Stay Well Soon

by Penny Tangey

  ‘Julian’s an idiot. My hands hurt,’ I say. ‘He kept hitting me really hard.’

  ‘What a tool,’ says Lara.

  Morgan comes up to us. ‘Hi, Stevie! I had to dance with James. It was gross.’

  James always has dirty hands.

  Then Morgan notices Lara. She is staring at her.

  ‘We should go,’ I say.

  ‘Okay,’ says Lara. ‘Are you going to introduce me to your friend?’

  ‘This is Morgan,’ I say.

  ‘And I’m Lara.’

  ‘Let’s go now,’ I say. ‘Or we’ll get in trouble.

  ‘We wouldn’t want to get in trouble,’ says Lara. ‘Hey, Mum,’ she calls out. ‘Enough of the yabba yabba, let’s go.’

  Lara’s mum comes over and we all go over to the classroom.

  Morgan walks behind us and I can tell she is still staring at Lara. She is probably thinking of questions to ask about cancer.

  When we get to the portable, Mr Parks has already set up the ramp so Lara can go straight into the classroom. Mr Parks has pushed all the tables to one side to make more room. Our chairs are in rows at the front and there are extra chairs for the Grandparents and Friends at the back. It is quite crowded with so many Grandparents and Friends in here.

  Mr Parks stands at the front of the classroom and his eyebrows go up and down. But the Grandparents and Friends don’t understand that when Mr Parks’s eyebrows go up and down it means you have to be quiet, so they keep talking. But they don’t get in trouble. Mr Parks just says, ‘Grade 5, Grandparents and Friends, could I have your attention.’ Everyone stops talking.

  ‘Welcome to the Grade 5 portable,’ says Mr Parks. He talks about what we’ve been doing during the year. It is boring because I already know it all. Then he says we will be doing reading with the Grandparents and Friends until recess. After recess we will do the Australian history presentations.

  The cool thing is that because the classroom is too full we are allowed to go anywhere in the school to read, even though it’s not recess or lunchtime. But we decide to stay in the classroom because it is easier. The book I have chosen to read is The Phantom Stallion. I have read it before, but I wanted to choose a really good book. I read it to Lara, Dad Ben and Lara’s mum. They all agree that it is a very good book and Lara asks if she can borrow it so she can finish it later. Of course I say yes.

  At recess time we are allowed to eat play lunch inside, which usually only happens if it rains really, really hard. We all have Boston bun, which Dad Ben brought for us to share.

  When the bell rings I know it is time for the history projects.

  Mr Parks stands at the front and goes yabba yabba about the projects. I can’t listen properly because I keep thinking about our presentation. I feel very nervous and sick in my stomach. Finally, Mr Parks says, ‘So now, for our first history presentation, Stevie and Morgan will be talking to us about the suffragettes.’

  All the Grandparents and Friends clap and so do some of my class.

  Morgan and I stand up and walk to the front of the classroom.

  ‘We are going to talk about the suffragettes,’ says Morgan.

  ‘In the olden days, women weren’t allowed to vote,’ I say.

  ‘The suffragettes thought that women should be allowed to vote,’ says Morgan.

  ‘The suffragettes protested and signed petitions so that women would get to vote,’ I say.

  ‘Does anyone know when women got the vote in Australia?’ Morgan asks.

  ‘It was 1902,’ I say.

  ‘Women got the vote in America in 1920 and in England in 1928,’ says Morgan.

  ‘In England, one of the suffragettes threw herself under a horse,’ I say.

  ‘And she died,’ says Morgan.

  Morgan and I have decided not to act this out as it is too hard for one person to be a horse.

  ‘Some of the suffragettes got sent to jail,’ I say.

  ‘They went on a hunger strike,’ says Morgan.

  ‘So they were force-fed,’ I say.

  ‘And some of them died,’ says Morgan.

  ‘In Australia the suffragettes had a big petition, which everyone signed,’ I say.

  ‘The South Australian government gave women the right to vote in 1895,’ says Morgan.

  ‘Then, when all the states joined together to become Australia at Federation, women were given the vote in all the states,’ I say.

  Morgan and I look at each other. Then we chant together, ‘Purple, Green and White, We Will Fight!’

