Happiness Is Knowing

Barbs has opened her backpack, and brought out the food.

Cheese, chutney, tapenade, jam and chocolate. A bottle of Clare Valley Riesling.

Sorry, no bread, says Barbs. You'll have to use fingers.

No worries, says Sweezus. I'm starved.

Shouldn't we wait for Arthur and the others? says Midge.

No need to, they're coming, says Belle. Ooh! Terence looks sad.

Terence stomps up to Sweezus. He throws himself down.

Splosh! In a wet patch of samphire.

What's up? says Sweezus.

I've got something, says Terence.

What is it? asks Belle.

NOT LONG TO LIVE! shouts Terence.

Who told you that? asks Belle. Arthur?

Yes, says Terence. He said I've got cancer.

Arthur! says Belle.

Cement-related scab, says Arthur. It was just a white lie for the dad of a kid that Terence almost fractured.

Now I'M fractured, says Terence.

Let's see, says Barb. Eeuw, you're wet. Oh dear, your little legs are scarred, the cement's all striated.

Stir-rated! says Terence. Wah!

Don't worry, says Barbs. You're in luck. I trained as a physio. Take those shorts down.

No, says Terence. These are my gecko shorts.

Are they really? says Belle. I remember your gecko shorts. What happened to the geckos?

They wore off, says Terence. But the shorts won't.

Barbs is opening the tapenade.

She rolls Terence's shorts up (since he won't take them down).

She rubs the tapenade on his calves and then nearly up to his bottom. It's just a placebo.

He smells of olives and oil. He is calmer.

Everyone digs into the cheese, chutney, jam and chocolate (not the tapenade), with their fingers.

They take turns to sample the wine. It's a good one.

Did you photograph any birds, while we were away? enquires Shu.

Some wonderful black swans, says Midge. And Sweezus spotted a red-necked stint, and Belle thinks she saw a sharp-tailed sandpiper.

Is that like a parrot? asks Terence, who is now feeling better.

No, says Midge. But Belle was looking for a parrot.

Where? asks Terence.

Under the rocks, says Belle. Rock parrots sometimes shelter under rocks.

Happiness is knowing this fact!

Terence pats his shorts down over his oily olive-scented legs, and heads over to the nearest rock, under which, surely! a rock parrot will be sheltering.........