The Long Way Home by Phillip Overton

  Chapter 6

  December 1981

  1981 was finally drawing to an end. A sense of normality in life had finally arrived for Simon, riding in on the back of a year of change. He had survived school, and grade two could wait until next year. Right now he was enjoying the Christmas holidays. Mum had promised him that this would be the best Christmas ever. They were both going to Aunty Gail and Uncle Tim’s house at Manly for two weeks to spend Christmas with them. He’d get the chance to play with his cousins Lynnie and Justin and go to the beach every day.

  There were some things however that had happened this year that he didn’t fully understand. Like why his Dad no longer lived with them. His Mum had explained that when grown-ups who are married don’t love each other anymore, they get divorced. It was a lot quieter at home since his Dad went to live with Uncle Barry. During the week, it was just Simon and his Mum at home, but on Saturdays, his Dad would always pick him up for the day and take him somewhere exciting. The truth was, Simon liked them being divorced. Both of them were much nicer to him.

  School hadn’t been all that bad. At least he had friends to play with. Not like at home. Sometimes he wished he had a brother or sister to play with. All his friends had brothers and sisters. There was his friend Cameron Carpenter, he had a younger sister Suzanne who was only two and an older brother Steve who taught him how to play football. He said it was cool not being the youngest because you had somebody you could boss around. It was even cooler having an older brother because when they both got in trouble, his Mum would always tell Steve he was the oldest and he should have known better.

  Then there was his friend Craig, everyone at school knew Craig because of his big sister. Samantha Goodey was four years older and in grade five. She was also one of the prettiest girls in the school, so all the grade five boys who liked her were always nice to Craig. Samantha was also the best friend of Lisa Wilkes, her younger brother Brian also happened to be Simon’s best friend. Brian had a lot of brothers and sisters. Beside Lisa who was four years older, Brian had twin brothers Ashley and Todd, both two years older and another sister Kylie who was two years younger than him.

  For Simon however, the first two weeks of holidays he had spent playing toys by himself or sitting in front of the television watching Play School and Sesame Street. Maybe if he asked his Dad nicely, he would buy him a puppy. Then he would have someone to play with. It seemed like a good idea. After all, his Dad always bought him something every Saturday anyway. So, why not a puppy? Since his parents got divorced, Simon had never had so many cool things. Every Saturday felt like Christmas. Then he remembered, Mum had said they were leaving for Aunty Gail and Uncle Tim’s this Saturday. Simon wouldn’t see his father again until after Christmas.