Fellowship Farm 3: Books 7-9

By Melanie Lotfali

Books seven to nine are contained in this, the third volume of stories about Leezah, Skye-Maree and Olingah Fitzgerald who live with their parents on Fellowship Farm, set out with joy to go blackberry picking.

But an unexpected turn of events at the river makes them fear for the lives of their puppies. Ayyám-i-Há follows

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melanie Lotfali
• Release date: Feb 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9780987349309

Melanie Lotfali

Melanie Lotfali PhD is a graduate of the Australian College of Journalism in Professional Writing for Children. Melanie has taught spiritual education classes for children for the past twenty years in five countries and is currently an active animator and trainer of animators for the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program. She is a qualified counselor and classroom teacher, and for over six years facilitated violence prevention and respectful relationships programs in high schools. Much of her childhood was spent on the farms, beaches and mountains of Tasmania, where the Fellowship Farm series is set. As an adult she spent four years in Siberia and four years in East Timor as a pioneer. She currently lives in Lismore, Australia, with her family.

Book preview

BOOK SEVEN

BLACKBERRY BALL

It is the last day of the summer holidays. The Fitzgerald family decide to take the horse and cart to the river for an afternoon of blackberry picking and swimming. But when the puppies overestimate their own strength and underestimate the strength of the river, a fun day becomes a scary day and a sad night.

The arrival at the farm of a man with a knife creates more panic as the children fear for the safety of not only their puppies but also their dear mummy…

BOOK SEVEN - CHAPTER ONE

Last day of holidays

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Skye-Maree held the frightened rooster tightly on her lap. Although the rooster sometimes got scared and tried to get away or peck at her, Skye was not at all afraid. Skye was very tall and strong for her eight years and growing up on Fellowship Farm she had learnt how to handle lots of different animals. Her older sister, Leezah tried to comfort the rooster, offering it little crumbs of bread to eat. Their mother, Rommy, drove, while Olingah, the youngest member of the family chattered to his father, Flip, trying to come up with a good name for their new bird.

As they drove along the dirt road from Kellyton market they passed their neighbors’ farms. What about Rocky Rooster? suggested Flip.

Mmmm.

What about Steroo, suggested Skye.

Steroo?

Ster – roo the Roo-ster.

Rumpole the Rooster, suggested Leezah remembering the t.v. show that her Uncle Jack in Hobart liked to watch.

Wait! I’ve got the best name! Olingah suddenly shouted and kicked the seat in front of him.

Inside voices please! said Rommy, slowing the Ute and shifting in her seat, hoping there were no more kicks coming her way. However, Olingah had indeed thought of the name for their new rooster.

Kanga, grinned Olingah, Kanga Rooster.

Good one Olly, laughed Leezah, and everyone agreed it was a great name.

When they arrived at the last farm on the road to the point, Rommy turned left and through the blue gate of Fellowship Farm. Skye took Kanga Rooster to his new home in the hen house, up the hill from the old white farmhouse. The rest of the family took the groceries from the Ute and put them way in the kitchen cupboards, fridges and freezers. Every week their little seaside town, Kellyton, held a big market. The Fitzgerald family usually went to stock up on fruit, vegetables, bread, cheese, and other things. The market also sold a wide variety of animals. And the children usually had a ride on the bouncing castle or the flying swings.

While they unpacked the groceries the family talked about what they might do the next day. The next day, Monday, was the very last day of their summer holidays. On Tuesday Leezah would start grade six, Skye would go into grade four and Olingah would begin grade two. Every year, since Leezah started school, on the last day of the holidays, Rommy and Flip took the day off work so that the Fitzgerald family could do something special.

What do you think we should do Skye, for the last day of the holidays? Leezah asked her sister, as Skye returned from the hen house.

Lots of different ideas raced through Skye’s head. They could go to the beach on the point, just past their farm, and play there. They could go for a long walk on the dunes behind the farm, swim in the dam, play in their new treehouse in the apple orchard. Or they could drive in to Kellyton and have fish and chips down on the jetty, or go to the library. And their puppies, Flea, Flex and Fizz, were only about four months old, so it was always fun to do things with the puppies. But then Skye remembered something extra fun. You know we haven’t had a Blackberry Ball this summer, said Skye.

