The Sequin Star by Belinda Murrell Page A

over, they are mostly well behaved.’
    The two girls brushed each of the horses until their coats gleamed in the sunlight. Rosina painted their hooves with black oil, and each of the horses had their long manes and tails in lots of little plaits tied with black ribbon to stop them from knotting.
    â€˜We’ll take the plaits out before the parade,’ said Rosina. ‘They look splendid with their flowing manes and tails.’
    It was an exhausting morning. The entire camp had to be packed up and loaded onto lorries. The caravans were hitched up behind cars and vans, which were to be driven by various roustabouts and performers. Lastly, the animals were loaded onto trucks. The cavalcade could now move out.
    Rosina jumped in the front of one of the horse trucks behind the driver’s wheel. Lula climbed up beside her and sat in the middle.
    â€˜Jump in,’ invited Rosina. ‘You can ride with me.’
    Claire looked at Rosina askance. She kept her feet firmly planted on the ground. ‘Aren’t you a little young to be driving a truck?’
    Rosina shrugged. ‘I’ve been driving the truck since I was thirteen. Before that, I learned to drive the Model T Fords around the lot. We have so many vehicles that nearly everyone in the circus has to drive.’
    Claire looked around. Everyone was already in their vehicles, ready to push on to Sydney. She slowly climbed up into the passenger seat. She reached to fasten her seatbelt, only to find there weren’t any.
    â€˜Do you have a licence?’ asked Claire.
    Rosina laughed as she turned the key in the ignition. ‘No, silly. As you said, I’m too young. I’m only fifteen, but I mostly drive on country roads. When we get into town I don’t usually drive. I just ride Elsie in the parade.’
    Rosina reversed the truck back carefully then swung it into position behind one of the elephant lorries.
    â€˜Aren’t you worried about getting caught?’ asked Claire.
    â€˜No,’ said Rosina. ‘Alf just pays the fine. Anyway, the police officers are usually very kind. Hardly any women drive at all, so when people see a teenage girl driving a truck, they are so surprised they have to pick their jaws up out of the dust. Besides, we’re from the circus – no one expects circus girls to be conventional.’
    The long line of horse trucks, lorries, caravans and animal cages pulled out onto the road. The vehicles in front spun up a thick cloud of choking dust that swirled around the convoy. Claire wound up her window quickly.
    â€˜It must be exciting,’ said Claire. ‘Do you like travelling around?’
    Rosina steered the large horse truck through the narrow field gate. The truck jolted as they drove down the ditch and then bumped up onto the dirt road.
    â€˜Sorry, boys,’ murmured Rosina in the rear-view mirror to the horses in the back. She turned to Claire. ‘I love travelling. I think that’s the best part, actually – moving from town to town, seeing so many new people and places.’
    Rosina waved her hand out the window at the dusty grey-green countryside.
    â€˜We’ve crossed the Nullarbor, we’ve performed up the east coast and down the west coast, we’ve played in tiny country towns and huge, sophisticated cities,’ said Rosina. ‘One day I’m going to perform in Paris and New York and Rome.’
    Claire nodded. ‘I’d love to visit those places, too. My grandmother told me some wonderful stories about her travels when she was younger. She travelled all through Asia, Europe and America when she was just a few years older than me.’
    The memory of Nanna’s adventure stories was painful. It brought back the image of Nanna lying crumpled and small in the hospital bed, and Mum looking so sad and helpless. Claire quickly pushed the thought away.
    â€˜You must meet some interesting people?’ Claire asked quickly.
    Rosina