Read Online Footprints by Robert Rayner - Free Book Online

first.” He starts to dictate, “Sign below if–”
    Harper shakes his head. “You don’t say it like that.”
    â€œFirst you don’t want to do the petition. Now you’re the fucking expert,” says Drumgold. “What do you mean, you don’t say it like that?”
    â€œYou say: ‘We, the undersigned,’” says Harper. “I know ’cos Dad’s done petitions.”
    â€œOkay. ‘We, the undersigned, want to go on Back River beach–’”
    â€œâ€˜Want
access to
Back River beach...’ Sounds better.”
    â€œâ€˜
Demand
access to Back River beach.’”
    Harper pauses his writing. “That’s a bit strong, isn’t it?”
    â€œDo you want it to sound weak? Read what we’ve got so far.”
    Harper reads, “‘We, the undersigned, hereby demand–’”
    â€œWhere did ‘hereby’ come from?”
    â€œYou always say ‘hereby.’”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI don’t know. You just do.” Harper starts again. “‘We, the undersigned, hereby demand access to Back River beach.’”
    He looks up at Drumgold.
    Drumgold looks at Isora, who has taken paper and markers from Harper’s backpack and is working on a poster. “Is?”
    â€œNo-one’s going to know who’s doing the petition.”
    â€œThat’s the idea,” says Drumgold. “Then the police won’t be coming after us.”
    â€œBut Isora’s right,” says Harper. “There’s always something on the petition to say who’s doing it – the union, or the welfare committee, or whoever.”
    â€œWe need a name for ourselves,” says Isora. “Like...the Society to Free the Beach!”
    â€œThe Society for the Liberation of the Beach,” Harper suggests.
    â€œâ€˜Society’ makes us sound like a bunch of old ladies,” says Drumgold. “How ’bout the Organisation for the Liberation of the Beach?”
    â€œToo business-y,” says Isora.
    â€œThe
Front
for the Liberation of the Beach,” says Harper triumphantly.
    Drumgold and Isora stare at him.
    â€œBrilliant,” says Drumgold. “Where d’you get ‘Front’ from?”
    â€œMust be something I read for social studies,” says Harper.
    Drumgold proclaims, “The Front for the Liberation of the Beach. Put that at the top of the page. No. Put it underneath where you sign, and write it as an acronym at the top.”
    â€œAs a what?”
    â€œJust the initials. Put them at the top of the page. Now read what we’ve got.”
    Harper starts, “T-F-F-T-L-O-T-B.”
    â€œWhat the hell’s that?” says Drumgold.
    â€œWhat the hell’s what?”
    â€œT-F-F-T-L... and all that.”
    â€œIt’s the ac...acro...the initials.”
    â€œYou use just the main words for an acronym, dummy. ‘Front’ and ‘Liberation’ and ‘Beach.’ Try again.”
    Harper grumbles, “How am I supposed to know that?” He reads, “‘We, the FLB, hereby–’”
    Isora interrupts, “Wait.”
    â€œNow what?” says Harper.
    â€œFLB is boring. Let’s be just the Back River Front, and we’ll write the acronym using the ‘B’
and
the ‘A’ from ‘Back,’ as well as the ‘R’ and the ‘F.’”
    Drumgold grins. “BARF! Perfect! And it says how we feel about Anderson taking over the beach. Go on then, Harp.”
    Harper starts again. “‘BARF. We, the undersigned, hereby demand access to Back River beach.’” He looks up from his paper and adds, “I’ve left space for people to sign. Then at the bottom I’ve got Back River Front.”
    Isora holds up her work. There’s a sketch of the beach at the bottom of the page, with shaded lettering stating Back River Front, as if it’s