Did You Get What You Deserve?

The next two weeks flashed by in a blur of names, languages and cultures. Stratford-upon-Avon, which was like Shakespeare heaven for Alec; Paris, with the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum; Singapore, more humid than anything we’d ever experienced; Australia, with the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge; and finally we were in Wellington, New Zealand, which the person sitting next to me on the plane had warned me was called “Windy Welly” for a reason.

“Come on, get up. We’ve got so much to do!”

I shaded my eyes as James pulled the curtains open, eliciting a groan from Linda.

“James! It’s nine o’clock!”

“Exactly! You’re wasting the day. Get up, Alec.”

“Fine, fine,” I grumbled, “now fuck off so I can get dressed.”

He obliged, shutting the door with a cheerful bang. I dragged myself out of bed and opened my suitcase in search of something decent to wear. Half an hour later, James, Dani and I were leaving the hotel, having promised Dad we’d be back by twelve.

“See? It’s great at this time of day!”

I rolled my eyes.

“You’re too enthusiastic, James.”

“Damn straight!”

Dani laughed.

“This is fun. Alec, tell me what it looks like.”

I grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her so she was facing the harbour.

“There’s a park that way, and then the sea. Can you smell the sea, Dani?”

She shook her head, laughing.

“Okay, well in the park there’s what looks like... a... lighthouse? Weird. Anyway, there’s a lighthouse in the park. Oh, it’s got ladders and stuff on it, and slides. You can play on it.”

“Cool! Can we go there, Alec?”

“Yeah, later today. I wonder what’s through here? Woah!”

She pulled on my sleeve.

“What, what?”

“There’s a huge silver ball suspended in the air by wires.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. And that over there is the library, and that’s the... City Gallery, and... Capital E. I wonder what that is.”

James shrugged.

“Looks like some kind of kiddie play centre.”

“Right. Anyway, let’s go through here.”

We walked past the library out onto the street.

“Civic Square,” said James.

“Huh?”

“That’s what that place is called.”

“How do you know?”

“There’s a sign, idiot.”

“Oh right.”

We walked up the next street.

“There’s a café, and an art gallery, and a souvenir shop- hey, what’s this? Let’s go down here.”

James pointed out the sign a few metres away from us.

“Again, read the signs, Alec. Manners Mall.”

The street was blocked off to cars, and it was full of pedestrians. As we walked through, keeping a firm hold on Dani, I noticed a large number of the people there were teenagers sitting on benches or leaning against walls.

“Hell of a lot of teenagers here, aren’t there?”

James nodded.

“Come on, let’s sit down for a moment. Dani’s getting tired.”

We sat down opposite a group of girls in green uniforms. The two girls in the middle were talking loudly.

“Nyaaaah!”

“Nyaaaah!”

“Yo mum!”

“Yo mum!”

“Graaah.”

“Gah! We were actually making intelligent conversation there, Carpet, and you ruined it.”

The other girl giggled.

“How can you get any less intelligent than our weird sounds language?”

The shorter girl rolled her eyes, nodding.

“That’s true. Yo, Furry,” she said, turning to the girl beside her, “what time do you have to be home?”

‘Furry’ shrugged.

“Any time.”

‘Carpet’ checked her watch.

“I have to be at Dad’s office in five minutes. I’d better leave now.”

The shorter girl stood up.

“I’ll come with you to the bus stop.”

‘Carpet’ nodded, waving to the two girls still sitting on the bench.

“Bye Furry. Bye Emmy-Lou.”

‘Emmy-Lou’ waved.

“See you, Carpet-Kangaroo. Bye bye, Mariamu.”

‘Carpet’ and ‘Mariamu’ walked away. I glanced at James and had to keep from laughing. Dani tugged on my sleeve.

“Can we go somewhere else now?”

I nodded and got to my feet. James took Dani’s other hand, and it was only when we had rounded the corner that we burst out laughing.