Authors: J.C. Burke
Suddenly Kia sucked in the air with a gasp.
'What?'
'Micki, I've just had a terrible thought.'
'What?'
'What is it about the four girls out there surfing
now?'
'I don't know.' Kia's cryptic quiz was only confusing
my already confused butterflies. 'Just tell me. I'm too
nervous to think.'
'Two big-wave and two small-wave surfers,' Kia told
me. 'Maybe it's more than a coincidence that Jake
picked the groups like this.'
'So – so,' I began, 'you're saying that . . .'
'I'm saying that maybe that's the national team out
there in the surf or maybe it's the national team
standing here.'
'It couldn't be!'
'Why couldn't it be? It's the only thing that makes
sense. If Laura's theory had been right they would've
just stuck to team one and team two, wouldn't they?'
'Dunno. Dunno,' I answered. 'But I can't think about it
now. I've got to focus. I need some time – time on my
own.'
'Sure. Sure.' I heard Kia gulp. 'I might listen to
Georgie's iPod.'
I went and stood on my own. If I closed my eyes and
started to count then maybe my breathing would slow
a bit and I could start thinking about my surfing.
Which is the fastest, most efficient way to get to the takeoff
zone? I need to hassle for the inside peak position. Okay,
now what am I
– but I couldn't concentrate on my strategies
'cause all I could focus on were Laura and Jussie
stretching from side to side.
My foot dug into the sand as though it had a mind
of its own. I didn't want to be in a team with those girls.
Shyan waved the yellow flag to indicate there was
five minutes left. I watched Ace pull off a series of
exquisitely timed forehand snaps. She was slick the
way her arms and body turned and recentred with
each move. It was instinct to her. It was instinct to us
four. That's what made us special.
Everything made sense when I surfed. The whole
mishmash of Dad and my life – never knowing what
each day would be like, would he be alive, would he
bust, would he OD – felt different when I was in the
water. When I surfed I felt like I could cope with
anything. It was like the ocean gave me strength.
The siren blew for our heat to start. But I wasn't
ready. One final thought was swimming in my brain
and it wouldn't stop until it was caught.
There'd been something else that'd given me
strength too.
'Micki! Micki?' Kia was yelling. 'Come on!'
Ace and Georgie were jogging up the sand, their
boards still under their arms. 'What are you doing,
Micki?' Georgie called.
Kia, Georgie and Ace were part of my life now.
Regardless of whether I'd wanted them, they were
there like my right leg or left ear. Without those three
there'd be no Miss Micki. They found Miss Micki. I
didn't. I never would've had the guts.
Deep down I'd probably expected the four of us to
stay together. I hadn't said it in words. But that didn't
mean I didn't think it.
Us. The Starfish Sisters is what made sense. Not the
four girls running out of the water now or the four girls
about to run in. That made no sense at all.
'Get in there, Micki,' Ace chimed. 'Hurry up.'
Kia was waiting at the shore with my board. Georgie
helped me wrestle myself into the rashie and I sprinted.
We started paddling, trying to catch up to Laura and
Jussie, who were powering in front.
The minute Kia and I caught up, Laura started
stirring. 'We thought you weren't coming, Micki.' She
was sitting on her board flicking water at Jussie and me.
'You're always Miss Early and first to everything.'
I didn't want to be in a team with Laura either. She
was the 'nothing for nothing' girl. That didn't sound
like a team player to me.
Laura kept talking. It was a competition and she
wouldn't shut up. She kept asking me stupid stuff like
why did they call me Miss Micki and what was wrong
with my dad's teeth? Maybe this was some kind of
psych-out trick of hers. Too bad it wasn't going to work.
Kia and I'd seen the set approaching and she hadn't.
She could get stuffed.
I spun around. I was going to be first on this. At last,
a winning wave with a nice clean wall. The last thing
Ace had said was, 'Rip it to shreds, Micki', and that's
exactly what I was going to do.
I needed to paddle really quickly to pick off the set.
But my energy and focus were back.
I made the drop and skated along the face. One,
two, three turns and a bit of a snap! This wave had
speed and form. I was going to take it all the way in.
From the beach I could hear Ace and Georgie
cheering, 'Way to go, Miss Micki!'
*
No matter how many times you try to imagine an event
it never feels right when you're actually there and it's
about to take place.
Maybe I'd thought the announcement was going to
be more posh. Perhaps there'd be a few trumpets
playing and Don Chambers and the selection panel
would walk in on a red carpet.
