Not Without Her Children: A Tale Of Hope

By Mandy Mason

Leaving family, friends, and all her belongings behind, single mother Mandy, flees from the Netherlands with her two young children. Secretly emigrating to Australia, she escapes her vicious perpetrator to start a new life in a country she had never set foot in before. Mandy’s story spans the globe. In her childhood, she grew up in Africa and her ex-husband, Janus, originally from India, married Mandy to start a new life in Europe.
After ten years of marriage, when Mandy finally announced the divorce, she faced Janus’ faked suicide, attempted kidnapping of their children to India and domestic violence. Mandy shielded her children from the ‘ice aged’ child protection system in the Netherlands, which blindly stood up for Janus’ rights with no regard for the suffering this created. To fight for a new life in Australia with her children, Mandy digs deep inside herself. She faces abuse of international law, fighting every step of the way—for her children. They are her everything.
A disaster is inevitable, yet, there is hope…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Aug 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781528983167

Mandy Mason

Mandy had a lot of experiences in life which helped her to positively transform and navigate the situations she faced. So far, within three years, she has successfully immigrated and assimilated into Australian society and rebuilt her educational management career. In the Netherlands, Mandy is part of a support group which aims to transform the child support system. The committee would like child protection organisations to acknowledge and recognise (coercive) domestic violence, to work ‘evidence based’ and pleads for better child focused perspectives in parental disputes. They want to revolutionise the way cases such as Mandy’s are managed and advocate for greater care of the children.

Book preview

About the Author

Mandy had a lot of experiences in life which helped her to positively transform and navigate the situations she faced. So far, within three years, she has successfully immigrated and assimilated into Australian society and rebuilt her educational management career.

In the Netherlands, Mandy is part of a support group which aims to transform the child support system. The committee would like child protection organisations to acknowledge and recognise (coercive) domestic violence, to work ‘evidence based’ and pleads for better child focused perspectives in parental disputes. They want to revolutionise the way cases such as Mandy’s are managed and advocate for greater care of the children.

Dedications

Belle and Jai

Two brave warriors of the Light

And to mum, for all her sufferings

Copyright Information ©

Mandy Mason (2021)

The right of Mandy Mason to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

All of the events in this memoir are true to the best of the author’s memory. The views expressed in this memoir are solely those of the author

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781528983150 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781528983167 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2021)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd

25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5LQ

Acknowledgements

Zoe Hull, author of ‘Born Again’, selflessly supporting me throughout the writing of my novel, editing every chapter for the past two years. Many, many thanks…

Frankie Banks, you’ve been marvellous in giving fresh insights and advice towards my novel.

Arthur, Mary, and Gwen, for your continuous love, bravery, faith and never ending support towards me. My gratitude is eternal.

Both foster families, for hosting Belle and Jai. Forever grateful for your good care, support and love towards the children.

The good Principal and all supporting staff, thanks so much for supporting me in granting Domestic Violence leave, assisting me in marking my assignments, designing lessons, and supporting me emotionally.

My Dutch and Australian lawyer and barrister, for your endless support, late nights of work, and the risks you took to defending the children’s case.

Chloe, for doing her work thoroughly, working strategically and for being very courageous.

To everyone else who supported me and my children, whose heart spoke, and who opened their eyes to see the truth of the situation.

Part I

Liberation

The Moonlight Flit

The Netherlands

Mandy lived in a day-to-day fear, not knowing when Janus would make his moves. To avoid any suspicion, Mandy had given herself one day before their immigration to pack up their luggage. The previous day, a social worker had come to visit Mandy’s house to observe Mandy’s interaction with the children. The visit had been to confirm, once again, there were no issues regarding the mother looking after the children. Everything in the house had still been in place. No one was able to see that within two days, Mandy and her children would not be there anymore.

The mother had made lists in advance, in order not to forget her children’s most precious toys and teddy bears, and the essential clothes they needed. She had bought a big, second-hand suitcase a long time ago, to avoid anyone from wondering as to why she needed it. However, she also bought it that far in advance, because even though it all seemed impossible, she had felt it was going to happen, she was going to leave together with her children. Somehow, by purchasing that suitcase, even when all the formalities around custody and visa weren’t ready yet, it had symbolised the vibe that one day, one day they would depart and embrace freedom! She needed that vibe to survive the dark forces who were after herself and her children, otherwise, she couldn’t survive. She needed that light at the end of the tunnel.

