Remember This Day

Terence goes up to Leanne.

Are you going to drop a pencil? asks Terence.

You're weird boy, says Leanne.

Mrs Bennett and Kierkegaard are exchanging phone numbers.

Kierkegaard knows it is wrong.

Come on class! calls Mrs Bennett. We'll be late for lesson seven!

The school children trail off, behind Mrs Bennett.

We must make tracks as well, says Kierkegaard. Come on, Terence.

No one dropped a pencil, says Terence.

They don't always, says the emu-wren.

Where have YOU been? asks Terence.

Listening, says the emu-wren.  I was hiding in the Peppermint Box Gum.

He nearly got married, says Terence. To Angelina. And that was the name of their teacher.

I thought it was an imaginary story until then, says the emu-wren.

Are you going to get married? asks Terence.

Me no, says the emu-wren.

Nor me, says Terence.

But guess what I found, under the Peppermint Box Gum, says the emu-wren. An old pencil.

How old? asks Terence.

Come and see, says the emu-wren.

He leads the way to the other side of the Peppermint Box Gum, and there poking out from dead leaves on the ground is a pencil.

Yay! says Terence, picking it up. Woo! Yuck! It's mouldy.

Give it to me, says Kierkegaard. That's moss, if I'm not mistaken.

Gaius won't want it, says Terence

He might, if we can get rid of the moss, says Kierkegaard.

Terence examines the pencil. Knocks some moss off.

It has a name scratched on. Ronnie.

Kierkegaard, Terence and the emu-wren start making their way back to the bird hide.

It's quite a long way, remember.

On the way Terence writes on his own arm with Ronnie.

Not proper writing.

What does that say? asks the emu-wren.

Remember this day, says Terence.

What about it? asks the emu wren.

I found Ronnie, says Terence.

I thought I found Ronnie, says the emu-wren.

It's the same thing, says Terence.