WRONG WAY - GO BACK 

By Tessa Harvey


ED
    "Hurry up," the boat man said. His face looked angry, scrunched up. Dad lifted me up and held me out for someone to catch.
    I was stiff and afraid. The water looked dark and deep. The boat smelled bad. Then dad swung Alice into the boat. She was bigger than me, but still scared. I could tell. 
    Last dad helped mum. The boat man looked even more angry and glared at my parents. "You didn't pay extra," he growled. "We didn't know extra," dad answered calmly.
"Well, no extra care,"
"That's fine," said dad. The quarrel faded before it began. I didn't know why my mum had god fat. We didn't have much food. All our money was for the boat. It wasn't big, though. There was no shade for most of us.
    Not much water. Not much food. Dad and mum held us close. Then we moved away across the water, the endless sea. Some birds called and flew away. The boat bounced on the waves. A lot of people were sick. If they were sick into the water, the boss man said nothing. If anyone made a mess in the boat, they were told to clean it up quick.
    We had to do toilet over the splintery boat side. Dad held me, mum held Alice. We mostly waited until it was dark.
    Dad prayed to the ancestors. "Where are they?" asked Alice. "They have gone before," answered mum. "Gone before where?" Alice looked at all the water. It could hide a lot of people, she thought, but said nothing.
    

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