The day before their departure, as soon as the children had gone to school, Mandy grabbed her lists and started packing. What was she going to tell the children when they would find out their favourite toys were missing? She was going to distract them and would pack their last favourite items early morning the next day, after she’d told them they would go on a holiday, to Australia. Make it something exciting.

That night, Mandy and Arthur waited for darkness to come, for it was almost summer in the Netherlands and daylight would stay until ten o’clock that night. The birds were still singing their songs well into the evening as Mandy stared at her dark purple bedroom wall with framed pictures of herself and the children. She turned her head to look out of her window, straight into the bright green trees of the terrace she loved greatly. Her thoughts wandered, thinking of this detached house in a crowded neighbourhood, a suburb close to Amsterdam, their home since she had left her ex-husband Janus.

It was surrounded by lovely neighbours and had a playground at the back of her twenty square metre fenced garden, where the children used to play with their friends. Mandy, Arthur, and the children had enjoyed many happy moments in this residency. It would have been perfect, had it not been for all Janus’s unexpected visits.

Mandy was a young woman, thirty-six years old with soft skin and short hair. She had brown eyes, soft features and a slight but shaped posture. Arthur was much older than Mandy, he looked muscular, tall, and slim. Despite rugged, rough features, he was a kind, good-hearted man and had supported Mandy over the past three years. Arthur wanted Mandy to stay with him in the Netherlands, as he feared he would not be able to settle in Australia. Regardless of his love, support, their warm relationship, and good communication, Mandy told him,

I am the captain of my ship and I follow my own compass. You can drive your boat alongside me, as long as your compass tells you we go into the same direction. But don’t ask me to follow your compass, I need to listen to my own heart.

Arthur was willing to conquer his own fears, to sponsor and to continue to support Mandy, as he believed in her. He had invested his money in her ‘Australia project’, he wanted the mother and her children to be safe. Later on, he would follow her, to support her, but it would be a trial, a trial to see if he could abandon his hometown and the friends he loved and had known all his life.

The couple made the world believe their intimate relationship was over. They had to, for safety reasons, to keep Janus away from harassing Arthur once Mandy would be gone. If Mandy were to leave the Netherlands with the children, what would Janus do? Janus might go after Arthur and harm him if Mandy was gone. He had threatened to kill Arthur before, long after Mandy had divorced Janus.

That there is my second house! Janus told Arthur, pointing at the house where Mandy now lived, those are my wife and children. In two months, you, you will be dead!

Maybe if Janus believed Mandy and Arthur were no longer involved, he would let Arthur be. Janus might intimidate Mandy’s friends, family members and colleagues. He might be able to manipulate one of those, to find out where Mandy was hiding with the children.

Even though he had a restraining order against him, skilled as he was, Mandy had seen Janus knew how to avoid any laws or rules. It was like trying to catch and hold a water snake, nothing could stop him, and authorities merely thought it was a matter of bad communication between two ex-partners. No one did a search for truth, to investigate the different stories both Mandy and Janus would elaborate on, the police dismissed every report Mandy filled as a ‘family matter’. He would come round, especially when he knew the kids were home and out of the blue appeared with his head above the blinded part of the window, banging his fists on the glass, yelling,

Belle! Jai! Your mother is a bitch!

It would frighten Belle to death and Jai didn’t understand why his mother would just not open the door to let his father in.

The young mother could have gone without her children, could have gone away from her controlling, manipulative ex-husband, without her children. But then, then there would only be emptiness. She would feel amputated, dark, and hollow inside. She loved children, she loved Belle and Jai and how could she leave them behind to save her own skin, while their lives would then be rotten and spoilt forever? Her deep marked scar from the C-section that delivered both her children would remind her eternally and make her heart bleed every moment.

Finally, it was dark enough outside; they thought no one would be able to see them. Mandy and Arthur got up from their bed and quietly, careful not to wake the children, went upstairs to the attic to carry a big yellow suitcase, a black case, a huge backpack, and children’s bags downstairs. Mandy passed the bedrooms on the second floor, all still completely furnished, and doors decorated with posters of horses and dogs. In the living room the white TV-stand stood still in the dim light of the streets coming through the silver, closed curtains. Mandy’s newest and most beloved addition to the house, a purple armchair, stood in the corner, opposite the leather second-hand couch her mother had bought for her, just after Mandy divorced and moved into this house. Around the corner was the kitchen and in front of the entrance, the great wooden table at which Jai and Belle so often peacefully sat down to do their craft or drawings. Their pet rabbit was rustling around in his cage on the fake wooden floor, which was actually linoleum. It was a terraced house, but spacious, light and had a garden that exited to a playground, were the children enjoyed themselves so often.

