by Neal Davies
I had no idea she had a dentist appointment that day and didn’t have to leave the boarding house till later. Although Cyril rarely interferes with whatever we do, this morning for some reason or another he was constantly saying to me, “Excuse me, Dylan, I don’t like to interrupt but if you don’t leave soon you’re going to be late for class.”
I smiled at Gerry then lifted my head to eyeball Cyril and said, “When have I ever been late?”
Then I swung back around and grinned at Gerry in a flirtatious way as if to say, “Hey, like the way I handled that?”
Cyril began removing my plate from the table and replied, “Never. But it seems you’re making an exception today.”
Now I was getting downright annoyed. Here I was, sitting alone in a room making small talk with the most beautiful woman in the school and my supervisor was hell bent on destroying this magic moment.
So my head jerked around to eyeball him again and I replied, “What do you mean, and why just me? Gerry’s sitting here right next to me and if I’m late she’ll be late too!”
I think spending quality time with Gerry and this whole spring thing had got to me – I had never spoken that disrespectfully before, but I’d pay for it because instant karma was about to turn around and give me a good bite on my butt.
That realisation came to me when Gerry piped up and said, “Oh, didn’t I tell you Dylan? I have a dentist appointment this morning and I won’t be at school till later today.”
Cyril was standing behind her with a grin from ear to ear.
“What a warped sense of humour!” I thought to myself while grabbing a piece of toast and bouncing from my chair.
“See you later,” I said to Gerry as I glanced back over my shoulder only to see Cyril and Gerry chuckling between themselves. I raced down the hall and out the back door and although I’m not the most athletic guy in the world I bounded over the conifer hedge like an Olympic hurdler.
Way up ahead I could see a mob of lagging students and decided the only way I had any chance of being on time was by cutting through the park to nullify the deviation in the walkway that curved away from the school.
I reckon I broke several track records that day and it was clear to see I was going to make it in time; all I had to do was conquer the final hurdle which was the last hedge and then round the corner to victory.
I leapt the hedge like a springbok over tall grass and then BANG! I ran straight into Mr Gowdy, knocking his books and briefcase from his hands.
All the things I had been told to do and not to do as a young Bull Ant were somersaulting in my head and the most important one was “Don’t bring attention to yourself!”
Wow! Had I blown big time! I knew I was in for it. I’d seen students do a lot less in the past and had it cost them dearly.
Then the sun came shining through the clouds, hitting Mr Gowdy like a bolt of lightning, and a miracle occurred.
I began busily picking up his books and briefcase while trying to dust him down at the same time and I started apologising in a grovelling manner. Mr Gowdy peered over the top of his glasses that now were sitting quite crooked on his face and said, “That’s all right. Accidents happen. Just be more careful in future.”
He straightened his glasses and walked off. There must have been a dozen students standing around with their mouth’s agape and in complete shock of what they’d just witnessed.
Greg “Sparky” Collins, a Bull Ant member from year 11 who was next in line to take over from Gerry and me, had seen the whole thing and couldn’t believe it.
Greg was average height with mousy coloured hair and a masculine build. He had the ability to keep a straight face no matter what the situation, and told me this was a once-in-a-lifetime event and that he believed I deserved legendary status. He grinned when he said, “Your name will go down in Bull Ant history.”
I didn’t know how to react to his comment, as he had one of those dry senses of humour that make you wonder whether to laugh or be insulted. However, once I’d collected my composure and thoughts I understood that what had happened that day was no joking matter and that miracles are real.
I must admit though, that I was never late for school from that day on.
6
GREG AND CARLA’S STORY
Greg was a great guy and I often wondered how he could have any sense of humour at all given his past. I guess that’s one of the reasons we picked him for the club: he was always able to rise above adversity. Greg had two older siblings who were both at university in the United States. His father, Barry, was an electrical engineer and had thrown himself into his work since the death of his wife Sandra. Most of his time was spent overseas, only coming home for Christmas and school holidays.
Sandra was born and raised in the USA and Barry had met her when his company in Australia had asked him to do some work on a major building in New York that needed to have all its electrical wiring updated. There was a small coffee shop on the ground floor where Barry would go for lunch most days, and that’s where he met Sandra. She had her own small documentary film agency and sat at the same table at the coffee shop every day. There were always spare tables but Sandra liked just one in particular where she would sit alone contemplating her next project. The reason she preferred this table was that it only seated two people so she was rarely bothered by others sitting with her. However, the morning they met it had been pouring with rain so the shop had been inundated by those seeking shelter, and when Barry arrived for lunch there was only one spare seat and it was at Sandra’s table. From the moment Barry asked if he could sit with her something special happened; they had so much in common and it wasn’t long before they began seeing each other on a regular basis. They eventually got married and Barry’s job finished in the States so they moved to Australia to start their family. Greg’s two older siblings decided to attend university in the US after completing school, and when they weren’t at uni they stayed at Sandra’s parents’ home or travel back to Australia for the holidays.
