Olivia Flies High Read Online Free PDF

ringletted cherub who was a great friend of Eel’s in Year Three, “climb to the very top of these towers without fear because theyknow that everyone at the base will be strong and keep them safe. Olivia, please show the video.”
    Olivia had wangled two laptops from the office which she had connected to YouTube. The children split into two groups to gather around the computers. Olivia pressed play and a video of a group of castellers building a tower began. The largest and strongest people moved into position, their legs braced and their arms tight around each other to create a sturdy foundation. As soon as the base was in place, more people scrambled up over their friends’ bodies to create the next tier. In the space of a few seconds the structure seamlessly grew taller and taller; it was like watching the speeded-up film of a tree growing, although in this case the trunk was made entirely of people. When they had gone as high as they could, the tower was slickly dismantled in what seemed like a second.
    Everyone clapped when the brief video came to an end.
    â€œIt’s really cool; it’s like a human wedding cake,” said Kasha.
    Pablo nodded.
    â€œI want to go right to the very top,” said Emmy.
    â€œThen we must start immediately,” grinned Pablo, pleased by their enthusiasm. He looked around and pointed at the older boys and some of the girls.
    â€œYou too, duckling,” he said to Kylie Morris. “I need the stout people to make the pinya , which is what we call the base in my country.”
    â€œOh!” shrieked Kylie. “He thinks I’m fat!”
    Kasha raised his eyes heavenwards and shook his head. “Don’t be dumb, Kylie. He means strong, not fat.”
    Kylie, who didn’t know whether to be outraged that Kasha had called her dumb or delighted that he even knew her name, was mollified and joined the others who stood barefoot, shoulder to shoulder, their arms wrapped around each other. Pablo selected another group of children.
    â€œNow,” he said, “you must slither like eels up their backs and form another layer of the wedding cake.” With much laughing and the occasional “ouch” as a foot was placed on a head rather than a shoulder, they createdanother layer. Pablo was impressed: the Swans’ years of training in dance had made them both strong and agile, essential qualities needed to create a castell .
    â€œWe will try one more level,” said Pablo. “The littlest ducklings must climb now like the naughty little monkeys they are.”
    Emmy and her friends giggled as they climbed over the shoulders of the other Swans. The base began to sway with the added weight. Kasha said something rude under his breath. The second tier began to wobble dangerously and suddenly the whole thing collapsed like a deflating soufflé. Everyone ended up on the rubber mats in a great big laughing heap just as Alicia walked into the hall.
    Pablo shot Olivia a worried look. He suspected that Alicia might not be too happy to see some of her best dancers falling into a heap of twisted arms and legs, but she was so preoccupied that she hardly noticed the collapsing castell .
    â€œAh, Olivia, there you are. Could you come up to the flat just as soon as you’re finished here, please? I need to talk to you urgently.”
    Olivia was puzzled. She couldn’t think ofanything she’d done that merited her returning to the flat during the day. Normally if Alicia wanted to talk to pupils, she did it in her office, and during the school day she treated Olivia and Eel like pupils, not grandchildren. Olivia could see the others eyeing her curiously. She hated it when the other Swans were reminded that she was Alicia’s granddaughter.
    â€œI’ll be up in just a tick,” she said.
    Alicia nodded briskly and swept away. Nobody would know from her graceful movements how badly her arthritis affected her.
    Everyone started to