Mandy opened the front door and peeked outside in the dark with Arthur holding his breath and standing right behind her. It was quiet, the curtains of the opposite neighbours were closed, and everyone seemed to be asleep or at least tucked away in their warm homes. Quietly, Mandy and Arthur rushed across the street where they opened the car doors and quickly slid the luggage inside, before anyone could turn the corner and catch them plotting their escape. They hid their belongings under a cloth in the car while Mandy cross checked if the luggage was visible from outside, through the car windows.

They went back into the dark house, climbed the stairs, and attempted to catch some sleep that night. While Arthur laid in bed, Mandy checked on the children. First, she opened the door to Belle’s bedroom. The pink diagonal wall puts a shade over her elevated sleeper with a practical desk underneath. Mandy climbed the silver iron bars of the staircase reaching the mattress of her daughter, staring into her beautiful sleeping face. Belle was eight years old, had a light-coloured skin, dark blonde long hair and beautiful black eyes, the only trace of her Indian heritage. Mandy’s daughter promises to become a beautiful young woman when she grows older. She slept peacefully not knowing what awaited her the following day. Her room was stuffed with all her tiny, little treasures of which she insisted to exhibit on every space available. Noiselessly Mandy tiptoed out of Belle’s room, closed the door to enter the room of the second love of her life, her son Jai.

The little five-year-old boy was slightly darker skinned than his sister, but his eyes were more like his mother’s, brown eyes and not as black as Belle’s. His face looked so innocent, his features so soft, his perfectly formed nose and round forehead were beautiful. Completely surrendered to his sleep, Jai lay flat on his back putting both his arms next to his ears having his fists facing the ceiling. He had a cupboard full of clothes, a tiny table and chair and heaps of toys in his room. He didn’t know his Lego and Playmobil were packed, along with his favourite summer clothes.

The next morning Mandy woke her children and told them, I have a surprise for both of you. We are going on an early holiday; a little bit sooner than all other children would go on their summer holiday. You are very lucky, and you know what, we are going to fly on an airplane, we are going to Australia! The children were buzzing with excitement, for many years they had wanted to fly and be in an aircraft and today was the day they finally would be able to do so. Mandy rang the school and told the office that, unfortunately, both children were sick and away today and probably tomorrow as well. She also texted her supervisor she was sick that day.

When everyone ready to go, Arthur and Mandy got the children in the car as quick as they could. The neighbours must not suspect anything as Janus, Mandy’s ex-husband, had eyes and ears everywhere, for he sometimes send his psychiatrically sick neighbour to spy on them as ever since the restraining order Mandy got against him, he was no longer allowed to approach their house.

Mandy and Arthur drove to Belgium where their plane would leave that afternoon. Mandy had thought it unsafe to keep the children at home during daytime. What if the children would notice their toys were missing and packed? What if they were to go outside for a play and tell others about their upcoming trip? Mandy did not want anyone to prematurely find out they were planning to run away, therefore they left hours long before the flight would take off, early morning at 9 a.m.

Before their departure, Mandy needed to unsubscribe the children and herself from the City Council of the designated section of the Amsterdam neighbourhood they lived in, Amsterdam North. She did not want to risk doing this in advance in case someone would hear of their plans to immigrate and accidentally Janus would find out about it. She had decided to give the City Council a false address, in Malawi, where she once grew up as a little girl. She was certain Janus would let his lawyer track them down. In the Netherlands, personal and private information was easy to access by anyone who made up an excuse.

Mandy parked the car at the top of the parking place, hoping that would give the least chance to meet someone they would know. She nervously awaited her turn to walk up to the counter with her filled out form. The attendant was very interested in their immigration to Malawi and thought of it as a great adventure. Little did he know the real reason for this escape, little did he know about the dangers for herself, Belle and Jai. Little did he know about Janus’ promise to Mandy six months before she announced the divorce, when he warned her, If you divorce me, I will make sure you will never see your children again.

