What a term it was. I taught sixty students about short story writing. I assisted them in drafting, editing and publishing their work. I read several works of teen fiction which were recommended to me by my class - authors such as Jenny Downham, Darren Shan and of course Stephanie Meyer. We wrestled with their expression and my more traditional sense of grammar and spelling. The results when they finally all came in today were solid.
Here is a beautiful story by M.S in Year 11,
UNTITLED
"Splash, splash", my paddle splashes the water as I float downstream in my little dinghy. I look down into the water to see the beautiful ripple, and then I glance around me and see the, untouched nature of surrounding bushlands. I can smell wood burning and the hot humidity heading my way. I can hear the lorikeets chirping and kookaburras laughing and the sound of heavy of heavy clouds colliding. I Iook up to the sky and see a flock of birds flying in my direction, the same direction I see the dark heavy grey clouds which are moving slow.
I am home. I should be heading home because me grandparents might wonder where I am. They weren't really the type to be worried because they know I know this place from the back of my head.
I grew up here since I was a child, my mum died giving birth to me and my dad was fond of the drink who left me with my grandparents, I have friends, no siblings, or immediate cousins, it's just me, my grandparents, the bush and the sunshine.
Every morning I wake up, milk the cow, get fresh eggs and fresh oranges while my Nan would make fresh bread and my pop would make scrambled eggs and freshly squeezed orange juice. I am glad my father left me here because I feel like this is my home more than any other place that could have possibly been my home. My grandparents are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can hear the thunder roar and see the storm getting closer. I don't know if I should turn back home or not. I might catch a cold out here. So I set for 3 kilometres back upstream in my dinghy, it's a bit harder than
heading downstream, so by the time I get home... I'll be worn out. I make it all the way up to where our back gate to the river is. I pull my boat over to the side of the river bank, tie it up and head up the muddy bank. It's almost dark, the sun just settled, I can see red and blue lights flashing one kilometre in the distance where the house is. What could it be? What could have happened? Are they police? Are they an ambulance? well they are definitely not the fire brigade because they have big trucks and their lights would have been flashing higher than what these lights are. I start to worry, maybe someone's hurt, I start to run, I start to run that every muscle in my arms and legs feel like they are being used. It sprinkles, then the rain pours harder and harder as I run faster and faster. I can see now that the flashing light vehicle belongs to the police. I run around to the front yard and see me grandmother running to me with her hand over her mouth. "what's wrong? what is it Nan?"
"It's your grandfather, he had a car accident and is in a critical condition"
My whole heart collapsed, it felt like a big wave had hit me. I told my Nan that she and I should go and change out of our damp clothes then we will go to the hospital. I make some hot coffee and put it in the urn. Nan is still getting ready so I run out to the shed in my coat, drive the ute back to the doorstep and pick Nan up. We set of into the heavy rain driving along the road to the town hospital. I told Nan that there was some hot coffee in the urn in the back but she just looked at me and smiled, a soft smile. It was like the smile showed me everything was going to be fine, but for a second, I wanted to believe it, but then I knew that somewhere behind that smile, Nan was scared too.
I walked up to his bedside and he said "Son, sorry I wont be here forever. Sorry I couldn't raise your father like I raised you. You have been more of a son to me than my own. My boy, you and your grandmother is the most special
thing that has happened to me through my whole entire life."
"I am glad to call myself your son because you are the closest thing I've had to a father, after all these years why did you and Nan take me in?
"It was love, son. I didn't want to make the same mistake as I did with your father." "But after all these years, I felt I belong to you and Nan and in a few years I will belong no where or to no one. To have the feeling of not belonging, I won't be able to breathe pop. Pop told me that the farm was my responsibility, that I needed to go to school, find friends, a wife and have plenty of children. He told me not to live a half lonely life as he did. He grabbed my hand, put it towards he's heart and said " You belong right here son, forever till as long as you live. You belong right here in your grandmother's and my heart".
