2002 School Magazine

original works

After a Dry Stretch From his viewpoint on the verandah, Graeme stared blankly down the steaming bitumen driveway of his farm. it had been a bad year anyway. It hadn't rained for three years and the ground was starting to crack. There was hard y enough water in the dams for the wheat, let alone provide for the flock of about a thousand sheep. It was s dry they were losing about two sheep a week. The wooljust wasn't what it used to be either; there hadn't been a good season for two Years The thick merino fleece that had once been a great product of the farm was now a thing of the past. The wheat was stunted and didn't bring in much money. The family's financial situation was not looking at a I good His wife, Mavis, ioned him on the verandah. "15 Matt back yet?" she asked, handing h in a cup of tea "No. he said he was going out to the western paddocks, " he replied. After a long, thoughtful pause. he continued with a sigh, "If things don't Improve. we're going to have to sell up and move to the big smoke. " As he looked gloomily out over the brown paddocks, a flicker of hope dashed through Graeme's mind. It was ear y afternoon and over the mountain ranges to the West were dark and menacing rain clouds. It was the right sort of day for rain too ithe cockatoos seemed to think so, screeching past overheadj, a humid, sticky day where life felt as though it was covered in honey. everything moved so slowly. The continuous drone of cicadas could be heard and it was enough to turn anyone insane. The dogs were lying under the house, seeking refuge from the oppressive heat, and of course the irritating flies. Graeme looked out to the west and thought he saw their son, Matt, returning home. but it wasjust a log in the distance. Matt was a strong kid, sturdily built. Graeme thought he'd make a great farmer but Matt wouldn't hear anything of it When he was little, Matt had loved the farm. He always nursed any orphaned or injured lambs in the spring. Often he would have a cubby house built somewhere in one of the nearby paddocks, in which he would spend most of his spare time. But he had changed lately. His grades at school were dropping and 00 matter what his parents did to help, he wouldn't concentrate on his schoolwork. The fourteen-Year-old had turned a little aggressive. accusing his parents of keeping him locked up in the country with nothing to do. He said he hated it there and the fact that the family's financial resources were getting low, didn't help either. He always complained he never had 'Nike' clothes like the kids at school. He even tried to run away to the city and make his fortune there With a heaw heart, Graeme looked back up at the rain clouds, and hoped that things were about to change. Then he saw the smoke. It looked as though there was a grassfire burning way off in the distance. It was far away, so Graeme wasn't too concerned. But it was times like these that were very risky. Fires could spring up out of nothing, quickly and without warning. That's why they always had the "emergency box" in the ute, ready to go whenever it was needed. They kept special things in there, photos, mementos. and small sentimental things, as well as clothes. some spare cash and all their important paperwork. So far they had been lucky and had never needed the box The telltale smell of burning gum leaves was brought over by the wester y winds and the smoke was getting thicker as Matt burst through the door. "Dad! The sheep! There's a fire!" he shouted. Geeme. Matt and the dogs were in the ute as quick as a flash, and five minutes later they arrived at the sheep paddock. "Away to me, Dexter! Come by. To by!" Gineme commanded the dogs in an attempt to steer the sheep to safety. The fire was blazing not far off, and nothing the dogs did would get the sheep to cooperate. They were mad, stricken with terror at the wall of orange that was fast approaching them. The smoke was thick and Matt's eyes were stringing. He could tell hi father was worried. He was as white as a sheet and dizzy from the smoke. "Come on You daft sheep! Dexter!" he shouted. But his efforts were in re n. The sheep couldn't be herded. "Dexter! To by! Here boys, into the truck!" The dogs couldn't hear him over the roar of the fire. The heat was becoming unbearable as they sped back towards the farmhouse. The sheep were left, fenced off in the paddock and the dogs missed the truck Back at the house, they all got buckets of their precious water ready. Wet he55ian bags were on hand. Gineme and Matt wet the roof and the ground around the house while Mavis packed as many of their important belongings into the truck as she could. There was nothing they could do but wait. Everything was so dry, the fire was sure not to die down before reaching the house and the westerlies were helping it along. Then they saw It. The blazing fire came over the crest of the hill. it took only minutes for it to be about fifty metres from the house. Mavis sat in the car as Geeme and Matt started beating at the nearest flames with the soaked he5518n. The smoke was stifling and their eyes burned. Matt rushed to the house to get some hankies to cover their faces They managed to keep the fire off for a little while, but the sparks soon jumped to the tall gum that stood next to the shed. The flames licked up the side of the roof, a soon the whole shed was ablaze. There was nothing they could do to stop it. The fire was creeping closer and closer towards the house. They beat the ground whereve possible. without being burnt to a crisp. The heat was unbearable and the sky above was dark with storm clouds and smoke. "Get in the car!" Graeme Yelled "But Dad ..." "Do it!" he screamed. Matt tossed his he55ian sack aside and dashed to the car. Graeme stumbled on only metres from the house. But t was too late. The verandah ha caught at the side. He doused the area w'th a bucket of water, but it merely spread the flames. He 'nhaled a big lungful of smoke as he turned towards the car Smothering rain poured down in torrents as the family sped away from their burnt-out home, an old Queenslander that went up like a tinder box. "That's it, Mavis, that end of us. " remarked Graeme with disbelief. Nobody noticed the grin of satisfaction that was creeping across Matt's face as he sat h the back seat of the ute

Notol^t Schimpf 11 Grimth