After Mandy avoided all questions and remarks from counter attendant, she quickly started to make her way out of the hall, as in this central spot of Amsterdam North, she knew many community members, she once had been a teacher at a primary school in this area. Her heart stopped when she approached the exit. A friend stood there, the mother of one of Belle’s friends. She cheerfully greeted Mandy and Mandy warmly replied, simultaneously making up an excuses for her presence there, instead of being at her job.

It turned out to be easy not to raise any suspicions, as nobody could ever suspect such a well-respected, smart educated woman had planned to secretly bring herself and her children into safety by going into hiding. People didn’t know what it was like to be in real danger, such a thing only existed in movies or on the news… Mandy thought, When they discover I have disappeared, then, then they will understand how serious and dangerous the situation was, then they will finally have this insight, authorities, family members and friends will understand. Thinking people would understand her sudden departure with her children, was the biggest mistake Mandy had made.

Panting, Mandy took her place behind the steering wheel, looking over her shoulder to the back seats, seeing both her treasures looking up at her full of expectation. She took her sim card from her mobile and had even brought scissors to cut it in half. She wasn’t technically very skilled, as Janus was, but she had experienced how he had hacked her phone, her computer, her text messages and how he had been able to track her down. She did not want to take any risk and thought cutting up the sim card would definitely do the job.

Finally, after taking care of the last practical things, they were ready to drive away from the town Mandy had called her home for the past seven years. With a great sigh of relief, they hit the highway, where nobody would be able to recognise them. It was a good thing they had borrowed a car from a friend of Arthurs. Janus lived in Amsterdam North too, he could have incidentally spotted Mandy’s car. They were better disguised in someone else’s. Besides, Mandy had given her own car away to a trustworthy person she had known via her coach.

After a two-hour drive, they arrived in Belgium, at the spot Arthur and Mandy had picked to enjoy and spend a couple of hours, a beautiful, idyllic, ancient castle, which they all excitedly explored. While being slightly distracted, Mandy’s thoughts were mostly engaged with worries, whether or not their departure was discovered, whether they would make it to the flight. Oh, she would be so relieved if they would finally board that aircraft and take off. At a certain moment, Mandy felt she could not stand anymore, she sat down in the ancient knight’s hall, shaking all over her body. She needed to eat something, her body needed energy and sugars, the tension had been enormous. Arthur hurried to grab their lunch from the car and she hastily ate some food, to regain her strength and courage.

They spend some hours at the Belgian castle until it was time to go to the airport. They parked the car and bundled their luggage onto two separate trolleys. Arthur worried about how Mandy would manage all the bags when she arrives at the airport in Australia, but Mandy held tight to her positivity, telling Arthur not to despair about that. Despite needing to gather as many of their belongings into only two bags per person, she was confident she would manage. They entered the airport and looked up the flight numbers, however they were not displayed on the digital monitors. Mandy’s resolve began to falter as she stepped up to the information desk, while Arthur distracted the children. The person at the counter informed her their flight had been cancelled. The ground flight attendant told her not to worry; she would give them alternative flights. These flights turned out to be even better, and it flashed through Mandy’s mind that it would be less easy to track them down since the original flights were cancelled. They checked in and approached the man waiting behind the counter.

In her bag Mandy had the certified translated registration from the City Council stating her sole custody over the children. The children did not have the same surname as Mandy did, so she hoped this registration should be enough for the airport stewards to let them go. Otherwise, in addition, in her hand luggage she had put her court orders saying that she had sole custody.

Who are these children? asked the counter man dismissively.

They are mine, they are my children, I am their mother, declared Mandy firmly. She expected a problem, expected a thorough check, but nothing like that happened. They checked in their language and were simply ready to go!

It was hard to say goodbye to Arthur. Mandy wanted to hold on to him, but she had to leave. He needed to drive back to the Netherlands, so with tears in her eyes, she kissed him goodbye.

Finally, the three of them were on board of the plane.

When you are on that plane and it hits the air, Gwen, Mandy’s guide and guru had told her, you will feel a great sense of relief and freedom!

But Mandy did not feel this relaxation. She was worried. What would happen to them when they arrived in Australia? Will Janus find them and come after them? Her courage and belief to enable her immigration with the children seemed to fade. Her focus to pursue sole custody and to obtain an Australian visa were slightly forgotten. She allowed fearful thoughts to enter her mind and pushed these away to her subconscious. Like attracts like, what creation was she sending out into the Universe?

