âYou donât need to worry about me. Iâve already fixed it.â
Iâd never heard Tam talk like this before. Heâd always been a bit short-tempered, but now he was burning with rage. His hands were clenched as if he was ready to punch one of us. My stomach tightened into a giant knot and I held my breath.
âI hope youâre not going to do something silly,â Mum said. She sent Dad a pleading glance â the meeting was getting away from her. He frowned, but didnât say anything; just waited to hear what Tam said.
âIâm going back to Bendigo,â Tam choked out, âback to my own school. Iâve already rung Uncle Tony and he said I can stay with them.â
âBut ââ Mum tried and Tam kept talking.
âThereâs no use you arguing about it, because thatâs what Iâm doing. I might not be old enough to leave school yet, but I know where I want to be. Iâd rather die than stay here and go to that school again.â
âYou shouldnât have asked Tony â youâre not his responsibility,â Mum said.
âWell, you werenât going to! You were going to let me rot â all so Miss Ballet Star here could follow her dream.â Tam sneered at me. âNo one else in this family is allowed to have a dream, from what I can see. So Iâll work my own out.â
I was speechless, but at last Dad said something. âWhat is your dream, Tam?â
âTo stay aliveâd be nice,â he said. âBut I want to be a blacksmith, like Old Teddy Allen. He said if I finished school, heâd take me on as an apprentice.â
âDid he?â Dad raised his eyebrows. âWhen did he say that?â
âBefore we came down to this stupid place. I wouldâve told you, but itâs pretty obvious no one gives a stuff about what I might want.â
âWhat about you, Orrin?â Dad said. âWhatâs your dream?â
âProfessional football player.â Orrin nodded. âIâm happy down here because I reckon Iâll get a better chance at trying out for the Juniors. Iâm going over to the Bulldogs camp next week to talk to someone.â
âAre you?â Dadâs eyebrows were about to jump right off his head, but I couldnât even raise a smile. What Tam had said sat in my stomach.
âI donât want our family to be split up,â said Mum.
âThatâs too bad, because Iâm going to Uncle Tonyâs, no matter what you say.â Tam charged out of the room and the front door slammed.
Mum tried to stand up, but Dad waved her down. âHe wonât go far â not after today.â He sighed. âHeâs right, Jen. He couldâve been badly injured. If this has happened after only two days at that school, heâs better out of it.â
âBut we canât afford to pay Tony his board and keep.â
âWe wonât have to,â Dad said. âTam can earn his own way by working for Tony after school and on weekends. Itâll keep him out of trouble as well. Iâll ring him and sort it out.â
âWell, I donât like it,â Mum said. âItâs not right.â
âMaybe not for us, but for Tam ⦠heâs not stupid, you know. Heâs thought it through, at least, and knows where heâs going.â Dad shook his head. âBlacksmithing, eh?â
âSo is that it?â Orrin stood up. âIâm going for a run.â He left and it was just me at the table. I picked at the pattern on the cloth, wishing I could slink down and hide under my chair.
âNow, Brynna, we need to talk about the hall,â said Mum.
I opened my mouth, wanting to explain, wanting to tell her I was sorry. Instead, tears flooded my eyes and rolled down my face; before I knew it, I was sobbing, my hands over my mouth. Dad shook his head and escaped, leaving Mum to deal with me. She came around
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