Words Steffi Kokkoris

Image Wayne ye

My head slumped and my feet dragged across the bumpy, grey pavement as the clouds turned grey. My thoughts seemed to have floated away, so close, but too far away to reach. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach, weighing down my shoulders as my thoughts piled up. “Why can’t I figure out what to write?” I whispered aloud, my fingers tangling in my hair-bands which clung tightly to my wrists. So many thoughts tumble along as I dawdle down the back streets of Hobart. A drop of rain trickles right down the middle of my nose, breaking my thoughts for the slightest moment. I stop walking and take in the dark sky. Everything seems to have a grey tinge to it, and a mist appeared, making the air humid. I continue walking and I see brown leaves falling off tree branches, reminding me of an Autumn when I was five years old…

“Steffi, smile for Mummy’, Mum says, and I grin as big as I can; a cold breeze blowing through a gap where my two middle teeth used to be.

“I got ice-creams!” I hear Dad call out from the park bench. I race to him, my older sister Georgia catching up to me, and my little brother Jules not far behind. Georgia beat us there and chose the biggest scoop. Jules falls over and gets to choose before me so he could stop crying, which left me with the smallest one. I don’t care, because the other two had already eaten almost half, so we all have the same amount. Once we are done, I beg Mum and Dad to let us have a go on the merry-go-round.

They say: “Yes!”, and all three of us cheer and climb onto our favourite horse. Mine is called Star Light because she was red, gold and creamy white, and reminds me of the glow-in-the-dark stickers on my bedroom ceiling. Mum sits with Jules on Santa’s sleigh, and Dad and my Georgia sit on Piper, a green and purple horse. I didn’t need to go with a parent because I’m a big kid and I can do it on my own. A man with a white beard, fluffy white eyebrows, bright blue eyes, silver-framed glasses and flushed red cheeks that matched his vest sits in the middle of the merry-go-round and starts the music. As the music plays, the merry-go-round spins and the horses go up and down with the music. Lights around the rim of the circular ceiling light up and change colours. I stare around me in awe of everything. It finally comes to a stop and the man winks at me as I wave and got off. “He reminds me of Santa, Mummy.” I say. “Maybe he is, Dolly Girl”, Mum says, patting my white and pink beanie that’s perched on the top of my head.

We keep on walking until we find a big tree with leaves falling off it and my brother, sister and I start making a big pile of leaves to jump into. Jules jumps in the pile before I’ve finished piling them up. Standing there in the cold, I smile as leaves float all around me.

I quickly jot everything down on my note pad and zip up my bag. A smile settles on my face as I walk closer and closer to home.

THE END