It was a long thirty-hour journey, and during the transfer their hand luggage felt too much to carry. The children were too tired to carry their own bags, and Mandy was exhausted as the children had hardly slept on the plane. Jai became very active and didn’t listen to instructions. When they arrived at Darwin, there was a long queue ahead of the passport control. Blessed kind people let them pass ahead of them in line. Their luggage went onto two trolleys. Brave Belle, small of posture, pushed the second trolley and tiny Jai was too tired to walk, so Mandy placed him on top of the luggage of the trolley, where he promptly fell asleep, his body wriggling as he dreamed. They waited a long time in line for the passport control before it is their turn and then were not permitted to pass but were referred to a second counter.

Mandy did not know what was going on, she enquired further, but the stern man behind the desk did not answer her. Mandy thought she would lose it, they had come this far and now, now it will be the end. Janus must have found out, he must have alerted the authorities, and he was trying to stop them. But that wouldn’t be realistic, how would it be possible? She had sole custody; she had the legal right to make this decision. She had a court order stating that there could not be a parenting plan between Janus and the children.

The children whined, pulled their mother’s trousers, and wanted to go to the apartment which Mandy carefully selected before coming out to Darwin. The men behind the counter kept on checking their passports and then passing it on to the next colleague, who was also checking the passport in his computer. After checking the passports over and over again, for what seemed forever, the person behind the counter closest to them announced their salvation: they were free to enter Australia. Mandy, Belle and Jai walked through the exit of Darwin airport towards the taxi stand and they saw the first palm trees of Australia. Freedom, at last! A great sense of relief flooded through Mandy’s body and Belle hugged a first palm tree, as her way to embrace Australia.

***

Back in Amsterdam, a day after her departure, Mandy’s best friend Mary entered Mandy’s house together with Arthur, both accompanied by a friend. The third party arriving at the house was a woman who recently stepped out of a violent relationship and had absolutely nothing left, no money and no household. She was as happy as a child to take over Mandy’s complete household and brought a helper along. The six of them worked really hard, constantly looking over their shoulders to see whether or not Janus had found out about the departure of what he considered his human possessions, Mandy, Belle and Jai. While Arthur monitored the process of breaking down things in the Netherlands, Mandy started to build up in Australia, their new life. After a few weeks, Arthur would follow Mandy and her children to the other side of the world.

The neighbour Nikki, who had been a great support to Mandy over the past two years, knew nothing of Mandy’s departure. Mandy had not said goodbye to her, she could not have risked anyone knowing of this, any leak in the system might have alarmed Janus in some way and he would have stopped her from leaving the Netherlands and moving her children to a safe place. Nikki came around the corner to meet Arthur and Mary, alarmed at seeing the truck in front of the house. They sat her down and explained Mandy’s sudden departure. Nikki burst into tears, wishing she could have said goodbye. She would have liked Mandy and her children to stay and felt horrified their situation had become absolutely untenable, forcing Mandy to take this step.

That evening, when the truck had left, the house was empty, the curtains were removed, Nikki looked out of her bedroom window on the second floor, which gave a view straight into Mandy’s back yard. Then she saw him, there was Janus. He had climbed through a hole in the fence and had entered the garden, pressing his big nose against the window. He looked up, saw Nikki looking at him and spun around to exit the garden. Within one day Janus had discovered the empty house, even though, according to the restraining order, he was to stay away from it.

They had departed on a Thursday and after the weekend, on Monday, the school was alarmed, by Janus or by the fact both Belle and Jai had not appeared. Two teachers cycled around to the house as the distance between Mandy’s house and the school was only a few minutes away. They were greatly shocked to discover an empty house and were very concerned about what had happened to Belle and Jai. Child Safety Amsterdam, who was supervising the children, was informed about the disappearance of the mother and her children. In Janus’ first court case, after Mandy had left, the child safety officer would declare, The mother has done a moonlight flit, she has changed herself into the wind.

A New Life

Australia

Belle had reacted angrily after Mandy had told her they were in Australia to stay, and that it wasn’t for just a holiday.

I did not say goodbye to my friends! How could you do this to me?! the eight-year-old yelled angrily at her mother.

