Harding's luck

Dickie lives in a cramped row of houses at New Cross, where the once‑green fields have been painted over with endless streets of yellow brick and mud‑colored dwellings. His tiny back‑yard is a mess of stones, broken tools and the lingering memory of a rabbit hutch that never quite fit the bleak surroundings. The neighborhood’s soot‑stained walls contrast sharply with the modest garden next door, where daffodils and primroses manage a stubborn splash of colour.

A restless boy, Dickie’s temper flares when his aunt sells the last remnants of the hutch, prompting a sharp slap and a moment of bitter solitude. As he watches the neighbor tend his greener plot, a strange curiosity awakens—hinted at by the mysterious “moonflower” that seems to whisper promises of something beyond the drab streets. This opening sets the stage for a tale of youthful yearning, small‑town intrigue, and the unexpected luck that may yet find its way to Dickie’s doorstep.