Greg was 10 when his mum died and because she had been given six months to prepare for the end, she set about making home movies and leaving words of wisdom for her son as he grew. She had packed individual films into boxes for each year leading up to graduation and left strict instructions that they weren’t be opened until the second day of each New Year. There was also a message each year for Greg’s father but he couldn’t bear to sit and watch them as he had adored her and had never really let her go. Barry loved his son but Greg’s close resemblance to Sandra was too much for Barry and made it difficult for him to be around him. Greg felt rejected by this and when his father would ring, he would try to avoid the call or make out that he was busy doing homework so he could keep the conversation as short as possible. The one notable thing Barry had done for him since the time he could walk, right up to Sandra’s death, was teach him about electronics, and there was no doubt that he shared this ability with his father as he was a natural at it.
Carla “Hollywood” Deon was the other year 11 representative, and like Gerry and me there was a very special connection between Carla and Greg. They had built a close friendship as both had lost loved ones and found it easier to talk to someone who’d experienced a similar loss than to those that hadn’t. She was born in Hollywood in the USA and was sent to live with her grandmother in Melbourne after her parents were tragically killed in a plane crash. Carla was an attractive girl with auburn hair that flowed down her back to her waist. She kept it up in a bun when she was at school but would let it down in the evening when she was back at the boarding house. Carla had a small button nose with freckles in a group over the bridge of it. They say the one thing that never grows on a human is the eyes and yet I couldn’t imagine her as a baby as she had the largest dark brown eyes I’d ever seen. Her mother was a make-up artist and her father was a special effects coordinator at a major Hollywood movie studio before they died.
Originally from Melbourne, Carla’s mother had made a name for herse
lf in the Australian film industry as one of the best make-up artists in the country, so she decided she would like to pursue her career further and left for the States. It wasn’t long before her talents were recognised and she was soon snapped up by one of the major studios. Carla’s parents fell in love after meeting on the set of a film. Her father was born in the US and rarely spoke about his family, except to say that his father had wanted him to go to college and become a surgeon like him, but when he chose to pursue a career in special effects his father disowned him. Carla’s mother took her to the studio at every chance she could get so she could learn all about her trade. At the same time Carla would get to meet some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Even now many of them had remained in touch with her and sent her gifts for Christmas and birthdays; they would constantly ask if she would like to go over and stay in their holiday homes in Malibu, California or even Hawaii.
After her parents’ death Carla withdrew into herself and no matter what her grandmother did to cheer her up it had very little effect. She then came up with the idea that if Carla was with people her own age it might help bring her out of her shell. Her grandmother was a very wise woman and once Carla had become a member of our club and made a connection with Greg her whole persona began to change. We became like a second family to her.
It wasn’t because we felt sorry for Carla that we made her a member – we could have just as easily made her feel part of a family at the boarding house. Carla had some amazing skills that she had learnt from her mother which initially brought her to our attention. Carla, like her mother, had a natural flair for applying make-up, and not just in the sense of helping someone look more beautiful: she could actually change the appearance of one person to look like another. I remember one day when Sparky and she decided to have a bit of fun with the rest of us. She had made a face mould of Mr Gowdy from a photo we had on the computer and placed it on Greg. Greg then took some clothes from our make-up and wardrobe room that matched the type worn by Mr Gowdy and marched into a club meeting and said, “Hello, what’s going on here then?” Everyone turned their heads in astonishment and totally froze. I can tell you there were a few of us that had to change our clothes that day, especially Harry our computer whiz. Even with his very pale skin he looked as though someone had dipped him in a bucket of bleach.
7
HARRY, BONNIE AND THE SNOOP
Harry “Healer” Chan was in year 10, yet the school had advanced him to year 11 maths and computer studies. Harry’s real name was Delong, but like most Chinese students he changed his name to fit in and to save the issues around pronunciation. Harry was a great guy and was always the first to join in with anything going.
“Want to play footy, Harry?”
“Yes, why not?” he’d reply.
You never felt lonely while he was around. Harry had many talents: he was exceptional at maths, and was continually astounding us with his herbal remedies – not that we ever wanted to know what he put in them! – but most of all he had a talent for photography, shooting videos and editing film.
Harry came from the coastal province of Fu Jian, an area very famous for its tea which his family exported. His family, however, had a not-so-happy history with Australia after his great, great, great grandfather Fei Chan came here when gold was found in Ballarat in 1851. Fei and his family were very poor, so when he heard of the discovery and how many of his Chinese comrades had become quite wealthy while prospecting in Australia he decided that this was his opportunity to bring wealth and honour to his family. In January 1852 Fei packed his bags and headed off, leaving his wife and two children behind.
The people of Fei’s village believed that he was a dreamer and would never make anything of himself. They told him the only way to accumulate fortune was through hard work at home and that if he wasn’t successful with his quest he would bring terrible dishonour to his family. But Fei enjoyed adventure and nothing could change his mind. He imagined himself returning with great wealth, all the time believing his family would never have to worry about money again.
