Читать книгу The Styx - Patricia Holland - Страница 27

I can hear the tide raging against the sand dunes. These are modern dunes, only five years old, and the sea isn’t happy. You think you can appease the gods by dredging a channel? You think you can cover up a hundred years of people-abuse by a week of sand dredging? Think again. You’ll get away with it for a short time, then just when you think it’s worked, just when you think those brick and tile monuments are safe, the real gods of the universe will chuck a hissy fit and change it all back—and more.

All those years ago, not long before Mum left, the phone rang right on nine am. Mum was reading me a book in the air-conditioning. We were sitting right next to the phone, so when she answered, I could easily hear both sides.

“Good morning,” the phone said. “Elizabeth Ellis here. I’m the Department of Education regional manager, based in Leichhardt. Our psychologist and I would like to discuss with you the school you’d prefer for Sophie to attend. As I see it, you have five equidistant options …”

It took a while for it to sink in. My mother’s body initially stiffened into auto-defence hostility response reaction to government depart­ments, then a cloud of incredulity puffed through her. Her letter had worked. Beyond anything imaginable.

“Sophie is required to undergo assessment of her current achieve­ment level,” Miss Ellis said. “All students attending Queensland state schools undergo this testing, but in light of Sophie’s disability, unfortunately the only people with the skills to assess her are in Brisbane. Would it be possible for Sophie and yourself to attend an assessment in Brisbane? It is of course fully funded.”

I watched my mother’s brain jump way, way ahead of where she thought even remotely possible. All the “ifs” had been bypassed. I was mainstream.