Chapter 85: The Wondrous Winter
These past few weeks have been so different and eye-opening for me. To think it all started when I said I wanted to try out for the school track team... I met so many more interesting animals, and learnt more about them. So much has happened to me, I made new friends, but I also lost contacts with a few others.
Some parts were scary, like the hyena attack, and the magazine fraud, but other parts were amazing, like qualifying for the District Finals and realising my full potential as an herbivore athlete. I think back to when I walked home in the dark with Sam, and he was so shy back then. Now, he's really comfortable talking to me and soon other herbivores will feel fine around him.
Nalu's a nice guy. He's still young and eager, but definitely has a long way to go, learning about how to treat herbivores. And our dads know each other at work, so we have something in common. I'm so grateful for Erica to have the courage to stand up for me, and help Murray out, even if he won't know it was me, it's still good to keep Abe from harassing us anymore.
Liam is now obsessed with the ocean and sea life, which is good. Someday, I bet he'll get to see the ocean, which might sound weird, but keep in mind that Whigata is a six hour drive from the ocean.
But, most importantly of all, Riley is dealing to cope with himself. I do what Mr. Jarman says, and try to avoid him, but occasionally I say hello, to make him feel better and to keep him from thinking that I've forgotten about him. I'm sure in no time flat, we'll be reunited again.
My training continued all through the winter, every Monday and Friday after school. When my Mid-Year Exam came up, I was nervous that I didn't do well and I got 65%, nothing amazing, but still a decent pass. I got my grade back for the SeaSpeak assignment as well, scoring 84%. I doubted that talking to a Lamprey about the weather was going to do well, but Mr. Dupont complemented my good use of grammar, despite the boring topic. Liam got lucky, and received a mark of 86%. He did pretty well with his vocabulary, but sometimes muddled a few words around.
After the exams, it was Winter Break. Two weeks off from school, just to ourselves. Sam and his parents spent a week in Durranga, visiting Ben of course, and I heard that Levi's family went off to the North for a nice little beach holiday. Hopefully his winter coat didn't give him any troubles, because it can get pretty hot up there.
In July, we started doing even more training to get ready for the District Finals in Lavalla. Coach Harris said that every morning before school, I should do morning jogs, which meant that I needed to wake up earlier. I still persevered through my training, even if I wasn't as strong or good as my carnivore peers. I have weak jaw strength, who cares? I can move around that, and still be the best I can be. July is also the time when my winter coat comes through, which means that my colours get darker, which is cool
August in Whigata means rain, so I wasn't able to go for my morning jog most days. Coach Harris saw a way around this, and he opened up the gym before school for us to train and practice. Mum and Dad still worked as hard as ever during this period, and I'm proud of them for pushing through. I was also able to do some things for myself around home after school as well, such as clean up around the house, and sometimes do my homework in the afternoon, so I can spend time with them at night. Mum and Dad still promise that they'd come along to watch me race in Lavalla.
It's only nine more days until we leave to go to Berriwan College in Lavalla, to prepare for the District Finals.
A lot has changed to me. I feel stronger, faster, and better than ever. Even Sam says that I look fitter and that I've improved greatly. I feel very safe around my peers at school now. Even Abe doesn't scare me anymore... at least, not as much as he used to. I guess what Erica said to him really worked, and he's really cleaned up his act.
I can only hope he stays this way. Everything seems really good at the moment, and I don't want anything to change.
Chapter 86: Nine to Go
"Good morning, everyone, the time is 7:34AM. Today's the 24th of August, and a gloomy looking Monday morning, with a forecasted high of 14. It's a bit wet outside this morning, with scattered showers returning in the afternoon, which is good conditions for amphibians and—" SNAP! I turn my alarm radio off, as I slowly open my eyes. A dim, grey light flows through my room, with the clouds covering the rising sun, and I can hear the rain softly falling against the tin roof. It's a nice, peaceful morning and one step closer to Lavalla.
I get up, and have my shower, as per usual. I wonder what life at Berriwan College would be like... I'm sure it would be super weird living at a school. I wonder what the town is like as well. I sometimes see the nice parks and old buildings around on TV, and I hear that Berriwan is also pretty close to the city, which is good. I've never been to a place like Lavalla before, so I have no idea what to expect, other than a small city.