When Fei reached Australia he wrote to his family constantly. The letters told of the hardships and how he had entered into a partnership with an Englishman. Together they had made enough money to buy an old abandoned mine. For once his luck had begun to change and Fei wrote how he and his partner had dug deeper and found a small vein of gold running through the mine and the further in they dug the larger the vein was growing.
Not long after this discovery the letters ceased. Fei’s family thought that he had deserted them after striking it rich, and when the news spread throughout the province his family were ridiculed and dishonoured because of his actions.
After his father didn’t return, Fei’s son was teased throughout his school days and like his father the taunts made him more determined to bring honour to his family name. The Chinese government created powerful positions for those who showed exceptional promise intellectually and Fei’s son was one of those students. He became one of the most influential men in his province and with his power came financial opportunity and gain.
He bought thousands of acres of land and grew and exported some of the finest tea the world has ever seen. All the people of the district bowed whenever he walked past but the whispers and rumours about his father never went away. The family’s sadness carried all the way down to Harry’s parents.
Harry could cope with his own personal torments but he had trouble dealing with the emotional pain he saw his mother going through, so to escape these thoughts he was often seen with Bonnie in our monitoring room going over the previous day’s recorded security tapes to see if there was anything that the club might be interested in.
Bonnie “Brain” Bartlett was our other year 10 club member. Whenever any of the younger kids had trouble with school work, Bonnie was always happy to help out, and this probably originated from her being raised in a large family where everyone was taught to help each other. It wasn’t hard to tell that she had her mother’s Italian blood running through her veins with her coal black hair and beautiful complexion, and although she wasn’t overweight she had a stocky build. I guess the Italian characteristic that stood out most was her over-emphasised hand movements, particularly when she was frustrated with someone: she would hold her head with one hand while indicating her feelings with the other.
She had three older sisters and three younger brothers. Her mother Anna was born in Italy and her parents migrated to Australia when Anna was only four. Although Mrs Bartlett saw herself as a true blue Aussie there was no doubt that her wonderful Italian heritage had never left her.
Whenever visitors went to Bonnie’s house they found her mother welcoming them at the door with sweeping hand motions beckoning them to enter and warmly welcoming them with her smile.
“Come in, come in. You look hungry. Let me get you something to eat,” she said. And as you took your first step into the house the aromatic smell of garlic and herbs such as coriander and oregano pleasantly filled the air. Those fragrances would ignite your senses and entice you to the confines of the kitchen where you’d be held captive until you’d indulged on the aromas’ source. Later you felt like doing nothing because you’d eaten so much you could barely move. As you can imagine, Bonnie’s father was somewhat overweight, but who wouldn’t be, given the same circumstances. His name was Edward, or Ted as he was affectionately called by Mrs Bartlett. Ted traced his family tree back to one of the first known convicts who had been brought to Australia from England for stealing a loaf of bread. Like Anna, he was proud of his heritage and saw himself as a true blue Aussie.
The family didn’t have a lot of money. Mr Bartlett worked as a bricklayer while Mrs Bartlett had her hands full keeping the house running like a well-oiled machine. Money wasn’t an issue when it came to getting by though: their home was built on happiness, encouragement and love and I don’t think I have ever seen a family with so much warmth. All of the kids were treated as individuals and given every opportunity
to excel wherever their interests lay.
Anna and Ted attended school functions and sports days, while sometimes going without and helping their kids any way they could to find their path in life. Through this sort of encouragement the kids felt comfortable applying themselves to their work because they wanted to, not because they were pushed to do so.
Bonnie was an exceptional student and her grades were flawless. Her parents applied to Benworden for a scholarship and it was given without hesitation. Bonnie specialised in computers and in year 10 there was very little she couldn’t do with one. She was often asked to hack into Mr Gowdy’s emails to see what devious plans he had in store for the school or the club at any given moment.
Isabel Snippiton was one of the biggest concerns for our club. She was not only a student at the school but also a boarder and was always snooping around trying to get others in trouble. Isabel came from a very wealthy family. Her father was on the board of three very well-known organisations and her mother held charity fund-raisers which included afternoon teas with high-flyers and socialites. Isabel loved to put on airs and graces, and anyone who wasn’t from what she called the “properly connected families” was viewed as an outcast in her eyes.
I’d heard that as her parents couldn’t give her the time and love she so often longed for, they tried to make up for it with an allowance that would equal an average worker’s weekly wage before expenses. June Snippiton, her mother, or “Mummy” as Isabel called her, told Isabel that she should earn her allowance. Her father, Jarvis Snippiton, (who was always flaunting his money but never spending any of it), didn’t seem to care less about this as long as June left him alone. Apparently he just wanted to go his merry way being oblivious to everyone’s needs except his own.