Another Time, Another World, Another Life

May 2008

As I entered through the gates of Saint George Christian College, the sweet smell of fairy floss and caramelised popcorn faintly wafted through the air and tickled my tastebuds. The obscenely large ferris wheel and other amusement rides felt noticeably out of place, as did the mass congregation of teens, adults and general members of the public. As per tradition, our school hosted an annual fundraising event that was open to the community as a way of staying connected and raising awareness to important issues surrounding children, youth and their families. Each year, our school would put on a spectacular talent show and cater to the likes of fun carnival rides and games. Even if you belonged to the minority of people who didn't enjoy attending such outlandish functions, you couldn't deny the infectious and vibrant energy that was zipping past people and floating within and around the property.

I arrived at school with my parents and brother just before lunchtime and was immediately captivated by the impressive lengths our school had gone to invest even more time and money into outdoing each consecutive Fun Fair Day. In the past, it had been a fairly quaint and local affair that inspired a sense of affinity between board members, staff, students and their parents. However, as the school steadily developed over the years it became clear that it wouldn't remain an intimate and close knit celebration for much longer. It was really rather exciting to meet new people and have an opportunity to view the school in a different light, something that was different from its usual academic and uptight formalities. Instead, it paved a way for the future of the educational institution to encourage its attendees to take a break from the stressors of everyday life and hopefully donate to worthy causes that the school was heavily involved in.

Making my way towards the food stalls with my mum in tow, I was very much looking forward to eating some chocolate covered churros and deep fried onion rings. Although the weird flavour combination itself was likely to give me an unwelcome stomach ache, no one was about to make me question my motives when I had already decided what I was going to eat on the drive over here. On the other hand, my mum chose to play it safe by ordering her, my dad and my brother each an American style hot dog with all the fixes. Listening to my mum place our order, my brain was unsurprisingly distracted by all the chaos forming around me. It was almost like a confetti canon had exploded before my eyes and left me begging the question whether I should maintain my laser focus on the scene ahead of me or look desperately away. Either way, I was bursting at the seams to get some sugar in my bloodstream and enjoy the most out of the day.

Handing me my food, I graciously thanked my mum and took off beside her in search of my dad and brother. It didn't take long to spot them, having found them right where we had last seen them standing by the carousel. Only now however, it seemed that they were surrounded by several people whom I recognised instantly.

"Lily!" I excitedly called, before giving her a bone crushing hug whilst also being mindful not to drop my food.

"Mr and Mrs Anderson, it's great to see you both." I next addressed Lily's parents with a smile.

"It's always lovely to see you too dear. How are you finding your classes this year?" Mrs Anderson politely asks.

"Well thanks, although a little stressful at times but I think I'm managing myself well enough." I timidly smile.

"That's the way. Don't forget to give yourself a break every now and again though. You girls work too hard for you age." She comments, whilst gesturing towards Lily and I alike.

"We intend on it mother, which is why with your permission we would like to run on ahead now and enjoy the carnival." Lily suggests with a particularly persuasive tone that implies she wants us to go at it alone, without having to worry about our parents looming over our shadows in the background.