I get out of the shower, dry myself off, get dressed then move out into the kitchen, where I see some scones resting on a plate on the bench. There's a note attached to it.
"Hey buddy. Just nine more days until you head off to Berriwan College, can you believe it? I had a bit of extra time on my hands this morning, so I decided to bake these scones for you. Just remember that you make us proud, and we can't wait to see you race on the 9th of September, with you in the limelight.
Enjoy your day, Love Mum."
How sweet of her, I remember she used to bake scones all the time when I was younger, but I guess this morning was the first time in a while that she was able to really do it. They still feel warm and crisp, which is nice. I grab three, cut them in half, and get a bit of butter and jam out. These taste so good!
I finish up the scones, grab my books for the day, plus my umbrella, and then head out to school, to start my early morning training. I have to rug up warmly, because it's cold, wet and windy outside. I put on my school rugby jumper, and a zip-up jacket. It's all the warm school clothes I have, so I put on my heavy brown coat, which I need to take off before school starts. I wish I didn't have horns, so I could wear a warm hat, like a beanie.
I leave the house and lock the door, and make my way off to school. I make sure to stay away from the roads, to prevent being splashed by other cars and traffic. It's only 8AM; I guess I'm pretty early.
"Oi Jamel. You off to do some training?" I hear Tye call out behind me. Guess he's going to school early too.
"Yeah, I usually do some before school. Are you doing it as well?" I ask him.
"Yeah, he wants a few of us to come in this morning and do some before-school training. It's chilly today, isn't it?" he says. I guess since I've been avoiding Riley lately, I've used Tye as a canine friend. He's really cool and optimistic as if he always knows just what to say to cheer us up.
"I tell ya Jamel, I can't wait for spring to arrive. I hate the cold, being a jackal. We prefer hot and dry climates." Tye adds.
"Me too... at least Whigata has nice and warm springs" I say. I just feel a bit tired this morning; hopefully I can wake up before training. Coach Harris has been a bit competitive lately.
Chapter 87: Pouncing Panthers
"He's usually like this before a big competition like the 'Districts'. I just hope he doesn't work too hard on you, because... well, you know, being an herbivore and all." Tye says. We're in the gym, doing our warmup exercises and stretches. Over the past two weeks, Coach Harris has been even harder on us than he usual, and I mean tough. If anyone is even ten seconds late, or stops to take a quick breather, Coach Harris won't be happy. I remember last week, someone's phone rang halfway through a training session, and they answered it. Coach Harris stomped over to the student in a huff, yelled at whoever was on the phone and made them run extra laps after training.
Hopefully I don't slip up; I can't imagine how I'd react in a situation like that.
"Hi boys. Good to see you're here. You're nice and early, before everyone else." He says. I check my watch, 8:14. Wow, we really are early this morning.
"Jamel, I want you to do 30 push ups today before you start training; Tye, 40." Coach Harris says. Our jaws drop in surprise. It seems like this week will be harder than the others.
"B-but that's more than we usually do, I don't think I'd be able to-" I say.
"Jamel, if I say you can do it, you do it, okay? It's not that hard" Coach Harris replies back. Tye and I look at each other.
"Uh... Coach, don't you think you're being—" Tye begins.
"NOW! GET TO IT!" he yells encouragingly. Tye and I then scramble down to our feet to begin our push ups. 1, 2, 3... Wow, I hope Coach Harris won't be like this for the next few weeks, 9, 10, 11... He just seems so intense right now; I can barely keep up with what he wants from us, 18, 19, 20... Imagine if I actually did win, and we were training for the State Finals. He'd expect me lift him off the ground probably... 26... 27... 28. I'm struggling to finish the last ones. My arms are really tired, and I haven't even started training.
"Come on, Jamel. Push for it!" I hear Coach Harris call out. It's hard to keep in the up position. I move down again, and my arms start to wobble. I then collapse onto the hard, wooden floor. The world feels silent now. I turn over to see Coach Harris and Tye looking down at me. Tye looks a bit worried, but Coach Harris isn't impressed. I hear him breath furiously out of his nose.
"Jamel... just begin your practice runs. You can try again at tomorrow night's session." He says while walking off, disappointed. Tye helps me up off the ground.