But it was just a small crowd dotted around the board
shed and Carla standing on a wooden platform with a
microphone, welcoming the parents and congratulating
them on having such talented daughters.
On one side of me, Laura muttered, 'Yeah, I know
we're fantastic. Thank you, thank you.' On the other
side of me, Kia kept sucking in the air, no doubt telling
herself to 'breathe'.
Carla handed Jake the microphone. 'Before I ask Don
Chambers to announce the Australian Junior Female
Surfing Team, I'd just like to say how tough this decision
has been. We always knew it would be.' Jake stopped
and held his hand over his mouth. 'There's going to be a
lot of disappointment as well as a lot of joy. But on behalf
of Carla, Shyan and myself, thanks for all being such top
girls. We'll miss every single one of you.'
Steph held out her arms and said, 'Group hug.' But
her only taker was Jussie.
Don Chambers stepped up to make the announcement.
Georgie squeezed in next to me and put her arm
around my shoulder.
'Okay?' she whispered.
'Okay.'
'It's been an intense time for the girls,' Don
Chambers told his audience. 'Physically, it's been
very demanding and on top of that there have been
interviews plus the stress of just knowing that the
selections were a twenty-four/seven process. I'm not
sure us adults could cope with that.'
'It sounds like marriage,' Laura's father piped up.
While the adults laughed, we all turned to look at Laura,
whose tomato-red face could even challenge Georgie's.
'Team two had their first week here a while ago but
they managed to get straight back into training and
that was impressive. They work very well together.
Team one have been here for two weeks and, as you
know, during the first week one of the girls was asked
to leave and Courtney McFarlane took her place. Team
one showed great maturity with this setback and they
are to be congratulated.'
Mr Chambers's words had a certain ring to them. A
'but' or a 'however' usually followed that sound.
Standing on the other side of the board shed were
Dad and Reg. Dad had his eyes closed but seemed to be
nodding with each of Mr Chambers's words.
Dad looked good today but how would he look
when he was back home and I wasn't there? It was
okay for me to look at living at Kia's like I was sharing
my time between divorced parents, but what about
him? Dad had nowhere to go. Who'd look after him?
The circle of thought had started here and ended
back here. No matter how many times I thought of
Reg's words – 'Your father is not your responsibility' –
there was still a part of me that wasn't sure if that was
really true.
But I had to do this for myself. There'd be days that
would be tough. At least now I had plenty of people
around me.
Dad opened his eyes and caught me staring at him.
'Good luck,' he mouthed, holding up his hands to show
his fingers were crossed.
'Thanks,' I mouthed back.
The nervous energy seemed to have blown an invisible
canopy over us, trapping us all inside a tent of
heaving breath and fingernail biting. Kia was rocking
back and forth on the soles of her feet. Georgie was
staring at her hands like they were about to make the
announcement and Ace, who'd managed to elbow her
way next to Kia, was chewing her lip like it was her last
meal ever.
'However,' Don Chambers continued, 'there can
only be four girls selected for the national team and
although it's been a difficult decision I do believe after
very careful consideration we've made the right
choice.'
Kia's little finger linked together with mine.
'I will read out each name and could we have the
applause at the end.'
My heart started to slide. Laura had been wrong.
Don Chambers wasn't going to announce either us or
them – team one or two.
I could just hear Ace whispering, 'Please? Please?'
'The National Selection Panel has chosen the following
girls for the team.' Don Chambers opened a piece of
paper and began to read. 'Courtney McFarlane, Micki
Elvich, Kia Braidwood and Georgina Elwood Ross.'
'Yes!' Georgie punched the air.
'The selection panel would like to congratulate these
girls and . . .'
Kia and I threw our arms around each other. My
eyes were squeezed shut as we hugged and made little
squealing noises in each other's ears. When I opened
them I saw Georgie and Ace smiling at each other.
But of course they were, that's what made sense.
You can find more information about J.C. Burke's books
The Red Cardigan
,
Nine Letters Long
,
The Story of Tom
Brennan
,
Faking Sweet
and
Starfish Sisters
at:
Reading Guides or comprehensive Teaching Support
Kits are also available for J.C. Burke's books at:
In
Ocean Pearl
Kia is struggling with her promise to stop
deliberately hurting herself. Self-harm is a difficult
subject to talk about, but it's important to know that if
you are harming yourself or you're worried about a
friend, there is help available.
For more information on self-harming behaviour
and other topics, or to find help and support to get
through your own tough times, check out
www.reachout.com.au.
Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800
(free call) or
Lifeline
131 114
(cost of a local call) also have counsellors who
are around 24 hours.