SEVEN

SIDNEY CAHILL

Hand over hand, scrambling up the rock face. He looked skyward, saw where he intended to go, a small dead tree overhanging the water. He was roughly six metres up. Hated looking down. Brendan, beneath, laughed with his mates, cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, ‘Don’t look down, dickhead. You’ll freak out again. You’re ten now, Sid, come on. We all did it at that age.’

He’d never made it to the tree, his fear always stopping him metres short. He’d watched his brother for years leap from it into the water. His outstretched arms making a needle of him as he collided with the water. People said there was no bottom to Boolarra. It just kept sinking into the earth forever. On the other side you’d emerge in China. His brother, in his glory, seemed to be doing his damnedest to reach the bottom with every jump.

The sunlight made Sidney squint and the heat on his naked back burned into his skin. He stopped mid-grip. Had to control his breathing. The tree now only a short distance away.

Brendan shouted, ‘You’re nearly there!’

Another voice: ‘You’re going to fall!’ Then laughter. Brendan’s among them.

Sidney opened his eyes. Took another breath. The tree now a metre away. He was almost level with it. He had to manoeuvre himself around a rocky outcrop to reach it. He moved his weight to this new position and leaned over for the branch. Mid-action he felt how poorly his foot was placed. He reached out for the branch and his foot slipped and he hung on with all he could. His face slapped against the rock. He coughed into dirt, sending it into his mouth, his eyes.

‘Brendan!’ he shouted, panicked. He knew the tree he held onto was dead. Didn’t know how secure its roots were, how long they would hold.

‘I’m coming!’

His brother started scrambling up the rocks while his friends were all laughing, shouting up taunts. Sidney didn’t care. Just wanted to get down. Wanted not to slip and crack his skull and be dead.

He felt Brendan’s hand on his forearm. Heard his voice. ‘It’s okay, Sid, you’re alright.’

‘I don’t want to fall!’

‘You won’t fall. Just jump. You’re in a good spot.’

‘What do you mean, jump?’ There was hysteria in his voice and it was mocked from below.

‘Shut up!’ Brendan yelled down at them. ‘Shut up, Jordan!’ He clapped Sidney on the arm. ‘Just ignore them.’

‘I can’t do it.’

A sound of utter exasperation, like his brother couldn’t believe such a creature could exist. ‘I’ve been jumping here since I was eight.’

‘I’m not you, but. Can’t you just help me down?’

‘Alright. Alright,’ Brendan sighed. Sidney felt his brother’s strength as he pulled him easily from the tree. Shoving him, almost, to a safer spot where he could balance. Sidney huddled down, tried to avoid the eyes of his brother’s friends below.