Free The Invisible Hero by Elizabeth Fensham Page A

all those big words she used. Unethical means someone behaves dishonestly and without morals. And the other big words are Latin for when you’re cheating with your argument and bagging the person and not really staying with the issue. It’s like a distraction thing to get your enemy wobbly. Dad used to do that to Mum which is probably why those Latin words came to her so easily.
    â€˜How come the politicians can get away with saying and doing that sort of stuff to each other?’ I asked next.
    â€˜Yeah,’ said Hannah. ‘And you can’t even trust your own side. They’re like a bunch of cannibals. Like, isn’t it them who come up with all these rules about school and workplace bullying?’
    â€˜It doesn’t add up,’ agreed Mum. ‘On the slightly brighter side, I read somewhere that Scotland has had its own Parliament for about ten years and they’ve designed the inside of the debating chamber to minimise abusive talk.’
    â€˜How on earth?’ I asked.
    â€˜By creating it in a semicircle. When someone speaks, it’s not the opposition you’re facing, but a neutral chairperson called the Presiding Officer.’
    â€˜No yelling and bad-mouthing the other side,’ I said.
    â€˜And the aim in the Scottish Parliament is to reach a consensus – a general agreement.’
    â€˜Cool.’
    When you think about it, the opposite of that cruel-tongued Australian politician is Phil. There’s a whole heap of kind things I’ve seen Phil do. Not just for me, for anyone who needs help. He’s a gentleman. That’s a pretty special thing nowadays. And he gets it in the neck for being that. Like when Phil waited to help me into my bear suit the other day and Macca bagged him for ruining the World Vision fundraiser performance.
    But I can’t write about Phil as a hero. Firstly, I’d get hell. Secondly, it’s got to be some sort of accepted hero. I’m stuck.
Mustafa Gulecoglu: Tuesday
    I’ve liked Ruth since primary. In fact, I think we were engaged once in Grade 1, but then she broke it off. It didn’t have anything to do with her Mum being Jewish and my parents being Muslim.I got jilted because when I proposed to Ruth I gave her the metal ring off a coke can as an engagement ring; a couple of days later Oliver Johnston gave her a tin ring with a sparkly bit of glass that he’d bought at the toy shop. Fair enough. I remember being impressed with how real the ring looked. Anyhow, after a week or so, Ruth forgot she was engaged and the three of us went back to building cubbies and playing in the sandpit.
    I’ve always respected Ruth and now I know why. Inside that pint-sized body is one big, brave heart. Yesterday, when Ruth accused Quayle of being unethical, I felt like shouting out, ‘Go girl!’ But did I shout? No. I can take a thumping in soccer, but it’s little Ruth with the soft, grey eyes who has the guts in the really scary situations.
    I have seriously underestimated that girl. I mean, I tease her a lot – take the Mickey out of her. She can be incredibly naïve. When our group – Johnston, Imogen, Ruth and me – were sitting around at lunch the other day, I told them this joke that I picked up from my boss at my weekend job in the video shop.
    It’s about a Scotsman who takes this dumb, but beautiful girl out on a date. Come the end of the evening and they’re sitting next to each other in his car looking at some view of city lights.
    â€˜Like a drink of Scotch?’ he asks pulling out a big bottle of whisky. She nods and has a drink.
    â€˜Like to sit in the back?’ the Scotsman asks.
    â€˜No,’ says the girl.
    â€˜Like another drink of Scotch?’
    â€˜Okay.’
    â€˜Like to sit in the back?’
    â€˜No.’
    This goes on and on. The guy keeps filling the girl up with his expensive whisky, but she still isn’t interested in getting in the