Chapter 3
Up and Away
The plane speeds down the runway, faster and faster. Finally I feel the aircraftâs wheels leave the tarmac and the jets thrust us high into the air. Below me the town of Mt Isa looks smaller than Iâve ever seen it. Before I can spot our old house, a thick cloud appears and blocks my view. In the reflection of the window, I can see Mum next to me dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. I donât know what to do, so I keep looking out the window.
We donât say anything, but finally I turn to Mum and ask, âDo we really have to leave Mt Isa?â she looks straight ahead at the movie that is showing. Itâs the new Justin Bieber one. I can hear a kid down the back of the plane singing one of his songs. Shame!
âOf course we do,â answers Mum. âIf we donât go, theyâll give my promotion to somebody else. Plus, that hollow belly of yours is getting more expensive to fill. Now be quiet before I go wild.â
I decide to shut up. Thereâs not much to see out the window, only the dry brown land of western Queenslandand the occasional patch of clouds. Sometimes I spot a river twisting through the flats like a rainbow serpent. You can tell itâs a river because there are trees along it, surviving off the riverbed. I feel my eyes starting to get heavy as I try to track the river into the distance. I start to drift off to sleep. Suddenly Iâm woken by that kid singing again.
âYouâll like Brisbane son, itâs a nice place,â Mum says as she sees me waking up. âWe took you there before your dad died â¦â then she goes silent. âYou were only a baby then. We went to Sea World on that trip too,â she says softly. I canât remember it, but Iâve seen a photo of Dad holding me next to a dolphin. I wish I could remember him.
âDeadly! Can we go there again?â I say. Mum smiles. I think sheâs happy that Iâm happy.
âYes! Just let me get settled in my new job first,â she laughs.
Chapter 4
The New School
I wake up in my new bedroom. My Cowboys doona is warm and pulled up under my chin. The only things in my room are my bag and fishing rod. The removalists havenât arrived yet. I find Mum in the kitchen. Sheâs drinking a cup of tea and reading the paper. Mongrel is purring around her legs, waiting to be fed.
âGet your uniform on, Dylan. Youâre going to school.â A red and black checked uniform is hanging near the door. She is serious.
âBut Mum, I wonât know anyone! Do I have to?â She gives me the evil eye.
âYou go to school, I go to work. I have to make a good impression at the power company,â she says. I step into our new kitchen and drop a few slices of bread into the toaster. My new uniform looks stupid. It is going to be a long day.
Mum drops me at the front gate. She catches sight of my Cowboys bag but says nothing. The sign next to the gate says âWelcome to Flatwater State School â We love to learn!â Mum gives me a hug then pushes me out the door.
âArenât you coming in?â
âNo. The principal knows youâre coming. I spoke to him on the phone. Iâll pick you up at three,â she says and drives off down the road in the new company car. This sucks. Iâm at a new school with no friends and no idea where anything is. I follow the signs to the front office.
âAh, you must be the new grade-six boy, please come in!â says the lady behind the desk. âThe principal, Mr Woolly, is with a parent at the moment. He will see you shortly.â When I sit down, I see Mr Woollyâs door is open. Inside someone is yelling and swearing his head off. I donâtthink itâs Mr Woolly. The mirror on Mr Woollyâs half-open door allows me to see everything thatâs happening inside.
Chapter 5
Scary Man
I thought I was nervous, but Mr Woolly was shaking in his chair. The
Up and Away
The plane speeds down the runway, faster and faster. Finally I feel the aircraftâs wheels leave the tarmac and the jets thrust us high into the air. Below me the town of Mt Isa looks smaller than Iâve ever seen it. Before I can spot our old house, a thick cloud appears and blocks my view. In the reflection of the window, I can see Mum next to me dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. I donât know what to do, so I keep looking out the window.
We donât say anything, but finally I turn to Mum and ask, âDo we really have to leave Mt Isa?â she looks straight ahead at the movie that is showing. Itâs the new Justin Bieber one. I can hear a kid down the back of the plane singing one of his songs. Shame!
âOf course we do,â answers Mum. âIf we donât go, theyâll give my promotion to somebody else. Plus, that hollow belly of yours is getting more expensive to fill. Now be quiet before I go wild.â
I decide to shut up. Thereâs not much to see out the window, only the dry brown land of western Queenslandand the occasional patch of clouds. Sometimes I spot a river twisting through the flats like a rainbow serpent. You can tell itâs a river because there are trees along it, surviving off the riverbed. I feel my eyes starting to get heavy as I try to track the river into the distance. I start to drift off to sleep. Suddenly Iâm woken by that kid singing again.
âYouâll like Brisbane son, itâs a nice place,â Mum says as she sees me waking up. âWe took you there before your dad died â¦â then she goes silent. âYou were only a baby then. We went to Sea World on that trip too,â she says softly. I canât remember it, but Iâve seen a photo of Dad holding me next to a dolphin. I wish I could remember him.
âDeadly! Can we go there again?â I say. Mum smiles. I think sheâs happy that Iâm happy.
âYes! Just let me get settled in my new job first,â she laughs.
Chapter 4
The New School
I wake up in my new bedroom. My Cowboys doona is warm and pulled up under my chin. The only things in my room are my bag and fishing rod. The removalists havenât arrived yet. I find Mum in the kitchen. Sheâs drinking a cup of tea and reading the paper. Mongrel is purring around her legs, waiting to be fed.
âGet your uniform on, Dylan. Youâre going to school.â A red and black checked uniform is hanging near the door. She is serious.
âBut Mum, I wonât know anyone! Do I have to?â She gives me the evil eye.
âYou go to school, I go to work. I have to make a good impression at the power company,â she says. I step into our new kitchen and drop a few slices of bread into the toaster. My new uniform looks stupid. It is going to be a long day.
Mum drops me at the front gate. She catches sight of my Cowboys bag but says nothing. The sign next to the gate says âWelcome to Flatwater State School â We love to learn!â Mum gives me a hug then pushes me out the door.
âArenât you coming in?â
âNo. The principal knows youâre coming. I spoke to him on the phone. Iâll pick you up at three,â she says and drives off down the road in the new company car. This sucks. Iâm at a new school with no friends and no idea where anything is. I follow the signs to the front office.
âAh, you must be the new grade-six boy, please come in!â says the lady behind the desk. âThe principal, Mr Woolly, is with a parent at the moment. He will see you shortly.â When I sit down, I see Mr Woollyâs door is open. Inside someone is yelling and swearing his head off. I donâtthink itâs Mr Woolly. The mirror on Mr Woollyâs half-open door allows me to see everything thatâs happening inside.
Chapter 5
Scary Man
I thought I was nervous, but Mr Woolly was shaking in his chair. The
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