"What a jerk, you still did pretty good." He said. Yeah, but good isn't enough for him.
Suddenly, Sam and a few others arrive through the gym door. Weird, he usually doesn't show up for the morning training sessions.
"Hi everyone. Are we too early?" he asks.
"No, you're all right on time." Coach Harris says, invitingly. "Sam, could you show Jamel how to do a push up? About 80 should do it." He adds. Wow, rude.
I got 28 out of 30; pretty good considering that I'm not training my arms or upper body. Also, does Coach really expect Sam to be able to do 80? I know he is pretty strong, but I doubt he'd be able to do that much. Sam makes his way over to Tye and me.
"What was that all about?" he asked us.
"I couldn't finish my push ups. But it was more than I was used to." I answer.
"Jamel, you can't let him treat you harshly because you're an herbivore. He has to understand that you can't... you know..." Tye says hesitantly.
"What? What do you mean?" I ask him. I think I know what he's going to say.
"Well, that you're... not as strong and... you can't go as far as the others here. I'm sorry, that sounded rude." Tye muttered bashfully. It was a bit rude, but I understand what he means.
I'm still remembering what Coach and I spoke about a few months ago, with me being treated as a carnivore athlete. No one else knows about this, because I don't want anyone to treat me like that. I want to be treated like everyone else, and everyone is receiving the same treatment as me. But... I don't like the way Coach Harris is behaving. He's a lot stricter now, and I'd hate to think what he'd be like once we actually go to Berriwan.
Hopefully, he won't push me too far.
Chapter 88: The Bag that Conquered the Coach
I begin doing my laps of running, as Sam starts his push ups and more arrive soon after. It's weird, only a few of us can be at school so early, so it's usually me, Tye and a few others. It's 8:25 now, and there are about 20 here. I guess everyone managed to find the time to get to school early. I try to focus on my running, even if I can hear Coach Harris barking orders at everyone else.
"Hi everyone, sorry I'm la—" Nalu says as he enters the gym
"Don't wanna hear it, Nalu. Drop and give me 20, you can come back at recess to do 3 laps of the gym." Coach Harris replied sternly. Yikes, a bit harsh for arriving just a bit late, and he didn't get to explain his reason. I continue doing laps with Tye, and a few others join us too.
"Gee, Coach is in a mood today." Sam says to me, as we're running.
"Yeah, he's probably just getting us all pepped up for next week. It's really scary, just thinking about the race" I reply.
"Hey Jamel... if you ever feel like he's treating you badly, you can speak up... or one of us can do it for you. We want to look out for you, you know." One of the older kids says. It's good to know that everyone is helping me feel safe, but I know that Coach Harris wouldn't ever try to make me feel scared or uncomfortable.
Suddenly, we hear a large thud come from behind us. We stop running to look behind us and see Coach Harris on the ground, face down, with a school bag just at his feet. No one else is moving or making a sound, as he slowly gets up in a daze.
"Oh no, who's bag is it this time?" I hear someone say.
"Brace for impact, someone's gonna be eaten alive by Coach's fury" someone else says.
"ALRIGHT, WHO'S THE IDIOT WHO LEFT THEIR BAG THERE!?!" He yells. I swear, by how loud he was yelling, you could feel the gym shake. I look close at the bag he's now holding up.
Dare I say... It can't be... Why did it have to be...
My bag.
"No one is moving anywhere until I find out whose bag this is!" he yells again. I see him holding it up in the air; the green name tag, the faded school logo, and the overstuffed front pocket, filled up by my jacket.
I have to speak up, it was my mistake. But... knowing Coach's recent short temper, I'd be yelled at, and probably punished by running even more laps. No one else is going to claim they did something wrong.
I ever so slowly take a step forward and raise my hand, and as a sign of submission, I feel my tail lower between my legs, and I try to look elsewhere. I guess it's just an instinct to feel scared in this situation.
In the corner of my eye, I see everyone around me turn to look at me, and Coach Harris slowly, but furiously walks over in a huff. I can only stand, and prepare myself for what's about to hit me.
"Don't pick on him, just because he's an easy target." I hear someone else say. It's Tye, standing in front of me. I peek over his shoulder to see Coach Harris, a bit confused.
