Ade Adepitan - Ades amazing Ade-ventures: battle of the cyborg cat

To my mum Christianah and my late father Bola.
They helped nurture my love of books and reading.

Studio Press,
An imprint of Kings Road Publishing
Part of Bonnier Publishing
The Plaza, 535 Kings Road,
London, SW10 0SZ

www.studiopressbooks.co.uk

Copyright Ade Adepitan 2018

Written by Ade Adepitan
Illustrated by David M. Buisn
Designed by Janene Spencer
Edited by Jasmine Richards

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission in writing from the publisher.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Paperback: 978-1-78741-325-2

Ebook: 978-1-78741-415-0

Studio Press is an imprint of Bonnier Publishing company
www.bonnierpublishing.co.uk

Hey, how are you doing? My name is Adedoyin Olayiwola Adepitan. I know what youre thinking: That name must be worth a lot of points in a game of Scrabble! Youd be right. You may know me off the telly. Im that guy who uses a wheelchair and is pretty good at basketball. I present quite a few shows, as well.

My family call me Doyin, which is the second part of my first name. My mum calls me by my full name, but only when Im in trouble. Most of my friends call me Ade not like the end of the word lemon-ade. And not like the letters A, D and DEFINITELY NOT EDDIE! But more like the sound a and the letter D. Try it: A-dee! Got it.

My book, Ades Amazing Ade-Ventures, is set in the 1980s. Okay, yeah, I know thats a long time ago (no need to be cheeky now). The story is based on the time I moved to London with my family and started going to school here. The UK was very different back then; it was a time of interesting music, questionable fashion, severe haircuts (if you dont believe me, have a look at some of your mum and dads old school pics) and, of course, it was when dad dancing was invented...

Moving home can be very difficult. Moving to a completely different country to start a new life, well thats just scary. Especially when you realise that some people in your new neighbourhood might not like you because you look different to them. On top of all that, Id had polio as a baby, so I also had to wear a heavy iron brace called a caliper on my left leg, and ugly-looking hospital boots, just so I could walk. Hospital boots: great for putting in a heavy tackle on the football pitch, terrible for dancing and absolutely impossible not to stick out like a sore thumb whenever youre wearing them!

But you know what? The caliper is why my friends started to call me Cyborg Cat. Dont know what a cyborg is? Thats okay. Keep reading and youll find out!

O i, why dont you go back to your own country and take the little cripple boy with you? These were the first words anyone had said to Ade and his parents since they left the airport. In fact, Ade thought, not daring to look over his shoulder, if you ignore the customs officer who only grunted hello, and the police officer who pointed to where the train station was, these are the first words any British person has ever said to us. Ade swallowed hard, the air here suddenly tasting very different from that back in Nigeria.

Dont take any notice, Doyin, Dad muttered.

Mums jaw was tight. Just keep walking. She glanced over her shoulder. Quickly. Keep walking. Quickly.

Dad didnt hesitate; he scooped up Ade and put him on his shoulders. Then he picked up the suitcase once more and strode on.

Ade knew he was small for a nine-year-old. But still. Wait! I wanted to walk he broke off as he felt his fathers grip on him tighten and the metal of his caliper give a little squeak of protest as if also warning him to be quiet. It seemed to be saying, Theres danger nearby, shhh.

Ade looked down at his mum and saw that she had moved in closer to his dad. They strode on past a few market stalls, keeping their heads down. Ade caught a glimpse of a sign that read Queens Market and could hear the call of traders selling everything from fruit, to fish, to trousers that they called Farahs.

The colour, chaos, hustle and bustle of the busy market didnt seem all that different to markets back home in Nigeria. If Ade hadnt heard that mean, angry voice behind him, hed be thinking how easy it would be in this new country. But I did hear that voice.

As Ade and his parents came alongside a stall selling Jif and other bottles promising the ultimate shine for your bathroom, a group of men barged past them. Ade counted four in total and they stood in a line to block the way ahead. They all had very short hair and were wearing white T-shirts, braces, jeans and green jackets with Union Jack flags on them.

The shortest one looked the meanest. He stared at them with bloodshot eyes and a smell rolled off him that made Ades nose sting. It reminded him of how his Uncle Lanre used to smell when he came back from a party. It was so strong that Ade put his finger under his nose.

The short man didnt like that and spat on the floor right by Dads feet.

Please, said Ades father. We dont want any trouble. We just want to get to our house.

Yeah, well we dont want you or your type here, shouted one of the other men. So go back to your house in Bongo Bongo Land.

The men all laughed at that, but it wasnt a funny, happy laugh. To Ade, they sounded like dogs being strangled. Where is this Bongo Bongo Land? he wondered. Had his parents bought a house there without telling him? They should have discussed it with me. Ill be 10 next year.

And we dont want stupid cripples here, either, said the man at the front.

Stupid cripple? Ade tried to get his head around that. I wear a caliper that supports my leg but that doesnt make me a cripple and it doesnt make me stupid.

Ade was scared but he also had to know why this man, who had never met him before, thought he was stupid.

His mum was quicker. She stepped forwards and looked right into the mans bloodshot eyes and shouted, Hes not a stupid cripple!

Mums back was as straight as a ruler and she was so angry she was shaking. Back home, when Mum got angry people were scared of her, but that wasnt happening with these men. They just seemed to think it was very funny and started laughing that horrible laugh again.

The market around them had fallen silent. There was no more hustle and bustle. The other market traders and shoppers were all looking over in their direction. All those eyes watching them made Ade feel like they were on display or something.