with ‘Home’ the finish line. Some ignored ‘Walk’ signs, taking on cars like matadors in a bullfight. Horns honked, people shouted, motorbikes skidded in a din of noise. It reminded Tong of home, where pavements and streets became one, where motorbikes and bicycles and pedestrians competed with street vendors, car washers, even barbers. He smiled, taking pleasure from the comfortable chaos.
‘The council meeting’s in two days,’ announced Darcy, who had finished his chips first, sticking to his theory that things taste better when shovelled in in one go. ‘We’ll have to be there to submit the petition. How many names have we got now, Mio?’
‘Two hundred and thirty-seven.’
Darcy wiped his fingers on his shorts as he said, ‘Let’s hope it’s enough.’
‘We’ve still got two more days,’ said Clem. ‘The meeting’s not till night time. And someone’s got to get all the info from Mr Lark before we go. I can do that tomorrow after school if you like.’
Bryce made a lip-smacking sound as he sucked the last grains of salt off his lips. ‘Who’s going to the meeting? All of us?’
Every head nodded, including Bella’s. Clem laughed then nuzzled her fur, saying, ‘Not you, little miss.’
‘Although she could be our mascot,’ said Bryce. ‘Bella the BMX Beagle.’ Then to the tune of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ he began to sing:
‘Bella the BMX Beagle
Had a very sniffy nose
And if you ever saw her
You could see how fast it goes’
‘You are such an idiot!’ said Clem, throwing her empty chip carton at him, but laughing despite herself.
On that note the kids headed to the back streets, hope turning to disappointment as pawn shop after pawn shop failed to produce the missing dog tags.
Mio returned home, but at the front door she stopped. Normally, she would be the first home, her parents not returning from work till seven o’clock most nights, or even later, but tonight light streamed from under the door.
Mio was sure she hadn’t left a light on when they’d left.
Her heart stopped, then scudded at a great pace. Her collar felt tight at her neck. She leant closer to put her ear to the door, trying to work out if someone was inside, but was only greeted by silence. Mio gulped. She hoped Yuki was okay. She looked at her key poised at the lock and wondered what she should do.
What if someone was in there and she disturbed them? Her parents had always told her to phone if she was in trouble but the phone was inside. Suddenly, she could hear the whine of an approaching lift. Someone was coming! The lift groaned to a stop and the doors wrenched open. Mio dropped her keys.
‘Papa! You’re home.’
Mio’s father strode down the hall and halted in front of his daughter. ‘Not as early as your mother.’ And with that he removed his own set of keys from his coat pocket and inserted one in the keyhole.
If Mio’s heart scudded before it was now pelting along. Both parents home early. This was unheard of.
‘Inside!’ said Mio’s father, his voice cutting, like the Tantō sword on the wall.
Mio sat on the low lounge chair, her feet together, her hands clasped in her lap. Her brain reeled as she listened to her father, struggling to take in all he was saying.
‘We had a phone call from Mrs Burridge.’
‘Mrs Burridge?’ Surely Mrs Burridge wouldn’t ring her parents about being at school after hours the other day?
‘We have a meeting tomorrow to discuss what happened. What possessed you?’
‘Possessed me to do what?’
‘All those people you contacted.’
Mio frowned. People she contacted? Did he mean the skate park petition? ‘I can explain,’ she began but her father cut her off.
‘You bring such shame to your mother and I.’
Mio felt gutted. Her father had never spoken to her like this. At home in Japan she may have kept silent but after two years in her new country she decided to speak up. ‘Papa, I didn’t do anything wrong.’
Mio’s father
‘The council meeting’s in two days,’ announced Darcy, who had finished his chips first, sticking to his theory that things taste better when shovelled in in one go. ‘We’ll have to be there to submit the petition. How many names have we got now, Mio?’
‘Two hundred and thirty-seven.’
Darcy wiped his fingers on his shorts as he said, ‘Let’s hope it’s enough.’
‘We’ve still got two more days,’ said Clem. ‘The meeting’s not till night time. And someone’s got to get all the info from Mr Lark before we go. I can do that tomorrow after school if you like.’
Bryce made a lip-smacking sound as he sucked the last grains of salt off his lips. ‘Who’s going to the meeting? All of us?’
Every head nodded, including Bella’s. Clem laughed then nuzzled her fur, saying, ‘Not you, little miss.’
‘Although she could be our mascot,’ said Bryce. ‘Bella the BMX Beagle.’ Then to the tune of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ he began to sing:
‘Bella the BMX Beagle
Had a very sniffy nose
And if you ever saw her
You could see how fast it goes’
‘You are such an idiot!’ said Clem, throwing her empty chip carton at him, but laughing despite herself.
On that note the kids headed to the back streets, hope turning to disappointment as pawn shop after pawn shop failed to produce the missing dog tags.
Mio returned home, but at the front door she stopped. Normally, she would be the first home, her parents not returning from work till seven o’clock most nights, or even later, but tonight light streamed from under the door.
Mio was sure she hadn’t left a light on when they’d left.
Her heart stopped, then scudded at a great pace. Her collar felt tight at her neck. She leant closer to put her ear to the door, trying to work out if someone was inside, but was only greeted by silence. Mio gulped. She hoped Yuki was okay. She looked at her key poised at the lock and wondered what she should do.
What if someone was in there and she disturbed them? Her parents had always told her to phone if she was in trouble but the phone was inside. Suddenly, she could hear the whine of an approaching lift. Someone was coming! The lift groaned to a stop and the doors wrenched open. Mio dropped her keys.
‘Papa! You’re home.’
Mio’s father strode down the hall and halted in front of his daughter. ‘Not as early as your mother.’ And with that he removed his own set of keys from his coat pocket and inserted one in the keyhole.
If Mio’s heart scudded before it was now pelting along. Both parents home early. This was unheard of.
‘Inside!’ said Mio’s father, his voice cutting, like the Tantō sword on the wall.
Mio sat on the low lounge chair, her feet together, her hands clasped in her lap. Her brain reeled as she listened to her father, struggling to take in all he was saying.
‘We had a phone call from Mrs Burridge.’
‘Mrs Burridge?’ Surely Mrs Burridge wouldn’t ring her parents about being at school after hours the other day?
‘We have a meeting tomorrow to discuss what happened. What possessed you?’
‘Possessed me to do what?’
‘All those people you contacted.’
Mio frowned. People she contacted? Did he mean the skate park petition? ‘I can explain,’ she began but her father cut her off.
‘You bring such shame to your mother and I.’
Mio felt gutted. Her father had never spoken to her like this. At home in Japan she may have kept silent but after two years in her new country she decided to speak up. ‘Papa, I didn’t do anything wrong.’
Mio’s father
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