Short Story Competition: School Years 6 to 7 Highly Commended ‘The Man With The Flag’

by Sophie Llambias Mor

As I stepped on the warm sand of Caleta I said to myself “yay! I am finally here!”

From the corner of my eye I spotted a big Union-Jack flag waving side to side I looked back, it was closer to me. I thought I was hallucinating as I ignored it and continued to enjoying the warm sand.

I glanced as I saw a frizzy hair man walking towards me, with a union flag.

“Soy Jonnie Walker, de la Caleta” he said I was so confused as I don’t speak Spanish, I stayed quiet for 10 seconds.

“Hello I’m Jonnie Walker” he repeated. We started talking about Gibraltar, we got along pretty well.

He invited me to go eat lunch with him in Caleta’s well known restaurant, the Seawave.

We ordered pulpo a la gallega and gambones frito, I have never tried that before.

“I have never tried that before, but it’s nice” said Jonnie.

The food came, we both took a bite of the gambones, it was amazing, “Que tea pro…” before Jonnie could even finish multiple seagulls swooped down attempting to get our food, in a surprise Jonnie stood in a proud step “here I stand, Gibraltar, my country, mi comida and my everything” hitting the seagulls with his massive flag, up and down, left to right.

How did that happen?

I don’t know.

But we did take a photo together.

AND IT’S ALL OVER THE CHRONICLES!

I lived happily ever after.

Oh I also moved to Gibraltar.

I’m loving it.

“Don’t put the blame on me”

Jonnie Walker

Judge’s Comments:

An engaging story that immortalizes one of Gibraltar’s larger than life personalities! The Caleta, Johnnie Walker and the swooping seagulls all create a lovely vignette of Gibraltarian life as seen through the eyes of one of the younger members of our community.