  Everyone claps, even all the Grade 5s. Dad Ben does a whistle. Morgan’s face goes red.

  We go back to our seats. We have got it out of the way and now we can enjoy the rest of the day.

  Mr Parks says, ‘Thank you, Morgan and Stevie. That was very informative and inspiring. Our next presentation will be Julian and Tim telling us about the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.’

  Julian and Tim’s presentation is okay but they have to keep reading off a piece of paper, which makes it harder to listen to.

  They only stop reading off the paper at the end. Julian says, ‘One day I will go to the Olympics.’

  Tim says, ‘My cousin went to the Olympics in London.’

  ‘He only went to watch,’ says Julian. ‘I’m going to be an athlete.’

  ‘He was still there,’ says Tim.

  ‘It’s not the same.’

  ‘At least he definitely went. I saw the photos on Facebook.’

  Mr Parks comes to the front. ‘Thanks for that, boys. Let’s all give them a round of applause.’

  Most of the rest of the presentations are a bit boring but the Grandparents and Friends seem to like them because they keep clapping. April and Charlotte do World War II. Charlotte won’t look up while she is talking, so it is hard to hear her. April talks really loudly and in a funny voice.

  Teegan and Kaylee go last. Their presentation on convicts is really good. Of course, I have heard their presentation before, because we practised for each other, but I get a bit more out of it each time.

  After all the presentations are done we go and stand beside our posters so the Grandparents and Friends can come up and ask questions.

  Lara, Dad Ben and Lara’s mum are already at our poster.

  ‘That was great!’ says Lara. ‘I learnt so much.’

  ‘I had no idea women in Australia got the vote so early,’ says Lara’s mum. ‘We are a progressive country after all.’

  ‘Unless you’re Aboriginal,’ says Dad Ben.

  ‘Good point,’ says Lara’s mum.

  ‘What do you mean?’ says Morgan.

  ‘Aboriginal people weren’t allowed to vote until 1967,’ says Dad Ben.

  ‘That is so unfair!’ says Morgan. ‘I am going to make a sign that says, “votes for women and aboriginal people”.’

  Mrs Potter from the butcher’s shop comes up to us. ‘That was a very good presentation, girls. It’s good to see the younger generation isn’t forgetting.’

  At lunchtime there is a sausage sizzle. I have two sausages. Dad Ben has a sausage with onion. I hate fried onions. Lara gets a lentil burger but she doesn’t eat much of it. Lara has gone really quiet.

  ‘Are you getting tired?’ asks her mum.

  ‘I’m fine,’ says Lara.

  ‘Maybe we should get you back home?’

  ‘But I don’t want to miss the craft stall.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that,’ I say. ‘Most of it’s really bad.’ It’s true. The preppies did something with egg cartons and pipe cleaners and I don’t even know what they’re supposed to be.

  ‘I still want to see it,’ says Lara. ‘I brought some money to buy something.’

  Miss Ellis is setting up the tables for the craft stall under the art room veranda. Dad Ben goes over to help her. I sta
y with Lara.

  When they are all set up, Lara and I go over to the stall while Lara’s mum sits and talks with Mr Parks. I show Lara the Christmas wreath that I made. Lara is not rushing into anything; she looks at everything on the craft stall. In the end she chooses the wreath I made.

  Lara wants to look at Charlotte’s section so we go over together. Lara has a good look but she doesn’t buy anything.

  ‘It’s pretty,’ she says. ‘But won’t the orange peel go mouldy?’

  ‘Not anymore. She paints it with clear nail polish as a preservative.’

  ‘Would you like me to buy you some earrings or something?’

  ‘Oh no, that’s okay,’ I say.

  ‘I’d like to.’

  ‘But they’re pretty expensive.’

  ‘I get heaps of pocket money, and what am I going to spend it on?’

  We look at the jewellery. It is hard to choose, particularly with Charlotte and April staring at me. Also, I want Lara to think I have good taste.

  I pick up a pair of earrings made from apple pips spray-painted silver. There is a big ball of apple pips glued together and a string of apple pips up to the top. They are beautiful.

  ‘Do you want those?’ asks Lara.

