Fleeced by Hazel Edwards Page B

and the hut was Pampalona. But someone got it wrong.’
    That made Amy think about the backpack numbers and the sign. Had someone got something wrong there? Had things been left by accident? Or planned?
    Gertrude gave Dr Al a golf ball for his birthday. Then Christopher gave a hand-drawn card. It showed Dr Al flying over the International Date Line, wearing boots and a walking stick. ‘ Happy Birthday International Explorer’ was written in Christopher’s best calligraphy.
    Puzzled, Big Jon looked at the birthday card. ‘What is it? Dog poo?’
    â€˜No. It’s a line of dates. This is how I see an international date line,’ said Christopher quickly. ‘Would you like me to draw a rugby match?’
    â€˜What d’you mean?’
    Christopher knew that people thought in different ways. He thought in pictures.
    Amy thought in words. Dad said he thought in camera shots. But Christopher wasn’t sure how Big Jon thought, so he drew a match stick and then he drew a rugby scarf wrapped around it. ‘A rugby match? What’s your team’s colours?’
    â€˜The All Blacks?’ said Big Jon, amazed that anyone should ask. The New Zealand ‘All Blacks’ were so famous. ‘They play the game , not the match of rugby.’
    Christopher used black texta to make the scarf black. When he showed the picture to Big Jon, he stared so long, Christopher began to feel uncomfortable.
    â€˜ER, it’s great Christopher. Is it meant to be a goal post? In rugby, the post is shaped like an H. Here, let me draw it for you.’ Big Jon seized the pen.
    Amy looked at Big Jon’s giant watch. ‘When you fly over the International Date Line, you have to alter your watch. As you fly from east to west you go back in time by a day . As you fly from west to east you go forward in time. We’ve flown over it a few times. It’s an imaginary line down the world.’
    â€˜Dr Al , if you had a birthday when you were flying over the International Date Line, would you have one birthday, two or none?’ asked Christopher.
    â€˜That’s a thought. Depends which direction I’m flying,’ said Dr Al. ‘Love the card. Thanks Christopher.’
    Amy had been thinking.’ Maybe it’s like Leap Year. If you’re born on 29th February, you only have an official birthday once every four years. Then you’d only be seventeen and a half Dr Al!’
    â€˜You don’t look seventy, Dr Al,’ said Stan, admiring his walking stick.
    Dr Al whipped his passport out of his bum bag. ‘Proof.’ He proudly showed them the date of birth and the photo. Christopher was reminded of Stan’s passport photo.
    â€˜Is your date of birth on your passport?’ Christopher asked Stan.
    â€˜Isn’t everybody’s?’ replied Stan.
    Dr Al was a legend. Seventy was old, old. Age was a funny thing, thought Amy. When you were ten you wanted to be eleven. But you were the same inside.
    Quickly Christopher tried to think of a reason to get Stan to show his passport again.
    â€˜Does your passport show your height?’
    â€˜Yes, but not my weight.’
    â€˜Is yours an Australian passport?’ asked Christopher.
    â€˜Why shouldn’t it be?’ Stan wiped his walking stick carefully.’ I was born there.’

    The heli-pad was outside the kitchen window of the lodge. Injured trekkers were flown out from there. On sunny days ,the staff ate their lunch on the heli-pad which was just a flat square.
    Dr Al and Gertrude were talking about golf. ‘ Ever played golf in the Antarctic?’
    Amused, Gertrude shook her head. ‘Played everywhere else.’
    Christopher interrupted,’ If you lose a ball down a fish or seal hole, it costs two strokes. Or if you hit out of bounds.’
    â€˜How do you know that? Have you been there?’ asked Gertrude.
    No ,we went to the Antarctic Centre in Christchurch. It was in the display