CHAPTER 1

It wasn’t as if he found the lessons boring; on the contrary, Sean always found Mr Splain’s classes inspiring. It was just that his mind tended to wander. It wandered to the nearest available window where the possibility of escape a temptation he found impossible to resist. Today’s lesson on Mr Archimedes and his overflowing bath reminded Sean of his father and his habit of filling the bath until it overflowed. Like the creeks of gold he had read about in Australian history he thought - through the hall and into the bedrooms that branched off from it. The word, “Eureka!�?echoed through Sean’s ears, and as he gazed across the empty playing fields, his eyes were drawn to the lone gumtree that stood defiantly among the ranks of invading deciduous trees laying claim to the land. The flag, a Union Jack accompanied by the Southern Cross and the star of Federation, flapped gently in a breeze that could only be described as the breath of freedom. Sean was slowly being summoned. And then the bell rang. Freedom!

“And where do you think you were during Splainy’s class Sean? Sailing off to some tropical paradise again?�?Simon was always teasing Sean about his daydreams. But that was what your best friend was supposed to do wasn’t it? Make you laugh at yourself - bring a smile to your face! As they walked across the shadow cast by the flagpole at the end of the quadrangle, Sean found himself shielded from the glaring sun by the flag that flapped with a more noticeable vigour than it did during the History class they had just left. A cold shiver ran down Sean’s spine. Someone walking over your grave his mother would have said. He hoped not. He wasn’t particularly fond of ghosts - not that he had ever had the experience of meeting one.

“I’ve never sailed off to a tropical paradise. Well, at least not in my daydreams Simon. I went with Mum once a couple of years ago. Does that count?”The boys laughed. Simon enjoyed Sean’s sense of humour; it was one of the greatest things that he liked about his mate. Sean never took things too seriously - especially when it came to his habit of drifting off to places that nobody else could possibly imagine.

With History class now just a memory, like the subject itself that it preached, and with lunchtime the present, for sharing a variety of weird and wonderful sandwiches; two best friends headed toward the shade of the gumtree they called their own. And on such a hot day as it was, there was no better place to escape the heat.

INSTALMENT 2: