It was the day before my year 6 farewell and we were all so excited about going to High School the following year.
Mum had made my skirt and top ( I was a bit of a tom boy and really didn't like dresses at this stage) it was the eighties and I had a Fluor pink puff skirt and nice top.
Pa had built us a billy cart using a mowers wheels, wood planks for the seat and rope for a steering wheel. Barry decided we should take it out and have a go on it.
We went to a hill down the road and it was a VERY steep hill. I demanded of Barry
"you have to keep your feet down all the way to the bottom
"bad I was concerned about falling off and hurting myself and I knew that Barry was a bit of a rough nut. He agreed and I got on the back of the billy cart.
He was so cheeky he did what he said he would until we were about a meter from the bottom, then he giggled picked his feet up and started pulling on either side of the rope making the billy cart go from side to side. As I had feared I came off and slid down the hill on my left leg sideways. I started to cry and yell at him. He ran over to make sure I was ok but I had a lot of skin missing off my thigh. It was like a burn but with gravel in it. If you have ever had this happen you will realise how much it hurts.
I hobbled back up the hill and cried all the way home while Barry dragged the billy cart. All the way home he said don't tell mum what I did ( he didn't want to get in trouble).
When I got home mum came running out to see why I was crying and give me a hug. I just said I came off and slid down the hill no more than that so Barry didn't get in to trouble for being stupid.
Mum got me up the back stairs and walked me to the bathroom where she ran the bath and put in some peroxide. I knew it was going to hurt. I got in the bath and started screaming as it hurt so badly, it was like someone had poured acid on my leg. Mum tried to calm me but all I could say is Shit that hurts. Mum slapped me on my arm and said
"Emily! I don't care how much it hurts you DO NOT SWEAR". I knew I shouldn't have done it as mum was pretty strict about this sort of thing but it was a reaction and I didn't think before it came out due to the pain. Even as an adult I wouldn't swear in front of her out of respect.
The next night was my year 6 farewell and all I was worried about was the gravel rash and burn on my leg showing when I had a beautiful skirt to wear. I was so upset.
The big night had arrived and I look beautiful (or so mum said) I was pretty popular at school so no one said anything the only people who did were Kylie and Nigel and it was just to find out what happened and make sure I was ok.
Nigel asked because he was worried it was Arthur. That night we danced the night away and laughed so much. Nigel and I had a dance together which was pretty great because he was one of my best friends ever. I had a lot of friends but a few really good ones.
When the night finished none of us cried we all were just to excited as it was the Christmas holidays and the next year we were all to start high school together.
During the holidays we got to go and stay with Pa for a bit and then we would got camping with Arthur, his family and some of his friends and yes Uncle Pat was there.
We stayed in the tent with all the other kids. During the time we were there we would go fishing during the day. One day we found a seahorse skeleton that had washed up on the shore it still had some scales which I thought was weird ( mum had this for years). We use to go hunting for pippy's so mum could make rissoles (they are a shell fish you only ate the tongue like muscle)We would twist our feet from side to side in the wet sand until we felt a shell then you would dig down until you found it and pick it out to put in your bucket. I did this one time and the pippy was open and clammed down on the side of my finger so hard it couldn't just be pulled off, believe me I tried. Mum took me back to the camping area and she used a can opener to get it off. Yes I cried and yes it hurt lol.
On the first night we had a camp fire going and we got to roast marshmallows over the fire (yum). The adults were all drinking and someone was playing a guitar. We got told to get to bed as we had to be up early to go for a swim/surf. We all went to the tent. Uncle Pat said he had to go to the toilet and followed closely behind me. He leaned down with terrible beer breathe and said give Uncle Pat a kiss good night. I grabbed hold of one of the other kids and said
"RUN!". Mum looked around and she got up and followed us to the tent. By the time she got there we were all inside and Uncle Pat had gone back to the camp fire. Mum asked
"are you all alright?" We said yes but she knew different I think as she saw my face. I made my way the furthest inside the tent right next to Barry and behind the others.
We got up the next morning at sunrise and went down to the beach. One of Arthur's brothers (Uncle Tim) dove in but he didn't come up quickly. When we saw him he was floating and being pushed around in the waves. We yelled out to mum and she came running over she yelled out to Arthur. When he arrived we realised that this was not a joke. Tim was face down, by the time Arthur got into the water his other brothers were there and got Tim out of the water. Tim was not awake or able to move on his own. They got to the camp and the car and drove the 45 minutes to get to the hospital. Mum and some if the other ladies stayed with us kids. They didn't get back till late but Tim was not with them. They thought Tim had broken his neck. After ex rays they found it was not broken but he had dislocated something. When he dove in he hit the bottom.
The next morning we all packed up and went home.
During these holidays mum was rushed to hospital.....
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