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SpineOut : February March 2016
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Coconut Candy 'T hey can’t be serious. They’re going to let ching-chongs into the country with their diseases, no English, for free! No visas, just permanent residency! I have worked hard to be where I am today but they get treated to a first-class ticket to Australia.' The muffled voice of the morning news presenter continued despite her dad’s sudden outburst, 'But there isn’t only Operation Babylift. The Vietnamese refugees are also arriving by boat and this raises the question, if they can get to our northern coastline can’t enemy warcraft one day arrive on our shores? More on this issue soon on the ABC.” 'Turn that off William, it’s not good for the kids. Anyway, it’s time for school, come on.' Cindy found her usual spot out the front of the school, under the tallest gum tree of Our Lady of the Rosary, Fairfield. It was one of the only trees left since they put the new demountables in. Here she could sit in solitary for a few quiet moments before morning assembly. She enjoyed watching the cars pass, the mothers sharing news about their new colour television sets and the long faded leaves floating through the air to rest at her feet. But today was different because instead the mothers weren’t talking about the television or their arrogant husbands. All of the gossip was about a rumoured arrival of a refugee, and it had even seemed to Cindy that the tree had stopped dropping leaves to listen. “How did they get into the private school system?” the short one with the blue turtleneck asked. 'Apparently he’s being sponsored by the government to join a Catholic school,” one of the ladies with the large perm announced. 'He’s seven,' she continued, marvelling in her wealth of information, 'so he’ll be in the grade with my youngest.' Seven, Cindy thought to herself, he’s the same age as I am. A black government car pulled over on to the grass. A middle- aged Asian man with flared pants stepped out of the back first, followed by a smaller version of him. The smaller one was thin, had dark yellow skin, a square jaw and a deep scar running down the side of his face. All of the mothers gasped at the sight of him. It seemed as if they had never seen a foreigner before. The principal met the couple at the gate as the black car sped off. Leading them away, the bell sounded for morning assembly. 'Today we have a new student joining us. His name is Cahn Mai and he has come all the way from Vietnam. Now I hear he has a treat for you all, why don’t you tell the class Cahn?” Miss Day announced to everyone. Short stories Emma, Age 14 Mount St Benedict College, Pennant Hills NSW
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