"T-Tye, get out of the way, this is between me and—" he begins.
"No. I see the way you treat him. If someone like Mr. Jarman was here, you'd be in worse trouble than Jamel is" Tye explained. I've never seen him get so furious before, and I never thought it would be against someone like Coach Harris, someone who he respects deeply
"Tye, please. You don't understand. Jamel..." Coach Harris says, trying to stand his ground
"Slipped up, like any of us would have. He's an herbivore; you don't have to kill him for making you trip over on accident." Tye said. A few others are starting to agree with him now. It's probably time for me to make myself known, and share mine and Coach's secret.
"Um... Tye?" I say quietly, while keeping my distance from him.
"What is it, Jamel?" He says as he turns around.
"It's fine, mate... I own up to my mistake... besides, if I want to be an athlete like everyone here, I need to be treated the same..." I announce in what felt like one large breath.
No one said anything for a few seconds. Tye's face turned red underneath his fur. I can't imagine how embarrassed he would be.
"Oh, uh... sorry. I thought... I was just..." he mumbled to the ground.
"I'll let you off this time Tye, but just as long as you all know in the future; Jamel is treated like a carnivore by me and me only. Got that?" Coach calls out to everyone in the gym. "As for you Jamel, don't leave your bag out in the open" he says to me before handing me my bag. It feels lighter than usual.
"Wait a minute... this isn't my bag" I say.
I then see Nalu return from the change rooms. "Hey, what are you doing with my bag?" he says.
Oh boy, you better watch out Nalu.
Chapter 89: The Carnivore I Appreciate...
The rest of the day went peacefully, as most other days go. I'm personally looking forward to tomorrow, which is Carnivore Appreciation Day. In many regional towns, we herbivores give thanks to the carnivores who help us work and live to make a better community. Some larger towns hold small festivals for carnivores, but in Whigata, we herbivores give our carnivore friends a gift on this day. Usually it might be a book, or some food that they like, and I usually pick Riley as my "Appreciated Carnivore".
But this year, because everything is so different and weird between Riley and I, I've decided to give something to Sam. It was him who signed me up for running in the first place, as well as saved me from the hyena at the Regional Race, plus he's a great friend who has done very well this year with being kind to herbivores. I have my present all ready for him; I can't wait to see what he thinks.
I wake up on the Tuesday morning; excited to get to school. I don't have morning training today, so I can sleep in. I can't wait to give Sam his gift, I hope he enjoys it. I didn't really know what to get him, because I've never bought anything for a feline before, so I got him a bit of scratch carpet, so he can stretch his claws at the end of a school day at home (I read that felines like to scratch something to relieve stress, and they have carpets available, so they don't damage anything). I also thought about getting him some cat nip, because I heard that felines really love that stuff, but it's just so expensive, so I decided not to.
I get ready for school, and notice another note left on the bench. This one seems a bit more longer, and better laid out.
"Jamel.
Your father and I are happy to let you know that our Winter Work Periods are over. We no longer have to work overtime and extra hours at the pasteuriser and the office, and our bosses have given us good bonuses, so we have a bit extra in our pocket. Tonight, we want to celebrate by going out for dinner at the pub. Make sure you get home straight after school, have a shower and dress nicely as well. Your father and I also want to let you know that we are proud of your patience and tolerance of us having to work later, sometimes into the evening, and that we are very proud of your hard works at school; academically and physically. We can't wait to see you race in Lavalla, and know that no matter the outcome, your friends, family, and we are proud of your efforts.
Lots of love, see you tonight, Mum."
That's very nice to hear about Mum and Dad. They work so hard for themselves, and it's nice that their companies eased up on their work. It's been so long since we've gone out for dinner, so I'm really excited, and I can't wait for them to be able to see me race in Lavalla.
I slip my bag on my back, grab my present for Sam and head out the door. It's kind of warm outside today, which is a bit weird. I take off my jumper and decide to go to school in my white shirt and tie. I doubt they'll get dirty today. Hard to think that winter is almost over, I can still remember back about three months ago when I barely qualified for the Regional Finals at school. I've come such a long way, and I'm filled with such joy; I don't want this feeling to end at all!
