Previously

It all felt a bit strange and I was quite nervous as the parade ground assembly was held that morning and was addressed by Barry who was the principal of the school. Once he had the business of the day discussed he said “We have a new girl starting in grade five today. Please make her feel welcome. Then we all marched to our class rooms with music over a loud speaker.

There were thirty kids in my class and most of them gave me a smile but there were some boys who gave me a funny look but I just ignored them and went on to sit next to my friend in the class.

Tuesday 23 /6/59.
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The first thing that Mr Taylor did was to get me to stand up and introduced me to the class and he said, “All right class quiet! We have a new student joining our class this morning. The girl standing up is Carla Croft and she has been taught by her Mum and the School of the Air up until now, so it will all be a bit strange for her, this first week. I expect you all to make her welcome and get to know her in today’s lunch break, She already has some friends in this class but I want all the class to get to know her because she has some special knowledge of the bush. Carla you may sit down and we will start with the first lesson of the day after roll call.”

After roll call we were asked to get our social studies books out and turn to page eighteen. The subject was on the early mail system in Australia, and we were asked to read the two pages on that subject and then Mr Taylor would ask us some questions on how we thought we had progressed over the last fifty years. I was really good at this subject so I enjoyed reading the two pages which were a bit different to the home school book but said the same thing only in a different way. Question time came and I sort of shrunk down in my seat; so I would not have to answer any questions. I was lucky I wasn't asked anything that day so I breathed a sigh of relief when the lunch break bell went.

We all went out and sat under the school where there were benches to sit on to have our cut lunches. Two days a week the tuck shop was run by volunteer Mums and you could buy your lunch on those days.

Jenny sat with me and said, “Well Carla, what do you think of going to a normal school?”

I replied, “There are so many kids. How am I ever going to get to know all their names?”

Just then Ricky came and sat on the other side of me and said, “Are you ok Carla you look a bit worried?'

I replied, “Yeah Ricky I'm alright. It's all a bit strange to be in a room full of kids doing school work.”

Ricky said, “It's a pity I’m not in you class as well, but then that might cause problems with some of the boys that don’t like me because Dad is the principal.”

Anyway the day passed fairly quickly till I was riding home from school on my bike. My friends were all riding bikes as well, but in different directions so I was on my own. As I was passing the park on my way home there was one of the boys in my class. I think he was one of the ones giving me a funny look this morning.

He said “Hey you White! Come here I want to talk to you.”

I didn't know whether to pedal faster or stop. I felt scared but decide to stop to see what he wanted. Anyway he grabbed the handle bars of my bike and shook the bike hard enough for me to lose my balance and fall off onto the ground and twist my ankle in the process. I didn't know the boys name but he kept on calling me 'Carl White' and 'little sissy poofta' and that my Dad owed his dad money for a gambling debt. I was in pain and couldn't stand up as he was holding me down and shaking me and then he tore my school uniform blouse and all the buttons went flying. By this time I was crying in pain and I screamed at him and said, “You broke my ankle. I am not Carl White, I am Carla Croft or didn't you hear the teacher call my name on the roll?”

“Bullshit. You're a fucking boy and lived on River Downs and your arsehole of a Dad is James White and he owes my Dad two thousand pounds for a gambling debt”.

It was getting late and I would be missed because I was supposed to call Mummy when I got home from school.

The boy said, “That poofta Ricky wont protect you, because I’m going to take you with me to a place where they can't find us and then ask that rich mother of yours to pay up or she will never see you again.”

I was in a lot of pain by now and my ankle was starting to swell.

I said through my tears, “I have nothing to do with James any more so let me go or I will get my twin to help me and you wont like what she can do to you.”

He replied, “Shut the fuck up boy or I'll make you into a girl the hard way.”

I replied, “I am a girl so you are too late!”

He got angry at that and hit me in the face and I could feel the blood running out of my nose.

Just as he was about to hit me again I saw a car pull up at the park gate but because of my tears I couldn't see who it was. It was Ricky and his Dad and they jumped the fence and pounced on the boy that was thumping into me. Barry didn't say a word but picked the boy up by his hair and lifted him off me as though he didn't weigh anything at all and he landed a few feet away with a surprised look on his face. Ricky came and helped me sit upright, and started to wipe the blood from my nose with his hanky and tried to hold my blouse together at the front because I was wearing a real girlie pink camisole under the blouse.

