Stay Well Soon (11 page)

11

Jet-black Gelding

At recess Teegan asks me and Morgan if we want to play Kidnappers, which is a new game she invented. You need a lot of people to play, so Teegan also asks Brianna, April and Charlotte but only Brianna says yes. Then Rory and Brendan come over and want to know what we're doing. So we let them play too.

We draw pieces of paper out of a hat to see who we're going to be. I am a bit disappointed because my piece of paper is blank so I'm not the Kidnapper. Oh well, you can't have everything.

Teegan is the Detective. That means she will be trying to discover who the Kidnapper is.

We walk around the school minding our own business. Anyone could be the Kidnapper so we are suspicious of each other and no-one wants to walk around together. I could stay with Teegan, which would mean I would never get kidnapped, but that would be boring and
life is too short.

I do a lap of the basketball court but nothing happens. I walk past the library. Brianna is coming straight towards me so I quickly turn the other way. I look over my shoulder to see if she's following me but she isn't. So maybe she isn't the Kidnapper.

I see Teegan and wave at her. She just frowns back at me. For all she knows, I could be the Kidnapper.

Nothing is happening; this game is not as much fun as I thought. I walk towards the back fence. And that's when I see it. A row of legs are poking out from behind the bushes. I walk towards the bushes and see Brianna, Morgan and Kaylee sitting on the ground.

‘We've been kidnapped!' says Morgan.

‘Oh my God!' I say. ‘I'll go get Teegan to rescue you!'

‘Come here first – I need to show you something,' says Morgan.

I bend down and she taps me on the shoulder. ‘You're kidnapped too,' she says.

‘What?' I say.

‘Morgan's the Kidnapper,' says Brianna. ‘Sit down.'

Morgan was pretending to be kidnapped when all along she was really the Kidnapper! It was a good trick.

I sit down beside Morgan. Now we just have to wait to see if
Teegan finds us. The anticipation is hard to take.

‘I would hate to be kidnapped in real life,' says Brianna.

‘Me too,' I say.

‘I wouldn't mind being kidnapped,' says Morgan. ‘It would be exciting. As long as they didn't murder me or anything horrible.'

‘Yeah, being murdered would be heaps worse,' says Kaylee.

‘On the weekend I read a story in the paper about a girl who was kidnapped and then murdered,' says Morgan. ‘They found her chopped up in a bag in a caravan.'

‘That is horrible!' says Brianna.

‘She was only in Grade 5 too,' says Morgan. ‘Our age.'

‘It is so sad to think of someone our age dying,' says Kaylee.

‘It's tragic,' says Morgan.

Morgan starts telling the others about her dream funeral. I have heard it all before.

I stick my legs further out the bushes.

The others keep talking. I think about the weekend. I can't wait to see Finnigan. Maybe I will even get to ride him. That would be the best. In the pictures Lara drew, Finnigan is a jet-black gelding with a black mane and tail. He looks big, at least sixteen hands. Lara must miss Finnigan so much. If I had a horse I would never want to be away from it, even for a minute.

Morgan is talking really loudly. ‘It's true!' she says. ‘Stevie's brother does so too have cancer.'

Kaylee looks at me. ‘Really?' she says.

‘She won't talk about it,' says Morgan. ‘My mum says she's repressed.'

‘She doesn't have to talk about it if she doesn't want to,' says Brianna.

‘But we're all talking about our feelings and she won't join in. It's like she doesn't trust us.'

‘Mum says we shouldn't talk about it if she doesn't want to,' says Brianna. ‘Leave her alone, Morgan.'

‘Yeah, she doesn't have to talk about it,' says Kaylee.

The bell rings. We see Rory and Brendan on the way back to the portable. They are disappointed they didn't get kidnapped. Teegan is disappointed she didn't catch the Kidnapper, which means Morgan won. But Morgan is not happy, she is really mad.

When I arrive home from school Rhys is watching the television as usual. I never get to watch what I want to anymore. Rhys always has first choice.

Angel is sitting on the couch with Rhys. She wags her tail when I come in, but she doesn't jump down to say hello. She is too comfortable.

I put some bread in the toaster in the kitchen.

‘Do you want some toast, Rhys?' I yell.

‘No.'

