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Back The Orchardist's Daughter Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. PRAISE
  3. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  4. DEDICATION
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. PART I SEEDS
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. PART II GERMINATION
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. PART III GROWTH
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. PART IV UNDERSTOREY
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. EPILOGUE
  57. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

When she closed the book at the end of the journey, she realised with a jolt that the swordfish was not just a fish—it was meant to represent life. Suddenly, she could see parallels. The old man fought to catch the swordfish, just as she would have to fight to claim her life from Kurt sometime in the future. The swordfish was invisible in the water, just as everything she wanted was out of reach. She was the one in the boat, trying to hook on to life. The old man’s fishing trip was about patience, hard work, perseverance and skill. But it was also about striving for what he believed. The swordfish had resisted being caught, even when it was dying. With a hook in its mouth, it had clung to freedom because freedom was worth fighting for, worth dying for.

Miki understood that she was the swordfish struggling for freedom, while Kurt held her in check on the line. She was his captive, but hope bubbled under her skin. She thought of the life she would lead one day, and it was so much more than this shop: large and free. She would visit the sea. Watch sunrises and sunsets. Walk in the rain. Finish school and go to university. Be independent. Own a dog. Her own home. Read books. Make choices. Meet friends. Maybe even find love and have a family.

Geraldine had given her this book for a reason: Miki saw that now. Geraldine wanted to give her the world, and she wanted Miki to strive for it.

Miki slid the book under her mattress and lay back, resting her head on her pillow, eyes closed. In the vast unfenced freedom of her mind, she could see a clear star-crusted sky spreading over the sleeping blanket of forest.

One day, she would be free to go. The time was coming—she could feel it.

28

28

Leon should have known that troubles always come one after the other. The demonstration at the forest festival. The run-in with Mooney. The graffiti attack on his car. And now this: he knew something was wrong as soon as he heard his mum’s voice on the phone. ‘Leon,’ she said quietly. ‘Your father’s in hospital. We’re in Hobart.’

Leon had just arrived home from a long day of work up in the park. He was tired and didn’t feel much sympathy for his dad, but his mum sounded worried. A cloud of concern sank over him like weather descending on the mountains. ‘Stan again?’ he asked.

‘I don’t think so. He hasn’t been round in a while—not since you visited with the dog. But things have gone downhill. A couple of weeks ago, your father’s belly blew up and his legs went all puffy.’

‘Did you take him to a doctor?’