Barry was holding the boy who was about two years older than me but was in my class so he must have been kept back for two years.

Barry yelled at him as he held him in a head lock almost choking him and said, “Bradley Blake you are in big trouble! Before I let you out of this head lock I want you to calm down or I will have to put you out of it do you understand?”

“Fuck off” said the boy, and Barry put a little bit more pressure on a point on his neck and Bradley went out cold. I screamed at that and thought he had killed him because of me.

Ricky held me tight and said, “Carla, Dad was a martial arts teacher before he became the principal of the school and he only put Brad to sleep for a bit. He'll be ok.”

I was sobbing uncontrollably now and my ankle was as big as a balloon. My nose was all clogged up with blood but it wasn't broken. I must have looked a mess.

Barry said to Ricky, “Go to the public phone box over the road and ring the Sergeant and tell him what is going on and to get down here now!!”

Ricky said, “Dad, Carla can't stand up on her foot. I think she has a broken ankle.”

“Look Ricky I am not going to leave this little criminal here to do any more damage. Just help Carla sit up on her own and get to that phone.”

“But Dad, you need money to ring out on a public phone.”

“No Ricky, just lift the receiver and press both the 'a' and 'b' buttons and the exchange will answer.”

Ricky said to me, “Carla will you be able to sit up on your own just till I get the Sargent to come down to help dad?”

I replied, “Please hurry Ricky, if the pain gets any worse I think I will faint.”

I didn't sit I just laid down and closed my eyes and said, “Jean why didn't you zap him?”

She was there instantly and said, “Sis, it was me that made Mummy ring Ricky's Dad so they could come to help us! I tried to zap him but he was too strong and angry, and that is when I got into Mummy's head and warned her what was happening and she rang Barry. I'm sorry Sis, but I can only talk to you Rita and Mummy and am not strong enough to zap people that are as angry as that boy.”

Mummy was there in the next couple of minutes and came to have a look at my ankle and said, “Oh Carla, I knew it was too soon to send you to a normal school yet. I am so sorry Darling. Ricky, come and give me a hand and we will carry her to my car and I will take her to the hospital and get a doctor to have a look at her ankle.”

Mummy undid my shoe and pulled it off very gently so it didn't hurt me any more. She gasped when she saw how much it was swollen and said, “Sweetheart see if you can move your toes.”

I tried to do what she asked, but cried out in pain and didn't want to make it hurt any worse so I just said, “Mummy, it's broken” as the tears were falling down onto my now torn white blouse.

Ricky was still trying to be the gentleman and hold it closed, and said, “Carla, I am going to kill that bastard when this is finished!!” and he also now had tears in his eyes and was shaking with anger.

Mummy said, “Ricky calm down. The police will see to him. Just give me a hand to get Carla into my car so I can get her to the hospital.”

Between the two of them they got me into the back seat of Mummy's Land Rover. Ricky was coming with me but he said he wanted to make sure that the police sergeant was there before we left. Ricky's Dad was sitting down beside the now sleeping Brad and he asked Ricky to get some water to throw over Brad's face to wake him up, so he came back to the car and got a cup out of the glove compartment. He raced to the water tank at the park and filled the cup with the cold water and came back to where Brad was laying on the ground and Barry said, “Here, give that to me.” but Ricky said, “No Dad, I want to do this.” and very slowly dribbled the ice cold water on to Brads face.

Barry was holding onto Brad in case he got up all punchy but that didn't happen he looked all groggy as if he didn't know where he was.

Barry let him sit up and said, “Brad don’t make this any worse for yourself and just sit there ok?” Just then the police Sergeant pulled up and walked over to where Brad was sitting on the ground and looked back to the Land Rover and changed his mind and came over to see if I was ok.

He said, to me “Are you ok young lady?”

Before I could reply, Mummy said, “No, does she look like she is ok Jim?”

