took flight in one screeching curtain of feathers as the tin can soared about twenty feet into the air before dropping into the water. I waded barefoot into the shallows and retrieved it for the next explosion. It turned out to be great fun.
Further down the creek we could hear other bungers being exploded. Barry worried that we best get going. He had to return the matches before his dad noticed them gone. We all well knew, if any of us were caught playing with matches, let alone bungers, we'd be in for the hiding of our lives. Doug and I raced back home and out the back, making out we were up early to collect the chook eggs.
After breakfast, we went around trying to find if any of the sky rockets landed in our yard. None had, but climbing up the jacaranda, Doug could see one lying on the ground in the front yard of Miss Bridget's and Miss Kitty's and I saw one caught up in the lattice attached to the side of their house, near the back. They had a choko vine climbing up it. We had to get those sky rockets, for they were the prize finds of Cracker Night. We'd be heroes if the others at school couldn't find any, and we could have not one, but two to show off. Out came my lucky 1936 halfpenny.
"I'll toss," Doug declared, taking charge. "Heads I get the one up the lattice, tails you do." I agreed with some reluctance and handed over the coin. He tossed it high and missed the catch. It landed on the ground. We clambered down the tree like monkeys to see how it landed. It had come up tails. Doug quickly took off, pushing aside the three loose palings and keeping low to the ground. He was back with the first sky rocket safely in hand within seconds. My turn had come. I felt my palms getting sweaty.
"S'pose Miss Kitty catches me and tries to suck my blood 'cause she's used up all the cats'?"
"You're just chicken."
"Am not," I lied, trying to get up the courage. "But what if she does see me?"
"I'll go up the tree and make a sound like a crow if I see anyone coming. Go on."
"Maybe you could just knock on their door and ask."
"You know Dad said we can't bother them. This way, no one needs know. You'll be back before anyone knows you were even in there." My feet felt glued to the ground. "I'll go then, ya big baby."
"Alright, I'll go. But you as much as see a curtain move and ya gotta crow."
I waited until he was up the tree and in place before I pushed aside the same swinging palings and squeezed myself through the hole. My heart was fit to explode through my chest as I made it to the side of the paint-worn weatherboard house. I looked back at Doug. He had climbed out on a far limb that hung over into their yard, but still managed to keep most of himself covered behind the leaves. Taking a deep breath, I tiptoed as quickly and as quietly as I could to the bottom of the lattice. Right near the top, I could see the wooden shaft of the rocket. To get to it I had to pass an opened window half way up and to the side.
I glanced once more at Doug before putting my first foot on the lattice, then the other. The structure gave a little groan under my weight. My feet were just able to get a hold between the latticework. Soon the top of my head was in line with the bottom of the window. I made an effort not to look to the side and into the house, but to just concentrate on climbing. Something caught my eye though, and I just had to pause and look. Through a lace curtain I could see a shadowy female figure. It must be Miss Kitty, I thought, because Miss Bridget's car wasn't anywhere to be seen. Miss Kitty, the vampire!
Swallowing deeply, I moved slightly to get a better look and lost my footing. I was hanging only by my hands, making scrambling noises with my feet as I tried to regain my foothold. Looking up I saw her moving quickly to the window. I panicked, lost my hold altogether and crashed to the ground with a thud, landing on my bum – and it hurt.
A woman's voice came from behind the lace of the opened window, but I couldn't
Further down the creek we could hear other bungers being exploded. Barry worried that we best get going. He had to return the matches before his dad noticed them gone. We all well knew, if any of us were caught playing with matches, let alone bungers, we'd be in for the hiding of our lives. Doug and I raced back home and out the back, making out we were up early to collect the chook eggs.
After breakfast, we went around trying to find if any of the sky rockets landed in our yard. None had, but climbing up the jacaranda, Doug could see one lying on the ground in the front yard of Miss Bridget's and Miss Kitty's and I saw one caught up in the lattice attached to the side of their house, near the back. They had a choko vine climbing up it. We had to get those sky rockets, for they were the prize finds of Cracker Night. We'd be heroes if the others at school couldn't find any, and we could have not one, but two to show off. Out came my lucky 1936 halfpenny.
"I'll toss," Doug declared, taking charge. "Heads I get the one up the lattice, tails you do." I agreed with some reluctance and handed over the coin. He tossed it high and missed the catch. It landed on the ground. We clambered down the tree like monkeys to see how it landed. It had come up tails. Doug quickly took off, pushing aside the three loose palings and keeping low to the ground. He was back with the first sky rocket safely in hand within seconds. My turn had come. I felt my palms getting sweaty.
"S'pose Miss Kitty catches me and tries to suck my blood 'cause she's used up all the cats'?"
"You're just chicken."
"Am not," I lied, trying to get up the courage. "But what if she does see me?"
"I'll go up the tree and make a sound like a crow if I see anyone coming. Go on."
"Maybe you could just knock on their door and ask."
"You know Dad said we can't bother them. This way, no one needs know. You'll be back before anyone knows you were even in there." My feet felt glued to the ground. "I'll go then, ya big baby."
"Alright, I'll go. But you as much as see a curtain move and ya gotta crow."
I waited until he was up the tree and in place before I pushed aside the same swinging palings and squeezed myself through the hole. My heart was fit to explode through my chest as I made it to the side of the paint-worn weatherboard house. I looked back at Doug. He had climbed out on a far limb that hung over into their yard, but still managed to keep most of himself covered behind the leaves. Taking a deep breath, I tiptoed as quickly and as quietly as I could to the bottom of the lattice. Right near the top, I could see the wooden shaft of the rocket. To get to it I had to pass an opened window half way up and to the side.
I glanced once more at Doug before putting my first foot on the lattice, then the other. The structure gave a little groan under my weight. My feet were just able to get a hold between the latticework. Soon the top of my head was in line with the bottom of the window. I made an effort not to look to the side and into the house, but to just concentrate on climbing. Something caught my eye though, and I just had to pause and look. Through a lace curtain I could see a shadowy female figure. It must be Miss Kitty, I thought, because Miss Bridget's car wasn't anywhere to be seen. Miss Kitty, the vampire!
Swallowing deeply, I moved slightly to get a better look and lost my footing. I was hanging only by my hands, making scrambling noises with my feet as I tried to regain my foothold. Looking up I saw her moving quickly to the window. I panicked, lost my hold altogether and crashed to the ground with a thud, landing on my bum – and it hurt.
A woman's voice came from behind the lace of the opened window, but I couldn't
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