When I come back to the lounge room with my toast Rhys is asleep on the couch.

This is a good opportunity. I go to Rhys's room, take the stopper out of the motorbike savings jar, turn it upside down and shake out some coins. I count the money when I get to my room. It's all silver coins – only two dollars. I get out my favourite sock, untie the knot, put the coins in, retie the sock and push it to the back of the drawer.

Rhys is still asleep in the lounge room, so I change the channel. Rhys doesn't wake up. While I'm watching the television, I draw about the day.

12

A Dream Come True

At lunchtime Teegan comes up to the bench and asks us if we want to play Kidnappers again. I would like to but Morgan says no.

‘Why don't you want to play?' I ask.

‘It's boring after a while.'

‘But it's boring sitting here with just us two.'

‘Fine then, go and play with your new friends.'

Morgan stands up and walks off.

So she is mad at me again.

Teegan sits beside me.

‘I thought you were going to play Kidnappers?' I say.

‘We don't have enough people. Do you want to play handball?'

‘Okay.'

Teegan and I play handball. Brendan and Rory come over and watch us. Teegan asks them if they want to play, and they say yes. When the bell rings I am tired, but in a good way.

When I get home from school, Rhys is sitting on the couch in the lounge room, but for once he is not watching television. David is with him.

‘Do you want to play a game, Stevie?' David says.

‘Rhys doesn't like games,' I say.

‘Yes I do,' says Rhys.

‘No you don't. You said games were for idiots.'

‘When did I say that?' says Rhys

‘Heaps of times. And when Cameron was over you said you'd rather stick pins in your eyes. Then you said you'd beat me to death if I didn't leave you alone.'

David laughs. ‘So do you want to play?' he asks.

‘Yes.'

I get out the Monopoly board. David has some very good strategies. He buys all the cheaper streets and builds lots of houses. After a while Rhys gets tired, and then he falls asleep.

David calls his mum to come and get him.

Mum comes out of the kitchen to say goodbye. ‘Thanks for coming, David,' she says. ‘It means a lot to Rhys to have at least one friend come to visit.'

‘Cameron's always asking after him at school,' says David.

‘Good for Cameron,' says Mum. ‘What a great effort.'

There's a gravel scrunching sound as a car pulls into the driveway.

‘That'll be Mum,' says David quickly. ‘Thanks for having me.' And he rushes out the door.

At the end of the week Morgan asks me if I want to go to her house on Saturday to play suffragettes.

‘I can't,' I say. ‘Mum's busy.'

‘My dad could pick you up,' she says.

‘No, I don't think I can.' I am going to meet Lara's horse Finnigan tomorrow. I would not give that up for the world, and anyway I have promised.

Morgan picks up her backpack and walks off.

‘Where are you going?' I ask.

‘It's a secret,' she says. ‘Just like all your secrets.'

As Dad Ben would say, Morgan will have to build a bridge and get over it.

When I wake up on Saturday I remember straight away that it is Finnigan day. I am not going to lie around. I get up and put on my horse T-shirt. I like to wear my horse T-shirt on special days and this is a very special day. I have met horses before, like Star, but there has always been a fence between us, whereas I might get to actually ride Finnigan. We will go galloping through the paddock. The wind will whip through my hair and I will hear the
thud, thud, thud
of Finnigan's hooves as they pound underneath me like waves against the shore.

Mum is running late because Rhys threw up his breakfast. Mum's friend, Brenda, comes over to look after Rhys while we are out.

I stand in the lounge room door waiting for Mum to be ready, trying not to look impatient because that makes her really mad.

Rhys is lying on the couch and Mum is patting his head like he's Angel or something. Rhys says, ‘You can go.'

‘Are you sure you're okay?' says Mum.

‘I'm fine. I'll go to sleep.'

Rhys is very brave about throwing up now because he does it all the time.

‘Are you sure you'll be okay with him?' says Mum to Brenda. ‘The instructions and numbers are on the fridge, remember.'

Brenda says, ‘It's okay, Miranda – I've played this game before, you know. I'll call you if anything happens. You two go and have fun.'

They talk on and on like this until we finally go out to the car.

The trip to the hospital takes forever. If we don't get there by ten o'clock Lara will think I'm immature and can't be on time for appointments and will leave without me.

