The Journal of Paul O'Leary: From the City to the Outback

by Michael Mardel

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  Before I knew it, it was Christmas. When school finished for the year, Dad took me to the Boulevard Shopping Centre where I could choose a present for Mum – a picture frame. Then we went to the tackle shop in Chinatown where I told Dad to wait outside so I could choose a hand-held reel with a heavy duty line for catching barramundi.

  “Now, some people use a weighted net to catch the mullet for bait, but that’s expensive at $90,” the shopkeeper said. “Come back when you’re ready to go out and I’ll sell you some bait. For now, you may buy some large hooks as there are some big barramundi out there. They swallow the hooks so you have to carefully reel them in.”

  “It’s not really a surprise what I’m buying Dad for Christmas but can you put it all in a big bag?” I said.

  I was able to pay for it as Mum had increased my pocket money due to icy poles costing more in Broome. In the end I ordered two reels so we could both go fishing.

  Having that out of the way, I was looking for hints as to what my present or presents would be. Even Lassie had her present, a new pet bedding with sides and a big cushion in the middle.

  That night I dreamed of meeting an Aboriginal man at Fitzroy River on the Derby Road. He showed me where to fish and how to reel in a barramundi. When I turned to thank him, he was gone. Melted into the trees.

  I set up a barbeque on some rocks as I didn’t have a gas stove. I hoped that the barra man would return so I could offer him some of mine. But he never did. And the grass around my fire started to burn.

  18 Christmas.

  Boy, it was hot and muggy. I was on holidays now and waiting for Christmas. Mum said we’re not having roast turkey as it’s too hot to be cooking.

  “You’ll have to try some seafood and see if you like it. Oysters may not be your thing but I think you’ll like crayfish or crab meat,” said Mum. “Remember we had some on our Cape Leveque tour and you liked it.”

  “Okay, I’ll try it. Though it won’t be like our usual Christmas with turkey and ham,” I said.

  “Well, we’ll have cold ham as well and some ginger beer for you whilst your father and I have champagne. Then we’ll all do the dishes before having an afternoon siesta. How does that sound, Paul?”

  “When can I open my Christmas presents, Mum?” I asked.

  “On Christmas morning, Paul. Now go and have a quiet read while I have a siesta myself.”

  I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t read. I was too excited. What if I didn’t like my presents? What if Mum and Dad didn’t like theirs?

  I must have gone to sleep as I found myself floating up to the Milky Way with my Aboriginal friend.

  “Let your mind go free. Don’t think but feel your weightlessness as we float to the stars.”

  I was freaking out looking at Earth slipping away. I was a dead man if I fell now. I wanted the protection of a space ship. I also didn’t know how I was floating upwards and still able to breathe.

  Soon we were among hundreds of stars.

  “These are my ancestors,” said the Aboriginal man. “For 40,000 years we have come here.”

  Was this true? I thought. It didn’t matter, as it was all fantastic. I then slipped into a deep sleep surrounded by the stars and awoke refreshed.

  Before Christmas Day, the sky was heavy with rain clouds. There had even been some lightening. I loved to go outside and watch it zigzagging across the sky or to earth. We had two verandahs front and back so I could choose my spot and sit on a chair and watch the fireworks. I tried to draw them once but they were too fast and when I looked down at my drawing pad I’d miss a few. I decided to draw them later when I was inside.

  On Christmas morning I woke up early and raced out to the dining area where a plastic tree stood on the table. Mum had let me put a few ornaments on the tree and I didn’t break one though I came close. Fortunately, it landed on the carpet.

  There were two presents for me, one each from my parents. I opened the larger one and there was a shining new tennis racquet. I was getting stronger and could hit the ball quite well over the net and inside the baseline now. My coach promised me next year I would learn an easy way to slice the ball and do topspin.

  My other present contained some tennis balls with little loops so I could use them with my tennis trainer. Now I had my own racquet, I was anxious to try it out.

  After half an hour of hitting the ball and changing grips I was in a real sweat. I came inside and showered and still my parents were asleep. I could hear the air con going so they’d be comfortable for a while.

  I played with my finished helicopter though not with the decals, the design on prepared paper ready to stick onto the sides. I would leave them until later. I imagined myself flying overhead and it was just at that moment that I heard a helicopter clattering really low over our house, heading for the park.

  I woke Mum and Dad and they quickly dressed as a loud bang and flames reached us. Dad rang triple 0 and Mum, who used to be a nurse, raced out with a blanket. I’m sure she wasn’t going to have a sleep. I was told to stay at home to mind Lassie in case the fire took hold of the trees in Cygnet Park. I soon joined Dad as I didn’t want to miss the excitement.

