Tonight, we’re pretty quick to leave, mainly for our mother’s sake. We meet back at the panel van.
Outside, the cold air slaps me.
We drive home, in silence again.
On our front porch, Mrs Wolfe stops and gives us each a hug. She hugs our father as well. They both go in.
Standing outside, we still hear Sarah ask from the kitchen, ‘So who won?’
We also hear the answer.
‘Nobody.’
It’s Dad.
Mum calls out from inside. ‘Do you fellas want dinner? I’m heating it up right now!’
‘What is it?’ Rube answers, hopeful.
‘The usual!’
Rube turns to me and says, ‘Bloody pea soup again. It’s a dis-grace.’
‘Yeah,’ I agree, ‘but it’s brilliant too.’
‘Yeah, I know.’
I open the flyscreen door and walk into the kitchen. I check out what’s going on, and the smell of everyday life fights its way into my nose.
‘Hey Rube?’
We’re on the front porch, eating pea soup in the dark.
‘What?’
‘You’ll win that lightweight title in a few weeks, won’t y’?’
‘I’d say so, but I won’t be doin’ it again next year. I’ll tell Perry soon enough.’ He laughs.
‘It was pretty good chop there for a while, wasn’t it? Perry, the bouts, all of it.’
I even laugh myself, for some reason. ‘Yeah, I guess.’
Rube looks in disgust down at his soup. ‘This is bloody shockin’ tonight.’ He lifts a spoonful and lets it drop back into the bowl.
A car drives past.
Miffy barks.
‘We’re comin’!’ Rube shouts. He gets up. ‘Here, give us y’ bowl.’
He takes it inside and when he returns, we make our way off the porch, to get damn Miffy.
At the gate, I stop my brother.
I ask, ‘What’ll y’ do when the boxing’s over?’
He answers without thinking. ‘I’m gonna hunt my life down and grab it.’
Then we put our hoods on and walk out.
Street.
World.
Us.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Celia Jellett for her kindness, commitment and expertise Vic Morrison for all the challenges
Copyright
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First edition published by Omnibus Books in 2000.
This electronic edition published by Scholastic Australia Pty Limited, 2015.
E-PUB/MOBI eISBN: 978-1-925064-37-7
Text copyright © Markus Zusak, 2000.
Cover artwork copyright © Omnibus Books, 2000.
Author photograph by Bronwyn Rennix
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