When we pull up at the McDonald's entrance the car clock says nine fifty-seven.

‘Maybe I should come in?' says Mum.

I quickly open the car door. ‘No, I'm fine,' I say. I jump out and slam the door.

Mum winds down the window and shouts, ‘Bye, Stevie! I'll be back at three!'

I walk towards the McDonald's entrance. I turn around and see our car driving away. I wait until I can't see our car anymore, then I run towards the hospital and up the steps. Inside the hospital I stop running because that is the rule. I walk as fast as I can to the lifts. The lift doors are just closing but I stick out my arm and they open again. The lift is very full but I don't have time to worry about that. I just squash in. At least I don't have a big box of fruit.

When I get to Lara's room, she is still there, sitting on her bed.

‘You made it!' she says.

‘Sorry I'm late – Rhys kept spewing this morning,' I say.

‘What's that?' asks Lara. She's pointing at the present I'm holding. Mum gave it to me to give to Morgan. It's stickers and a box for putting jewellery in.

‘It's nothing.' I say. I put the present on Lara's chest of drawers beside her bed.

‘We don't have much time,' Lara says. ‘See that wheelchair behind the door? Bring it over.'

‘Why?' I say, pushing the wheelchair towards Lara.

Lara stands up. Her legs are shaking. She manages to grab onto the arms of the wheelchair and swivel around to sit.

‘Okay, let's go,' she says.

I walk towards the door.

‘Hey, Stevie?' says Lara. ‘I need you to push me.'

At the lifts she is impatient. She mutters, ‘Come on, come on.'

I am sorry I have made us late.

The lifts ding and the doors open.

A nurse steps out. It's Cecilia, who used to look after Rhys. ‘Where are you two off to?' she says.

‘Just going out for some fresh air,' says Lara.

‘Enjoy it while you can,' says Cecilia.

I push Lara into the lift but Cecilia is still talking, ‘The radar's showing rain for later. There's a big swirly cloud coming up from Tas—' The lift doors shut.

‘I feel a bit guilty lying to Cecilia,' says Lara. ‘She's one of the good ones.'

When we get outside Lara points at a taxi van and says, ‘That must be for us'. The driver winds down the window and says, ‘Taxi for Lara?'

I have never been in a taxi before, let alone in a taxi van.

The driver opens the back door and puts down a ramp. Then he pushes Lara up the ramp and helps put her seatbelt on. There's a seat next to Lara for me.

‘Where are you headed to, love?' the taxi driver asks Lara.

‘Killara Road, Coldstream.'

Coldstream is often on the news because it has the coldest temperatures, but I've never been there.

Lara and I don't talk much in the taxi. I can't believe I am finally going to a horse farm and Lara will finally see Finnigan again.

It takes us a long time to drive through the city. The taxi driver drives like Dad Tony. He keeps getting impatient, honking other drivers and braking really
quickly. Finally, we get onto the freeway and the driving
gets smoother. I can't believe how far we are going. The meter says the trip has already cost more than forty dollars.

Lara gives the taxi driver instructions about when to get off the freeway. I'm glad she knows where we're going because I have no idea.

We drive along a road with lots of shops, houses and car sale yards, but no sign of a horse farm. Then finally, there are no more houses and I start to see paddocks. The meter is up to seventy dollars. I hope Lara has that much money because I certainly don't. Mum gave me ten dollars for lunch.

‘Do you have enough money?' I ask Lara.

‘Sure,' she says.

Lara tells the driver to turn left. There are white fences along this road, a promising sign. Horses in books always live in paddocks with white fences. And there really are horses in the paddocks. Big, proper horses, not ponies like Star and Cinnamon. It's like a dream come true.

‘It's left at the next gate,' says Lara.

The taxi slows down and we drive through a red-brick gateway with metal horses on top of each post. At the end of the driveway I can see a big red-brick two-storey house with white columns. It is the fanciest house I have ever seen. In fact, I would say it is a mansion. The hedges along each side of the driveway block the views of the paddocks, but every so often I get a glimpse of a horse on the other side.

A man comes out of the house and stands on the front steps looking towards us.

‘I hope he's not angry,' says Lara.

He has a red beard that covers most of his face so I can't tell what he's thinking.