"Hey Jamel... long time no see." I hear as I happily move through the breezy streets. I spin around to see Riley. Oh man... what do I say? Is he still trying to recover from his medication? I hope he's back to normal by now.
"Uhh... hey Riley. How've you been?" I ask anxiously.
"Not too bad... my medication is starting to settle, and I think I'm getting better at controlling myself." He says. That's promising.
"Good to hear, did you want to walk to school with me?" I ask him. I hope he didn't remember Carnivore Appreciation Day; otherwise, things would be a bit awkward. I get the feeling that he isn't happy that Sam stole his best friend away from him.
"Yeah, sure. What's that you're holding?" he says while pointing to the neatly wrapped present I got for Sam. Darn, I can't think of anything else to say.
"Uh... well... It's my present for Sam; I thought he'd enjoy something I found while I was in town on the weekend." I say.
"Cool. Speaking of... when's Carnivore Appreciation Day?" he asks me. Oh boy, this is awkward. I take a long pause, and I can't think of anything else to say.
"...today... I wanted to give this to Sam for helping me out with my training. Sorry, Riley." I say. He looks a little disappointed as I notice his ears and tail droop a bit. He doesn't reply for a while, until we turn into the school gates. Before I head off to go to my locker, he muttered under his breath:
"You know, all that dumb cat would need is a bit of string." He says. I felt sad for Sam and Riley. I know that Sam hasn't "stolen me" from Riley, but I just want to be grateful. And if that's what Riley thinks, then I don't think he should be my Appreciated Carnivore.
"Hey Jamel, whatcha got there?" Sam asks me as I get to my locker.
Chapter 90: Doubting my Respects
"Oh, no way! I've been meaning to get a new one of these. And it's red too, my favourite. Thanks Jamel." Sam says as he unwraps his gift. It's lunchtime now, and I'm giving Sam's gift to him. Erica, Liam and Tye also decided to join us, because I told them about Carnivore Appreciation Day earlier.
"I think it's a nice idea, for herbivores to give gifts to their carnivore peers" Erica says, while admiring the carpet.
"Yeah, I'd say it helps shyer herbivores get to know us better" Tye adds.
"If there was an Herbivore Appreciation Day, I'd get you a present, Jamel." Liam says proudly. Sam, Erica and Tye agree with Liam.
"Really? Thanks guys. I wish I could get you all gifts, I'm so happy to be all of your friends." I say. I'm very glad to be in such a lovely, happy community, where I know that my friends will always be there to protect me and have fun as well. We spend the rest of lunchtime talking and having fun together, until I see Mr. Jarman walk towards our table. He looks a bit distressed; I wonder what's up.
"Jamel, I need you to come me" he says in a panicked tone. He sounds as if he was being held at gunpoint. I reluctantly leave the table, and wave goodbye to my friends.
"What's up Mr. Jarman? Is everything okay?" I ask him as we walk towards the school office. He doesn't respond as we head inside but walk past the office. What's going on?
We head down the corridor, past all the framed pictures of past students and athletes, and we enter the principal's office. Inside, I see Mr. Ferris, the principal, at his desk, Coach Harris in one of the chairs, Mrs. Patricks standing by the window and a large bull leaning against a wall. The large bull is wearing the same uniform my dad wears, but it looks a bit worn out. Everyone is a bit shocked to see me, and no one knows how to react.
"Hey Jamel..." Coach Harris says slowly after a few seconds. Mrs. Patricks moves over to me and puts her feathered hand on my shoulder.
"It's okay, dear. Everything will be okay." She says comfortingly. She spoke in a way that comforted me, but the words she said made me even more uncomfortable. What happened?
Finally, the large bull moves off of the wall, and moves over. I know I have nothing to be afraid of, but he is very large. I'm surprised he managed to fit through the door.
"Hey mate, I need to pull you out of school, something happened at the pasteuriser, and you're needed at the..." he stops. The pasteuriser? As in, the one my dad works at? I hope he's okay, and he hasn't been hurt.
"Come on, I'll take you to your locker to get your bag and everything, and then Mr. Murray will take you to... where you need to go." Mr. Jarman says. This is weird; where do I need to go? What's happened to Dad? Is he okay or maybe injured? Hmm... this must be Murray's dad. He also works at the pasteuriser.