  ‘Maybe,’ I say.

  ‘Do you think they might be too big? They might drag down your ears.’

  ‘Apple pips are deceptively light,’ says Charlotte.

  ‘So these are the ones you want?’ says Lara.

  ‘Yes please,’ I say.

  Charlotte wraps them up in tissue paper. She smiles when she gives them to me.

  ‘Make sure they don’t get wet,’ she says.

  At home time I wave goodbye to Lara at the gate.

  ‘I’ll see you at the hospital,’ I say.

  ‘Actually, no,’ says Lara. ‘I’m not at the hospital anymore. I’m at home now.’

  ‘Oh. That’s good.’

  ‘Kind of,’ says Lara. ‘Anyway, thanks for a great day. It’s been awesome. You should come and visit me sometime.’

  Grandparents and Friends Day has been better than I ever imagined. And now I’m allowed to be friends with Lara, we can do heaps more things together. I can visit her at home and maybe we can go see Finnigan and Buttercup again. There’s a lot to look forward to.

  17

  Pony

  Kaylee, Teegan and Morgan are sitting on the portable bench when I arrive at school on Monday. I think Morgan and me are in a group with Teegan and Kaylee now. It makes a lot of sense since we are spending so much time together anyway.

  ‘How much fun was Grandparents and Friends day!’ says Morgan.

  ‘Yeah, it was pretty fun,’ says Teegan.

  Morgan says, ‘Did your friends have a good time, Stevie?’

  ‘I think so.’

  ‘Who was that girl, Lara? How do you know her?’

  ‘From the hospital.’

  ‘Does Lara have cancer like Rhys?’

  ‘No. Well yes, but I think it’s a different kind of cancer.’

  ‘Is she really sick?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Is she going to die?’

  ‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ I say.

  ‘I’m just making conversation,’ says Morgan.

  ‘But I don’t want to talk about it.’

  ‘Fine then.’

  Dad Ben picks me up from school because Mum has taken Rhys to the hospital for an appointment. At home I help him get tea ready. We are having a casserole. I chop up the onions and when I start crying Dad Ben takes over and I do the carrots.

  ‘How was school?’ he asks.

  ‘Fine,’ I say.

  We keep chopping.

  ‘Hey, Dad Ben?’

  ‘Hey, Stevie?’

  ‘You know my friend Morgan?’

  ‘I do know her, yes.’

  ‘She’s always getting mad at me.’

  ‘What about?’

  ‘She thinks I don’t talk to her enough about Rhys being sick. She loves talking about cancer and death and stuff, but when I’m at school I just want everything to be normal.’

  ‘That’s fair enough,’ he says.

  ‘I don’t know what to do.’

  ‘You could tell her you don’t feel like talking about it.’

  ‘I’ve already told her! Heaps of times. But she won’t stop going on and on.’

  ‘That sounds tricky.’

  Dad Ben and I have not come to any conclusions, but I feel better after talking to him. Sandra may have a point.

  The rest of the week goes really quickly. It is a lot more fun having a group with four people in it instead of just Morgan and me. Dad Ben was right, variety is the spice of life. Morgan doesn’t get mad at me again either. Perhaps she is getting over it.

  On Saturday I go to the Captains Hill market but I am not window-shopping. I am real shopping. Dad Ben has given me money to buy Christmas presents for the family.

  I do a full lap of the market before I commit to buying anything. I walk past Charlotte’s jewellery stall. Charlotte is working on the stall with her mum. April isn’t with her, so maybe there is trouble in paradise.

  After looking at all the stalls, I make my decisions.

  I buy some soap in the shape of a swan for Nana Dad Ben. She loves soap in different shapes. I get Mum a new indoor pot plant. Her old one died because we forgot to water it, what with always being at the hospital and everything. I buy Dad Ben a DVD of Red Dog because he really likes that film. I buy Rhys a box with a lock for his valuables.

  I still have some money left over. So I buy a photo frame for Lara. I am going to draw my best picture of Finnigan and give it to her.

  After tea, Dad Ben and I play Scrabble. He will win as usual because he knows heaps of words that you think aren’t even proper words until you look them up in the dictionary. The phone rings and Mum answers it and then goes to her room. When she comes out she asks Dad Ben to come to her room.

