|
"Laura's Dream" |
| Copyright Francis Blow, 1986. |
| CHAPTER 12 |
| Simone's kidnapping, while she was on the way to get a loaf of bread for her mother, was the only thing spoken of at school the next day. Laura and the other girls who had been at Laura's party were very quiet most of that Monday. The teachers turned a blind eye, if suddenly one of the girls withdrew into herself. |
| Laura was normal enough by the evening to help out at Cubs, though Akela let Laura add a special prayer for the kidnaped children, when the closing prayer was said. |
| As everyone was about to leave, Akela announced "Don't forget the hike this weekend! It's in your notes." |
| Laura read the note before she went up to the leader. |
| "Excuse me, Akela, but I've got to help clean up the Guides camp on Saturday." |
| "I know, Laura, Your father told me. He'll help us with the Cubs while you're working." |
| |
| "Dad, why didn't you tell me about the Cub hike?" Laura asked as he drove her home. |
| "It slipped my mind. Gran is going to be back on Saturday night, and I've had so much on my mind, I forgot. Sorry, baby." |
| "Did Gran ring?" Laura lost interest in everything else. |
| "No. We got a card in the mail. I thought you would have seen it on the kitchen bench." |
| "I went straight to my room to get through my homework. How is Gran?" |
| "Fit as a fiddle, naturally." He grinned. |
| When she was back home, Laura changed out of her uniform, then went to where her mother was in bed, reading. |
| "Oh, Mummy, darling?" |
| "Oh, boy! This must be a beauty. What are you after?" |
| "Can I practice massage on you? I promise not to hurt." |
| "Why does a mother have to put up with these things?" Carla sighed in resignation and closed the book. "What do you want me to do?" |
| "Just a sec', while I get a towel. Just take off your nightie and lie face down on the bed." |
| Half an hour later, John came in. "How's the patient?" |
| "Mum fell asleep," Laura almost giggled. "I guess it works." |
| "You're not kidding. Well, I'll be knocked down with a feather. Help me get her under the sheet." |
| "Can I do you tomorrow night, Daddy?" |
| "Let's see tomorrow night, okay? I'm not sure I like the idea of being put to sleep by my daughter." |
| "Spoil sport! 'Night, Dad." |
| |
| Saturday morning, and Laura was up early, dressed in a denim, bib-style overall with her bikini underneath. From the garage she brought canvas gloves, work boots, a bucket and a rake. She put the tools in the car, and was ready when her father drove her to the Guide camp. |
| There were trees to plant, buildings to clean and fire breaks to clear. Fortunately, enough girls and parents turned up to get the job finished early. A few girls decided to stay back for a swim in the dam, supervised by one of the leaders, who would drive them to Gosford in her van. From Gosford, each girl would make her own way home. |
| Laura was one of the girls who stayed behind, since her parents were busy elsewhere, with the Cubs. Rather than swim, though, she told the leader that she wanted to go to the lookout at the corner of the grounds. It was a five minute jog, which Laura hardly noticed, even in her overalls and boots, and with the sun high. |
| She leaned on the railing of the lookout and surveyed the farmland two hundred feet beneath her. Laura's aimless gazing was interrupted by unexpected movement in a farm that was supposed to be closed up. Four tall figures chased a small figure and then went into a long building that had once housed chickens. |
| The scene troubled Laura, who decided to investigate. It would only be ten or fifteen minutes down, and about twenty minutes back, if she ran. |
| |
| The terrain was rough, yet Laura managed to reach the first farm fence unseen. There were half a dozen men and women walking around, and all of them carried long, slender poles, that might have been fishing rods without the metal bits. |
| Then, Laura heard a child scream, and other kids soon gave sounds of fear. Laura knew it had to be the kidnapped children. This was where they all were. What else could it be? But how to describe the location to the police? |
| Laura found her way to good cover, and circled the property to the road. She ran, still hidden, until she came to a sign two kilometres further on. Now she had something she could use. |
| The feeling Laura had was similar to what she had felt when she had escaped the drug dealers in Dubbo. She learned from the mistakes she had made all those months before, and kept herself well hidden as she turned back, running for help. |
| |
| "She's here! Laura's back!" One of the other Guides screamed from above Laura. |
| Moments later, Laura and the others were sprinting to the caretaker's hut for the only phone for several kilometres. None of the girls had a mobile handy. Laura pressed 000 and was instantly answered by a woman. "Triple Oh, Emergency. What service do you need?" |
| "Police, please." There was a pause as the operator connected Laura. |
| "Police, can I help you?" |
| "My name is Laura Shell. I found the place where all the kidnaped children are." Laura remained calm, though her breath was ragged, as she told the officer what she knew. Then she put the phone down and faced her mates. |
| "If we run, we should be at the lookout in time to see the police arrive." |
| All the girls looked at each other, then to their leader, who smiled grimly. "Just in case some of those animals escape the police, get your spades and rakes. Let's move, ladies!" |
| |
| There were dozens of police cars, ambulances and helicopters at the farm by the time the Guides were in position to watch. None of the kidnapers escaped; which was fortunate for the kidnapers. |
| The Guide leader took her collection of girls to Gosford police. They each made brief statements, though Laura took a few minutes longer. When they all stepped out of the police station, the footpath was crowded with reporters, who stuck microphones and cameras into the girls' faces. |
| Laura saw a bus approaching, and it was going near her home; she pointed it out to her leader, and squeezed through the press of bodies, to the bus stop near the post office. Laura waved to the bus to pick her up. |
| |
| "Hi, Mum. I think I did my good deed for today." |
| "That's good, baby, but guess what!" Carla grabbed Laura's arms and danced her around the kitchen in her excitement. "Simone and all those other children were found!" |
| "That's wonderful!" Laura could not bring herself to spoil her mother's joy at breaking the news, so she hugged her mother and laughed. When the news would come on the TV, Laura thought to herself, her mother would hear what happened. |