Mandy felt absolutely awful, as she knew from a pedagogical point of view, she should have prepared the children for an immigration, given them a chance to say goodbye, involve them in the process of packing up and leaving. But instinctively, she knew the survival of the children, their lives were more valuable compared to the emotional preparation for a departure to another country.

Fortunately, Australia offered many distractions to the children, the first distraction was the zoo. Belle wanted to hold a koala and Jai fed the kangaroo’s. Mandy was willing to spend her scarce money on it, all she wanted was for her children to feel comfortable as soon as they could.

Belle asked her mother a lot of questions, about what had happened to their car, how the house would be emptied and why they had left the Netherlands. Mandy explained about all the court cases, the money it had cost her, the time she had to spend to prepare for the court cases, the stress it gave her. She said,

Daddy would never stop. I wanted a free life for us, and I wanted you to be able to play outside without feeling scared.

Mandy wanted the children to understand the choice she had made and why she had torn them away from the life they had had. She couldn’t explain all that had happened, and her intention was not to create a negative image of their father, but what she did say about him was true. It had also been strange, for all that time the Dutch Child Safety services had wanted her to somehow lie to her children. They were not allowed to know about the court cases, about the real reasons for Child Safety’s involvement. Any negative talk about their father Janus would have reflected badly on Mandy and the authorities would have crucified her, blaming her for alienating the children against their father by poisoning their minds with negatives about him. Just like the time she’d honestly told them why she’d picked them up early from school,

because daddy wanted to take you to India and mummy didn’t know about it and didn’t want you to go to India. According to the Dutch Child Safety services and the Board of Child Protection, she had put her children up against their father by telling them what had happened. It wasn’t in anyway a mistake from Janus side.

However, Belle and Jai did understand why their mother had moved them to Australia, because they had their own memories about Janus’ banging fists on the windows, or the time he threw the chairs through the room and when he chased them with his car. The children were with their mum, their main caretaker, the person who had been their attachment figure their whole life. This meant safety and security to them, they felt comfortable and protected. Finally, Mandy could openly speak about what had happened back there in the Netherlands, on a level the children could possibly understand.

Janus didn’t hesitate and reported Mandy straight to the police. Arthur, who was secretly in touch with Mandy, told her the Dutch police were looking for her. In Australia, they spent their first night at a campsite, in the campervan Mandy hired. It seemed like the only logical choice to get to know the country by travelling around for a bit, before settling in. Mandy, Belle and Jai were embracing Australia and the children were already getting used to the idea of settling into this country.

Just as she was standing on a hill admiring the amazing views, vibrating happiness through her veins, she got Arthur’s message explaining about the police involvement. Immediately she felt a rock dropping in her stomach. Her anxiety was caused by fearful thoughts. Why were the Dutch police involved? she wondered. She never expected involvement from the authorities, she had only ever feared Janus to come after them. I’ve legally not done anything wrong, she thought.

She went over and over all security measures she had taken, thinking of any traces she’d left. The mistake she’d probably made, was to book a straight flight to Australia with a travel agent. She should have lifted her Dutch bank account, what if the police could track down her transfers to the Dutch travel agency? She should have taken a stop in another country and then purchased another ticket. Oh… and at the Australian border, she had to fill out her address. Would they check the address on that tiny piece of paper if the authorities wanted to track her down? Would they actually process those thousands of notes every person entering Australia fills out? Mandy, of course, wouldn’t say a word about all her worries to Belle and Jai.

While driving their hired campervan onto the Australian highway, Mandy wondered about their future in Australia. She didn’t even have a job yet, she’d tried to apply for a job as the Principal of a Primary School in Australia, as would be her next career step in the Netherlands. She had been unsuccessful, even though she’d been applying for the last four months. It had frightened Arthur a great deal to know she was not yet employed. Mandy had told him she must first be in Australia before anyone would hire her for a job. She told him, They will not hire me from overseas, they need to see an Australian address on my CV, and they need to be able to connect a face to the job.

Presently the three of them were distracted by the utter beauty of the country while travelling to their new home. A rental property Mandy and Arthur had arranged from overseas. At night-time, when both children were sleeping, Mandy searched for garage sales in Darwin and contacted people to ensure she was able to pick up matrasses and other necessary furniture once they would arrive.

To Mandy’s great surprise she could now move away from her daughter for more than three metres, without her panicking and grabbing her mother’s leg. One of the campgrounds had a toilet block about 50 metres away. The children were nicely playing around the campervan, they played