Not Fair

The rain poured down at Cronulla. It rushed along the paved area under the pines, and down the steps onto the beach. Everyone except a few hardy surfers ran up the steps and headed for cover.

Fish and his sister, their mummy and daddy, their grandma and grandpa stood in an alcove next to a cafe, out of the rain. Behind them were bins and a metal door that went up and down. The mummy took three cakes out of the picnic esky and broke them in half. She put them on top of the esky. Everyone shared the cakes.

The children ran out into the rain laughing. Then they ran back. They were wet.

Mummy held the boogie board over her head and went to get the car.

....

Later....back at home.

The children were making a birthday cake for mummy. It was a surprise. It was hard to keep it a surprise because mummy was in the kitchen. The children said the cake was for daddy, because he'd been good. Mummy appeared to be fooled. The cake had chocolate icing, tiny M and Ms, and sprinkles heaped high up in one particular spot by Fish. And obliquely leaning candles.

.....

Lavender was sad. Where were her mummy and daddy? She wanted to go home. She decided to write to Kobo.


dear kobo, ( she wrote )

kobo i am in sydney on a leap of faith. kobo i want to come home. the knittings are going to stay here in the shoebox. they are stupid and won't obey orders. the children here are lucky. they are called butterfly and fish. fish has a snotty nose which sometimes bleeds. he can play i spy. butterfly picks pretend berries off the christmas tree and puts them in a bucket. the children like sausages. they bite their broccoli and drop it on the floor. they don't like carrots. they get cuddles. kobo i want a mummy and daddy and cuddles. i don't know how to get home. can you just for once stop reading kierkegaard and help me? your niece lavender. ps i dont think life is fair.