Olingah’s whole face lit up: Blackberry Ball! Blackberry Ball! he shrieked. In response to his shriek, Rommy flexed her fingers and pushed her eyebrows together in a big frown.

Olingah knew what was coming. He wrapped his arms around his tummy. Giggling, he walked slowly backwards out of the kitchen and into the living room. He watched Rommy carefully as she walked slowly toward him. Suddenly Rommy leaped forward and wrapped her arms around her son. She lifted his squealing body off the ground and dropped it onto the couch.

IN-SIDE-VOI-CES-IN-SIDE-VOI-CES she chanted as she bounced him on the couch and tickled him until he begged for mercy in an hysterical whisper.

So, Rommy said smiling normally and returning to the kitchen, leaving Olly panting on the couch, it sounds like Blackberry Ball is a popular choice for tomorrow? They all agreed.

The children spent the afternoon making sure that everything was ready for school on Tuesday. Leezah and Skye pulled their navy blue skorts and turquoise shirts from the back of their cupboard where they had been for the two months of summer holidays. They made sure their white socks and blue leather shoes were ready. Olingah’s summer uniform was the same as his sisters except that instead of a skort he wore navy blue shorts. The children were excited to try on their uniforms again. They loved holidays but they also loved school and the start of a school year was especially fun.

All three of them had grown over the holidays. Leezah’s skort was really too short and tight. Olingah could only just button up his shirt and Skye’s school shoes pressed against her toes.

Oh dear, sighed Rommy when the children came out of the bedroom to parade. Perhaps if you don’t eat between now and Tuesday you’ll fit? suggested Flip.

They’ll have to do for the first day, kids, said Rommy. After school on Tuesday we’ll go to the clothing pool and get some bigger uniforms. You can play at school until I finish at the surgery and then we’ll go there together and go home together, she added. Rommy worked each afternoon as the town vet. Usually the children caught the school bus home each afternoon at 3:15pm and Rommy came home at five o’clock.

The children put away their uniforms. From the cupboard in the living room they pulled three big plastic bags, heavy with books, folders, pens and pencils. They each made a pile on the living room floor. Leezah got the wrapping paper, scissors and sticky tape and together they started to cover their books. It was still a bit hard for Olingah but his sisters helped him. He helped his sisters by sticking stickers on the newly covered books. Then the children wrote their names carefully on all their new things. The smell of the books reminded them of their classrooms at Kellyton primary school. As they sharpened their pencils the new wood of the pencils made their fingers itch to fill their books with stories and sums. By the end of the day the Fitzgerald children were ready to start their new school year.

BOOK SEVEN - CHAPTER TWO

Unlucky Flea

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The next morning everyone was up early as usual. After prayers, breakfast, and morning chores it was time to get ready for the ‘Blackberry Ball’. Rommy, Leezah, Olingah and Skye put on their gumboots and grabbed some apples from the fridge in the boot room. As they walked down the steps of the verandah, the puppies came racing up the back lawn to greet them. They jumped up against the legs of their beloved owners as they walked down the side of the house past the fruit trees and neglected flower garden. They walked through the old white gate of the farmhouse and turned left up the hill.

Glancing to their left they noticed that Kanga Rooster seemed to have settled in well with the hens. The haybarn at the very top of the hill was bursting with the hay that had just been harvested. But the Fitzgeralds didn’t go to the top of the hill. Halfway up the hill was the huge shed that housed the farm dogs, tractors, and other farm machinery and tools, as well as the saddles and bridles for the horses. Olingah ran inside and, standing on a railing he reached up to unhook a lead rope from one of the nails hammered into the side of the shed.

Olingah wrapped the lead rope around his waist and clipped it. Then the four of them continued up the hill and through the gate into the back paddocks. At the sound of the gate opening the horses pricked up their ears. Leezah clicked her tongue and soon they were all trotting up the hill towards the gate, hoping for a treat. The horses were not disappointed. The children tucked their thumbs under their palms and held out the apples for the horses to snuffle up. The horses chomped and slurped dropping saliva and bits of apple into the grass below. The hot air snorted through their nostrils smelt of chewed up grass and the smell of their manes and fur brought back memories of many happy days of horse riding. Rommy slipped the lead rope off