Chapter five MASSIVE thanks to my wonderful friend who has allowed me to use some of her Australia pics!!
Also a huge BIG thank you to Kate for photoshopping some of the pics. I know I drove you mental, but it was VERY much appreciated! Aunty Sarah wasn’t wrong when she said she was going to keep me busy. It felt like we were doing everything: it felt as if I hadn’t even slept and as if we were going 24/7. From the moment we landed, Aunt Sarah had taken control of things. After giving me a huge hug, she climbed up onto the plane behind me to talk to the pilots and Jack unloaded my suitcase.
Then Aunty Sarah took us to get some drinks at a nearby coffee shop. Before long I was being ushered back onto the plane and we were flying again, but both Jack and Sarah refused to tell me where we were going. They just kept telling me it was a surprise. And was it ever! About five hours later we were flying over the red center of Australia and below us was Uluru.
“Surprise!” Sarah had giggled when she saw the look on my face. What a surprise it was! I was speechless, it was amazing: it was so big and peaceful looking, and I just stared out of the window at the natural landmark I had only ever seen in pictures. We spent 2 days there, flying, walking and climbing the great rock.
We camped out in tents the first night, with the only problem being the sheer number of flies and insects which took to biting us. So on the second night, we retreated to a nice hotel. While we were there I told Sarah my secret, and why this trip was so important to me. I also told her that I wanted to look different; that I didn’t want to be known here. I didn’t want strangers to recognise me.
Aunty Sarah, as usual, was as resourceful as dad. Before I knew it, she had me in the hotel salon. My hair was dyed from its normal black to red, and was cut to sit just under my chin and was super stylish. They even managed to get my eyebrows to a red colour. Sarah also found me some different coloured contacts. I looked different, though it was still me.
Of course I was worried it wouldn’t be enough. Sarah simply laughed and said if just a pair of glasses could work for Superman, then a different hair colour would work for me.
At least from afar I would look slightly different and if the paparazzi were hanging around I would put in the contacts. Maybe I could pass off for a cousin of myself.
When we left Uluru, Aunty Sarah’s next stop on the itinerary was the top of Australia, the NT, where we got to see Kakadu National Park and my first ever live, wild crocodile.
I even got to see some of the most glorious sunsets.
I didn’t want to leave as the place was amazing with its abundance of waterfalls and swimming holes.
But Sarah assured me there was a lot more to see. Of course she was right.
Two weeks after we arrived in Australia we made our way back to Brisbane. Both sets of my grandparents were waiting and whisked us out to dinner the moment our plane had landed. Although they both didn’t live in Brisbane, neither set wanted to wait for me to come to them. They were dying to see me.
I was lucky, my grandparents on both sides had known each other for as long as I could remember and were close friends long before mum and dad ever got married. So the conversation was nothing but friendly and teasing between everyone.
I was so grateful that my parents agreed for me come and was even more grateful to my grandparents for leaving the comfort of their homes for the weekend just to come to me.
Of course it wasn’t just dinner I spent with them. During the rest of the weekend they took me to the local zoos to see more Australian animals, each one more fascinating than the next. I had a ball and before I knew it, it was time for them to fly out. I promised them all that I would be down to see them all soon and waved them off at the airport.
By this stage I was desperate for some rest, but Sarah had other ideas. She had booked a trip to a place I had been dying to see since I first saw it in book years ago. A place that was high up on my list of things to do and see before I died, and she had booked a private tour. I couldn’t believe it! I was so lucky!
(Jace’s life)
“Jace, the principle needs to see you in his office.” My maths teacher said from the front of the class, a piece of paper in his hands.
“Why?” I asked, confused.
“It doesn’t say Jace,” he smiled, “But take your stuff with you.”
I nodded and slowly packed up my dog-eared book and my one pen that was chewed beyond the point of no return. I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell my mother wanted now. I had managed to get out of the house that morning to get to school for the first time in 2 weeks. I was so far behind that most of the time I had no idea what the hell the teachers were talking about. It sucked. Thanks to the school’s counsellor they had eased up on me a bit, and were willing to extend my due dates where they could. Even with the extra help and time, I was struggling.
I dragged my feet as I headed towards the office. I didn’t want to go home, all mum would do was yell and scream and tell me that Deva needed feeding or that her nappy had been dirty since this morning. There was still 2 hours left of the school day, and next period was biology, my favorite subject. I didn’t particularly want to give it up for my mother, the shrew, even though I worried about Deva being left all day with her.
Entering the office I headed over to the reception desk and announced myself to Mrs. Pod. She was a middle aged lady that always had the warmest smiles and who, like the rest of the faculty, sadly knew me by name and by reputation.
“Hello Jace,” she greeted, looking up from her computer. “Mr. Porter said that you could go right on in.” She gave me one of those sympathetic smiles.
“Thanks” I mumbled before turning towards his office. I walked over to the thick wooden door and knocked.
“Come in” was called out from inside.
I opened the door slowly. Mr. Porter was sitting at his desk, staring at the computer with a slight frown on his face. Most people couldn’t believe he was our principle. He was relatively young and dressed like a hippy. You couldn’t help but like the guy.
