Our time has flown by in photographs, time, paper scraps and love. We used to be together all ov the time at the start, setting up our careers. But now we are never together, It’s like we don’t even know each other anymore. It’s been like this for a couple ov years now, more like five years, since Elle was eleven.
It has been a couple ov years ov the same old stuff. Today is Jessie’s thirty third birthday and tomorrow will be Elle’s sixteenth birthday. Together we have gotten Elle a new phone and Ipod, and Elle and I have gotten Jessie some ov the music he is into and I got him a nice thick silver wrist chain with our names engraved on it.
Jessie and my once a week night together, when Elle goes to a sleepover, we have not had one in years. ever since Elle got new friends we don’t spend anytime as a family anymore ‘cause we are always stressing, wondering if she is okay and not getting hurt. This scares me to death because if we keep going in this direction we are going to have to call it quits on our marriage.
But no this very night everything starts to go up hill agin. Jessie stands up - having enough ov their day not spending it together anymore - he goes over to Dawn, pulls her up so she’s standing, he bends down and picks her up close to his chest. Dawn then asks “what’s wrong baby? What are you doing?”
Without saying anything, Jessie takes dawn into his room and lays her down on his king sized double bed, they first got when they moved here. Then he said “Im taking my wife to the spot were she belongs and that is right next to me in my bed and in my life. We are going to do just exactly what we used to do before we ever had any commitments and before Elle got new friends and we started to go down hill.
She got under the covers and then he got into the bed himself and I snuggled closure to him. “Jessie, do you still have a thing for me?” “yeah why do you want to see it?” “no! that’s so not what I meant.” I was trying to wiggle myself out ov his grasp but he pulled me close again. One thing led to another and when we finished he said “Yes Dawn I still love you and I still have it bad for you.
In the morning Elle came into Jessie’s room and said “daddy mama is missing, I can’t find her anywhere.” “it’s okay Elle, mama’s fine. She is just a bit tired and is sleeping in my bed.” Elle left to go get ready for school and wrote a note for mama. She left it on the kitchen bench and went off to school.
When Dawn gets up it is almost twelve pm, so she just goes and cleans up a little until she finds a note from Elle. It said
Mama.
Can you please pick me up from school today, cause since last night at the sleep over, we had a fight over boys, and now I am not friends with them anymore. Then I had to leave and I called in a favour from Mia and slept at her house, we are all cool now. I wanna leave this place and see what Australia is all about. I wanna spend some time with you. Did you know that we have not spent time together for a while and we have not been a proper family for about five years.
So Dawn left in ten minutes to go to the school and collect Elle to take her shopping. When she gets there she is thirty minutes early and cranks up the stereo listening to ‘My Man’ by Missy Elliott. She takes out her phone and texts Jessie telling him ov her plans with her daughter.
By the time she finishes Elle is outside the school with her old friends and her boyfriend. Then Elle gets in the car after yelling at them and just stares out the windscreen. Dawn cups her face in her hands and turns it so she can see Elle’s eyes. Instead ov seeing frustration she sees tears pricking at the back ov her eyes.
Dawn looks over at the so called friends and they are all staring at us., she turns around and puts foot to pedal and the are off. Elle turns to Dawn and says “Mama I want to leave, I don’t want to stay here anymore. Can we go to Australia, please mama, even if it is just for a holiday. I want to get away for awhile.”
“I will have a talk with daddy, but it is open season for him now. Maybe you and I could go for awhile, while daddy finishes up. I must say I need a break as well. Okay.” Then they go shopping for materials they will need in Australia ‘cause it is the dry season there they get summer clothes.
After shopping Dawn calls Jessie and tells him then she says “maybe I could take her with me to Tim’s while you finish up here and we will see you there.” “yeah I think that will work. Um… get the tickets while you are out and call him when you get home. I love you two” “we love you two Jessie.”
They head towards the airport and get the tickets then they head home. When we get home Elle daddy and I have a surprise for you that we think you would love to hear. Before they get home they stop in at Butacup Café for two French caramel thick shakes and ten dollars ov skinny chips and tree rolls ov garlic bread for dinner.
After dinner they all went in through the lounge room and down the back steps to the pier. We took off our shoes and put our feet into the water. While there we all sat next to each other with Elle in the middle and our arms around each other.
While looking up at the stars Dawn asks Elle “Sweetie, do you remember how you were telling me this arvo that you want to go to Australia. Well… we are going. First you and me then daddy’s coming along a bit latter after the seasons over."