  We waited on the corner as other people brought out fire extinguishers and some fire blankets.

  “They sure are well prepared,” said Dad. “We should invest in something like that because you never know when a fire might break out. We do have smoke alarms but we can’t unlock the windows.”

  “Here comes the fire brigade,” I said. As we watched, a fireman asked everyone to move back while they took over.

  “We need to get the pilot and any passengers out,” he said.

  The ambulance had arrived by now as well as the police so everyone was ushered to a safe distance. I couldn’t see Mum and I hoped her blanket protected her. It was the only woollen one we had as we only needed it or comforters for warmth in the dry season when it could go down to 10 degrees Celsius.

  Dad and I moved up to the crowd to see a little better. Sure enough, there was Mum with the neighbours who’d brought the fire extinguishers and fire blankets. We walked around to where she was and she thankfully joined us.

  “I don’t know if they will survive as the fire was fierce and they were trapped in their harnesses which should release on impact, I would have thought,” said Ann.

  “You did a brave thing Ann. It’s not every day you get to be a hero,” said Dad.

  As it turned out, the pilot and his passenger did survive thanks to the quick thinking of our neighbours and Mum. They suffered some burns but nothing life threatening. The same couldn’t be said for the helicopter which was a write-off. It was still there for a few days and I had a closer look when I walked Lassie.

  “That was some coincidence, my playing with my helicopter and the crash,” I said over Christmas lunch.

  “You could say that,” said Dad, “though you didn’t cause it. It certainly got us out of bed in a hurry, though.”

  “Now, did you like the crayfish, Paul?” asked Mum.

  “Yes, thanks, it wasn’t too bad. But give me sausages any day or pizza. Can we have pizza for New Year’s Eve?” I asked.

  “Why not. Now, are you going to walk Lassie?” asked Dad.

  “Yes. It’s too hot to play tennis so a quiet walk will do the trick. Do you want to come with me Dad,” I said.

  “After we’ve done the dishes I think all three of us could do with walking off lunch. Especially after the plum pudding,” said Dad.

  “Here, here,” said Mum. “Dad can wash, I’ll dry and you can put away.”

  Of course, we had to go via the park to see the burnt out wreckage of the helicopter. Some kids were playing in it already and Dad told them to keep away.

  “Hey kids, it’s too dangerous to be climbing on it. There may be hot spots which will burn you.”

  The kids reluctantly moved on and played footy in another part of the park. It’s really big and we walk all the way around on grass a
nd concrete paths. Some council workers are putting new mulch on the areas that have no or little vegetation and I’ve seen them watering it down.

  There’s a new rain garden in Cygnet Park being set up on the road on the other side to us and we had to skirt it when the concrete was laid. There’s another new one on Sanderling opposite my school and some kids dared each other to scratch their names on it. This was pretty silly because then the council and the school would know who did it.

  19 Tennis Open.

  I was a tennis couch potato for all of January with competitions going on all around Australia. Most were on the local TV stations though we watched some on Foxtel. The first competition was the Harry Hopman Cup in Perth. Tomic and Stosur represented Australia. They won a few matches but weren’t in the final.

  Then there were the competitions going down the east coast in Brisbane and Sydney and Hobart and across the Tasman in Auckland. There were ones in Melbourne at Kooyong and in Adelaide, all leading up to the Australian Open in Melbourne.

  I went to the Open for one day last year. Dad and I had a ground pass but not Centre Court or Vodaphone Arena. It didn’t matter as we saw many top names by staying under shade on the Number 1 Margaret Court. We would take it in turns to go to the toilet and get an ice cream. Dad had packed sandwiches and cold drinks so we acted like the players and had a sip of Gatorade followed by a mouthful of water. It was very hot so we needed to keep up our fluids. How would I cope in Broome, I wondered?

  Before we left Melbourne Park we checked out the big TV screen to see who was playing and there was Hewitt. We didn’t stay til the match ended as I was feeling tired after our long day and I fell asleep on the tram and train ride back home. Fortunately, Dad had driven us to the station so I made it home alright.

  We rang Mum straight away and she was still at work, being two hours behind us. I told her about my first day at the tennis and I couldn’t remember whom I’d seen. I think I’d like to learn tennis. One day.

  Well, that’s happened, having lessons, but I’m a long way off from being a top tennis player.

  “Lots of people play socially,” said Dad, “so don’t give up yet.”