"Now,” said Mr Thompson, “Let’s think about what jobs you are going to do when you grow up. Yes David.”
“I’m going to be a pop star.”
"But you can't sing," said John.
“Well,” said Mr. Thompson, “Your voice will change.”
“What are you going to do, Philip?”
"I’m going to be a footballer and play for Scotland.”
“You could certainly do that,” said John, “They’re hopeless!”
“I would like to see you playing against them John. They would beat your team 100 to nil.”
“Be quiet!” said Mr Thompson, “I do not want you having an argument.”
“What do you want to do Mark?”
"I would like to be a spaceman."
“You should be able to do that," said Philip. “There’s plenty of empty space in your head."
“That is enough!” said Mr Thompson. "Mark has done much better than you. He is a clever lad and I wouldn’t be surprised if ............. Philip! Did you throw that paper aeroplane?”
“No, it’s a spaceship for Mark.”
“Philip! See me after school!”

The next day was the start of the Spring holiday and Mark forgot about how Philip had been nasty. Then half way through the holiday Mark came into the house.
"Your Father has a letter that you will be interested in," said his mother. "He is playing with your younger brother in the living room."
Mark went straight in. “Mark,” he said “You remember you told me you wanted to be a spaceman.”
"Yes," said Mark.
“Well, I have a letter here which says that there is going to be a special school for boys who want to train to be spacemen.”
"They are asking if you want to go."
“You bet!” said Mark. “Can I go at the end of the holidays?”
“Not at the end of these holidays,” said Dad. “There may be hundreds of boys who want to go and you will have to sit a test to get in. Your teacher says you have been doing very well at school and he thinks you are good enough. Now the space school is a boarding school and you would live away from home for a term at a time. Do you think you could do that?”
“Would you send me e-mails?” said Mark.
“Yes, ... and we could speak to you on your mobile, but you would live in school and sleep in a dormitory with the other boys. It would not be like living at home.”
“I would not like to be away from home but I would do it if I could become a spaceman! I would miss you and Mum.”
“We would miss you too," said Dad, “but if you really want to do this we will try and help.”
A little later when Mark was back at school, Mr Thompson said, “Mark, I want you to go along to the school office. The Headmaster of the Space School wants to talk to you on the video phone."
Mark was very excited. He knew that when you spoke on the video phone you could see the person at the other end. He would see the headmaster and the headmaster could see him.

If only he could give the right answers to the headmaster’s questions he might be chosen to go to space school.

(To be continued in the next magazine.)