A Mystery in Ronnie’s Room

One autumn, Ronnie and her parents moved into a lovely new house. Ronnie enjoyed making her new room quite cosy, with soft throws, a new wardrobe, a colourful lamp and plenty of pictures on the walls. The whole room sparkled like new and was beautifully laid out.

When Sunday came, the family held a housewarming party and invited all of Ronnie’s relatives. Ronnie’s mother made all sorts of tasty food for lunch, including pumpkin soup, chestnut purée and other delicious dishes. Everyone chatted as the guests admired the lovely wallpaper and the smart new fridge and enjoyed the view from the balcony.

They even brought Ronnie some presents! Her grandmother brought her a tomato plant in a flower pot, and her godmother brought a lovely flowering plant with purple, triangular leaves – a false shamrock. And her other grandmother brought her an exotic coffee plant.

“Look after them. Water them regularly, and you’ll see how much joy they bring to your new room!” they told Ronnie.

She nodded. But deep down she was thinking – Oh, how I wish you’d given me a t-shirt or a cover for my mobile phone!

She put the plant pots on the window ledge in her new room and sat down to text her best friend. She totally forgot about the plants. She didn’t think about them the next day, or the third day either.

In fact, Ronnie forgot about more than just the plants. She forgot to walk her puppy, Lupo, she forgot to put fresh water in his bowl, she forgot to brush her teeth, and sometimes she even forgot to do her homework. Her mother tried to remind her: “Water those plants! They were presents, you know. Look after them well!”

And Ronnie would reply: “Yes, I will. First thing…