Jim the police Sergeant replied, “I'm sorry Donna. I can see your angry so I’ll go and sort that kid out.” and he went to where Barry was watching that Brad didn't do a runner.

Mummy said in a loud voice, “I'm taking my daughter to the hospital if that ok with you Sergeant?” in an angry voice. That's when Brad yelled out, “That’s a fucking boy and this is not finished.”

Mummy was about to go and sort Brad out when Barry got up and left Brad to Jim and said, “I will come with you to the hospital. I am on the hospital board and pull some weight there, and I will make sure that Carla gets seen to straight away.”

We left the Sargent to deal with Brad who was still swearing his head off saying something about Barry knocking him out and he will get his Dad to sort him out.

Jim said, “The only sorting out around here is what I am going to do when I get you down the police station and call your Mum.”

As Barry drove Mummy's Land Rover to the hospital all Ricky was worried about was to hold my blouse closed. He is such a gentleman and I love him for it.

We arrived at the hospital and Barry carried me in like I weighed nothing and went straight to Jill at the nurses desk and said, “Go get Doc Barsby.”

I was amazed at how every one in Quilpie knows everyone else. I guess it can be handy when you get carried in to hospital with a broken ankle.

The nurse Jill rushed off to get the hospital doctor and was back in two minutes flat and said, “He'll be here in a minute,” and he was.

He said, “What's all the fuss about Barry? I don’t see anyone dying.”

That got Mummy going again and she said, “Enough with the jokes! If you don’t get you arse into gear and treat my daughter I’ll call Jim Ryan to come down and do it.”

The doctor looked at Mummy and said, “Ok ok! Keep your shirt on will you? I have had a long day”.

Mummy replied, “I’m sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you but as you can see my daughter has been attacked by a little criminal and has a broken ankle and it looks like her nose is starting to bleed again.”

By this time another nurse came in with what looked like a tray with a needle on it.

I was feeling a lot of pain and said “I don’t like needles but if it will kill the pain in my leg do it please."

The nurse did just that and within five minutes I was in la la land and on my way to the x-ray room.

Mummy asked the nurse for something to clean up my face so she went to a cupboard in the x-ray room and pulled out some soft face washers and went to the sink and wet one and kept one dry and handed them to Mummy who then proceeded to clean up my face. My new white blouse was covered in the blood from my nose and would probably have to go in the bin.

The nurse whose name was Amy came back with a hospital gown and asked Mummy to give me a hand to get undressed and put the gown on because I would be staying in overnight. Barry and Ricky said that seeing we were being looked after they'd go home and come back once I was in the ward.

Ricky said, “I should have been with you on your first day ride home.” and almost burst into tears. He hugged me and Barry said “Come on kid I'll take you home and you can talk to Carla a bit later ok?”

They left and then Mummy said, “Ok girl lets get you changed into this silly back to front gown.”

It was now five thirty and the person that did the x-rays had gone home, and they had to ring him at home to come back to work, so I had to wait sitting in a wheel chair till he got there. Doctor Barsby came into the room with a cup of coffee in his hand and had a look at my ankle and said the swelling had not got any worse so it was probably a bad sprain and not broken but an x-ray would tell the story. He said he would go and have something to eat and be back shortly, and told Amy to make sure that she kept an eye on me because I looked like I could be in shock. Then while we were waiting for the x-ray man to turn up.

I said, “Mummy, how did you know I was in trouble?'

Mummy replied, “Why don't you ask your sister Jean how she does these things Carla, because I was about to ring home to see why you hadn't rang me when Jean almost screamed at me in my head and said, 'The park! Carla's in trouble', and I rang Barry to see if you had gone to be with Ricky, but Ricky said he saw you ride off from the school, and they hung up, and I was at the park in minutes after that.”

Amy was listening to our conversation and asked, “Where is your sister now?”

I replied “It's a a bit hard to explain, but my sister is with me in spirit only, but she can communicate with me and Mummy when things go wrong.”

Amy replied, “Oh! is that all? My brother got killed in a car accident last year and he talks to me all the time.”

Just then Doctor Barsby walked in and said, “Not an other one that talks to the dead.” and he jumped and said, “Shit I just got the shivers.”

