"Please, Sophie, please!" cooed her father.
"I don't know how to Daddy!" and with this, Sophie burst into long, shuddering, nobody loves me type sobs.
Three year old Sophie and her parents were in the caravan next to ours when the problem arose. Well, that's not strictiy true; Sophie was in the caravan but her parents were outside it. That was the problem. Sophie had somehow got herself locked in the van. Not only that, but the keys were clear to be seen lying on the kitchen table. Sophie didn’t understand how keys worked and as she became fractious as her father's bewilderment grew and her mother's hysteria increased.
"John, you've got to do something. She's going to panic in a minute!" "I am doing something," muttered John, "I'm trying to get your daughter to unlock the door!"
But Sophie just couldn't understand how to
unlock the door from the inside. As her parents' alarm spread, Sophie picked up the vibes and her cries
went up a decibel.
Neighbors came by, each with sound advice.
"Break the window and crawl in!"
'Try my keys. Ours is the same make of van!"
"Call the Fire Brigade!"
"Fancy locking a dear little girl caravan like that!"
"Give her a hiding! She wont
try that again!"
John kept imploring his daughter to try the lock.
"Now Sophie. Do you see that little knob? Good. Yes, that's the one. Give it a turn. NO! Not that way! No, no, Daddy's not cross. Now be a good girl and stop crying and I'll buy you an ice cream. Of course I will. Just as soon as we can get you out. Now, do you see that knob......"
Sophie's mum was simultaneously giving it her all.
"Sophie!
Sophie' Mummy's here! Don’tcry! We wont leave you!" (Aside)
"John, what will we do if the caravan catches fire? Oo-o-oh, my poor
Sophie!"
It was then that Bill, the park handyman came up.
In a flash he had out his Phillips head screwdriver and with a deft twist or two unscrewed the window and wrenched it free. The crowd cheered!
Leaning through the window space Bill took
Sophie in his arms and hoisted her to safety.
He then reached for the keys and handed them to John.
“The key to success,” smirked Bill, “is often a good screwdriver!”
More cheers!
"Where's my ice cream daddy?" asked Sophie, a smile on her tear stained, and swollen face.
