|
"Laura's Dream" |
| Copyright Francis Blow, 1986. |
| CHAPTER 13 |
| Laura's father had driven to the airport in his mother's Mercedes to get Gran from her flight. He left the radio off so he could talk to Gran about her trip. |
| When they got home, the two adults were in time to walk into the lounge room, where the family was watching the news. |
| "There's Laura!" Joey yelled. "She was in the police station." |
| Laura could restrain herself no longer, and burst out laughing at the expressions on their faces. |
| "What on earth is going on?" Gran demanded in confusion. |
| "Shush!" John ordered everyone. "Listen to the TV." |
| "...was fourteen year old Girl Guide, Laura Shell, who used her bush craft skills to track the kidnapers to the prison camp where the children were captive. Some of the children are being kept in local hospitals for observation, while six were transferred to the Children's Hospital for specialist care. Our camera crew was on hand to film the capture..." |
| The Shell family watched, fascinated as the drama was brought to its conclusion. |
| "Well I'll be bound, if that's not the best surprise welcome-home gift I have ever received in my whole life," Gran declared. "Laura, my dearest grandchild, for what you have given all those poor children, thank you. I prayed for them every day. Never would I have dreamed you would have been the one sent to answer my prayers." |
| "Gosh, Gran, I was just the one who was there." Laura felt uncomfortable with what Gran was saying. |
| "True. You were. Now tell me this. Go back to the first moment you saw that farm. Who else do you know who would have drawn the same conclusions as you, and taken the same actions?" |
| Laura stared at her grandmother, eyes wide, as she let what Gran say reveal the truth. She gave a crooked smile. "No one, Gran. I guess." |
| The phone started to ring. |
| |
| Laura's parents were in the kitchen, taking turns answering the phone, while Gran had her shower. Laura organised the sleeping in her bedroom, with Joey helping. Laura put Joey to bed, then knocked on the bathroom door, because the sound of running water had stopped. |
| "Come in if you're good looking." Gran called. |
| "It's only me," Laura opened the door. "Will I do?" |
| "That depends," Gran said, as she toweled dry, "on what you are after?" |
| "Oh, Gran!" Laura put her hands on her hips and pretended to frown. "I've got a surprise. When you come into the bedroom, lie on your tummy, with the towel over you." |
| "So, you remembered our deal?" Gran smiled. "Give me a minute, and I'll see how good you are as a masseuse." |
| |
| "How's that, Gran?" Laura asked softly, and only received a grunt from the older woman. "You're falling asleep on me. Never mind, Mum's done that almost every night. I'm nearly done." |
| Laura finished the acupressure on Gran's back, then gently drew the sheet over the sleeping woman. She went to join her parents. |
| "How's Gran?" Carla asked. She was drinking tea at the kitchen table. |
| "Sound asleep. How's it going here?" |
| "I didn't know there were so many reporters in the Australia. I think it might be an idea if, tomorrow, you agree to talk to one group of reporters, to get them off our backs." |
| "Sure, Mum. There's not much to tell, and I didn't even see very much. Can I make one call?" |
| "Gladly. As soon as your father's finished." |
| Laura waited, then pushed a few buttons. |
| "Hello, this is Laura, is Simone home yet?. All right, I'll... Thank you... Yes, I'll see her tomorrow, once... Okay... It was... You too. Than...'Bye." |
| John smiled at Laura and said "That was certainly an interesting conversation, I'll bet." |
| "Sim's mum said Sim's still in hospital, but she's okay. Just shock. Sim will probably be home tomorrow." |
| "Thank goodness. I wonder if the full story will ever come out?" |
| John considered. "We may never know, honey. At least those scum are locked up, and the children are all alive." |
| "As far as we know, John. The news didn't say if the kids were all accounted for. Right now, I need a cool shower, and my lovely, cosy bed." |
| Laura interrupted her parents, "Do you mind if I use the study for awhile? I don't want to disturb Gran." |
| "Of course you can," John told her, then he picked her up and kissed her. "I'm so proud of you, baby! My heart is about to explode with what I feel right now. I love you, Laura." |
| |
| Half an hour later, Laura went to her parents' bedroom to kiss them good night. In the study, she opened a magazine from a stack she had borrowed from a friend. The subject was computers, and she made lots of notes, adding to her "wish list", and writing questions she would have to find answers to. |
| |
| Laura woke when a hand was gently placed on her shoulder. |
| "Uh, Gran. What time is it?" The night outside was black. |
| "Two thirty. Come to the kitchen and share a cuppa with me?" |
| "Okay. I didn't mean to fall asleep here," Laura explained. "I was just reading an article on the advantages if the different kinds of data bus, and that's the last thing I remember." |
| "I'm not surprised," Gran shook her head at the open magazine with its esoteric drawings and charts. "I'm sure this can keep till later." |
| Together they went to the kitchen and brewed some tea. As they sat sipping from hot cups, there came a whisper of sound from outside, a sound that got louder. Laura stared at where the light from the kitchen spilled outside. |
| "Rain, Gran! It's raining!" |
| "Well, I guess the drought's broken. I wonder what the next sun will bring?" |
| Laura opened the door and stepped out, under the ice cold drops. She turned her face up and let the pure, cold shower stream off her, soaking her in the space of a heart beat. |
| "Get inside, you silly child! You're absolutely dripping. Stay here until I get a towel, or your mother will kill us for puddling her floor." |
| Laura stood shivering, yet very happy that everything was going right. |
