Did You Get What You Deserve?

“So, tell me more about Melanie.”

Alec and I were sitting in the back garden, me perched in the lemon tree, him sitting underneath amongst the daisies. He leaned back against the fence and closed his eyes for a moment before answering.

“I already told you. In class.”

I prodded his shoulder with my toe.

“But there’s something else. Something you didn’t want to tell everyone. What is it?”

He sighed.

“Too bloody perceptive... alright, fine.”

He was silent for a minute, and I prodded him again to make sure he hadn’t fallen asleep. He pushed my foot away and opened his eyes.

“She’s got a son.”

“Really?”

He nodded.

“Carlton. He’s six months old.”

I leaned forward to see his face better.

“You don’t sound too happy about that.”

He sighed.

“It’s hard for her. She has her little brother and sister living with her too.”

“How old are they?”

“Lachlan is ten and Georgina is six.”

I hesitated before asking my next question.

“Where are her parents?”

“Her mother died just after Georgina was born and her father is a soldier, based overseas.”

“What about Carlton’s father?”

“He broke up with her and disappeared without a trace. Mel tried to contact him but his mother told her he went to Brazil. Fucking liar. He’s in Cuba now.”

I looked at him quizzically. His face darkened.

“He’s in Gitmo.”

I sat back among the leaves of the lemon tree. I didn’t know what Melanie’s ex had done to land himself in Guantanamo Bay, and something told me I didn’t want to ask. There was an awkward silence that Alec didn’t seem too eager to break, but luckily at that moment Dad yelled from inside the house.

“Little Alec, phone!”

I rolled my eyes and jumped down from the tree. I dashed up the steps and into the hallway, taking the phone from Dad.

“Hello?”

“Alec?”

“Cari! What’s up?”

“Um, well...” she sounded uncomfortable, “you see, the girl hosting me has come down with something really bad. Like Meningitis, or something similar.”

“Oh no!”

“Yeah. She’ll be okay, her mum’s a doctor, and she’s monitoring her 24/7, but I can’t stay with her while she’s like this.”

“Awww.”

“I know. Her parents have enough to take care of without me under their feet. They’ve decided I need to move to another host family. As soon as I hang up here, they’re going to call the school and ask to have me moved. The school, knowing them, would immediately ask Alana or someone like that, but I’m going to ask if I can stay with you.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah! Is that okay?”

“Wait a sec.” I covered the phone and stuck my head around the kitchen door. “Oi Dad! Can Cari stay with us?”

Without looking up, he nodded. I grinned and returned to the phone.

“Sure.”

“Awesome! So just don’t be surprised if you get a call soon asking you to take me on.”

I giggled, jumping up and down.

“Yay! Oh, this is so much fun.”

“I know! Look, I gotta go now so they can call the school.”

“Bye!”

“Bye.”

I hung up.

“Yes!”

I ran down the hallway and out into the garden.

“Cari’s staying with us!”

I bounced over to Alec, then stopped. He was staring at his cellphone.

“What’s wrong?”

He looked up at me distractedly, tears in his eyes.

“It’s Carlton,” he said. “He’s been rushed to hospital. I- I gotta go.”

And with that he bolted past me and disappeared.