“Take a seat Jace,” he said, motioning to the chairs in front of his desk. “I won’t be long.”
With a silent sigh I dropped my bag on the floor and fell into one of the chairs. It was only a moment later that Mr. Porter turned to me with a smile as he picked up a file that had my name at the top of it. “Thanks for coming Jace” he said, his smile not disappearing from his face.
“Did I have a choice?” I questioned a little sarcastically.
“No,” he said before opening the file, his face becoming serious. “Ok Jace. Let’s get right to the matter at hand, shall we? Your teachers and I are worried about your grades Jace. You are hardly at school, and rarely are your absences accounted for. When you do attend classes, the grades you do get are…well, terrible. Now I understand there are extenuating circumstances at home, which is why we have offered you extra leniency, but there is only so much we can do without your cooperation.”
“Yeah, I know.” I replied, annoyed. I wasn’t about to make more excuses, I was sick of it. It wasn’t like he didn’t know already.
“I have a solution for you, if you wish to accept it. I sound like a spy,” He laughed at his own joke. I just continued to stare at him, expressionless.
“Well,” he said, clearing his throat, “Your biology teacher Mrs. Gum tells me that whenever you are in her class, you excel over the other students. She says she’s finding it hard to keep up with you.”
“Are you kicking me out of the class?” I demanded, angry and terrified at the same time.
“No, no Jace. It’s nothing like that. Quite the opposite actually. Just listen to what I have to say, ok?”
“Ok” I mumbled, slumping back down in my seat.
“Well let’s get to the heart of the matter. Your grades suck in all subjects but biology. I have a good mate who runs a tourist business. He ferries customers to the Great Barrier Reef and back, and I have pulled a few stings. He is willing to take you on for the summer to give him a hand. In return he will get one of his oceanographers to teach you what they can. Now, it will be unpaid work, but if you show me that you are willing to make an effort, then I can arrange for you to be tutored in your other subjects while working on the boat. If by the end of the summer you can submit the extra assessments I have had drawn up for you, it will bring your bad grades up to at least a pass. Do we have a deal?”
I stared at him, it didn’t feel real. This dude was offering me a golden spoon; it had to be a joke. That just didn’t happen to me. People didn’t do that, people usually took and then never gave back.
“So what’s the catch?” I asked suspiciously.
“Just turn up to the dock at your scheduled times, do the best you can and that’s it. Now Mack is tough and although he believes in second chances, you will only get one from him. He expects you to do your job, listen to what you are told and to work hard” he replied seriously.
“No way! Is this a joke? If this is a joke, I swear I will toilet paper your house.” I said, trying not to get hopeful.
“As much as I’d appreciate the toilet paper Jace, I am serious. Mack is expecting your call.” He pushed a piece of paper across the desk with a number and address on it.
“I don’t know what to say” I replied as I stared at the paper.
“Thanks will be enough” he smiled. “Ok, now get the hell out of here, I have work to do and you have classes to attend while you’re here,” he grinned.
“Thanks” I said with a genuine smile as I picked up my bag I headed for the door.
“Oh and Jace,” Mr. Porter called from behind me as I opened the door to leave. I turned towards him. “Don’t let me down, ok?” He said with a small smile.
“I’ll try not to” I mumbled, thinking about my mum. This time I would be determined not to let her stop me. This was my dream job.
Working on the boat was great. Most days I was able to get out of the house long before mum woke up. That way, she couldn’t stop me from leaving and of course I didn’t get home till late. Lexi was brilliant, although she couldn’t change Deva’s nappy she would make sure she had something to eat while I wasn’t there. Of course mum hated me disappearing on her and didn’t fail to yell and scream at me the moment I walked through the door. Most nights she left me to clean up the mess that she had made through the day in having to look after her own kids. Listening to her screaming her lungs out was worth it, even though most days I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep.
It was just after the two week mark that Mack decided to ‘promote’ me for the day. One of the other workers, who went into the water with the more nervous tourists or kids, was off sick and there wasn’t anyone else that was able to take his job, which ended up being really easy. All I had to do was have a rope tied to me which was attached to a floating tube and had to swim around the reef, pointing out star fish or ‘Nemo’. It was mostly the kids that clung to the tube, but every now and then there was a nervous adult. It was easy, and I had a ball doing it. I learnt quickly the difference between the corals and would make silly jokes to who ever was on my tube at the time. Mack liked what I did so much that I got to keep the job. However, I still had to keep up with my other work. I still had to make sure the boat was anchored right when we hit the reefs, check that the decks were clean, and anything else that was thrown my way.
It was during my fourth week that I came into work and was told that we would be giving a private tour, and that I may not be needed to go out swimming. Mack said he would let me know. If I wasn’t needed in the water I would be needed in the kitchen to help the chef that had been hired for the day. It seemed that the group renting the boat spared no expense. Not that I cared, I loved my job and I didn’t think it would matter to me if it was 1 person or 100 that day. But it did matter. It was that day that my life changed. It changed because of her.
I was left breathless the moment I saw her.
(Some of the pics of Australia are my own (I have taken them). Some are a friends who was sweet enough to let me use them…thanks again. And some I found through a google search (thanks google). If you want to know which is which, etc, ask me)