Go Claire Go

By Brian Briscoe

What would you do if you were orphaned after being caught in a bushfire? What would you do if you were then sent off to stay with a family you didn't know? What would you do if you were also sent to a posh school for 'young ladies' called the Leabrook School? You'd be a little confused? This happens to Claire. However, she shows the city chicks that country girls are not wimpy wallflowers!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brian Briscoe
• Release date: Sep 16, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452339597

Brian Briscoe

I am an ex teacher of 30 years who has decided to write books for children that I think they will like to read. I am writing in Adelaide South Australia where I live. I have other material available as Kindle and hard copy books through Amazon .com. I hope you enjoy my material. Please contact me if you do!

Book preview

Chapter One-The Priest’s Hole

The first thing Claire noticed was the smell. The sound came after, soft at first, then a growing noise like an oncoming steam train. She wished her dad and brother Joe were there. Her father Harry was the local Country Fire Service unit commander and both he and Joe received a call this morning to attend a wildfire. The fire had been contained just south of Crowther but all units had been called out to construct a firebreak between it and the town. The last thing Harry had said to Claire was that she was to listen to the radio, stay put and if the fire changed course and came this way she was to go into the ‘Priest’s Hole’.

Her brother had smiled and assured her that the weather forecast was good and the front wouldn’t come this way, and anyway Mrs Johnstone would be here soon to take her to town.

He was wrong!

First Claire sensed it and then she could see it. Out past the pine windbreak, a deep red menacing glow. The first pine went up with a whoosh that Claire could hear from where she stood.

She ran to the other side of the old farmhouse and froze. As far as she could see was ablaze! The farm was surrounded by the two wildfire fronts! No way Mrs Johnstone would get through. She’s by herself!

Claire's mind began to rush. What to do? Where to go? She shielded her eyes from the growing cloud of ash and smoke and remembered her dad’s words about the ‘Priest’s Hole’. A funny name she had first thought until her dad had told her that in the Middle Ages in England, priests built hidey-holes in the vaults of monasteries. A sanctuary if the monastery was ever threatened.

Being the local CFS commander Harry had been obsessed with fire prevention and had constructed an under-ground, concrete bunker -‘Priest’s Hole’- when he had put in the new water tank last autumn. It was the size of a very small room and Harry had put in a metal box containing survival gear; breathing masks, batteries for the radio, a supply of water, tinned food, blankets and a medical kit. He’d also placed another smaller tin in which he’d put pictures of the family and copies of important documents. The family had practised a drill of what to do and Claire was aware that she had no time to waste and had to reach the "Priest’s Hole’ before the fire engulfed her.

Her mind was racing. The noise was becoming a roar and the acrid smell of smoke had begun to make her cough in uncontrollable fits. But first Claire had something important to do.

There were three special items she must get out of the house and she had no time to lose. As she ran to the back veranda she noticed that the feed shed was alight. No time to watch, or think.

She ran to her bedroom and grabbed Jemima, her great grandmother’s porcelain doll that she loved so much. Her mother gave her the doll two years ago before she passed away. She clutched Jemima to her as if it were a real baby.

Hurrying into Joe’s room she looked for his prized possession. She saw it draped over his football team’s picture frame, glinting and reflecting the oncoming onslaught like a scene pictured in a crystal ball, Joe's jade, rabbit’s-foot necklace.

She raced to the lounge room and removed from the wall her father’s pride and joy, his Port Adelaide footy jumper given to him as a best and fairest award by the Port legend Fos Williams.

Claire knew she couldn’t wait any longer. The steam train was roaring like an overheated locomotive and if she wasn’t careful she’d be caught. One final look at her home.

She stumbled out the front door to be hit by an enormous gust of hot, hot wind. She had to shield herself and protect her precious possessions. She ran stumbling over rocks across the home paddock to the water tank.

Claire found the grid in the ground, the entrance to the ‘Priest’s Hole’. The roar of the fire was incredible. She allowed herself one look back at her home only to see the roof collapse with an almighty crash.

The inferno was everywhere. With all her might she lifted the metal grid and dropped down into the dark space below. She then grabbed her three precious keepsakes without looking back.

She fumbled forward in the dark and found the torch left next to the survival box. Her last task was to slide the fireproof hatch over the opening of the ‘Priest’s Hole". She then retreated to the far corner of the shelter, held Jemima tightly to her chest, curled into a little ball, closed her eyes and thought of her mum, her father and her brother Joe.

Two – Em

That’s just so awful mum. How could you do this to me again?

Look Em, it’s going to happen and you’re just going to have to do your best, replied Margaret Preston, in that tone that only mothers know how. Claire has had the worst time and it’s up to this family to try and help out.

But why? It’s just totally so not fair. Another crazy kid who’s going to ruin the start of school for me just like Maria did last year, replied Em, looking up at her mum with her arms planted to her hips.

Em was small but determined. Her blonde hair flew across her face hiding her reddening eyes as she turned and raced down the hall to her bedroom. Margaret followed only to find Em sitting on the edge of her bed with her head in her hands. Her round face was crimson and a fine tear was spilling from her wide blue eyes. Margaret couldn’t help but feel for her.

Em how could you say that about Maria? I know she wasn’t too friendly but Claire will be different. You know it’s important to your father to help out when Father Timms asks, and let’s face it this girl has been through an awful lot. Her mum died last year, father and brother killed fighting the bushfires, her home destroyed and no relatives apart from an uncle in New Zealand. You saw the reports on the television. They were heartbreaking. You’ve got to feel for her Em!

Margaret joined her on the edge of her bed. She placed a mothering arm around her daughter's shoulder, Look it won’t be that bad.

The Preston family had regularly taken in children who had come across hard times. Mr Preston being involved with St David’s church had offered his services as a trained psychologist to help out whenever he could.

Em had always found it hard whenever a stranger entered her life and these thoughts were foremost in her mind when her mother had approached her this morning with the news that Claire Patterson would be coming to stay. Indefinitely! And, she would be coming this afternoon! The year would be ruined again!

Mum how could you do this to me? Again! The last one, that Maria, was just so mean! Everyone hated her. I lost every friend I had. She argued with stuck up Brittany every day and then Brittany set everyone against me. It was so awful. No one would talk to me or sit next to me in class. I stopped getting invites to parties and The Sloanes were just so horrible to me every day. Maria was even mean to the teachers! They totally hated her too!

The last ‘visitor’, Maria Bishop, came to stay at the beginning of last year after her parents had got into some sort of trouble, although Maria hadn’t spoken to Em about it, and Em was too scared to ask. Maria was an angry young person who hadn’t liked Em, her school, her friends, her family and she’d hated Brittany Bonham-Slater from the first time she saw her.

Maria had got so angry in last year’s class, 6T that she threw a chair at old Ms Trencher who had such a fright she stayed away for three days and then retired at the