I stand up and stride purposefully out of the kitchen and down the corridor. I reach Michael’s bedroom door and stop in my tracks when I hear voices inside. I quickly retreat to the kitchen and sit back down at the table.
‘Good morning!’ Michael booms when he appears a moment later. ‘You’re up bright and early.’
‘It’s seven-thirty,’ I say cautiously. ‘Shouldn’t we be setting off soon?’
‘Oh.’ He claps a hand to his head. ‘Sorry, darl, I thought I told you – I’m not working today.’
My stomach falls flat. ‘You’re not working today?’
‘No. So you’ve got the day off.’
But I don’t want the day off. I want to go to the conservation park. Maybe I could go with Ben?
‘Is Ben at work today?’ I ask hopefully as Michael sets about making tea.
‘No, he’s off today too, I’m afraid. You sure do like it there, don’t you?’
I’m so disappointed I can barely speak so I nod my reply.
‘We’ll have to start paying you at this rate,’ Michael continues. ‘Ben said you’ve really been pulling your weight.’
It’s true. I’ve been helping him a lot. At first I thought he was just being nice to me, keeping me company because Michael always seems to be in demand by everyone else, but I think I’ve been useful. I’m glad he said so to Michael.
‘Hmm,’ Michael muses. ‘I might have to speak to Trudy about that.’
‘Trudy in the front office? About what?’ I ask.
‘If we can get you a little summer job.’
My heart soars. ‘Really?’
‘I don’t see why not. I’ll see what I can do.’
‘That would be amazing,’ I enthuse. That would mean I could go there every day. Well, almost every day. ‘Are you back at work tomorrow?’ I ask brightly.
‘No, Monday.’ He chuckles when he sees my face. I try to perk up because I don’t want to seem ungrateful. ‘Why don’t you take a trip into the city today?’ he suggests. ‘Go shopping, see the sights. I’m sure your mum would let you borrow her car. Or you could even use the truck, for that matter.’
‘What, and drive myself?’
He claps his hand over his forehead for the second time this morning, saying, ‘I forgot, you can’t drive.’
I shake my head, wryly.
‘When’s your birthday? This coming week, isn’t it?’
‘Wednesday.’
‘Won’t be long, then.’
‘I’ll only be sixteen,’ I remind him.
‘That’s right,’ he replies cheerfully.
‘But you have to be seventeen to drive.’
‘Not in Australia.’
‘Seriously?’ Why didn’t somebody tell me this? I’ve been wanting my independence behind the wheel for donkey’s years!Thiswould have made the move Down Under far more palatable.