We walk through the schoolyard, back to my locker, both of us speechless, and confused. So many questions surrounding my head. No one is outside; I guess the bell must have rung while I was in Mr. Ferris' office.
Mr. Jarman stands behind me as I reach to get my things. This day is going very differently to what I expected it, but I hope everything is resolved, and I can still see both my parents by the end. I pack all my books and gear into my bag, and head to the front of the school with Mr. Jarman.
"Don't worry Jamel. Everything will be okay, and we're here for you at school" he said, before Mr. Murray drove into the car park, with his rusty Ute. I reluctantly open the passenger door, and put my bag in the back, before we head off. I look back and see Mr. Jarman standing in the middle of the car park, watching us as we turn out onto the street. Mr. Murray then sighs in anguish.
"Jamel... your dad was involved in an accident at work. He... had his arm torn from his body, and he's on his way to the hospital to get it reattached."
I don't say anything or react physically in any way. I just sit in my seat, and stare at Mr. Murray. I feel nothing but fear and torment that my very own Dad is in grave danger, and I'm reminded that it could just as well have happened to me as well.
"From what I've heard, the paramedics say it was a "very clean tear", so reattachment shouldn't be too difficult" he says, trying to comfort me. It isn't helping. Though I am comforted by the fact that reattachment procedures are quite successful in Australia, with a 96% success rate.
Now I've started to calm down a bit, I notice that Mr. Murray has two distinct smells about him, and I'm not talking about cheese and milk. I can smell blood on him; it must have been from when he helped my dad into the ambulance or something.
The second one is trickier to uncover, but I've smelled it many times before. I remember it from my race at the Aerodrome, and that day when we had to be kept in the school gym because of the devouring attack. It's not really a smell; but more of an emotion. An emotion of grief and paranoia. I feel it too, emanating throughout my body. I don't know what to say, feel, think, or do, other than just sit there.
Chapter 91: The Hospital Crises
Our medical facilities in Whigata aren't exactly "state of the art". We don't have a big hospital building, where live-changing surgeries can happen, but instead a few smaller buildings that care for patients, do smaller surgeries, etc.
Bigger surgical procedures take place in hospitals in towns like Durranga and Lavalla, but when a limb needs to be reattached, there's no time to prepare a helicopter to go there. We make do with what we have here. The 96% success rate turns into about 50-60% here, and even lower in remote communities
Mr. Murray pulls into the car park, and we slowly make our way to the main office building. I take a step out of the car and realise that as much as I want to see my dad alive and healthy, I'm too scared to take a step further. I don't want to see anyone hurt, especially those who are already vulnerable.
"Come on Jamel. We'll go in, together" he says. I'd imagine it would be even tougher for him. Herbivores need to stick together, especially when they are the minority, but he would have seen his own friend and workmate injured carelessly in a preventable accident. I doubt that he would have seen the actual... ugh. I get sick just thinking about what happened.
I notice Mr. Murray walk around to my side of the car. "Jamel don't worry. Your Dad'll be okay, and nothing bad can happen to him here" he says while sticking out his hand. "We'll go together" I notice his voice is starting to shake; he's nervous too. I hold his hand while we walk in. Each step feels painstakingly long, and the hospital feels even further away. After what felt like minutes, we finally get into the reception office. We see a few more of Dad's workmates in the waiting area, being questioned by police. They have hospital gowns on, and their work clothes are in a big pile, sectioned off in the corner. The clothes range from covered in blood to stainless. So... much... blood.
"I hope Dad's okay" I say in a quiet voice. I feel like a five-year-old in this situation. So helpless, so clueless on what's happened, and what can be done.
"Jamel... I don't want to alarm you, or make you feel scared, but... you see those carnivores being questioned by police?" he asks while pointing to the workers in hospital gowns. "Whatever you do, I don't want you to go anywhere near them. They're under a blood trance, and they're struggling to comprehend what's right and wrong. I'm sorry to say, but there was a lot of blood" He says. I guess if there's enough blood in the air, it's enough to send any carnivore crazy.
Suddenly, one of the doors opens, and we see a snow leopard being escorted out by two larger police officers, restraining his hands behind his back. Wait, is that... Nalu's dad?
