1976

Mummy and daddy told me that the presents were to be opened on Christmas morning only. I looked at the new digital clock dad just bought. It was 9:00pm. It also had other numbers and words on it. It said: Wednesday 24th December and then it small letters it said 1976.

Mummy said that Santa bought me all of the presents. That he came over last night and placed them under the tree because he was going to be really busy on Christmas Eve. But I knew that she was lying because I saw the receipts on the kitchen table. I may only be 7 years old, but I can still read!

That Christmas was the first we had spent in the new house. It was much smaller than our normal house, which is in Vaucluse. Dad is an engineer who deals with aeroplanes so we had to move here because it is close to his work. This place is called Newtown and the house we are in is much smaller than the Vaucluse house and smells funny. Kind of like chicken soup. When we first moved in, dad paid people to paint the walls so that the smell went away, but as soon as the paint stench disappeared the chicken soup smell came back.

One day we went to the neighbour’s house for afternoon tea. Their house was even smaller than ours! Mum always said, “no, thank you Claire, we have just had tea” or “we are going out for tea” when they invited us, even if it was not true. But today she said “sure,” so we went. They had a little girl my age and her name was Lindsay. Lindsay also had a brother called Johnny. I wish I had a brother. Lindsay and Johnny’s feet were really dirty, but I guess that was because the floor was dirty too. Mummy did not let me sit on the couch “because it is filthy,” so I followed Lindsay into her room. She did not have many toys, just one dolly, really old books, and one board game. It was a really old version of Monopoly. I had the 40th Anniversary edition. She asked me if I wanted to play. I shook my head because all the pieces seemed really dirty, and some of them were broken, and I knew mum wouldn’t like me playing with them.

“Mummy, did Santa get me everything on my Christmas list?”

“Yes Tammy, unless you thought of something that you haven’t written down.”

“Did he get me the Atari 2600 and 5 games?”

“Yes”

“Did he get me all the board games?”

“Yes.”

“All of them?? Stratego, Billionaire and Bionic Woman?”

“Yes Tammy.”

“What about the Crissy Doll?”

“Tammy, everything that you asked for, Santa got you, okay?”

“Connect Four?”

“Tammy!”

I woke up at 6:00am. The other digital clock that we had upstairs said that the date was Thursday 25th December and the small letters said 1976. I ran downstairs. I hurt my ankle hurt but I did not care. I just wanted to open my presents…

…But they weren’t there. I felt a funny feeling in my tummy but thought maybe dad was playing a joke. I ran back upstairs to mum and dad’s room. They were both asleep.

“Get up, get up. Tell me where they are! Where are my presents?”

“Tammy you know where they are. Wait for us to come downstairs and we will open them together.”

“But mummy, they are not there.”

Mummy and daddy both got up really fast, almost making me fall off the bed.

Daddy was downstairs before I was even out of his room.

“Tammy stay upstairs!”

“Jude, the back door is open.”

“Call the police Evelyn!”

“Hi yes, I am reporting a break in. Please hurry!”

The police came over. Mummy told me that it was because someone took the presents. A few nights ago I watched a detective movie where something like this happened. The detective carried a notepad and pencil all the time. He wrote down all of the clues and at the end of the movie figured out who the thief was. I decided that I was going to be a detective, collect clues and write them all down in my note pad with my pencil. I was going to find out who took my presents.

The next day was Boxing Day. Mummy took me to the park in the afternoon because we were both upset. Daddy had to go away on a business trip. Usually Lindsay and Johnny were at the park too, but not today. So I played on the seesaw by myself while mum had a coffee.

I spotted Mrs Shears. She lived across the road to me. I ran up to her to say Merry Christmas and to ask her if she had seen anything the morning earlier.

“No darling. That is horrible though. Who would do that during Christmas, during the time of giving?”

“Thank you Mrs Shears. If you find out anything please let me know. The police are saying that they have no leads.”