  My Scrabble letters are a nightmare. Almost all of them are vowels.

  Mum and Dad Ben walk back in together. Some-thing is wrong.

  ‘There’s some bad news,’ says Mum. ‘Lara’s got very sick.’

  ‘I know,’ I say.

  ‘No, you don’t understand . . .’

  Mum looks at Dad Ben and he says, ‘Lara’s mum called to invite you to visit Lara – to say goodbye.’

  *

  All the houses on Lara’s street are enormous and some of them have turrets like castles or columns like ancient Greek buildings. Lara’s house doesn’t look old; it is a big white box and the entire front is glass looking over the sea.

  Lara’s mum answers the door. There is a pile of shoes in the doorway, so we take off our shoes as well. Then we follow Lara’s mum down the white-tiled corridors. My socks leave wet marks on the tiles because my feet were sweating in my shoes. One side of the corridor is a window to the backyard looking out on a long skinny swimming pool that runs all the way along the house.

  We walk through a room with a big dining table. A white staircase leads upstairs. It is one of my dreams to live in a two-storey house. We keep walking through the room down another corridor until we get to the end, where there is a kitchen and lounge room all in one. There are red leather couches in the middle of the room and a big television suspended from the ceiling. Lara’s mum tells us to have a seat so I sit on the couch and Dad Ben sits beside me.

  In front of me is a coffee table covered in magazines about houses. There are no signs of horses in this room. Lara’s mum must be very different to her dad.

  ‘Her cousins are in with her now,’ says Lara’s mum.

  Another lady in the kitchen says, ‘Can I get anyone a drink?’

  ‘This is my sister, Louisa,’ says Lara’s mum.

&nbs
p; ‘We’re fine,’ Mum and Dad Ben say together.

  I shake my head.

  The adults talk. I can’t concentrate on what they’re saying.

  Two high school girls come into the room. One of them is crying. She goes to Louisa in the kitchen, who hugs her.

  Mum, Dad Ben and Lara’s mum are all looking at me. It must be my turn.

  Dad Ben and I follow Lara’s mum back down the corridor to the room with the big table and then up the stairs.

  ‘You mustn’t get a shock, Stevie,’ Lara’s mum says. ‘Lara’s very different. She can’t talk to you, but she can hear you.’

  We go into the first door at the top of the stairs.

  Lara looks smaller than I’ve ever seen her. Her face is grey. He eyes are closed and she is shaking. Her mouth hangs open and her breathing sounds like it hurts.

  ‘Don’t be scared,’ says Lara’s mum.

  Dad Ben takes me by the hand and we take a couple of steps closer to the bed.

  ‘Is there anything you’d like to say to Lara?’ asks Dad Ben.

  I want to get out. I want to go away. I wish I was galloping on a horse across a green field at dawn.

  I shake my head.

  ‘That’s okay, you don’t have to. You can just say goodbye to yourself.’

  I should say goodbye in my head, but it won’t come. When Lara breathes out a blob of saliva appears on her lips and is sucked back when she breathes in. I watch it go in and out, in and out.

  On the bedside table next to Lara is The Phantom Stallion. I don’t know whether she finished it. Just in case, I tell her what happens in the end. It turns out that the Phantom Stallion is not a ghost, but a real horse that had lost his owner and was living in the woods. The girl in the story adopts the horse, so there’s a happy ending.

  When we get home from visiting Lara I go to my room. I want to lie down but I took the sheets off my bed to wash and I haven’t put the new ones on yet. I go to the linen cupboard and take out a fitted sheet, a doona cover and a pillow case. I put the doona cover and pillow case on first and put them on the floor. Then I try to put the fitted sheet on but the sheet is just a bit too small. I get three corners on fine, but the fourth corner won’t go on. Dad Ben taught me how to banana a mattress to get a sheet on. I lift the mattress up, rest my foot on the bed and prop the mattress corner on my knee while I try to tug the sheet over. I’m nearly there when my foot slips off the bed and the mattress falls down. The sheet corner flies away. I try again. The same thing happens. I try again. It happens again.