"LET GO OF ME, I DID NOTHING WRONG, IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!!" He yells, which sends more fear coursing through my body. Just then, he breaks free and dashes over to me in a frenzied gait. He grabs hold of my white shirt collar, and I see his hands are dripping with red, warm blood
"You! You're his son, you know me! You'd know that I'd never do anything like this!" he said, while being pulled back by police. My shirt is stained as his bloody hands are pulled back from me. Now I'm even more scared, because any carnivore around me could easily lose control of their instincts and temptations. I look around and the workers being questioned by police seem like they've noticed the scent. They look over in curiosity, while Mr. Murray stands between me and them, to try and block out the scent. While Nalu's dad is being escorted out to a police car outside, I'm approached by another police officer. On close inspection, I notice that they have small nose plugs inside their nostrils. I guess it would be very bad if the police lost their minds.
"Come with me, buddy. You'll be safe" he says. He seems trustworthy, so I slowly move towards him. "Don't worry, you'll be safe where we're going" he says comfortingly. I look back at Mr. Murray, and he prompts me to go with the officer. He seems to know how to calm me down. We walk through the same door that Nalu's Dad came out of, and walk down a small corridor, before turning into a small room. The room looks a bit like the sickbay at school, with a bed, a few chairs and a sink.
"Take off your shirt and put it in this red box" he says while holding a box that says "Blood Containment Box". I hesitantly unbutton my blood-stained shirt and put it in the box. The officer then hands me a large, white T-shirt to put on. Hmm, it has a very strong citrus smell to it, which is soothing.
"I just thought that you'd want some time away from everything that's happened. How are you feeling?" he asks me personally. I would say that my mind is racing at the very thought of my own father's life in danger.
"I'm scared..." I say. And that's all I say. Truthfully, all the feeling of fear, uncertainty, confusion and stress all stem into those two little words. I just hope that everyone will be okay in the end.
Chapter 92: A Moment to Calm
Me and the police officer sit in the small room and talk for a bit more. I tell him about how I'm in the athletics team, and that I'm heading off to Lavalla next week. I guess that means that Mum and Dad won't be able to see me race..., it's still nice to just sit and talk to someone about something else, and take my mind off everything that's happening. Before too long, Mum comes through the door, with tears coming down. She tells me that Dad's surgery was a success, though they need him to stay in the hospital for a few weeks to "rehabilitate movement in his arm". I can't even imagine what we'd do if Dad lost his arm, because he can't do as much at work. The police officer also told me that Nalu's Dad was taken to the police station, where he eventually calmed down, and he's now at the hospital, receiving care.
I was also told that the citrus smell to the shirt was not only used to soothe me, but also to deter carnivores, because they apparently don't like the smell of citrus. I should probably keep that in mind. After Mum and Dad see each other, and Mum is informed by the hospital on what happens next, we drive back home, after such an eventful day. She doesn't say anything for a while, until we get home.
"I'll just some soup for dinner" she says quietly. Weirdly enough, she's very calm about this. Knowing her, I would have thought she'd be inconsolable in a situation like this. So would I, to be honest. I guess there's something that's telling us that we shouldn't cry or feel angry at anyone or anything. We're definitely sad and shocked by this, but we don't want to scream or shout for any reason.
There has to be something that's telling us to be mature and strong for ourselves, for each other.
For Dad.
._./|\._. Dreamtime Story 11: The Perfect Canine ._./|\._.
Tye: Hey Jamel, what's your opinion on wolves?
Jamel: Wolves, hmm... they're big, a little bit scary, but pretty loyal to the ones they care about. Yeah, I think they're fine, why?
Tye: Do you think I'd be a good wolf?
Jamel: Why do you ask that? I think you're a good jackal.
Tye: Oh... you know... no reason, I guess.
Jamel: You wish you were a wolf or something?
Tye: Well, I mean... you know... they're pretty big and stuff
Jamel: You realise that wolves are feared by a lot of herbivores and smaller animals... what about animals like me, Ollie, and Syd? There's no perfect animal to be, but in my opinion, you're perfect at being a jackal
Tye: Hmm... yeah, I guess you're right... oh, also what's your opinion on foxes?
Jamel: Oh, Tye...