Free Castaway by Joanne Van Os Page A

George and Darcy competed for who could eat the most the fastest until Darcy had a choking fit and Aunty Lou had to stop arguing with Uncle Mungo and administer a life-saving thump to her son’s back.
    When lunch was over, Uncle Mungo and Old Jock went off to check some watering points and troughs in the floodplain paddock in preparation for moving the buffaloes down there. It hadn’t rained since Mac’s accident, so Uncle Mungo had decided they should go ahead with his plans for moving the stock. After giving many instructions to Tess and Darcy, and many breath-squeezing hugs to Sam and George, Aunty Lou finally waved goodbye and drove off back to town.
    As they watched the car disappear around a bend in the road, Jaz said, ‘What are you guys going to do now? Lou brought the mail bag out and your next term’s assignments are in it, so I’m going to go through your new work. And I’ve got a few letters to read, so I might disappear over to my room for a couple of hours. Mungo and Jock won’t be back till dinner time. Sing out if you need me, okay?’
    They went back inside the house. ‘Let’s take some of the rice and curry up to him,’ said Sam. ‘He might like that.’
    The child was well hidden as usual, and it wasn’t untilSam called out softly that a little face showed around the corner of a box. He looked alarmed when two extra heads appeared over the platform, but relaxed when it was obvious that Tess and Darcy were children too. They all sat down on the hay bales and stared at each other. The child studied Darcy and Tess cautiously, then suddenly rushed over to Tess and grabbed her hand, talking excitedly.
    ‘Hey, Tess, I think he likes you!’ said George with great amusement.
    The child touched Tess’s hair, which was pinned back with a decorative clip and hung in a plait down her back. He pointed at Tess, then pointed at himself several times, and at Tess’s hair.
    Tess stared into the child’s face, and then suddenly laughed out loud. ‘You dorks, this kid’s not a boy, he’s a girl !’
    Sam, George and Darcy stared. ‘Are you sure?’ said Sam, turning red. ‘No wonder he nearly decked me when I tried to help him take his clothes off!’
    ‘What’s your name?’ asked Tess, looking intently at the child. She pointed to herself and said, ‘Tess,’ and then named each of the others in turn.
    The child’s face lit up in understanding, and she touched herself on the chest and said clearly, ‘Kalila’. She smiled at them, and sat close to Tess as she repeatedeach of their names until she had it right. ‘Sem, Chorch, Duh-ssy, Tess.’ Pointing to herself again she said very clearly, ‘Kah-lee-lah,’ and then, to everyone’s absolute amazement, Kalila said, ‘I – I speak small English.’
    Sam’s mouth fell open, and George’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. ‘Why didn’t you say so before?’ said George. ‘It would have been a bit easier!’
    ‘I sorry. I frighten everything. Forget words.’ She paused for a moment, looking wistful, and then went on haltingly: ‘My father say not speak English if not safe. I not know is safe. But safe now.’ And she smiled at them, particularly at Tess. They all started to ask questions at once, but Sam held his hands up. ‘Whoa, whoa, one at a time, and slowly. You heard her say her English isn’t that great.’ He went first.
    ‘Okay, where do you come from?’
    ‘I belong Afghanistan. But come from Pakistan, refugee camp. Stay Pakistan little while, then run away.’
    ‘How did you get here?’ asked George. ‘Were you in that boat that got wrecked on the reef?’
    ‘Boat, yes. Come in boat, from Indo – Indoneesi … Four boat. Bad men chase us, shoot my boat, all people in water. People save me. I not see father.’ And then the tears fell unchecked.
    Tess put her arms around her and hugged her till she stopped sobbing. The child took a deep breath andwent on. ‘Very great storm, break boat, people all die. Only me.’