We pull up in front of the house and the taxi driver comes around to the back and opens the door. He helps Lara out first and then I jump out.

‘How much?' asks Lara.

‘Ninety-seven fifty please.'

Lara hands over some notes, and says, ‘Keep the change.'

‘Have a great day, beautiful,' says the taxi driver.

He gets back into the taxi and shuts the door. Lara says, ‘Sexist pig.'

The man on the veranda is still looking at us.

‘Hello,' says Lara.

‘Hello,' the man says. ‘What are you doing here?'

‘I've come to see Finnigan.'

‘Shouldn't you be in hospital?' the man asks.

‘I'm still in hospital – I'm just having an afternoon out.'

‘Does your mother know you're here?'

‘What do you reckon?'

‘I should call her.'

‘Go ahead, ruin my short life.'

The man sighs and says, ‘Alright then, you'd better come inside.'

I follow him, pushing the wheelchair towards the house. I stop at the steps. The man is already opening the front door.

‘Dad?' says Lara.

‘What?'

‘We need some help here.'

He looks confused for a moment then realises what the problem is.

‘Oh, righto,' he says. He comes over to Lara. ‘Do you mind?' he says.

Lara shakes her head. Then he picks up Lara in the wheelchair and carries her up the stairs. He is very strong.

‘Do you girls want something to eat?' he asks.

I look at my watch; it is already ten to twelve. We have to get back to the hospital by three o' clock or Mum will find out everything.

‘Yes please,' says Lara. ‘Stevie must be starving. By the way, Dad, this is Stevie; Stevie, this is my dad.'

‘My name's Tim actually,' the man says. ‘Nice to meet you, Stevie.' He puts out his hand and I shake it, like people do on television.

Lara's dad Tim wheels Lara into the kitchen. There are piles of dishes everywhere and I notice a pair of boots on the bench. No way would we be allowed to have shoes on the bench at our house. I don't know how he can cook in this kitchen; there is no space for a chopping board or anything.

We sit at the table, which is also covered in stuff. There is a drill in front of me and a catalogue from Horseland, which is a horse equipment shop.

‘I don't have much to eat,' says Lara's dad Tim. He throws a packet of Tim Tams on the table. ‘Would you like these?'

‘Yes!' I say.

‘I'm not hungry,' says Lara. ‘But you go ahead, Stevie.'

I take a Tim Tam. I haven't had a Tim Tam for ages. Maybe not since Aunty Janet's birthday. I take a bite and they are just as good as I remember.

I look at the Horseland catalogue. There are horse rugs on the front and they all cost more than two hundred dollars. That seems like a lot to pay for a piece of material. But it turns out that when you buy a horse rug you also get a dog rug for free, which makes it a bargain. Angel has never had a rug before.

I have finished my Tim Tam. I would like to have another one, but I don't want to be greedy. The packet is so brown and shiny, my mouth is watering just looking at it.

Lara's dad Tim says, ‘Have as many as you want', and pushes the packet towards me.

I take another Tim Tam.

‘I'll go and get Finnigan,' says Lara's dad Tim.

He walks out of the kitchen. His boots leave a fresh set of muddy marks on top of the old ones across the kitchen floor. I am glad I don't have to clean up this house. It would be a full-time job. It looks fancy from the outside, but inside, it has problems.

‘How many Tim Tams is too many?' I ask Lara.

‘More than seven,' she says. ‘Seven is the perfect number but you should never eat more than seven Tim Tams in a twenty-four-hour period.'

I turn the page of the Horseland catalogue and get to the saddle section, which is even more interesting.

I take another Tim Tam.

I look at the saddles in the catalogue. They are
beautiful but they are so expensive. Maybe I could just ride Atta Girl bareback. That would save a lot of money.

‘Sorry my dad's so weird,' says Lara.

‘He's okay,' I say. ‘He's a bit messy, but so are lots of people.'

I turn the page. It has horse boots. I have never even heard of those. Some of them are really expensive, like a hundred and fifty dollars – heaps more than my own boots cost.

‘No, trust me, he's a deeply weird man,' says Lara. ‘I mean, don't you wonder why he never visits me in hospital?'

‘Um, Lara, if you have a horse, do you have to buy boots for them?'

‘Not necessarily.'

That's good.