Once I Was Your Haven

I think we can agree we've had enough of those pieces of turnip.

But they're hard to get rid of.

They've been shaved, rescued, semi-roasted, left behind, forgotten, remembered, drizzled with honey, shrivelled, been kicked out of their container and now some of them are stuck to a feather. Others are not.

I'll just stop for a minute, says Louisa. She stops at the side of the road.

Gaius and Arthur stop too.

Sorry, says Terence.

Never mind, says Louisa. I'm going to throw out these pieces of turnip.

NO! cries Terence.

They've made my rocks all sticky, says Louisa. And my seeds.You can just keep the ones that are stuck to the feather. Deal with it, Terence. Shit happens.

She picks out seven shrivelled, unattached, (except for a few seeds, which she rescues) pieces of turnip, and flicks them onto the grass verge. 

Goodbye turnip pieces, says Terence.

They're pretty well dead, says Louisa. If they're not, they soon will be.

Now I've only got three, says Terence.

Good. That's workable.

They get back on their bikes and continue.

Terence looks back. 

A bird has alighted to examine the discarded pieces.

What is it? A parrot? Terence thinks so.

He hopes it isn't a honey and turnip eating parrot.

It's already too far back to see.

Did you come with us to Emu Bay last time, Arthur? asks Gaius.

No, I went surfing at Stokes Bay with Sweezus, says Arthur. Remember?

Well, you're in for a treat, says Gaius. The Emu Bay Shale is an important geological formation. More than fifty different species of trilobites have been found there. Including redlichia, of course, and a rich assemblage of estaingia. Also...

Will we be there long? asks Arthur.

That depends, says Louisa. Come on. Let's go faster.

They go faster.

Terence, in the basket, twiddles the feather.

Stop doing that, says the smallest piece of turnip. This feather is our haven. Woe betide us if we should drop off.

Woe, says the middle sized piece of turnip.

Betide us, says the largest piece of turnip. 

Remember me? says Ronnie. Once I was your haven.

It seems they no longer remember.

Too many things have gone on.