Ashes to Ashes

Chapter One

Two out of the four members of the Rogers family, Eleanor and Beatrice along with Todd, Bea's boyfriend, were sitting on the deep brown leather couches watching contently for the phone to ring with the good or bad news. Beatrice was trying to think positively as they continued to wait to hear whether her brother, Dan's life was going to change dramatically.

Ever since he was a little boy he had always carried a cricket bat around or the iconic hard red ball that could leave disgustingly large bruises on your body. He spent hours watching the cricket on TV studying the greats of that time, Brett Lee, Michael Clarke, Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting. He would spend every spare hour he had been down at the local nets perfecting his bowling and batting.

Rogers family summer trips often revolved around cricket competitions or international games. By the time he was 20 he had played for NSW for nearly three years and played in a couple one day and twenty/twenty matches for Australia but getting into the test team was the real deal and his end goal. Today was the day they were going to find out if all his hard work was finally going to pay off and he was finally going to play for his home country and earn the baggy green.

The phone rings and Eleanor launches across the room at the phone, only to discover it was her mother asking if they had heard anything yet.

'No Susan, we haven't, we will ring you when we find out.' She says trying to hold back her frustration because obviously there was a chance they could miss Dan's call whilst on the phone to her.

Bea sits there twiddling her thumbs waiting as her little brother's future was being decided over in Sydney. Fourteen hours away from the little mining town they called home. If Dan were placed in the test team his first match would be in Brisbane in two weeks, then hopefully on Boxing Day in Melbourne, every Australian boy's dream match to play.

'Well, this is excruciating I'm going to go do something distracting.' Todd says getting up and walking towards Bea's childhood bedroom.

She was back for the holidays with Todd, both of them had just finished university. They had met in the dorms at Wollongong in the second year of their degrees, they had some bumps and things had been a bit tense since they had graduated from university but it felt like things were finally back on the right track. He was Bea's first real boyfriend. Ever since they'd finished university something seemed different with him. He seemed preoccupied by something he hadn't shared with Bea yet.

'Yeah, I'm gonna be right back Mum, as soon as the phone rings.' Bea says following Todd, feeling a strong sensation in her pants. They hadn't had sex in weeks, she was really in need of some form of his touch. However, Bea knew this wasn't really the time, but a girls has gotta do what a girls gotta do.

'No worries, Bea.' She says continuing to stare at the phone as if the more she looked at it more likely it was to ring.

Beatrice walked down the hall and into her room where Todd was laying back on her bed reading a book. He sits up when she enters into the room.

'Beatrice, I think we should talk.' He says gesturing for her to sit next to him before she could even begin to seduce him as planned.

'We need to talk?' She asks, feeling her stomach go from having butterflies to twisting into knots.

Not this old cliche, seriously Todd, she thought to herself. Usually when people say that in the movies and books they are about to break up with someone. She had some doubts in her mind but thought this might be the end of her and Todd.

But she hoped it wasn't. She wanted to work this out. Somehow.

Just as he was about to continue they hear the phone ring from back down the hall.