Jean said, “Tell him I am not dead.” I started to say something and he said, “It's ok Carla, I believe you can communicate with your sister. Tell her not to tickle me in the back of my neck. Now, where is Andy he should be here by now. Lets get you up on the x-ray table and have you ready when he gets here.”

He just finished saying that when a short plump man came bursting through the door all out of breath and said, “Sorry I took so long to come back to the hospital but my baby girl just sicked up all over me and I had to shower and change.”

Mummy said, “We all know about that sort of thing Andy. You're here now, that is all that matters.”

He got to work on the x-rays and after I was taken to the ward and and told to relax while he developed them. Amy got bags of ice to put on my ankle to make the swelling go down. My pain was coming back so she gave me another shot and within a couple of minutes I was almost falling asleep. Amy got Mummy a cup of tea and a sandwich, I was not hungry so she gave me a cordial drink.

Half an hour passed and Doctor Barsby said, “Andy has all the pictures done and went home but the x-rays showed no bone fractures, so it is all ligament damage. That is why it is so painful.”

Amy brought in a trolley with all sorts of bandages on it. The one they used was a wide stretchy thing and, while Mummy held my leg up, the doc and Amy bandaged my ankle really tight and said, “Carla you wont be able to walk for a few days.”

The ward I was taken to was the women’s ward and there was only one other patient in in there and that was an old lady that had fallen over and broken her hip, but she was asleep. Mummy went to the hospital kitchen and made me a sandwich with the permission of the head nurse. By the time she came back the whole family was at my bedside asking all about what happened, I tried to explain what happened but got all upset and started to cry and kept say “He called me a poofter and a boy.”

It took a while to calm me down and then Barry explained what happened. Daddy said “I know Brad. His Dad is a bad bastard and is a violent man when he is drunk. He must have got in a card game with James back on River Downs and James welched on the bet.”

Mummy said “I don't know why he thinks I'll pay his Dad any money, but he is in big trouble now for doing what he has to Carla. I will want him and his parents charged with assault and attempting to abduct my daughter for ransom to pay a gambling debt, that I had nothing to do with.”

Rita, Peter, Ricky, and his parents all said goodnight and went home, but Mummy, Daddy, Bella and Uncle Tony stayed a bit longer to discuss what was to be done to keep me from having to go through this type of thing again.

Anyway I was falling asleep from the pain killers and Mummy said she would be there in the morning to collect me with a new set of clothes and took my bloodied uniform home to wash but I think the blouse would be binned. As I was just nodding off Jean started to want to talk to me about what had occurred today and she said, “Carla I’m going to be more alert from now on and make sure that I give you plenty of warning before anything like this can ever happen again.”

I replied, “Yeah Yeah Sis.” and fell asleep.

Wednesday24/6/59
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It was only seven in the morning but doctor Barsby was on his rounds already and I was his first patient that he looked in on.

He went through all the manipulation of my foot and ankle and said, “You will survive Carla, and can go home when your Mum come in, but I will want to see you in two days time to make sure there are no complications ok?”

I said, “Can I go back to school today?”

He replied, “No, I don’t want you on that ankle for at least three days young lady so leave school till next week.” and he left giving me a smile and a wink.

I thought to myself 'Why does every one wink at me? Silly people.'

Well I was not a happy camper by the time Mummy came in a half an hour later. I was just having some hospital type breakfast, and grumbling to myself about only having had one day at school and already taking a week off.

Mummy said “Oh sweetheart, it could have been so much worse. What if Brad had succeeded in abducting you, we may never have seen you alive again.”

This got me all emotional and I started to sob. I think Mummy saying that was the last straw and the dam just broke. She was holding me in her arms when in walked my teacher Mr Taylor who had came into see me before he went to the school. He wanted to see what had happened and said he will do all he can to stop anything like this happening again.

Mummy said, “I want that little criminal to be put away where he belongs.”

Mr Taylor said, “It wont be easy, but he will definitely be expelled from the school.”

Mummy took me home and made me comfortable in front of the new television and said she would be back in a little while and look after me for the next couple of days.

To be continued

Next time: Back to school, and talking to Brad so he knows about me being a girl.

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