On our way home, while we were walking down King Road, I saw Benjamin. He is my neighbour, but he is 6, and I don’t usually talk to 6 year olds, but today I really wanted to ask him questions.

“Nice bike, Ben”

“Thanks, it was my Christmas present.”

“Oh, I didn’t get mine because they were stolen.”

“Yeah, my mum told me.

“But mummy said she is going to re-buy them for me and let me unwrap them on New Years Eve. I am getting an Atarai 2600 and 5 games, Stratego, Billionaire, Bionic Woman, a Crissy doll and Connect Four!”

“Cool. I do not care but because Lindsay and Johnny have all of those toys. They got them for Christmas too and I would prefer to play with them because they are nice and you are rotten!”

He rode away. Ben did not make me sad though because all of my real friends were in Vaucluse. I hated everyone here. I hated them because someone stole my gifts.

When I got home I had a shower, hopped into bed and wrote down everything that happened in my diary. I was sad because I had not collected any clues. Mum came in to kiss me good night.

“Are you writing in your diary, Tammy?”

“Yeah mum. Do you want to see?”

“Sure…”

She suddenly ran out of my room and called daddy.

“Hi Jude… how could they afford all of that? And how is it possible that the neighbour’s kids, who do not own ANY toys, suddenly have those that were stolen from our daughter…Okay, okay I will.”

Mummy called the police. They came straight away. They left really quickly too and knocked on Lindsay’s door. Her mum answered and the police went inside. Mummy followed them. I stayed at home with a policewoman.

When the house phone rang the police lady answered. When she hung up she told me to put on my robe and follow her to the neighbour’s house. When I got there I saw everything on my Christmas list scattered on the floor. Lindsay and Johnny looked really sad.

“We are going to have to press charges.”

I whispered into the policewoman’s ear. “What does that mean?”

“That means that they are going to get into trouble for stealing your toys.”

They police put Lindsay, Johnny and their mummy into the car. I also saw this in the detective movie I watched. They were going to the police station to be in trouble because their mummy broke into our house through the back door, took my presents and placed them under their tree.

As we walked back home I felt really sad. Lindsay and Johnny did not have any toys. I told mum this, and she said that they should not have stolen anything, that they should have asked me if they could play. I probably would have said “no”.

Two days later I saw Lindsay and Johnny playing at the park. They looked really sad and did not talk to me very much. I walked up to her and Johnny who were playing by themselves because nobody else would.

“Lindsay, you can have all of my presents. Mummy is buying me new ones and you don’t have many toys. I’ll tell my mummy to tell your mummy that I let you take them.”

She did not talk to me. She took her little brother’s hand and walked away.

I never saw them again because three days later we moved back to Vaucluse.

Late Night Phone Calls are Inexcusable

Goooooooooooooooooooooooooood morning baby.

It's strange that i had about a thousand thoughts to message last night, but no one left their phone out last night. They all took their phones to bed :P
anyway.
Lets become one of those couples that discuss the weather and taxes. It could be fun :D


Terribly wet today darling, wouldn't you say so? The forecast for the next few days predicts rain... we should get a few umbrellas get on that will you honey.
Also, tonight, i doubt i have training the grounds will be closed. So i thought we could have a romantic evening just me and you, only there is a dress code.
Anything old and dress warmly.
You, me and couple of bums, plastic spoons, meals on wheels :) I've rented a cardboard box for the evening, fresh! never been used!


At the moment I'm listening to a couple of ethnics discussing World politics, using the movie "the green zone" as a irrefutable source and reference to support their case, i think i just heard one of them say "Sudamm was good....", their case being.... America is attacking the world without actual just cause under the cover of just cause. The Green Zone supports this, therefore it is fact.


Now its gone to police, their involvement in drugs and Columbian drug lords.
Prison is the next step in our conversational analysis, how prisoners run their illegal business from prison.


anyway..


Did i mention that i Love you and miss you and seriously wish it was your face i saw this morning instead of Kurt Cobain.... not saying Mr. Cobain isn't attractive... just saying....




how is your morning panning out?