sowing, and marvelling at the growth of each seed he planted. His allotment was a vibrant tapestry woven with an array of flowers and vegetables--majestic cabbages, crisp peas, plump beans, hearty potatoes, sunny carrots, flavourful leeks, zesty onions, and even delicate asparagus, all waiting to be harvested.

One sun-drenched afternoon, while caring for his delightful grandchildren, Lee and Clare, Edgar found himself in a bit of a quandary. The kids, bubbling with energy, urged him to join them on a bike ride. With a hearty chuckle, Edgar was all in. Yet, the diligent gardener had a mission: the weeds had taken over, and there were vegetables ripe for picking to prepare for their evening meal. Clare loved plucking sweet peas to surprise her lovely mum, while adventurous Lee revealed in digging up giant potatoes and counting their bountiful harvest. The young lad also had a flare for lighting bonfires, always reminding himself to keep his fingers safely away from the flames.

Excitedly, the family hopped on their bicycles--Lee, at ten, proudly rode his classic Chopper bike, and seven-year-old Clare zipped along on her small racer decked out with colourful stickers and a gleeful bell jingling on her handlebars. They were seasoned cyclists, sharing the thrill of pedalling through sunny summer days to nearby villages.

When they arrived at the exciting gardens, adventure was in the air! Mr Downing grabbed his trusty fork and began unearthing the majestic potatoes while Lee shook off the earth, stuffing them into bags. Meanwhile, Edgar worked like a whirlwind, wielding his hoe to battle the encroaching weeds and, taking advantage of the warm sunshine, dousing the garden with water from his hosepipe.

Just as the family began to pack everything away, triumph sparkling in their eyes, the sky dramatically shifted. A torrential downpour unleashed its fury on the allotments as the Downing and Greatrex families dashed home. Wiping the rain off his glasses, Edgar squinted into the distance when Clare suddenly shouted, pointing skyward. “Grandad! What’s that above your house? It looks nothing like a thundercloud--more like a UFO! How are we going to get home now?” Edgar, adjusting his glasses, froze in awe, captivated by the spectacle unfolding above him. What an extraordinary adventure this day had taken--a bike ride, a bountiful harvest, and now, the mystery of the skies!

The rain pelted down relentlessly, drenching the three of them to the core, as the streets transformed into a roaring river. Grandad Edgar stood frozen, overwhelmed by the chaos, while the children looked up at their brave and charismatic grandfather, seeking his reassurance. Lee was bouncing with enthusiasm, his imagination racing as he envisioned the alien beings aboard the mysterious UFO. The thrill of the unknown electrified him! But Clare was in a panic, her voice rising above the storm, screaming, “
Grandad, grandad, our big, brave grandad! Please protect us from those creatures from another world!”

Grandad Edgar’s heart raced a wave of concern for his wife, Jessie Downing, washing over him. He could only imagine the aliens hovering above their home while she remained inside. With determination flickering in his eyes, he shook off the cold rain and declared to his beloved grandchildren, “We have to save Grandma! We can’t let these creatures harm us! Are you ready to show courage and pedal around to the back of the house? We need to find her! If we’re facing doom, let’s face it together with your Nan. I believe in our strength; we can do this!”Lee hesitated, his adventurous spirit battling his apprehension. “But what if they just want to be friends? Surely they wouldn’t come all this way to hurt us!” Clare, however, was paralyzed with fear, wishing to hide among the allotments until the UFO vanished for good.

Before they could argue further about the intentions of the UFO visitors, a thunderous explosion cracked like lightning, reverberating from the UFO and slamming down into the Downing house. “Get on your bikes now, my wonderful grandkids! Follow me!” Grandad commanded, urgency filling his voice as excitement and fear intermingled in the air. The adventure had begun!As they thundered down the rain-soaked streets on their pushbikes, urgency surged through their veins. The torrential rain lashed at them, almost throwing them off course, but they were unstoppable. With grit and determination, they shifted into high gear, pedalling with precision toward the safest place in the universe--their Grandma. Cars, lorries, and pedestrians became mere obstacles as they crept into the back of the house, dropping their bikes like forgotten toys, and bursting through the living room door.

What they saw sent chills down their spines: Grandma, pale as a ghost, pointed at the television. There, looming in three-dimensional glory, was the enormous orange head of the Gorka king and queen, grinning like they owned the universe. “Welcome, Mr. Downing! We are the Gorka people, hailing from a world 200 million light-years away. I am Astra Montgomery, the king and queen of my realm. Do not be alarmed; we come in peace and have no intention of harming you! Our journey has not been to annihilate but to seek your help on a vital mission. You see, we have observed your planet for aeons, and you are the greatest gardener in the universe. We invite you to our planet to grow vegetables and flowers, for we have none. Will you aid us, please?”

Grandad Edgar was seething with anger, his voice booming like thunder. “You’ve scared my family half to death! You expect me to just abandon them and fly off to help with your gardening? Can’t you see how terrified my wife and granddaughter are? I won’t just leave, but help you take my precious seeds. Begone!”In a moment of sheer bravery, Clare hurled the TV remote at her grandad, shouting, “Catch! Turn the TV off and save us, please!” Grandad lunged, catching the remote and frantically mashed the buttons, declaring to his family, “I won’t let them out of that telly box!”

But the remote control flickered ineffectively, and the Gorka king and queen, their red eyes ablaze with fury, roared, “We’re sorry, but we have no choice but to take you with us, Mr. Downing! It’s a matter of life and death, and we can’t do it without you!”

In an instant, a brilliant beam of light shot down from the UFO, piercing the roof of the Downing house. It enveloped Mr. Edgar Downing and zapped him into their spaceship, which soared into the sky at unfathomable speeds--a spectacle no human vehicle could ever hope to catch.

Lee, filled with a burning desire for adventure, dedicated the rest of his life to building a rocket, determined to travel the stars in search of the UFO and rescue his Grandad. He made a solemn vow to his Grandma and sister: he would never let the Gorka people come back out of that television box ever again!